Pet Insurance
Although it has been around for a long time, few pet owners are aware that animals can have coverage to protect them from various diseases, injuries and so forth. Policies assist the pet owners financially, thus saving them steep expenses when visiting the Vet. Pet insurance is similar to a health insurance policy for humans. If the pet is ill or injured then the pet is cared for by the vet and claims are sent to the policy provider for reimbursement.
Pet insurance offers coverage to pets that need medical attention. The policies help owners get the most out of vet visits by allowing them to pay only co-payments to the vet. Most companies will not cover preexisting conditions, but some will if the condition is considered cured. Some plans will cover the common flea and tick problems, some cover neutering and vaccines of pets and others may even cover dental, pregnancy and so forth.
Policies especially come in handy during emergency visits, and will provide coverage for medications, including meds for poisoning, heart worms, pain meds, and so forth. Items like deductibles, co-pays, coverages, whether the vet can submit directly to the insurance company or if you have to do the submission, annual and lifetime payment limits, and other policy features vary, sometimes dramatically, from company to company and policy to policy, so the best solution for getting the most coverage at affordable rates is to shop around.
To understand your coverage you should read the “Terms & Conditions” offered by the provider. The company will also supply a “Plan Explanation” which provides details of illness, injuries, treatment, and other types of coverage. The plans will also supply details of exclusions and restrictions.
Here are comparisons for five popular pet insurance companies in no particular order. This is not an endorsement of these companies, nor is it an exhaustive list. Others can be found by going to your favorite search engine and entering “pet insurance” in the search term. Please note that company insurance policies can change at any time, so only use this information as a starting point for choosing a pet insurance company. Contact the companies you are interested in to confirm costs and coverage’s for your pet. Also, these are general policy offerings and most companies offer special packages such as for older pets, so if you are looking for variations in the below coverage’s you will want to contact the company to see if they offer what you are looking for.
Pets Best
Enrollment: 8wks-no limit
Benefit Limit: Lifetime limit of $99,750
Deductible: $75 per incident
Discounts: Multiple Pet
Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? No
Cover Cancer? yes
Cover Sterilization? Yes, with wellness plan addition
Monthly Cost: (approx.) $32.00
Shelter Care
Enrollment: 8wks-8yrs
Benefit Limit: No Annual
Deductible: No
Discounts: Multi-pet, Medical Service, Micro-chip
Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? No
Cover Cancer? Yes
Cover Sterilization? No
Monthly Cost: (approx.) $29.95
Pet Care
Enrollment: 8wks-8yrs
Benefit Limit: No Annual
Deductible: $50 per incident
Discounts: Multi-Pet, Medical Service
Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? No
Cover Cancer? Yes
Cover Sterilization? No
Monthly Cost: (approx.) $29.95
Embrace Pet Insurance
Enrollment: 8 wks – 8 yrs (dogs), 8 wks – 10 yrs (cats)
Benefit Limit: $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 per year
Deductible: $100, $200 or $500 per year
Discounts: Multi-Pet, Service Dog, Microchip, Employee Benefit, Veterinary Worker
Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? Only if completely cured
Cover Cancer? yes
Cover Sterilization? no
Monthly Cost: (approx.) $25.00
*this company also covers genetic conditions
Veterinary Pet Insurance
Enrollment: up to 10yrs(applies to new enrollments only)
Benefit Limit: $14,000/year
Deductible: $50 per incident, then covers 90%
Discounts: Multi-Pet, Employee Benefit
Cover Pre-Existing Conditions? yes if considered cured
Cover Cancer? Yes
Cover Sterilization? yes
Monthly Cost: (approx.) $20.00
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