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Time-limited pet insurance

Compare pet insurance covering accidents and illnesses for 12 months.[1]

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What is time-limited pet insurance?

A time-limited policy offers a fixed sum for each illness or injury your pet gets. It’s typically one of the cheaper types of pet insurance, because there are limits to how much, and for how long, you can claim. 

Each illness or injury is covered for a set period of time – usually 12 months following a claim for that condition – as long as the policy remains in force. 

Let's say you’ve had your pet insurance policy for six months, and your dog or cat falls ill. You can claim up to a fixed amount for that illness for the remaining six months of your current policy, and the first six months of your next policy - assuming you renew your policy with your insurer.

When the set period ends, or you reach the fixed sum amount, your pet won’t be covered for that specific illness or injury anymore. The same goes for if that same illness or injury occurs again. Your pet won’t be covered as insurers will treat it as a pre-existing medical condition.

Benefits

  • A useful cover option for accidents and short-term conditions
  • One of the more affordable types of pet insurance
  • Most policies don’t have an upper age limit, but check policy docs to be sure

Disadvantages

  • You can only claim once for each condition until the time or fixed sum limit is reached
  • Because of this, it might not be the best option for older pets, or pets that are prone to long-term conditions

What isn’t covered by time-limited pet insurance?

There are always exclusions to pet insurance policies. With time-limited insurance, the following isn’t usually covered:

  • Routine check-ups
  • General treatments, like worming 
  • Vaccinations
  • Pregnancy
  • Preventative treatment, like fleaing
  • Dental care
  • Pre-existing conditions

Is time-limited pet insurance best for my pet?

Only you can decide that. It’s an affordable option, best suited for acute illnesses and conditions and other short-term health issues. But for long-term illnesses or chronic conditions, it’s not much help. Think about whether you could afford the vets bills if your pets illness or injury wasn’t fully covered by your policy. If not, you might need to consider more extensive cover.

Other types of pet insurance

A time-limited policy is one of the four main types of pet insurance. The other options are:

Accident only

Your pet will be covered for injuries due to accidents. Illnesses aren’t generally covered. It’s the most basic type of pet insurance you can get, and tends to be the cheapest too. 

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Maximum benefit

There’s no time limit on each illness or injury, but there is a financial cap. This means that you can claim for the same condition more than once, until you reach the fixed sum. Once you reach the fixed sum, you’ll have to pay for any further treatment yourself. It’s generally more expensive than time-limited. 

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Lifetime 

As long as you renew your policy every year, illnesses and injuries will be covered for your pet’s lifetime. There’s rarely a time limit or financial cap. If your pet develops a recurring condition while you’ve got the policy, and you keep it, that’ll be covered too.

Lifetime pet insurance, while comprehensive, is almost always the most expensive. Balancing what you’ll pay over your pet’s lifetime, against the risk of developing conditions and paying for those, can be tough to weigh up.

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Pet insurance guides and articles

All pet insurance guides

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