Do you have pet insurance?
Has pet insurance crossed your mind?
We would like to share this article from Pets At Home.
Pet insurance is quickly becoming a must-have for growing numbers of pet owners.
What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
While the exact details of each policy vary based on your particular circumstances, there are some common restrictions. Most policies will not cover routine veterinary care such as spays, neuters, vaccinations and check-ups. Certain conditions may not be covered by an insurance policy, especially if they are known to be common to a specific breed – breed-specific restrictions are common in dog insurance policies. Additionally, if your policy lapses or you take out a policy on an older animal, your pet may not be covered for pre-existing conditions. Most policies will have a standard deductible, or fee that you pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in. Your policy will likely have a ceiling on the amount of treatment that will be covered per condition or per year.
Unlike human health insurance which may restrict coverage to doctors and hospitals within an approved network, pet insurance is generally accepted by any vet, which allows owners a huge degree of choice and flexibility. Another difference between human health insurance and pet insurance is that pet insurance is not just about veterinary fees and medical costs; many policies also offers other benefits. For example, should a pet go missing, policies can cover the cost of advertising for its safe return, including the cost of a reward. While no pet can ever truly be replaced, if a pet is lost, stolen, or dies due to accident, a pet insurance policy can financially compensate for its loss.
Is It Expensive?
The cost of a pet insurance policy depends on various factors including the species, breed, age and pre-existing conditions of the pet. You can often make additional savings by taking out policies with your insurance provider on more than one pet. Policy costs will also vary based on the level of cover and the provider that you choose. However, excellent policies can be obtained for a monthly charge that is less than the price of a single take-out coffee – compare that to the many thousands that you could expect to pay for a serious accident or chronic disease.
Overall, pet insurance can provide you peace of mind.
It allows you to make decisions based on what is best for the health of your pet, rather than having to factor in the very real financial worries that can often force owners to choose an option that they find less desirable.
Here I am on my last vet visit.
Yes, my mom thought of having a pet insurance when I was young.
At that time she found it still expensive and decided to just save up for my vet care expenses. Until I developed allergies and my vet bills skyrocketed. But it was too late to get a pet insurance.
She learned that ideally if you want a good pet insurance plan for you pet, get it while your pet is young and healthy.
Now that I am old, a Senior Dog, vet bills is once again getting costly due to additional/unexpected tests.
My mom always wondered if I had a pet insurance
does it really makes a difference.
Just curious, so if anyone …
… has pet insurance we would like to know your experience.
… does not have a pet insurance, would you consider getting one?
Lots of Golden Woofs
I did consider getting it since we have two cats and a dog and every time we go to the vet, it's very costly. They are only 6 and 7 years old but we had two expensive teeth cleanings and one tooth extraction–YIKES! It just seemed that the insurance is such a high monthly charge that we didn't get it . . . yet.
This is good information. I don't have insurance. I have heard many stories about folks who have a dog and can't afford to continue the high medical costs so they have to relinquish their dog. Sad.
We've always paid out of pocket. I've heard so many people that have pet insurance, and yet when it really mattered things didn't get paid for. We are never sure if it is a good thing or not!
Sam
It sure is a tough choice in todays ecconomy!
We thought long & hard about taking out pet insurance when Sage was a pup, but didn't do it. Then after reading the Consumer Reports analysis that came out last summer, we decided against it–just to reserve some money for when the dogs age. Here's part of what it said:
"CR analyzed policies marketed by insurers representing roughly 90 percent of the pet-insurance market. None would have reimbursed more than the premiums they charged for a basically healthy dog over a 10-year life span. Only when CR looked at extreme and uncommon situations involving two very sick cats did all the policies pay out more than a pet-owner would have paid in.
For most people, CR advises they budget for routine care and put a few hundred dollars each year for more serious health problems into their household emergency fund."
We have always used pet insurance but have often wondered if just saving up for dog expenses would be better. At Luna's last exam she received her Canine Distemper, Parvo, Bordetella and Rabies vaccine.
The Total Billed: $106.00
– Not Covered: $15.00
– Deductible: $0.00
– Co-Pay (80 / 20): $0.00
Payment received back: $91.00
I received $91 back this go around! This is not always the case though, but so far we have been happy with what has been covered. Ha, I feel like I need to do a spread sheet or something! 🙂
I think pet having vs. not having pet insurance depends on the dog or cat. Some pets can go their whole life just needed their yearly shots, while others can have lots of health issues. The problem is you don't know when you get them as a baby. So, I guess it's a personal choice as it can be a gamble either way.
Very good information Sugar. It all helps out with $$$$
wags
Jazzi and Addy
I have it…purchased AFTER the Toxic Hike (see my post) so i have some pre-existing conditions…
mom always recommends it now…especially to those with new puppies.
well worth it…she says.
worry less.
We've been very lucky, so far….always had healthy dogs, so other than the desexing, and annual needles, we really haven't needed anything. Now that kendra is older, she does cost a bit, but after 12.5 years vertually trouble free, she's worth paying for.
XXXOOO Daisy,kendra, Bella & Roxy
We had pet insurance. Got it at a discount through work. But I cancelled it after a couple of years. It didn't even come close to breaking even and they seemed to argue about every procedure. Mango, too, is getting expensive as he ages, but I'm not regretting cancelling my insurance.
Mango Momma
We don't have pet insurance and don't plan on getting it at this stage of the game.
Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch
We had pet insurance back when I was a puppy but it seemed that everything I had they said it was pre-existing even though I never had it before so we dropped it. It's probably a lot different now since it's been a long time since I was a puppy.
Woos,
Sadie
we don't have pet insurance and don't know anyone that does either. We've always gotten quite lucky with pets being healthy and not needing anything other than routine visits that wouldn't be covered any way
We are big advocats of pet insurance. if you get it at a young age, like I did, then you are pretty much covered for anything because the only thing ours doesn't cover is pre-existing conditions. !! My mom and dad feel better knowing that if they had to pay for a big expense…they could afford to do it. Happy Saturday!
It so happened Meeka had an ear infection at 11 weeks so we decided that we might as well get insurance while she was a puppy. We've used it quite a lot during the early years due to allergies. Insurance came in handy too when she had knee surgery even though it wasn't covered 100%. No regrets in getting insurance.
Meeka's mom
The blog contains informational and educational material. The post enhance my thoughts and experience. So nice!
I've got to scramble to keep up with your prodigious output!
We had pet insurance on our first dog and by the time I added in the cost, I never thought we made out. However, I wished I had it for Thunder's bloat surgery. Still if the pet is relatively healthy and doesn't have many out of the ordinary expenses, it just seems that premiums over the life of the dog would add up to one bloat surgery.
I has pet insurance through VPI. So far it is more expensive to have pet insurance but I haven't had to have any major treatments. So, my hoomans are fine with paying for the insurance and me not needing it. However, someday I might. I really hope i'll never need it though.
woof – Tucker
I've been thinking off and on about getting insurance, and really started to give it some serious thought when my friend's 2 Chihuahuas both suffered knee injuries (they were not pre-existing) and now they both need knee surgery. And I should've given this some thought when Chewy & Lilibell were puppies, because Lilibell does have luxating patellas in both knees and will one day require surgery. Now, they are considered pre-existing conditions. One insurance I found that sounds really promising is Healthy Paws https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/WhyHealthyPaws.aspx Best thing about this insurance is that it covers breed specific conditions! But I'm still on the fence about whether or not to get it. It's like car insurance – you pay the premiums and never use it because you've never had an accident. But on the other hand, you're taking a chance with not having it at all and getting into an accident. It's a Catch 22!!!
We just got insurance for our 10-year-old male Golden. I lost my 15-year-old female a year ago, and after years of being the healthiest dog ever, those last few years got expensive–1 unexpected illness that cost about $1300 over one week (never figured out what it was-she just started eating again & got better), then arthritis meds. I know arthritis will come with our boy. We got Healthy Paws Pet Ins. because as long as it's not preexisting, it's covered, and they pay on a % of our vet bill. I used to work at a vet in high school, and at the time, VPI was the only one out there. The vet told me they paid off their own price list/schedule, and fewer things were covered as the dog got older. HP looked at our boy's records and didn't see any notes about arthritis, so we're good. My girl's rx for it was $60 a month for the last year, and that didn't cover the other senior dog health issues & rx. If I can get some of that bill covered when he gets there, the policy will pay for itself each year. Right now, if he has to go to emergency for something, we would be strapped to pay for it. I like knowing we have insurance for him.
i feel like it's so hard to figure out what's covered and what's not, and doing the math on all the different types of plans would take forever. though, my husband IS an accountant. i should make him do it! i feel like we should get insurance for desmond, but it seems just like people insurance–it doesn't really save you any money until something major happens. although, i guess it would be great to not have to worry so much about money if something major happens. it can be so hard to justify when you look at a monthly budget. ah, if only we were all rich!