Pet Insurance - How To Get Pet Health Insurance
April 26th, 2011 by admin
Household pets are no longer treated as the lower class animals that are fed on the floor, kept outside and taken care of at home. Instead, pets are now treated just as equally as each member of the family with a little bed to sleep on, a pretty eating dish, a place in the house and a weekend at the groomers down the street. More money is spent on the households pet than on the kids, so if your kids are insured, why not get your pet a health insurance plan as well?
1. Routine and wellness coverage. Coverage typically includes things such as annual checkups, flea and heartworm control, spaying and neutering, dental scaling and polishing, and vaccinations.
2. Illness and chronic condition coverage. This type of policy covers illnesses and common chronic conditions such as allergies, osteoarthritis, diabetes, thyroid problems, and Addison’s disease. Continuing treatment of chronic conditions or long-term illnesses, such as cancer, beyond the first policy year when it occurred may have a reduced payout or may require a rider. Be sure to understand the coverage for chronic and long-term illnesses before signing up.
Coverage typically includes hospitalization, lab tests, diagnostic tests (x-ray, ultrasound, etc.), prescription drugs, non-elective surgery, dental services, and follow-up veterinary care related to the illness. Some policies also include euthanasia in case the dog does not survive.
3. Major medical coverage. This is the coverage used to protect against catastrophic events such as accidents and emergencies. Major medical usually has low monthly premiums and high deductibles.
The coverage includes essentially the same items as listed above for illness and chronic conditions, but would be limited to only those conditions resulting from the accident or emergency. Also, any conditions from the accident or emergency that carry into subsequent policy years may have a reduced payout or may require a rider.
4. Genetic condition coverage. This is one of the most expensive types of coverage and only a few companies offer it. However, some companies offer riders for specific conditions. The cost and coverage depend largely on the breed of dog.
There are hundreds of genetic conditions that affect dogs and some breeds are much more prone to them than others. If you are still searching for your pet, genetic conditions are something you should take into consideration when making your selection. It could save you a lot of heartache and a lot of money down the road.
Next, take into consideration the age, breed and health condition of your pet. The older your pets are the more expensive they are to insure so do try to obtain insurance from a young age. In addition to that, the breed plays an important factor as well as some breeds is more prone to diseases than others, resulting in a higher premium. Besides that, other things that would be taken in consideration is the number of pets you have, the neighborhood you live in, the condition of your pet and whether or not they live indoors or outdoors.
Set up a budget and see how much you can afford to spend on monthly premiums for your pet then compare and contrast premiums, deductibles, benefits, privileges, reimbursements and so on. Get to know exactly what the plan covers and find out of routine care and injections will be paid for as well.
The Bottom Line:
The decision to purchase pet health care insurance for your dog is one only you can make.
If you have an expensive dog, such as one used for breeding, a guide dog, a search and rescue dog, or a certified guard dog, then the choice is easy - get the very best insurance you can find.
On the other hand, for your typical family pet, the choice is a little more difficult. Here, the most important thing is to make an informed decision.
First, get more information. Learn as much as you can about your breed of dog and the medical conditions they are prone to, especially the genetic ones. Decide exactly what you want included in your coverage and then shop around and get quotes from a number of the top-ranked companies.
Only make a decision after you have detailed information for your specific dog and for the specific coverage that you want. And then, make the decision that is best for you, your family, and your pet
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