Excess vs. Copay in Your Pet Insurance: A Clear Guide from Alicante
It's surely happened to you: you start comparing insurance for your dog or cat and run into terms like "€50 Excess," "No Copay," "80% Reimbursement." In the end, you close the browser tab because you don't know what you're signing.
At Sanitas Alicante, we like to speak clearly. As a local agency, we spend our days explaining this to our neighbors in the office, pencil in hand. Today we explain it to you here, so you can choose what really suits your pocket.
The Simple Definitions (No "Legal Jargon")
To understand it, imagine you go to the vet and the bill is €100.
1. What is an Excess (Franquicia)? (The Fixed "Wall")
The excess is usually a fixed amount in euros that you always pay, no matter what, before the insurance starts putting in money.
- Example: You have a €50 excess.
- Vet Visit: €40. -> The insurance pays nothing (it's less than the excess). You pay €40.
- Vet Visit: €100. -> You pay the first €50. The insurance pays €50.
The problem with the excess: In daily visits (an ear infection, a quick check-up) which are usually cheap in Alicante (€30-€40), the insurance is useless because you don't exceed the deductible.
2. What is Copay or Percentage Reimbursement? (The Team)
Here there is no fixed amount. The cost is split by a percentage. This is the model we use at Sanitas Pet Health (80/20 Reimbursement).
- Example: The insurance covers 80% and you put in 20% (your "copay").
- Vet Visit: €40. -> The insurance refunds you €32 (80%). You only pay €8.
- Vet Visit: €100. -> The insurance refunds you €80. You pay €20.
The advantage of Copay/Reimbursement: The insurance helps you from the very first euro. Even on small visits, you feel the savings.
Why do we prefer the Reimbursement model at Sanitas Alicante?
We believe it is the fairest system for day-to-day life. Many insurances with "Fixed Excess" seem cheap, but when your dog has a streak of small visits (check-ups, cures, injections), you realize that you are paying for everything yourself because no bill exceeds the excess.
With the Sanitas Reimbursement system (80%):
- Total Freedom: You go to your trusted vet in Alicante.
- Real Coverage: We refund money for both a small bill and a €2,000 surgery.
- Balanced Fee: By assuming a small 20%, the monthly insurance fee remains affordable, much cheaper than "100% all-inclusive" insurances (which charge you for that "all-inclusive" month after month in the premium).
Beware of the "Fine Print" of "No Excess"
Sometimes we see online offers for "No Excess Insurance." Sounds great, right? But as local experts, we recommend looking at two things:
- The Monthly Price: Usually, to remove the excess, they raise the annual fee significantly. Do the math: is it worth paying €200 more per year in fixed insurance to save €30 on a visit?
- Limits: Sometimes they have no excess, but they have very low limits (e.g., "we only cover up to €300 for illness").
Still have doubts? Bring the Policy to the Office
Digital is fine, but sometimes you need someone to sit down with you and say: "Look, with this insurance, if your dog gets hip surgery, you're going to have to pay X".
That is our job at Sanitas Alicante.
- We are not an online comparator.
- We are real advisors.
- Come to our office with the proposals you have. We analyze them with you, compare the fine print, and honestly tell you which is the best option, whether it's ours or not.
