What is pet health insurance? Like most insurance policies, pet health insurance helps give you peace of mind by helping to pay for medical costs when your pet has an accident, experiences a serious ailment and, in some cases, requires costly medical treatment. Pet health coverage is also more affordable than most people realize, particularly for large breeds that are prone to certain types of illness or accidents. The kind of animal health coverage you choose depends on how much you pay and what your pet will be subjected to. The basic policy offers cover for injuries, illnesses, emergency boarding or kenneling costs, vaccinations, prescription drugs and surgery costs, while policies that offer complete coverage have more perks such as accidental death and destruction of property, food allergies, breed restrictions and more.
Policies that only offer basic coverage typically cost less than those that offer complete coverage, since the basic policy covers most illnesses, accidents, wellness exams, surgeries and normal care costs for your pet. You can save a lot of money by going with the complete coverage policy if you have many pets or own a high-end dog, since the comprehensive policies often offer discounts on annual or monthly premiums to cover all your pet expenses. A lot of pet insurance providers also offer discounts to clients who bring in their pet dogs or cats to the office on a regular basis and to those who take their pets on regular vacations. These discounts are great if you have more than one pet, since your discounts may apply towards the cost of the policy.
Before you decide on which type of coverage is right for you and your pet, it’s important to figure out what your pet needs in terms of coverage. Many policies will cover illnesses that are listed in the policy, but there are usually deductibles that you must pay in order to get reimbursed. This could potentially make the policy ineffective, because not everyone will have sufficient coverage to pay the deductibles. Therefore, it’s important to get an estimate from a pet insurance provider before choosing which type of coverage is right for you. By getting a quote, you can ensure that you are actually paying less than you think you are for the right amount of cover.
Some pet insurance providers also offer coverage for chronic conditions. While chronic conditions are generally covered in most policies, there may be a limit to how much you can save on premiums by opting out of this coverage. This is why it is a good idea to get a quote on your coverage before deciding on this optional add-on. In some cases, insurers may cover chronic conditions automatically through the course of the policy, so you will never even need to worry about it.
Another common optional coverage is prescription food. A lot of pet owners opt for this coverage, especially those with young cats or dogs. Pet health conditions dictate that certain brands of prescription food should be avoided, so it is important that you find out if your coverage allows for this. In many instances, the pet insurance company will reimburse you for the cost of the prescription food that you choose, so this is not something that you need to worry about. However, it is important to make sure that the food you choose is nutritionally balanced, as your cat or dog could suffer from nutritional deficiencies if the wrong choices are made.
Lastly, some pet insurance providers offer accident-only policies, which are typically only available to animals that have already been spayed or neutered. These policies will cover your pet for accidents, regardless of prior injury history. Because of this, it’s important to get a quote for accident-only coverage if you want coverage for an upcoming trip or visit to the veterinarian. The cost of the accident-only policy is significantly higher than the regular policy, but you will save money in the long run by investing in an insurance policy that will protect your animal for any incident, even accidental ones.