National Pet Insurance Month ~ Part 2
September is National Pet Insurance Month. A few weeks ago I wrote about my experience with Nationwide Pet Insurance (formerly known as VPI) with Glory and her reproduction care in Part 1 of my series. If you missed it you can read about it HERE.
Today I am going to talk about pet insurance in general.
At Harmony Pet Clinic (where I am a Veterinary Technician) we made up this postcard to give to our clients so I will share it here with my readers.
Pet Health Insurance: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly!!
The Good: Many options now exist that make the cost of insuring your pet’s health quite affordable. Policies range from less than $300 to over $600 per year.
The Bad: You usually get what you pay for! Policies that promise the world for peanuts and seem too good to be true almost certainly are. Insurance companies are in business to make money, not to help pets.
The Good: At this time, pet health insurance companies don’t restrict your choice of veterinarians or try to dictate what you can spend on services.
The Bad: Many companies severely limit what conditions they cover or how much they will reimburse. First example: One major company won’t cover any conditions it deems genetic or congenital in nature. Second example: Another company will pay for a lifelong condition the year it is diagnosed, but excludes it the following years. Third example: Another company limits the payment per illness to only $500. READ THE FINE PRINT!
The Good: You don’t have to shop around for a veterinarian who “accepts” your policy. Virtually any national company will cover you for service done by any licensed veterinarian. (Plus, most veterinarians don’t charge for helping submit your claim.)
The Bad: You have to pay the medical fees up front and then seek reimbursement from your insurer.
The Good: Having the right policy could make the difference in a life-and-death decision. If you enroll your pet at a young age, it’s possible to have coverage that lasts your pet’s entire life.
The Bad: If you wait until a condition is already diagnosed, or “forget” to renew on time, you probably won’t be covered.
The Ugly: Insurance companies are in business to make money. Many companies have come and gone over the years-emphasis on “gone.” Those that make it are the ones that make the most money. Those that offer the best “deal” may mean well, but not be able to live up to their promises when you really need them. As in every contract, read the fine print and research the company before you send money! Owners of purebred dogs should ask for breed related exclusions in writing.
Still Confused? For more information, including specifics on companies offering pet health insurance, check out
https://www.petinsurancequotes.com
Another website I found really handy for learning and checking out pet insurance is:
http://www.pet-insurance-university.com/
Thank you for this information. We are still trying to decide which policy we can afford. LOL!
Great post – really useful information for all pet owners.
That was some pawsome advice. With the newest addition, I’m gonna have to do some serious homework. Thanks for the links making that a little easier.
to read the papers careful is very important… and it makes sense to enter an insurance early, with a young dog …. some companies offer bonus programs where you get some money back or a month for free for a year without insurance cases… we never got something back by now, the great artist decided to play with a toad two days before the end of the period ….and the x-ray and the blood tests were sadly too eggspensive to cover it with our own moneeh :o(
I’m still on the fence about getting insurance for Luke, since we already blew it as far as coverage for his bad knees. But who knows what other things might be lurking in his genes? I do think I will get it for any future pets, so I’m always looking to learn more about it.
Excellent information. Thanks for posting it.