Pet insurance
TIPS AND QUESTIONS ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PETS
The cost of a vet office visit increases every day. Like us, our pets need health insurance to help cover the cost. I hear that common people choose to euthanize their pet because the cost of an injury or the cost of a necessary surgery is too high for some people. Pet insurance is like our health insurance and helps pay for the cost of these services. There are several factors that will affect the cost of insurance. You will need to compare each of the companies to choose which one best suits your situation. Some of these factors are:
- Age of the pet
- Sex of the pet
- Pet breed
- Pre-existing injury
- Pre-existing disease
- Type of coverage
- Policy limits
- Type of pet (cat, dog, horse …)
- Geographic location
- What company
WHY HAVE PET INSURANCE
Most people consider their pets an important member of their family. The devotion that pet owners have for their pets is as real as the hundreds of dollars they spend each year on their pets. This money is spent on supplies, veterinary care, food, vaccines, toys, bedding, grooming, heartworm, flea and tick treatments, and many other items. Even with loving care and the best efforts to provide preventive measures, accidents and unforeseen illnesses do occur.
Most pet health insurance plans include:
- Initial and follow-up visits
- Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures and blood tests.
- Non-elective surgery
- accidents
- diseases
- Hospitalization
- Anesthesia
- Prescription drugs
- Euthanasia for human reason
Some treatments and conditions that may not be covered include;
- Routine care
- Vaccines
- Deworming
- Dental care
- Chronic diseases
- Cosmetic procedures
- Pre-existing conditions
I found a few companies that offer coverage for routine wellness, but in most cases this will double your monthly premium.
When comparing insurance companies, here are some questions to ask;
- Will my premium increase due to the aging of the pet?
- What is covered if my pet gets sick or injured?
- What are some of the exclusions that I should be aware of?
- What are the policy payment limits?
- What are my deductible options?
- What is the percentage of the cost that the policy will pay?
- What will increase my premium?
I have compared several pet insurance companies using the following; One year old male American shorthair cat, neutered without pre-existing conditions. The companies’ response offered a 90% refund, with a $ 100 deductible, a $ 250 deductible, and an average monthly premium.
Here are some of the companies that offer pet health insurance:
- Hartville / Aspca
- 24 Petwatch
- Vip
- Pet Assure
- Pets better
- Trupanion
- Encompass
- Purinacare
- Petplan from USA
- Healthy legs
- Pet Paertnes
- AKC
Here are some companies that offer pet health insurance in Canada:
- Petcare Canada
- Petsecure
- Veterinary insurance
- Purinacare
- PC Financial
- HBC
The purpose of this article is to provide you with information about pet health insurance and some questions to ask.