is it worth it to get pet insurance?
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at
4:13 am
I have 2 dogs one is a year old and one is 9 weeks I was thinking about getting health insurance for them but I was wondering what an average monthy fee would be and how much would it cover?I you have had or had pet insurance is it a big help?
Filed under: Dog Insurance
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Well everyone knows all pets live and die like humans so I say no because your animal will have something wrong with it sometime in their lifetime.
i hate pet insurance they only pay what they want
Actually it is because if your pet gets hurt or sick, it will be covered fully or you will only have to pay a small amount of it.Like humans, pets have medical needs, a fact easily demonstrated by the billions of dollars that Americans spend on veterinary care each year. Pet insurance can help safeguard against unexpected and costly out-of-pocket medical expenses. The following tips will help you hone in on the right plan for you and your pet.
Where do I start looking? Comparison shopping can help you save money, and there now are websites such as http://www.petinsurancereview.com that allow you to compare rates from leading pet insurers.
When should I consider insurance? Consider obtaining an insurance policy while your pet is young and before they develop conditions that could result in higher premiums.
How much coverage? Insurance plans can start as low as $6 or $7 a month and run quite a lot higher, depending on coverage level. Coverage can include options such as accidents, hospitalizations, x-rays, surgery, illnesses, spaying/neutering, vaccinations, annual check ups, flea and heartworm prevention, and dental. Estimate your annual pet expenses and consider what you could afford for out-of-pocket emergency procedures. Compare these numbers to the monthly rates to determine what level you can afford.
Which vets? Some insurance providers have a prescribed network of veterinarians, whereas others allow you to choose your own vet. If you are firm on seeing a specific vet — for example, one highly recommended by a friend — start by finding out which insurance plans include your vet, then compare those select plans.
Discounts. As you compare insurance providers, inquire about multiple pet discounts if you have, or plan on having, an additional pet.
Payment. Most vets do not have a co-pay structure. Instead, you pay up front, then submit reimbursement paperwork to the insurance provider. Ask providers about typical reimbursement turnarounds, especially if you are on a tight day-to-day budget.
Preventive care. Preventive care is good for humans and pets alike, both for general well being and to keep medical costs down. To strike a balance on a budget, invest in the best basic coverage you can afford while taking preventive measures, such as providing your pet with natural foods and supplements, plenty of exercise, and natural instead of pharmaceutical interventions depending on the situation.
Pets quickly become beloved members of a family. To safeguard against unexpected and costly out-of-pocket medical expenses, consider a small monthly investment in pet insurance.
Really depends on the breed and propensity to rack up the big bills. If they are breeds that are prone to congenital problems, yeah it might be worth it. But keep in mind, even if you have pet insurance, you still need to pay the vet up front, then turn the bill in to the insurance provider, then wait for them to decide what, if anything, they are going to pay. If its something they deem to be genetic, most won’t cover the bill. They do however cover all preventative care, but not 100% coverage. Some insurances are great and pay up to 80% of preventative costs, but others will pay as little as 30%.
The bottom line: pet insurance is a great peace of mind if you get it while your pet is young and healthy (and before any preexisting conditions arise). It looks like both of your dogs are very young, so it would probably be beneficial to you.
You will get a lot of money back from the insurance company if your pet is unlucky and has to go through many expensive treatments (but who really WANTS their pet to get hurt/sick just so they can benefit from the insurance company?)
I agree with another answerer that petinsurancereview.com is a great place to start looking.
Pet insurance is usually around $20 to $90 per month for one dog. But you’ll get lower rates since your dogs are younger.
The nice thing about the company I have my dog insured with (Trupanion) is that they don’t increase your premiums due to pet aging, so if you sign up at a younger age, you lock in the lower rate.
I’d recommend Trupanion if you are interested — they cover 90% of the bill and don’t do benefits schedules. There are no per claim, per year, or per incident $ limits, just the lifetime limit.
It also covers all breeds (no exclusions) and genetic/hereditary issues. The only thing is hip dysplasia coverage is an add-on that must be included before the pet turns 1. But not all breeds are prone to HD, so they don’t all need the coverage.
Anyway – check out some websites, they all do free quotes so you can get an idea of how much it would cost and what they cover. Good luck!
Hi, Amy. I wanted to add my thoughts on this question.
First, full disclosure: I’m a Public Relations Specialist at Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance. I promise, however, not to give you the hard sell or take up your time with a lot of corporate propaganda. I just wanted to share some basic facts about how pet insurance works at VPI. Maybe this will help you decide if insuring your dogs is right for you.
To answer your main question, the cost of pet insurance depends on the age of your dogs, what state you live in, and the level of coverage you decide to purchase. But generally speaking, the average base VPI medical plan for a young dog is between $22 and $28 per month. Optional coverage for routine care is also available for an additional $12 to $22 a month. Depending on which plan you choose, benefits are available for wellness exams, vaccination, heartworm protection, spaying/neutering, foreign body ingestion, poisoning, routine dental, ear infection, bladder infection, injuries, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, and hundreds of other conditions.
Filing claims with VPI is easy. After meeting your deductible, VPI reimburses you according to your plan’s benefit schedule of allowances rather than limiting reimbursements to hidden “usual and customary” veterinary fees. Also, all benefits refresh each year at renewal with no additional premium, penalty, or exclusions on renewal terms due to claims submitted in the previous term. Finally, all VPI policies offer portable protection. You are free to use any licensed veterinarian anywhere in the world with no pre-certification required.
That’s it in a nutshell, but if you’d like to find out more about pet insurance with VPI, please visit our website at http://www.petinsurance.com.
I hope this helps. What I usually tell people is that even if you take the best possible care of your pets and prepare for the worst with a savings account or an emergency credit card, accidents are going to happen. And accidents can be expensive. With the cost of veterinary medicine on the rise and the medical options available to pets ever-increasing, pet insurance just makes good sense.
Have fun with your pooches, Amy!