If you’re an animal lover and have pets at home, they’re a part of your family. If they get sick and need medical care, pet insurance covers the expenses and lets you provide them with the best possible care. This is greatly beneficial if your pet’s medical expenses are high, and even prevents you from giving up your beloved animal because you can’t afford a surgery. Whether at home or on a trip you took your furry friend along on, pet insurance comes with some incredible benefits. Read on to know why and how to get your furry friend insured.
Why do you need a pet insurance policy?
A bunch of companies offer pet insurance plans, and many offer multiple policies that can meet your requirements while not overshooting your budget. Some policies provide insurance cover for your pet’s wellness, along with a due coverage for when your pet falls ill or faces an accident, while some others cover the expenses only in case of accidents and illnesses. If you get an insurance policy of the latter type, you’ll have to bear the cost of routine checkups, vaccination, flea and tick prevention and treatment, and heartworm treatment. Just like health insurance for humans, the wider the coverage of a pet insurance policy, the higher the premium amount you need to pay.
There has been a significant rise in the cost of veterinary care in the recent past, and this is directly linked to improvements in the techniques, testing procedures, and care given to pets. With perennial advancement in the medical field, there are better forms and varieties of medicines and more specialized care available for pets today. Just like humans, even dogs can undergo complex procedures like chemotherapy and brain surgery. The cost may make pet healthcare difficult to access for some pet owners, but this is where pet insurance comes in!
What are the advantages of getting pet insurance?
You need not fall back on your savings every time you need to consult a physician or visit a dentist for a teeth alignment procedure or just a routine checkup, and that’s because you have your health insurance plan to cover for your healthcare expenses. So why dig into your savings when your pet falls ill? Leave it to pet insurance companies to provide coverage for your furry friend’s medical expenses.
You can get yourselves the best health insurance plans, but your pets deserve the same amount of care and concern. After all, they’re your best friends! Let’s take a look at some of the reasons to get a pet insurance policy:
- Pet insurance helps you save
If your pet is insured, you can simply use their insurance plan to meet their treatment expenses, which will certainly save you big bucks in the long run. Regardless of the company you choose to get your pet insurance plan from, you have to bear a certain amount of deductible before the plan kicks in to cover your pet’s medical expenses. Once the deductible is met, a percentage of the total expenses, according to your plan, are borne by the insurance company. - It makes it easier for you to care for your pet
Pet owners who have pet insurance are better equipped to care for their pet’s health and worry less about a huge bill from the vet. Besides, if your pet falls sick or meets with an accident, you can afford even the costliest surgery for their treatment if you have pet insurance. You can rest assured that your furry friend gets the best medical care without having to worry about its cost. This enables you to focus on caring for or spending time with your beloved pet worry-free. - It opens up better treatment options
Having pet insurance enables you to afford and choose from among the most diverse treatment options. Insurance also makes it easier for you to pay for life-saving treatments like chemotherapy and complex surgeries. These costs may add up to several thousands of dollars, which is not very affordable for pet owners who do not have insurance. - It lets you choose your vet
While health insurance does not let you choose your doctor, pet insurance provides you with the flexibility to pick a doctor whom you trust to be adept enough to provide your pet with the best medical care. Additionally, you wouldn’t require a doctor’s referral to visit a specialist, which is particularly beneficial during holidays and after-hours. - It covers pets irrespective of their age and breed
You can get your pet insured regardless of which breed they belong to or how old they are. Not to mention, you can get this done at a highly affordable rate. This is especially beneficial for owners whose pets suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes mellitus, as the policy covers any associated health conditions and the resultant medical expenses. - It lets you remain calm during stressful times
When you have pet insurance, you can rest assured that your pet will be provided the best care even if something goes amiss. Many pet insurance companies have a policy wherein you can get approximately 80 percent of the expenses covered once the deductible has been paid, so you don’t have to worry about the expenses. - Insurance facilitates proper budgeting of pet care expenses
Paying the pet insurance premium installments means you are spreading out your pet care expenses over a couple of months instead of incurring a sudden huge expense in case of an emergency. This makes it easier to bear a huge medical expense without putting a dent in your finances. - Pet insurance protects your savings
If your pet falls sick suddenly, you will not have to exhaust your savings to meet the medical expenses if you have insurance. Some pet owners make an exclusive savings account for their furry friends, but they may withdraw money from this account for petty expenses if they fall short of funds. This can be troublesome during an emergency if you do not have pet insurance. - It provides flexibility to choose the plan
Pet insurance agents offer a myriad of plans and policies, and it is convenient for you to pick a plan that best suits your pet’s needs and your preferences and budget.
What are some effective tips for choosing the best pet insurance plan and company?
Given the perennial advancements in vet care, pets are blessed with longer lives. However, this brings with it an increase in the cost of owning a pet. Healthcare is a major concern for pet owners, so having pet insurance certainly proves helpful in planning your pet’s medical expenses and following your budget. Insurance companies offset the expenses you bear on your pet’s illnesses, injuries, and routine healthcare. So, here are a few essential tips to help you pick the best pet insurance policy:
- Compare multiple policies
Before you get an insurance policy, it is best to compare the plans provided by multiple companies, along with the associated costs. Making a thorough comparison can help you understand how the companies differ in terms of deductibles, premiums, plan details, and claims processes and percentages. It also makes it easier for you to pick a company that offers a value-for-money package at the least cost. - Check the insurance company’s record
To be absolutely certain about the chosen provider’s reliability, you should spend some time to understand their track record and time in the industry. Go ahead only if the company has proved its stability over the years and has good customer reviews. You can also seek recommendations from your friends or colleagues who recently got their pets insured. Additionally, you must run a background check on the company and check for things like the number of years they have been providing insurance services and their financial stability to settle claims. - Find out what is covered in the policy and what isn’t
Before enrolling for a particular insurance plan, get in touch with the company and ask them about the aspects covered under the policy and everything that you’ll have to pay for. Some insurance companies do not provide coverage for any of your pet’s existing health conditions, along with any congenital or hereditary conditions and those that might occur as a result of breeding. So, you must read through the insurance contract thoroughly before signing on the dotted lines. Understand everything mentioned in the contract, and reach out to the company if you have any doubts. And don’t forget to read the fine print and ask them when, why, and how often they plan on increasing the premium amount. - Pick a policy that best meets your needs and your pet’s healthcare requirements
Know whether you want a pet insurance policy that covers the aspects of routine wellness for your pet, one that covers contingent care expenses, or a plan that covers everything other than hereditary illnesses. Routine wellness includes wellness tests and examinations, vaccinations, heartworm, and flea and tick prevention and treatment, while contingent care provides coverage for chronic and/or prolonged illnesses, surgeries, prescriptions, lab tests, and injuries and accidents. Before you opt for an insurance plan, it’s advisable to sit down with a vet and discuss your pet’s current health. You can ask them about any health conditions your pet might be exposed to and discuss any hereditary conditions that your furry friend is susceptible to. Be certain about what you need the policy to cover, and ensure that you pick what’s best for your pet’s health and your pocket. - Opt for a reimbursement plan most suitable for you
Reimbursement is provided by pet insurance companies in either of two ways. The first requires them to pay out a specific percentage of the total expenses incurred, while the other involves the company having a yearly schedule listing out the allowances. If you pick the former, the pet insurance company will repay a pre-decided percentage of the total amount you paid to the vet. Many pet insurance companies provide reimbursements of up to 80% of the total medical expenses less the annual deductible, while you have to bear the balance.
On the other hand, in the benefits schedule, each aspect included in your plan is listed out and allotted a certain amount of reimbursement. This amount is renewed annually. In addition, other factors like whether you opted for a yearly deductible or a deductible on a per-incident basis may also influence the reimbursement amount. - Review both the value and cost of the insurance policy
There is no sense in investing in an insurance policy simply because it is affordable if it does not provide your pet with the required coverage. Ask yourself what your primary needs are and whether you need a policy for complete care, a wellness plan, or one that covers medical care? Your deductible and plan details will vary depending on the type of coverage. - Get your pet insured while they are still healthy and young
To ensure that your pet gets unlimited coverage and bags the best benefits of pet insurance, get them insured when they are healthy and young. It will significantly lower the premium amount, which increases if you opt for insurance after your pet reaches a certain age. - Try to get a discount
Pet insurance companies would be willing to give you a discount on the premium cost in some cases. Your chances of getting a discount are higher if you get more than one pet insured from the same company.
