If you’ve read our article on the cost of owning a dog vs a girlfriend/boyfriend, you would realise that keeping a dog in Singapore is costly.
The rising cost of healthcare for pets is something existing owners have to contend with, and many look towards pet insurance to help offset the healthcare cost of owning a pet!
Looking for pet insurance is hard, and comparing these different policies is quite a hassle. So here’s a guide and a comparison on how to choose the right pet insurance!
Do note that the pet insurance scene in Singapore isn’t exactly as robust as other countries as there are only four insurers in Singapore that have pet insurance:
- AON (Underwritten by MSIG Singapore)
- Liberty,
- AIA
- CIMB (Underwritten by Sompo Insurance Singapore).
In addition, insurers only cover dogs or cats. If you have a pet snake or horse, you won’t be able to get general pet insurance for those yet!
TL;DR: Broad Overview of Pet Insurance in Singapore
| Insurance Type | Insurance Plans | Annual Premium | Age Eligibility (pet age) | Coverage Period (pet age) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | AON Happy Tails: Fur | Furry | Furball | From $288 | 16 weeks to 9 years | Lifetime | Does not cover fees incurred due to accidents |
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | Enhanced | Superior | $350 | $450 | $750 | 8 weeks to 9 years | Until 13 years old | Does not cover post-surgery fees | |
| AIA Paw Safe | $79.49 (w microchip) $84.58 (w/o microchip) | 3 months to 7 years | Until 8 years old | Only covers for accidents but not illnesses | |
| CIMB My Paw Pal: Basic | $74.90 | 12 weeks to 7 years | Until 13 years old | Certain illnesses & dog breeds excluded Basic plan only covers accidents |
|
| CIMB My Paw Pal : Additional Rider | Loss due to theft: $32.10 Illness: $321 |
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| Cats | AON Happy Tails Purrfect | From $288 | 16 weeks to 9 years | Lifetime | Does not cover fees incurred due to accidents |
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | Enhanced | Superior | $350 | $450 | $750 | 8 weeks to 9 years | Until 13 years old | Does not cover post-surgery fees | |
| CIMB My Paw Pal | $74.90 | 12 weeks to 7 years | Covers only up to 70% of medical expenses claimed | ||
| CIMB My Paw Pal: Additional Riders | Loss due to theft: $32.10 Illness: $321 |
*Information accurate as of 16 Jul 2020.
Can I Get Insurance for My Pet?
As mentioned above, pet insurance in Singapore is currently only available for dogs and cats.
In most cases, your pet thas to be older than 8 weeks and younger than 9 years old when you kickstart the cover.
Also, for pets with pre-existing medical conditions, these medical conditions will generally not be covered.
What Do Most Pets Insurance in Singapore Usually Cover?
Pet insurances offer a wide range of coverage, depending on the policies. Most would usually cover:
- Dental treatment due to accident or illness
- Non-surgical treatment
- Surgical treatment
- Post-surgery treatment
- Cancer treatment
- Chemotherapy
- Accidental death
- Final expenses – includes expenses for euthanasia, funeral service, etc.
- Third-party liability- If your pet destroys someone’s property or attacks other pets
- Theft – For loss of your dog/cat due to theft
Which Insurance Should I Get for My Pet?
Getting which type of pet insurance is greatly dependent on your pet. Some factors you can think about include the following:
- Age: Make sure your pet is within the eligible age range of getting an insurance policy. If your pet is getting older, it is important to get it insured sooner rather than later
- Pet Breed: Certain breeds are more susceptible to illnesses. For example, golden retrievers are more susceptible to cancer. Knowing the illnesses associated with your pet’s breed will come in handy when buying insurance.
- Aggression: If your dog/cat is aggressive, you can factor that into consideration as well so that you can be covered for
- Medical History: Is your pet prone to medical illnesses? If yes, get one that has a higher medical coverage.
- Accidents: Is your pet accident-prone? If so, make sure you are covered for and have substantial payouts for accidental injuries.
- Cost: Evaluate if the cost of the annual premium for pet insurance is something you can comfortably afford.
- Lifetime coverage: Ideally, a policy that provides lifetime coverage will be best as your pets are susceptible to more illnesses as they get older.
Pet Insurance in Singapore Price Comparison
| Insurance Type | Insurance Plans | Annual Premium | Co-insurance* | Deductible** | No-Claim Discount (NCD)*** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | AON Happy Tails: Fur | Furry | Furball | From $288 | 20% (Insured before dogs turn 4) 30% (Insured before dogs turn 7) 40% (Insured before dogs turn 8) | $250 | First renewal: 5% Second renewal: 10% Third Renewal and above: 15% |
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | Enhanced | Superior | $350 | $450 | $750 | Surgical treatment fees: 30% Non-surgical treatment fees: 50% | Accidental injury: $50 Third party liability: $500 |
||
| AIA Paw Safe | $79.49 (w microchip) $84.58 (w/o microchip) | N.A. | Accidental injury: $150 Loss of dog to theft: $250 Third party liability: $1000 | N.A. | |
| CIMB My Paw Pal: Basic | $74.90 | Medical incurred due to accident: 30% | Third party liability: $1,000 | ||
| CIMB My Paw Pal : Additional Rider | Loss due to theft: $32.10 Illness: $321 | Loss of dog to theft: $250 | |||
| Cats | AON Happy Tails Purrfect | From $288 | 20% (Insured before cats turn 4) 30% (Insured before cats turn 7) 40% (Insured before cats turn 8) | $250 | First renewal: 5% Second renewal: 10% Third Renewal and above: 15% |
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | Enhanced | Superior | $350 | $450 | $750 | Surgical treatment fees: 30% Non-surgical treatment fees: 50% | Accidental injury: $50 Third party liability: $500 |
||
| CIMB My Paw Pal | $74.90 | Medical incurred due to accident: 30% | Third party liability: $1000 | N.A. | |
| CIMB My Paw Pal : Additional Riders | Illness: $321 | N.A. | N.A. |
*Coinsurance. The percentage of costs of a covered health care service you pay (20%, for example) after you‘ve paid your deductible.
**Deductible. The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay.
***No-Claim Discount. The amount of rebate given to you if no claim has been made under your policy for the specified timeframe.
Pet Insurance in Singapore Coverage Comparison
| Insurance Type | Insurance Plans | Accidental death | Accidental injury fees | Non-surgical treatment fees | Surgical treatment fees | Post-surgery room and board expenses | Post-surgery treatment benefit | Chemotherapy fees | Medical expenses due to illness/accident | Cremation or burial expenses due to illness/accident | Loss due to theft | Third Party Liability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | AON Happy Tails: Fur | Furry | Furball | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | $2,500 | $6,000 | $10,000 | $250 | $600 | $1,000 | $150 | $300 | $500 | $1,000 | $1500 | $2500 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | $100,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | $1,000 | $500 | $1,500 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | $300 | $100,000 | ||||
| Liberty PetCare: Enhanced | $2,000 | $750 | $2,000 | $500 | $250,000 | |||||||
| Liberty PetCare: Superior | $3,000 | $3,000 | $10,000 | $1,250 | $500,000 | |||||||
| AIA Paw Safe | $1,000 or purchase price | $1,000 | N.A. | N.A. | $250 for accident | $300 for accident | $1,000 or purchase price | $1,000,000 |
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| CIMB My Paw Pal: Basic | $1,500 | Max $3,000 | Max $3000 for accident | Max $300 if you bought illness rider | N.A. | Up to $250,000 | ||||||
| CIMB My Paw Pal : Additional Rider | N.A. | N.A. | Max $3000 if you bought illness rider | N.A. | Max $1,500 if you bought theft rider | N.A. | ||||||
| Cats | AON Happy Tails: Purrfect | N.A. | $380 | $200 | $1,200 | N.A. | N.A. | $250,000 | ||||
| Liberty PetCare: Standard | Enhanced | Superior | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $500 | $750 | $3000 | $500 | $750 | $3000 | $3,800 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | $100,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 | |||
| CIMB My Paw Pal | $1,500 | Max $3000 | $380 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $10,000 | Max to $3,000 due to accident | N.A. | Up to $250,000 | |||||
| CIMB My Paw Pal:Additional Riders | N.A. | Max $3000 if you bought illness rider | Max $300 if you bought illness rider | N.A. | N.A. | |||||||
From the List of Insurance Policies Above, Here’s What You Should Get According to Your Needs:
| Best For | Insurance Policies | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Coverage | Liberty PetCare | Covers dogs and cats with three levels of coverage. Most extensive Coverage. Covers both illness-related fees and fees incurred due to accidents. Can visit any licensed veterinarian, including emergency animal hospitals and specialists in Singapore. No medical exam required. | Does not cover costs of post-surgery. |
| Most Affordable Plan | CIMB My Paw Pal | Cheapest plan at $74.90. Good coverage for accidental death and accidental injury. No medical exam required. | Excludes certain dog breeds.* Does not cover illnesses related to prostate problems. For CIMB My Paw Pal, medical expenses are covered only if it is caused by accidents. Additional premium of $32.10 needed for loss of dog due to theft rider. Additional premium of $321.00 is required to cover medical expenses arising from illnesses. |
| Older Pets | AON Happy Tails | Only insurance that provides lifetime coverage. Covers surgical related fees. Covers congenital and hereditary conditions (not pre-existing) if pet is enrolled before age 6. Can visit any licensed veterinarian, including emergency animal hospitals and specialists in Singapore. | Coverage not extensive: Does not include death, injury and theft. Medical checkup needed. Co-insurance increases as dog ages, long waiting period. |
| Pets Prone To Illnesses and Accidents | Liberty PetCare | Plan covers accidental death, injury, medical treatments for surgical and non surgical. | Does not cover costs of post-surgery. Liberty plans are not cheap |
| Aggressive Dogs | AIA Paw Safe | No microchip requirement. AIA Paw Safe has the highest third party liability coverage: $1mil ($1,000 deductible per claim) for dogs. No medical exam required. | Excludes many dog breeds** No cat coverage. Only covers for accidents but not illnesses. Excludes overseas coverage. Cap of 1 policy for each dog and 2 per home. |
| Aggressive Cats | Liberty PetCare | Liberty provides third party liability claim of $500,000 for cats and dogs. No medical exam required. | Does not cover costs of post-surgery. Liberty plans are not cheap |
| Puppies and Kittens | Liberty PetCare Standard Plan (lowest minimum age- 8 weeks | Lowest minimum age to be enrolled: 8 weeks. | Does not cover costs of post-surgery. Liberty plans are not cheap |
*My Paw Pal excludes:
- Bull Terrier
- Doberman Pinscher
- Rottweiler
- German Shepherd Dog with its related breeds such as the Belgian Shepherd Dog and the East European Shepherd Dog
- Mastiffs, including the Bull Mastiff, Cane Corso and Dogue De Bordeaux
- Crosses of 1 to 5 and/or wolves
**Paw Safe excludes:
- American Bulldog
- Argentina Dog
- Canary Dog
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Canary Dog (9) Mastiff
Pet Insurance Singapore Policy Wordings
Have you decided on the pet insurance you’d like to get for your furry friends? Before buying, do remember to read the policies to get a full idea of coverage included!
This article includes the common and essential coverages for most pets- it does not include special coverages for cancer treatments, chemotherapy, third party liabilities, claim discounts etc, all of which can be found in the following policy wordings:
- AON Happy Tails dog & puppy fur plan (underwritten by MSIG): Happy Tails policy
- Liberty PetCare standard plan (Dog+Cat): PetCare policy
- AIA Paw Safe (Dogs only): Paw Safe policy
- CIMB My Paw Pal (underwritten by Sompo) (Dog+Cat): My Paw Pal policy
- AON Happy Tails cat & kitten fur plan (underwritten by MSIG): Happy Tails policy
Pawrents, What Are Your Thoughts About Pet Insurance in Singapore?
Jump on over to our SeedlyCommunity to share your thoughts and ask questions! No need paiseh one…
Stay safe everyone!
*Disclaimer: the information contained on this website is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security, insurance product or other product or service.
