How to Choose Pet Health Insurance
There are many companies that offer pet health insurance. The coverage ranges from ‘end to end’ or just major illnesses and emergencies. The first consideration when choosing pet health insurance would be the breed and age of your pet. If you have a pet that was a stray or came in one day and just never left, it may be hard to determine the age of the pet. The age of the pet is a big factor in determining the type and cost of the insurance you will want to purchase.
Choosing a pet health insurance…
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If you have a pet you purchased from a breeder and paid a prime price for, you may want to know ahead of time what the health issues are for that breed. This could determine whether or not you purchase pet health insurance and at what cost and coverage amounts you purchase. Pet health insurances vary in coverage and the coverage you choose would be your personal choice. Keep in mind that the more coverage you choose, the higher the price of the insurance. There are also deductibles to be taken into consideration. If your pet is going to the doctor for a routine check-up and your pet health insurance covers only fifty percent of the amount, but costs you two thousand dollars a year, you might want to reconsider whether or not you should look for another provider.
The other consideration when purchasing pet health insurance is the age of the pet at the time of the insurance purchase. The older the pet, the more expensive the coverage will be. This may also run true for the deductible amount and the actual covered illnesses. Heredity and generic illnesses should enter into your choice of plan and coverage. i.e. Persian Cats are very well known to have polycystic kidney disease. Polycystic kidney disease requires regular checkups and ultrasound to watch for the disease and expensive treatment. This is not considered emergency treatment, so some insurance will not cover these expenses.
Annual checkups and, especially, rabies vaccination is required in all states for all pets. These checkups to get the vaccinations can run into the several hundreds of dollars. You may want to check into a plan which include a well pet plan and covers this routine visits. If your pet develops a serious illness such as cancer, there may be very expensive treatment available that may not be covered under your plan. This is another thing to think about when purchasing pet insurance. Whether or not there is a limit of coverage, amount per incident could be a concern if you have a pet that is prone to running or being in conditions where they could be in danger of getting injured. There may be an annual cap on the amount the insurance coverage will pay for such incidents. There also may be a cap on the number of incidents the insurance coverage will pay.
When purchasing pet health insurance, there should be a definitive manner in which to receive reimbursement for your out of pocket costs. The length of time it takes to receive reimbursement is important to some on a limited income. The amount of deductible is another factor when looking for reimbursement. In some cases, the annual deductible or per incident deductible will add up to more than the amount spent on the treatment, plus the premiums for the insurance. The premium amount should be a serious consideration when purchasing a pet policy. The older the pet, the more the premium for insurance is going to cost and perhaps, you will receive less coverage options if your pet is older than a year or so.
Pet health insurance vs. treatment plans
Do some research on the insurance company offering the policy. Compare companies just as you would with any other purchase of insurance. Your veterinarian is an excellent source for a recommendation for a pet insurance company. Keep in mind that your veterinarian may also offer a plan of his or her own, but these plans usually only cover the pet if the treatment takes place at the office of the veterinarian where you purchased the insurance. These actually are not insurance plans, but treatment plans which offer different levels of treatment annually for a certain price. For example, you may be offered a plan to bring in your pet and have them receive their annual physical, lab work for all the common parasites and diseases common to the breed or type of pet and their vaccinations for a set price. There may be several of these plans to choose from. Prices for these particular plans range anywhere from fifty dollars to two to three hundred dollars.
When purchasing pet health insurance, the comparison between what your veterinarian is able to offer and what the pet insurance offers in the way of pricing vs. services should be crucial to your decision. Cost alone should never be the determining factor if you love your pet and want the very best care for them that are available.
When shopping around for your pet health insurance, ask for references and check them out. Many companies, just as with any business, are out to lure in the unsuspecting, loving pet owner and then default on the promises. Your veterinarian is the best reference to start with and the Better Business Bureau is available online at www.bbb.org. Be sure to check out any extra fees associated with the insurance such as; deductible, fees for services not covered, fees for disposing of your pet in the event of death of the pet, and extra fees should the pet need long term or expensive care as with cancer. The breeder from whom you purchased your pet, if it is a pedigree, might also be a good source of reference for a veterinarian who offers treatment plans or would recommend a good insurance plan for your pet’s needs.
Whether or not you decide to purchase a pet health insurance is a personal decision only you can make. Your pet will need care and it will be expensive, so weigh in the odds and make the right decision for you and your pet. It’s never easy to choose a pet health insurance but with the right research and with some help from the experts, it will be a bit easier.