Checkers Pet Insurance offers pet insurance plans with monthly premiums starting at R69.00 and annual coverage limits ranging from R16,000.00 to R44,000.00. The policies cover various incidents and medical procedures, and an excess fee is required when filing a claim. Accident and illness claims have a fixed minimum excess amount of R550.00, while routine care coverage has no excess fee.

All Checkers Pet insurance plans include accident coverage, which covers incidents such as

• motor vehicle accidents,
• burns,
• electrocution,
• near drowning,
• snake bite toxicity,
• bone fractures,
• swallowed foreign objects requiring surgical or endoscopic removal,
• allergic reactions to insect bites other than tick or flea bites,
• bite wounds or fight wound abscesses,
• lacerations, abrasions, wounds,
• and tooth fractures.

Some Hollard Pet Insurance Plans cover illnesses and vet visits, including the costs of vet consultations, prescribed medication, diagnosis tests, and dental checks.

Checkers Pet Insurance has a waiting period on some claims due to covering various illnesses, vet visits, and injuries. The longest waiting period is 12 months and applies to hereditary, pre-existing, and congenital conditions.

Checkers Pet Insurance Plans

Checkers Pet Insurance offers three plans to choose from: the accidental plan, the core plan, and the comprehensive plan.

Checkers Accidental Pet Cover

The Checkers Accidental Pet Cover plan is an entry-level pet insurance plan covering accidental injuries for dogs and cats, with premiums starting at R69.00. The annual limit for this plan is R16,000.00, with accidental injury coverage up to R9,500.00 per claim and no annual limit.

Checkers Core Pet Cover

The Checkers Core Pet Cover plan provides coverage for unforeseen accidents and vet visits, with premiums starting at R145 per month for cats and R169.00 per month for dogs. This plan has the second-highest annual limit of all Checkers Pet plans, with an overall annual limit of R44,000.00 and accident coverage up to R35,000.00 per claim for accidental injuries.

There is no annual spending limit for accidental insurance under the Accident cover, which has no waiting period and is activated immediately after subscribing to the policy.

The Core Pet Cover covers illnesses with a 60-day waiting period and up to R31,000.00 per claim for dog or cat cover without an annual limit.

Checkers Comprehensive Pet Cover

Checkers Comprehensive Pet Cover is the most premium pet cover available, covering accidents, illnesses, and vet consultations. A monthly premium of R210.00 covers cats, while dogs are covered for R315.00.

For an additional monthly fee of R89.00, a routine care plan can be added to the comprehensive pet insurance, covering the cost of keeping a pet healthy, including deworming, vaccinations, and voluntary sterilization.

The comprehensive cover pays for the costs of accidental injuries up to R35,000.00 per claim without an annual limit. Accidental coverage is activated as soon as the plan is activated.

The comprehensive pet insurance also includes illness coverage, which covers the costs associated with a covered pet’s illness. The illness cover has a 60-day waiting period and covers up to R31,000.00 per claim with no annual spending limit.

Vet visits are covered by the plan for R4,400.00 per year. There is no per-claim benefit for vet visits, and claims can be made up to an allowable maximum. After activation, the vet visits coverage has a 30-day waiting period.

When added to the comprehensive cover, routine care comes with an annual limit of R1000.00. The routine care optional cover has a 30-day waiting period from being activated.

The overall annual limit on the Checkers Comprehensive pet insurance plan is R44,000.00.

Advantages of Checkers Pet Insurance

• Customers can choose from three plans with different coverages.
• Routine care cover can be added to the comprehensive cover.
• The premium on Checkers Pet Insurance starts at a low rate of R69.00 per month.
• Vet visits are covered on the comprehensive plan.
• Illness Cover is part of some of the plans on Checkers Pet Insurance.

Disadvantages of Checkers Pet Insurance

• The pet insurance doesn’t have a rewards program for policyholders to get cashback on some of the premiums.
• There is no excess waiver benefit, which is an add-on that reduces the excess amount payable.
• Only one add-on is available, and it is only available on the comprehensive plan.

Conclusion

Checkers Pet Insurance, in collaboration with OUTsurance, provides low-cost pet insurance with a variety of plans to choose from. The premiums are extremely low, starting at R69.00. The Premium cover has premiums starting at R315.00 per month, making Checkers Pet Insurance one of the cheapest pet insurance options in South Africa.