Getting pet insurance is arguably the smartest thing any pet owner could do. Not only are veterinary costs almost constantly on the rise, but the probability of your beloved furry companion coming down with an illness, or injuring themselves sometime during their life is all but guaranteed.
It should be noted that owners of multiple pets may benefit from researching multi-pet insurance policies. Yet, this necessarily provokes us to beg the question: if one insurer can simultaneously cover multiple pets, can the reverse also happen?
Can you insure your dog twice, for example? And, more importantly, should you?
Can You Really Insure a Dog Twice?
Just to make it clear at the beginning – yes, technically, you can insure your dog twice. It’s completely possible to execute. What’s more, most pet insurance providers ask whether you already have an insurance policy set in place for the particular pet, before you even insure your dog with them. They also ask whether another insurer has already covered your claim before you try to cover a claim with them.
All of this alludes to the fact that double insurance is a thing and that insurance providers are aware of the fact that some owners have decided to “doubly protect” their puppies, for whatever reason. This, however, leads us to the main potential issue when it comes to this matter: should you insure your dog twice?
Firstly, you’d be paying double the amount of money. Secondly, and most importantly, whenever you would need coverage for any vet fees – accident, or illness-related – you will only be able to claim from only one insurer. So, why would you pay twice, if you can only claim once?
Is it Safe to Double-Insure Your Dog?
You can rest assured that getting it double-insured will in no way negatively impact its well-being.
In fact, it can only provide a double guarantee – or a cheaper alternative – that whenever your pet’s life (or your wallet’s status quo) is endangered, you will have a sturdy safety net to rely on.
A faulty insurance policy, or a policy whose price has exponentially grown through the years may be a reason why some pet owners have opted for the double-insurance treatment to begin with.
In the former case, getting a second insurance vouches for your being able to cover a wider variety of expenses (accident vs. illness-related, for example). In the latter case, the owner is usually going through a policy change, and the double-insurance status is but a temporary overlap.
Since, if the main reason for getting a second insurance is the financial strain exerted by the first one, keeping both of them active would be an absurd thing to do.
Is it Legal to Insure a Dog Twice?
Yet, absurd or not, it is a completely legal thing to do. If you can afford to insure your dog twice, and feel like you have a good reason to do so, go ahead!
One thing that you’ll need to mind, though, is that in no case can you claim for the same vet treatment, or pet-related expense, from both insurance providers. Doing that would be illegal, whichever the state.
Which is why whenever you’re trying to cover an expense by making a claim at an insurer, they always ask whether you’ve already made a claim with a different insurer. If you have done so, but respond negatively, you’re automatically breaking the law.
However, if you’re honest, and don’t try to cheat insurance providers in order to actually earn money from your dog’s treatment, you’ll have absolutely no legal repercussions about having two insurance policies.
What Are the Benefits of Insuring Your Dog Twice?
Which leads us to the actual practical benefits of insuring your dog twice. If we assume that you can afford to pay a double monthly or yearly fee, you may have a few good reasons to do so.
Firstly, one of your insurance policies may only cover accidents, for example. In that case, getting a second one which covers both accidents, and illnesses, as well as some other expenses, may be a smart thing to do.
In this case, the accident-only pet insurance could be cheaper, so it would be a smart thing to keep it active.
Another beneficial thing is to actually keep your old insurance active when switching to a different insurance provider (for whatever reason). Almost all insurance-providers don’t cover the first 20 days, or so, after getting the insurance, to avoid fraud.
Keeping your old insurance temporary, while having also started a new one may be a smart way to cover this month-long “insurance gap”.
That said, it’s up to you to weigh the ins and outs and decide whether a double-insurance for your dog is the smartest option to go for. We’re sure that whatever you decide, your furry friend will be content.
