by annie » Mon May 25, 2009 01:38 pm
Pet insurance is a really good option for all pet lovers. If you love your pet you will also be concerned about its health. You would not want that your pet should suffer from any ill health. Pet care can be as expensive as taking care of any human being. Hence, pet insurance is a reasonable idea for those who have pets and wish to care for them.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance means a safety net for your pets whenever they fall sick. If you have insurance for pets, you do not have to think about the cost of treatment for your pet when it falls sick. Veterinarian costs can be quite taxing on your pockets. If you can save money for your pet's health, you will find relief when your pet will need expensive treatment at the hospital.
Veterinary science has changed in the recent years. Treatments that were unheard of earlier are offered by veterinarians today. However, such treatments are expensive because treatments that were once reserved only for human beings like kidney transplant and radiation therapy are today available for pets. Sophisticated and expensive diagnostic tools have been introduced for pets that not just draw large sums of money from pet owners, but also help detect problems that may have gone unnoticed earlier.
The number of pet owners having pet insurance coverage is by far less. Pet insurance policies typically have caps, deductibles as well as co payments. The older your pet, the greater the amount of premiums you need to pay.
Veterinary science has changed in the recent years. Treatments that were unheard of earlier are offered by veterinarians today. However, such treatments are expensive because treatments that were once reserved only for human beings like kidney transplant and radiation therapy are today available for pets. Sophisticated and expensive diagnostic tools have been introduced for pets that not just draw large sums of money from pet owners, but also help detect problems that may have gone unnoticed earlier.
The number of pet owners having pet insurance coverage is by far less. Pet insurance policies typically have caps, deductibles as well as co payments. The older your pet, the greater the amount of premiums you need to pay.
What is the best time to get pet insurance?
Pet health insurance is hardly any different from insurance for humans. Just like humans must get insurance at a younger age to get a better deal, it is the same for pets too. Insurance for older pets is difficult to get and sometimes even impossible. If there are pre-existing conditions in pets, insurance companies may refuse to provide coverage. Hence, it is advisable that you get pet insurance as soon as possible, preferably within the first 6 months of your pet's life.
What are the types of pet insurance?
Pet insurance benefits are found in 3 basic types:
- Traditional pet health insurance: This plan has 3 sub levels of coverage.
- Basic coverage - This helps pay for accidental injuries, poisonings and illnesses including cancer and is the least expensive coverage that provides the lowest reimbursements. Usually this policy includes a cap per accident thus limiting the amount to be received as reimbursement.
- Comprehensive coverage – Compared to the basic coverage, this is a more expensive coverage as well as the reimbursements received are more. Accidental injuries, emergencies, illnesses, office visits, x-rays, prescriptions, diagnostic tests and laboratory fees. There is a cap on reimbursements per accident and illness. There is also a cap on the total reimbursement that you will receive based on the policy term.
- Pet well care protection - Pet insurance cover for preventive care like physical exam, flea and heartworm prevention as well as vaccination are provided by this plan. Such a plan does not have any deductibles.
- HMO Coverage: Some wellness packages offered by veterinarians include discounts on dental cleanings, vaccinations as well as spay/neuters. There are also packages for elderly pets that are offered. These are not insurance policies and hence they do not need to follow the rules and regulations other policies may need to follow.
- Discount plans: If you want to take advantage of such a program, you must go to the participating veterinarians and pet vendors. You can avail discounts for veterinarian services and some supplies in such a plan.
Insuring the life and health of your dear pet is not the only option available. You can insure your pet for other reasons too like theft and liability. - Life and theft insurance: Usually purchased by zoos and owners of prized cats, dogs, police dogs as well as horses, this coverage insures the life of highly valuable animals. Owners of stolen animals will get reimbursed and also receive a death benefit in the even of death of the animal while it is being transported from one place to another.
- Homeowners and renters insurance: You may purchase homewners and renters insurance not just to protect your home but also to protect you and in this case from any liability arising because of your pet. Dog bites cost the insurance industry $3.5 billion a year approximately and most homeowners policy refuses to insure any dog that has a history of biting or showing an aggressive behavior. Certain dog breeds that are identified as dangerous breeds are responsible for most of the serious cases in dog bite. If you are an owner of such a breed, you are required to carry additional liability coverage.
- Personal property: You must insure any item that you purchase for your pet under the property insurance section of your homeowners policy as well as the renters insurance. This is to cover those items if they are damaged from fire or any other disaster or even if they get stolen.
Is group pet insurance necessary and where is it available?
Group pet insurance plans are available for large groups of individuals and they are attracted with discounts and certain other benefits.
When you own a pet it means you are totally responsible for its well being. Cost for pet care is quite expensive and hence pet insurance is a sensible thing to opt for. Not everyone may be able to get expensive policies. This group policy offers discounts and few other benefits suitable to various pet owners.
Animal protection associations, veterinaries, professionally related associations, recreation clubs may provide such group insurance plans.
When you own a pet it means you are totally responsible for its well being. Cost for pet care is quite expensive and hence pet insurance is a sensible thing to opt for. Not everyone may be able to get expensive policies. This group policy offers discounts and few other benefits suitable to various pet owners.
Animal protection associations, veterinaries, professionally related associations, recreation clubs may provide such group insurance plans.
What does pet insurance cover?
Pet insurance is meant to provide protection for your pet when it falls sick. There are various factors that are analyzed deciding what pet insurance covers. These factors include:
- Your financial strength
- The breed of pet that you have. There are some insurance companies that offer insurance for only selected breeds and there are again some that exclude some particular breeds.
- Your pet's age and medical history and where you reside.
How will your pet insurance quote be determined?
There are several factors affecting the price of your pet insurance. When you are shopping for pet insurance keep in mind how these factors affect your pet insurance quotes.
- Breed: The breed your pet belongs to is an important factor that determines the insurance quote you will receive. There are certain health issues that are specific to certain breeds. This affects the cost of insurance e.g. purebred dogs usually have high cost of insurance than the mixed breeds since mixed breeds are usually heartier. Similarly purebred cats too are more expensive to insure e.g. Abyssinians or Persian cats.
- Type of animal: Usually dogs or cats find place as pets in majority of the homes. But some of you may even have exotic animals as pets like maybe snakes, iguanas, hamsters or even rabbits. You can find cheap pet insurance for exotic pets as they have a lower risk of injury from accidents or any sickness since they are rarely taken outdoors. However, the pet insurance to cover exotic pets will not provide the kind of coverage that insurance would provide for dogs and cats.
- Health: If you insure your pet when it hasn't been diagnosed with any kind of illness, you may find the lowest cost of insurance. But, if your pet has already been treated for any illness, it could affect the cost of insurance. If you are looking for insurance quotes online you should take help from an insurance agent and find out if your pet's medical condition is covered or not.
I need pet insurance for 3 cats and 1 ferret
Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 10:05 pm Post Subject:
What type of pet insurance are you looking for? I have actually heard of both burial insurance for pets (I never really asked...I dig a hole) and the equivalent of health insurance for pets. I understand that pets are loved ones and a very important part of the family...and I also realize that veterinary costs can be incredibly high...so I could see myself looking at a pet health policy. Pet life insurance on the other hand (burial expense)...not so much!
I'm also not sure what types of animals it will cover...I know that there is livestock insurance for certain types of animals, but this will not include a cat or a ferret. Anybody??
Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 06:42 am Post Subject:
Hi annie..
Would you care to tell me which place you're from?
May be I could think of a few good names that operate in your area..
Steven
Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:46 am Post Subject:
Annie, I think you wouldn't face problem in covering the cats since most of the pet policies would cover the feline in general, but you may face trouble in covering the ferret. Only few of the insurance companies would offer coverage for exotic pets. May be you should check with VPI pet insurance.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 06:05 am Post Subject:
We are the first and only provider to offer pet icnuranse with no limits on payout, whatsoever. I go through reports regularly and once in a while, I will see a claim for nearly $20,000 for a single bill!Pet icnuranse is good for unexpected accidents and illnesses. They can get expensive quickly, so it's nice to have icnuranse to cover the costs. Pet icnuranse does not cover pre-existing conditions, so if your pet is already sick or injured, it is unlikely that pet icnuranse will cover the costs to treat it.For other costs like regular exams and vaccines, it's best to self-budget since these costs are expected. Some pet icnuranse companies offer coverage, but it is typically not cost-effective. (Imagine paying an extra $200 per year on your premiums for $200 worth of routine coverage )A few good questions to ask when researching pet icnuranse are:1. Does the policy cover everything? Hereditary and congenital issues?2. What are the payout limits? Will it be enough money for my worst case scenario?3. How much does it cover for each condition?4. What are the pricing and deductible options?5. Is it an ongoing policy? If my pet has an illness during my first policy year, will it be covered the next policy year?Be sure to do thorough research Some plans don't pay based on your actual bill, but have lists of predetermined dollar amounts that they will pay for each condition which can be shockingly low in many cases. I would recommend getting an actual icnuranse plan that covers based on your bill so that you are never faced with a difficult and expensive situation when you *thought* you were covered.We cover 90% of the actual bill for diagnostic testing, treatments, surgeries and medications including emergency and specialist visits. Trupanion is also the only provider to offer a $0 deductible option.Feel free to give customer service a call and get a no-obligation quote to ask all the necessary questions and find out what's best for you.
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