Reviews of Pet Insurance Companies - Read the Fine Print

How to Distinguish the Best Pet Insurance Companies

We are certain it's a relief to you that you can buy insurance coverage for your family pet if you want it.

On this page we will explain to you what these plans are like in general, identify some of the most common exclusions, and talk about a few of the companies.

It makes sense to obtain coverage from a pet insurance company. At the time of a traumatic accident, when the veterinarian is assessing your pet's injuries, you want to give him the go-ahead based on your pet's chances for a full recovery. You don't want to say no just because you can't afford to pay the bill. And you don't want to borrow the money at high interest rates.

Policies from pet insurance companies differ from provider to provider, just like your family's health insurance policies. And each pet insurance provider -again, just like regular health insurance companies- offers a variety of plans.

If a particular company interests you more than others simply because you recognize its name, by all means explore its plans, but don't forgo looking at those offered by other insurance companies.

Learn the Lingo of the Pet Insurance Companies

Pet insurance plans incorporate co-pays and deductibles just like your own health insurance plan. Here are a few common terms that you need to know when dealing with an insurance company:

• Premium: The amount you pay to become enrolled in the pet insurance plan. An annual premium is the yearly cost. Most companies let you divide that up into monthly payments.

• Deductible: This is an amount that you have to pay before the insurance benefits begin to provide coverage. If you buy a pet plan with a lower deductible, you will pay more for it; a plan with a higher deductible costs less.

• Co-pay: This is the amount you pay in addition to what the insurance pays. If your insurance company provides 80% of coverage, then your co-pay is the remaining 20%.

• Cap: This is the highest amount that the plan will pay out.

• Exclusion: A condition that will not be covered by the insurance company. Sometimes a condition's eligibility is limited by circumstances.

• Pre-existing condition: An illness your pet had before the plan took effect. Sometimes the plan must be in effect for a specified number of months or years before a condition occurs.

Do Read the Fine Print

It pays to read the company’s fine print carefully for any insurance plan you are considering. Some plans will pay for routine vaccinations, annual checkups, and spaying or neutering of your pet. Other plans will exclude those procedures and pay only for illness and accidental injury.

Just about all plans specify exclusions, and they generally include older pets or specific breeds that are prone to certain conditions.

Other plans allow a discount for multiple pets. Some will pay a reward if a lost pet is found, and some pay for pet euthanasia and burial.

The Cost of Care according to the Pet Insurance Companies

We all want to provide the best care for our pets. Just like medical science for humans, the field of veterinary medicine has made great technological leaps in recent years. Take a look at a few of the surgical procedures needed by dogs and cats plus estimates of their costs.

If your dog needs cataract surgery, plan on spending anywhere from $1,000 all the way up to $3,000. This replaces the dog's lenses with artificial lenses, and the fee varies with the age of the dog plus the number of days required at the vet's postoperatively.

Many dogs are born with congenital hip dysplasia, and some develop problems as they age. This is a painful condition that prevents a dog from running, and if it's left untreated the dog ends up immobile. There are many procedures that are used to cure this, and your vet will recommend the one best-suited for your dog. Cost runs at $2,000 to $4,000.

Cat surgery is no less expensive. You know how kitties love string, and removing one from his stomach or gut can run $1,000 to $2,000. Treating cancer, something we dread in our pets as well as in our people, begins at $500 for tumor removal and ratchets upward in $200 increments for chemotherapy treatments, possibly $2,000 for six months of care.

The Assurance of the Pet Insurance Companies

The amount of insurance pales compared to these tremendous veterinary expenses.

You can begin with a company like Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) which has been providing insurance longer than just about all other firms. It covers dogs, cats, birds, and many exotic pets. Especially the VPI dog insurance is something worth mentioning.

Hartville Group has recently become associated with the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and is known as Hartville, Petshealth Care Plan, and ASPCA Pet Insurance Health plan.

Embrace Pet Insurance is an insurance company that fits your pet with a plan that meets it's needs, offers wellness care, and donates $2 to an animal charity for every policy sold.

PurinaCare is a name very well known to pet lovers, and it offers plans with or without preventive care.

Argos Pet Insurance is another company to keep an eye on. They offer an excellent service and some extra and relevant facilities for pet owners and their beloved animals.

Review Different Pet Insurance Companies

We will be developing this website with links to various pet health insurance providers in due time. You will be able to read about the various programs available and look at reviews submitted by actual users.

It will also be possible to consider the cost of pet insurance against the larger backdrop of catastrophic accident or illness.

Your own questions and input on choosing pet insurance companies are welcome!

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