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Purina Pet Health Insurance for Your Convenience


Purina Pet Health Insurance Stands For Professionalism and Clarity

You might decide to choose insurance from Purina, a name that represents a proven track record for decades among consumers of dog care products. For years this company has assured us that it wants only the very best for our pets.

PurineCareŽ is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestle Purina Pet Health Insurance Company. It says they want pet owners to manage the health care issues of pets as they age. It also wants owners to have the means to pay for the wonderful advances in veterinary medicine that are giving our pets those extra years.

It is not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, South Carolina, and Washington but hopes to write polices in those states in the near future.


The On-line Experience of PurinaCare

You can easily get a quote, but you cannot type in "mixed" or "unknown" breed. Once you enter required information, you can look at the benefits of PurinaCare's two plan types.

PurinaCare without preventive care covers accidents and illness, surgery and hospitalization, diagnostics, and prescription medications. It covers hereditary conditions, which many companies do not include. It also insures your pet against behavioral problems such as separation anxiety, which many plans will not address.


Preventive PurinaCare

If you opt for PurinaCare with preventive care, the plan also pays for annual exams including vaccinations, dental polishing, scaling, spaying or neutering, and prescription medications to control heartworms or fleas.

It includes annual blood and urine screens. It also pays for a microchip implant to protect your pet from getting lost.


Exclusions in PurinaCare

Exclusions include pre-existing conditions as well as breeding and pregnancy issues. However, unlike many plans, if your pet develops a condition during one benefit year, it will not be excluded or subject to reduced coverage the next as long as you maintain coverage.

The plan identifies that it will not cover chiropractic, acupuncture, or muscle manipulation, but the policy specifies it will cover these procedures as long as they are performed by a licensed vet in a clinical setting. In other words, as long as your vet deems that these are medically necessary and not some fanciful request on your part, they will be covered.


Preventable Medical Conditions and Coverage

Like most policies, preventable conditions are disallowed. These include devastating pet illnesses such as parvo or feline leukemia.

If your vet has documented that you refused a recommended vaccine and the pet becomes ill, the insurance will not pay.

The sample policy posted on the website does not specifically identify certain congenital conditions such as Addison's or Cushing's disorders that eliminate pets from eligibility. Breed-specific conditions are not mentioned.

Elective unnecessary procedures such as ear cropping, nail trimming, dew claw removal, cat declawing, and tail docking are excluded


Choose your Veterinarian

You are not limited to a network of veterinarians, specialists, or clinics. As long as your preferred professional is licensed, he's eligible. PurinaCare also insures puppies and kittens of all ages above age 14 weeks. This is different from many plans that will not write coverage for a pet over eight or ten years old.


Filing your Insurance Claim

Purina Pet Health Insurance offers downloadable claim forms on its website. You can also take a look at a sample policy or download a brochure. If you're a person who likes to look at the fine print, then this is the place for you. Any consumer will benefit from these convenient features, plus a promise that you will be reimbursed within 14 days after claims are received.


Conclusions on the PurinaCare Program

Some of the notable features of Purina Pet Health Insurance include a per-year deductible, routine dental scaling and polishing, and the allowance for specialists. This saves you money over plans that dictate a per-incident deductible, which can add up quickly. This savings is offset by slightly higher premiums.

If you have a pet that goes for his annual check-up, and injures himself squirming through a fence a couple months later, plus an ear hematoma at some other point, you will pay your deductible for the first incident only. For the other incidents your reimbursement will be a full 80% of your expenses.

With the two plan options and four deductible levels, you actually have eight payment levels to choose from. The fact that all plans pay at 80% eliminates co-pay variables, which makes it one step easier.

Your deductible choices are $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 per year. Your policy itself will vary according to what type of pet you have, how old it is, and where you live. Plans are underwritten by Central States Indemnity Company of Omaha or sister companies in New Hampshire or Pennsylvania.

All told, Purina Pet Health Insurance offers a level of service to the pet owner who seeks the comfort of familiarity with his pet health insurance provider. In exchange for a slightly higher premium, Purina has eliminated conditional uncertainties from its policy's language. There are few if any qualifiers.

Purina Pet Health Insurance also provides an awesome library for pet owners. There are photos of literally every breed of dog and cat, plus a few videos, and about a zillion articles. Plus, you'll find a blog so you can read about other people's experiences.

Just like the many fine pet products Purina has introduced over the year, this Web page is worth visiting.

Pet Insurance Reviews - Where to Find Adjustable Deductibles and Premiums

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