The Best Pet Insurance: What To Look for
Posted by Bob NewmanIt doesn’t make any difference whether your pet is a shelter-rescued mutt or an expensive purebred, a cat you found wandering the alley or a beautiful long-haired Himalayan, an ordinary little gecko or an exotic iguana – finding the best pet insurance involves shopping for the plan that offers you the kind of coverage you need.
Perhaps you’ve never even thought about getting health insurance for your pet. But if you’ve been a pet owner for any length of time then you are already aware of how costly even routine vet visits are. Hopefully you’re pets have never had any serious illnesses or accidents that can often result in vet bills that run into the thousands of dollars.
Now that I’ve got your attention – it was the “thousands of dollars” wasn’t it? – how can you find a good pet insurance plan?
That will depend on whether or not you need a plan that will only cover your pet in the event of a serious illness or for accidental injury or if you want to also be covered for routine wellness care.
The coverage you select, just like your own medical coverage, will directly affect the premium you pay. You can also choose your deductible to further adjust your premiums.
You’ll want to look for things like:
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being able to see any vet you choose
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are there exclusions based on your breed
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are there lifetime limits
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are pre-existing conditions covered
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limits on age related conditions
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multiple pet discounts
Some policies offer basic “catastrophic” coverage and allow you to choose add-ons for wellness care like spaying/neutering, vaccinations, routine exams, etc.
Pet insurance isn’t just for dogs and cats. You can get coverage for exotic animals (especially helpful if your pet is an expensive, rare breed) like birds, reptiles, ferrets, hamsters, horses and more.
While it may seem like an unnecessary cost if your pet has never suffered an illness or accident, you should know that nearly 6 million dogs and 6 million cats are diagnosed with cancer every year. (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2005.) And just like human health care, new life-saving treatments become available every year. And also just like our own health care, the costs for these treatments continue to skyrocket every year!
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to at least consider insurance for your pet. It can be affordable to nearly any budget. Finding the best pet insurance is just a matter of shopping carefully and choosing exactly what it is you’re looking for in coverage. Get the facts about pet insurance at http://petinsuranceprimer.com