While most pet owners can budget for vet visits and emergencies, serious illnesses and injuries can run a few thousand dollars.
Insurance reimburses veterinary expenses in exchange for a premium, deductible, and co-payment. It’s important to understand the fine print before deciding on a plan.
Most companies don’t cover pre-existing conditions. This is one reason why it’s best to get coverage before your pet gets sick or injured.
Cost
Dog health insurance is a smart way to help cover unexpected veterinary costs, such as a trip to the emergency vet. Premiums are based on your pet’s age, breed and location.
Some insurers also consider how much you’re willing to pay out of pocket if your pet is injured. For example, accident-only plans typically have lower monthly premiums than illness-based ones.
Embrace offers a wide range of accident and illness plans, as well as a wellness plan that reimburses you for routine care, including preventive exams and vaccinations. It also covers behavioral treatments, alternative therapies, and nonroutine dental care.
Reimbursement rates vary widely, from 70% to 90%. Some plans have a cap on how much they’ll reimburse you each year.
ASPCA’s plans are among the most affordable on the market, and they don’t discriminate against hereditary conditions or curable pre-existing conditions. That means your pet can be enrolled at any age, as long as they haven’t been diagnosed with a hereditary condition or had treatment for a pre-existing one in the past 12 months.
Coverage
Dog health insurance can be a lifesaver if your pet ever gets injured or has an illness. It can cover everything from examinations and medications to surgeries, hospitalization, and other expenses.
The right plan will cover a variety of injuries and illnesses, including cancer, arthritis, allergies, hypothyroidism, and ear infections. Most of these plans also offer a wellness benefit that reimburses you for routine wellness exams, flea and tick prevention, and vaccinations.
Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and chiropractic treatments, can help your pet recover from an injury or illness. Many providers do not include this type of coverage, but Complete CoverageSM will reimburse you for these services.
Behavioral issues like excessive licking, fur pulling, or destructive chewing can be distressing for your pet and frustrating for you. This is why it’s important to choose a plan that includes coverage for behavioral issues.
The best way to shop for dog health insurance is to compare different providers’ policies side-by-side. You can use the Pawlicy Advisor comparison tool to get quotes from a large number of companies in seconds.
Perks
Whether your pet is young or old, healthy or not, there are benefits to choosing an accident and illness insurance policy. These policies can help you cover the costs of routine vet visits and other veterinary expenses that often go unnoticed until a major health issue arises.
For instance, some plans cover cruciate ligament injuries, which can be a common orthopedic problem for dogs. Other perks include coverage for alternative therapies, prescription food, homeopathic treatments and behavioral therapy.
Some plans also have wellness add-ons that cover annual vaccinations, dental cleanings and routine care. Embrace, for example, offers its Wellness Rewards plan, which lets you contribute a specific amount to preventive care and then shrinks your annual deductible each year that you don’t claim reimbursement. Plus, Embrace has no age limit for new animals and lets you choose a low deductible to maximize your financial outlay. The company also makes it easy to compare plans based on the fineprint in policy variations across top providers, which can save you time and effort.
Requirements
Most pet health insurance policies require you to pay an initial deductible. That can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on your provider. After that, the rest is up to you and your veterinarian. It’s best to choose a plan that includes coverage for your dog’s most frequent vet visits. Some plans will also offer coverage for routine checkups, dental cleanings and vaccinations.
Choosing the best pet insurance policy for your furry friend will likely be an expensive decision, so make sure you do your research and get quotes from several providers. If you have an accident-prone dog or a pet with a history of hereditary diseases, look for a comprehensive plan that will help cover the cost of emergency care, diagnostic tests and specialist visits. You’ll be glad you did if the worst happens and your pet needs medical attention. The best pet insurance providers will be flexible about renewals and don’t have a laundry list of exclusions.