Pet insurance is starting to catch attention to many pet owners in the United States. Of the 136 million dog and cat owners in the United States, only about 1% have pet insurance, while it is said to be 12% in the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom there are over 60 different pet insurance companies, whereas in the United States there are only 7 major pet insurance companies and is continually growing.
The most well known Pet Insurance companies are:
VIP (Veterinary Pet Insurance)
Pet Assure
PetHealth Group
Pet Protect
Hartville Group Pets Health Care Plan
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
PurinaCare Pet Insurance
Some things to ask before purchasing Pet Health insurance are:
- What is the turnaround time for receiving a claim?
- What exactly is covered?
- Is holistic care covered?
- What are the deductibles?
- What are the premiums?
- Can I take my pet to any vet or only to those listed on the plan you give me?
- If I am on vacation with my pet and something happens will the exam be covered for out-of-state veternarian care?
- What are the age restrictions?
- Will this policy cover existing or hereditary conditions in my pet?
- Will the policy cover cesarean section needed births?
- Will the insurance policy cover spay and neurtering?
- Will the policy cover Emergency Veternarian Hospital visits?
- Will the policy cover surgical care needs?
- Will the insurance provider pay the entire claim or only part of the claim even after my deductibles are paid?
- What is the term of the policy?
- Are vaccination protocols determined by my veterinarian or by the insurance company? (This is very important to make sure you find out this answer before purchasing the plan as you may be required to have your pet vaccinated only by the insurance companies policy and this may not be effective or a healthy choice for your pet, this should be determined by the health care plan of your veterinarian).
- Are annual examinations and routine care (veterinarian routine health care plan for your pet), such as vaccinations covered at all times?
Health Care insurance can be a good investment to purchase but can be costly when you do not need to take your pet to the veterinarian all the time. Some emergent exams may not be covered and will still be an out of pocket pitfall. If the insurance policy covers the yearly exams and vaccinations and does not cost an arm and a leg, then it is worth the time and money spent to provide this protection for our furry loved ones.
Some of these questions may seem redundent or repeated but take my advise you will need to ask these questions even if they are worded or repeated in another manner so that you can be assured that you are getting the correct answers and the best policy for your pets needs.
Only choose a well reputable company with good feed back as there are some companies out there that are not legite and pray on pet owners as a means to make a buck. Shame on them!
Good luck to another Way to a Healthy Pets Heart!
Tina Leigh
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