Pet insurance may seem like an expense that isn’t worthwhile, especially if your pets are healthy, but it may be a big help in the future. Most people carry health insurance for themselves and their children but forget about their pets. That monthly cost of $50 may save your pet’s life one day.
Too often, pet owners find out their pet needs cancer treatment to survive. If you have pet insurance, these costs are generally covered, but without insurance, you could be facing a vet bill of $8,000 or more. Pet insurance, like Pumpkin pet insurance, is important if you don’t want to be left deciding whether or not you can afford emergency surgery for your furry friend.
What is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is just like health insurance for humans, just for pets. Knowing that you are covered if there is an emergency, your pet gets sick, or any other unexpected medical bills that should arise can help ease your mind, as you won’t have to worry that your pets will have to miss out on needed medical care.
You can choose from three types of pet insurance plans: accident-only, wellness, and accident and wellness. Not all companies offer wellness, but the other two are always an option.
Types of Pet Insurance
Accident Only
Unfortunately, accidents happen. No matter how careful we are, life is unpredictable, and things just happen sometimes. While you can’t predict an accident, you can prepare yourself for if/when one happens. Accident-only plans cover many incidents, such as bite wounds, torn ligaments, and broken bones.
These plans are generally less expensive than plans with illness or wellness added. These are good for pets that cannot get other types of coverage due to a pre-existing illness. Accident-only insurance may cover the following:
- Bite wounds
- Broken bones
- Emergencies
- Eye trauma
- Foreign body ingestion
- Injuries
- Poisoning
- Torn ligaments
Accident and Illness
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive plan, accident and illness coverage is the way. In addition to the incidents covered under accident insurance, these plans can cover allergies, ear infections, cancer, and many other conditions.
Illness insurance covers:
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Ear infections
- Internal parasites
- Obesity
- Skin infections
- UTIs
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
Wellness
Every company doesn’t offer wellness coverage, and not everyone wants to invest in it, but preventative care is important. Just like most parents take their kids to well-child appointments, wellness coverage for pets can cover many treatments that could potentially increase their pet’s lifespan.
When choosing your pet’s insurance coverage, it’s important to remember that many wellness visits could cost you as much as $300 per visit, depending on where you live, the procedure is done, and your vet. Adding a wellness plan to your insurance package could save you a great deal in the long run.
Wellness coverage could take care of the costs of:
- Annual exams
- Flea, tick, and heartworm treatments
- Routine testing
- Spay/neuter
- Teeth cleanings
- Vaccinations
How Does Pet Insurance Work?
With pet insurance, most companies reimburse you for the cost of medical care. You take your pet to the vet, pay the bill, and then request an itemized copy of your receipt so you can submit that to your pet’s insurance company. Between 1 week and one month after receiving the receipt, you should receive either a direct deposit or a paper check from the insurance company.
An added benefit some insurance companies offer is a guaranteed turnaround time for reimbursements. The amount you get back varies, depending on the terms of your specific policy, the type of procedure, and the deductible.
Benefits of Pet Insurance
- Choose Your Vet
- Peace of Mind
- May Extend the Lifespan of Your Pet
- No Age Limits
Why Should I Have Pet Insurance?
We love our pets, and caring for them in the best way reflects that. Pet insurance not only helps you subsidize future, potentially expensive treatments, but it may also help reduce the overall need for vet care in some situations.
By utilizing the wellness benefits and leveraging early detection with high reimbursement rates, pet owners can ensure that they give their dog or cat the ideal care. Pet insurance helps loving owners put their pet’s health at the centre of their veterinary decisions instead of the price.
