Pet insurance pays, partly or in total, for veterinary treatment of the insured person’s ill or injured pet. As veterinary medicine is increasingly employing expensive medical techniques and drugs, and owners have higher expectations for their pet’s health care and standard of living than previously, the market for pet insurance has increased.
Pet insurance companies are beginning to offer the pet owner more of an ability to customize their coverage by allowing them to choose their own level of deductible or coinsurance. This allows the pet owner to control their monthly premium and choose the level of coverage that suits them the best.
Some of the differences in insurance coverage are:
Some of the differences in insurance coverage are:
- Whether congenital and hereditary conditions (like hip dysplasia, heart defects, eye cataracts or diabetes) are covered;
- How the reimbursement is calculated (based on the actual vet bill, a benefit schedule or usual and customary rates);
- Whether the deductible is on a per-incident or an annual basis;
- Whether there are any limits or caps applied (per incident, per year, age or over the pet’s lifetime); and
- Whether there is an annual contract that determines anything diagnosed in the previous year of coverage is considered pre-existing the next year.
Center Veterinary Clinic recommends Pet Insurance for any newly adopted pet or puppy or kitten. We recommend accident and illness coverage as wellness care can usually be budgeted. We have seen tens of thousands of dollars in cancer treatments, surgeries, hospitalizations, and more reimbursed to our clients.
Pet Insurance enables you to not have to make difficult decisions based on finances when an accident or illness occurs.
If you want all medical care to be budgeted, our wellness plan coupled with pet insurance is the best way to have everything covered.
It is important to purchase insurance right away before any preexisting conditions can be notated in the chart. Once they are recorded, they cannot be removed as the medical chart is a legal document and this would be considered insurance fraud.
We have brochures for insurance companies that our clients have used and recommend.
Our clinic has also done research and has brochures for pet insurance plans we feel have a good value.
The best method is to go on pawlicy.com and you can compare all pet insurances, what they cover, premiums, deductibles, etc. Some cover cancer treatments, some cover laser therapy, chiropractic, medications, prescription diets. Once you have it narrowed down, we recommend that you call the company and talk to a representative. It is important that you know what is covered and what is not.
Once you pick insurance, it is very hard to change since any diagnosed problem during the pet’s time on the first insurance will now be seen as a “preexisting condition” and not covered by the new insurance company.
We will be happy to process your claim weekly on Saturdays. We will email it to the company and also copy you on the email. If you would like it done in a quicker fashion, you are able to submit your own claims and it is usually a simple process.
Pet Insurance typically works by the client paying all costs up front. You will receive payment from the insurance company after the claim has been approved. Most companies have a phone app where you can upload your claim form right away or submit your claim on your computer. The sooner you get the claim in, the sooner you get paid back.Ask about “typical” reimbursement times as they vary between companies.
