What exactly is Pet Insurance? Pet insurance, also called veterinary pet insurance or pet health insurance, helps to cover the expense of veterinarian care for your pets. Above all, the right pet insurance can provide you with priceless peace of mind at a low cost. Pet insurance plans are tailored specifically to your pet’s breed, age, possible future health problems, and other medical needs.
Some pet health insurance plans to include coverage for certain congenital defects in your dog or cat, which are likely to develop at some point. For example, most plans will cover genetic defects like hip dysplasia or cystitis. Other conditions that might be covered under a pet health insurance policy include cancer, heart conditions, diabetes, dental care, flea and tick control, heart worm disease, obesity, immunizations, illnesses caused by worms or insect bites, leukemia and lymphoma, medical treatments, orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, and physical disabilities.
There are also several breed-specific policies that can be purchased. For example, there are insurance plans available for German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and other breeds. While most of these policies will not cover diseases common to the breeds themselves (which is why they are breed specific), they will usually cover serious accidents or illnesses that are likely to occur in the pets for which their breed is known. So, if your family has a German shepherd that gets cancer and is in pain, he or she may be covered under your insurance plan. However, if your family has another dog that is the same breed as your sick German shepherd, you may need to check into a separate breed-specific policy.
There are a number of ways to find out about pet insurance companies and what kinds of coverage they offer. The easiest way to do so is to call your state’s department of financial services, which should have a list of pet insurance companies or at least a list of names of companies that are licensed in your state. You can also check out the Pet Insurance Information Institute, which maintains a directory of companies that provide pet insurance. Another good place to look is online, where there are many reputable web sites that can help you compare quotes from different pet insurance companies. And of course, you can always call your state’s department of financial services to ask which veterinary health insurance companies they recommend dealing with.
But it’s not just pet insurance plans that offer good coverage for illnesses or accidents. Some also provide coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. This kind of coverage is particularly important for families whose furry (and sometimes feathered) children have experienced a life experience that will turn them into adults with chronic health problems. Under these circumstances, pet parents often have to decide between continuing treatment for the condition, or putting their child to sleep, which costs thousands of dollars in medical bills. A good health coverage plan will cover treatment for these conditions up to the amount provided by the policy, so that parents don’t have to choose between life and health. Even genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis or hereditary diabetes can be covered under some policies, making this type of coverage very attractive to pet parents.
Finally, pet insurance may also come with a waiting period. This is usually a day or two before your pet is scheduled for surgery or other major procedures, so that you can be sure you’ll have the cash on hand to pay for the procedure. For minor procedures, most waiting periods are generally ranging from a few days to a few weeks, so there’s never any danger of having to declare “bankruptcy” to be able to afford your pet’s treatment. Pet health plans can also offer coverage for emergency procedures like neutering, vaccination shots, heartworm testing, and similar services. Whatever pet health plan you select, make sure that it will cover all of the services your pet needs and be financially feasible.