Under the insurance policy, the pet owner is to be reimbursed up to 80 percent of the cost of treatment at any vet in Poland
Another company interested in pet insurance in Poland. The Spanish firm Barkibu announced its entry into Poland in a LinkedIn post. Alongside its launch in Poland, the company has begun operating in Croatia and Romania, bringing its total to 10 countries.
According to Barkibu’s Polish-language website, it offers health insurance for dogs and cats, regardless of breed. At the time of taking out the policy, the animal must be at least 2 months old and no older than 11 years. The policy can be renewed for life.
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The policy is designed to cover both accidents and illness affecting the animal, as well as the costs of examinations, diagnostics, operations, medication and preventative care. The specific scope of cover and any exclusions depend on the chosen option.
Under the insurance policy, the owner can take their pet to any veterinary clinic or vet in Poland, and Barkibu will reimburse up to 80 percent of treatment costs, up to 10,000 zł per year. Reimbursement is granted based on the treatment invoice and documentation explaining what happened. Claims can be submitted via a mobile app available on Google Play and the App Store, designed to make managing the insurance policy easier.
The cost of the policy depends, among other things, on the chosen level of cover, the animal’s age and breed, and – according to the insurer – is set to start at around 85 PLN per month. To get a quote for your pet, you need to carry out a calculation on the Barkibu website.
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From a formal point of view, under the policies offered by Barkibu, the insurer is Nordic Guarantee Försäkringsaktiebolag, a Swedish insurer operating in Poland under the EU’s freedom to provide services. Barkibu Germany (a branch of the Spanish company), on the other hand, is an insurance intermediary that sells policies on the Polish market.
In Poland, pet insurance is already offered by, amongst others, Generali – via the Bezpieczny.pl website – Europa Ubezpieczenia (in partnership with PetHelp and Petcover, amongst others), PetExpert and Colonnade, which recently announced a partnership with VetApp, through which it aims to further streamline its operations. Farm Innovations, a company which has so far specialized in the production of microchips for animals, is also preparing to launch an insurance product. According to my unofficial information, one of the major insurers operating on the Polish market is also considering entering this sector.
