If you're a pet-owner, you may want to consider a pet health insurance policy. Some emergency procedures can cost thousands of dollars and put you in a position where you might have to choose between expensive medical care or euthanizing your pet. Pet health insurance (also called dog health insurance or animal health insurance) can save you thousands of dollars in veterinary care costs. Should you decide to purchase insurance for your pet, please read the policy carefully. It's also important to make sure that your veterinarian accepts your particular policy. But where do you buy health insurance for your dog?
What is pet insurance? Pet insurance is simply “peace of mind” for dog and cat owners. If you own a dog or a cat, it is inevitable that you will one day have to take them to the veterinarian. Pet insurance reimburses the money you spend on veterinary care for your cat or dog, so you won’t ever have to choose between their health and your personal finances. With a pet insurance plan, you can rest easy, knowing that your pet will receive the best veterinary care possible when they need it most.
How does pet insurance work? Upon your pet insurance plan ’s effective date, your pet is covered for any injuries they suffer, and after 30 days, they are covered for illnesses as well. Wellness care is also available! In the unfortunate event that your pet is injured or becomes ill, simply take him or her to any licensed veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada. Then, pay for their services and submit your claim form along with any receipts to us. Once your annual deductible is met, you will be reimbursed 80% of covered allowable veterinary charges within approximately 15 days of receiving the claim.
With a pet insurance policy, you normally get to choose any licensed veterinarian you like to take your pet to. You normally pay the entire bill in full at the time of service (no co-pays), fill out your claim form, and send it in to the insurance company for reimbursement. If you've ever had a large veterinarian bill for your pet (or worse, a series of them!), you know pet medical bills can quickly run into the thousands of dollars.
There are several different Pet insurance rate plans available to choose from with difference in cost and services. There are some plans that offer coverage like annual checkups, lab tests etc and some which may cover immunization, drugs/medications, neutering and emergency visits whereas some cover only accidents and illness. All plans have their pros and cons. The general procedure is to visit the vet and pay for the service and then claim it to the company your pet is insured. Pet insurance is also useful in case of emergency which may incur huge cost.
Is Pet Insurance Right For You? Pet health insurance has its problems, but is well worth looking into for most dog owners. In cases of catastrophic accident and illness, it can and has been a lifesaver for pets without draining the owners financially, or forcing them to make a decision to have a pet put down because they couldn't afford its medical treatment. But be an intelligent consumer, and check out all your options before you buy.
Family......Redefined
He's not just a dog. He's family and deserves the best medical care. VPI Pet Insurance helps pay for lab fees, medications, surgeries, X-rays, and more. Even coverage for routine care, including vaccinations and prescription flea control. Plus, you can use any veterinarian, anywhere.
That's the kind of protection your whole family should count on.
Just like human health insurance plans need personal
information about potential policyholders, pet health insurance
plans need to know your pet’s species, breed, gender, and age to
get your search for affordable pet health insurance started.
Unfortunately, this kind of information is unchangeable and
many pet health insurance companies will use it to help
determine your pet’s health insurance policy rates; however,
there are factors you can control when looking for affordable
pet health insurance.
Look for a plan…
…that is flexible. You want a pet health insurance plan that
will meet your financial needs as well as be accepted by your
local veterinarian. Traveling long distances just to find a
veterinarian who accepts your pet health insurance plan will
cost you more money, defeating the purpose of getting
affordable pet health insurance.
…that offers unlimited coverage, especially for hereditary
conditions and pre-existing conditions. Most pet health
insurance plans will cover hereditary conditions, but may shy
away from pre-existing conditions; however, many pet owners
don’t take the initiative to look for affordable pet health
insurance plans until their pets become ill. Finding a plan
that accepts pre-existing conditions may take extra time, but
is important.
…that doesn’t increase rates as the pet gets older or sicker.
Although the increased rates may still be cheaper than paying
the health costs out right, once they begin to increase, they
begin to leave behind the title of “affordable.”
…offers prescription coverage. If your pet becomes ill, you’ll
need to purchase medications for it, and those medications may
be prescription. As we all know, prescription medications tend
to cost more than over-the-counter medications.
Take into consideration these factors when searching for
affordable pet health insurance. When these factors are
present, it’s difficult for hidden costs to creep up on you. In
the end, the plan that fits all of your needs without breaking
the bank is the most affordable pet health insurance for you.