Pet insurance?

Question

I have 5 yr. old chihuahua. This weekend we had to take him to the emergency hospital because his ear was very red with like blisters and pus was coming out of them. The bill came out to $300. While there I noticed to pet insurance brochure. When is it a good idea to get pet insurance. Which insurance is a good one. I also have a one year old weiner dog mix should I get one for her. Please someone educate me. This is the first time my chihuahua has gotten sick by the way, but since he is getting older I am afraid this will become more common.

Answer 1

Hi Aimee

First, a disclaimer: I work for Embrace Pet Insurance in Cleveland, Ohio.

You and some of the others that posted answers are totally right - pet insurance can be confusing. But it doesn't have to be!

First, let's start with a definition of what insurance is for. It's designed to cover you for unexpected, undesirable, and expensive events. Read that again, it's important: unexpected, undesirable, expensive.

Things like broken legs, chest infections, and serious illness all are capable of meeting the unexpected, undesirable, expensive criteria. Things like vaccinations and annual checkups do not because you know they're coming. It's also for this reason that pre-existing conditions are never covered - you know about them, how can you insure something you know about?

As the famous saying goes - insurance is the one product you can't buy when you need it the most.

You should buy pet insurance because you can't afford to absorb the losses from an unexpected accident or illness. You should not buy pet insurance if you are looking to reimbursed for vaccinations and so on, insurance is just not designed for this task. Imagine, for example, how much your auto insurance would be if it covered oil changes and tire rotations!

The best time to get pet insurance is as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more chance there is of having pre-existing conditions. The younger your pet, the better.

Here are some questions to ask of any pet insurance plan:

1. Does it cover genetic conditions?

2. Does it cover chronic or recurring illnesses? For example, if your dog gets sick in its first year will the insurance continue to pay in the second year and so on?

3. Do you get discounts for things like microchipped pets or multiple pets on the same policy?

4. Does the company offer a range of plans to fit different budgets?

5. Is your deductible per-visit (e.g. do you pay $50 every time you go to the vet) or per-annum (e.g. you pay $100 just once every year)?

6. Are there per-incident limits that effectively cap what you can get back? e.g. Some plans have a $3,000 limit that says, no matter what else happens, you can only ever be reimbursed $3,000. Not all plans have this.

7. What happens to your premiums every year? Do they remain steady or do they go up as your pet ages?

8. Are claims reimbursed according to a benefit schedule that restricts what you'll get back or are they paid based on your actual vet bill?

All of the pet insurance plans in the United States allow you to visit any veterinarian you like so that shouldn't be an issue. All of them require you to pay the bill first then submit your invoices for reimbursement.

Your 5 y.o. chihuahua may have his ear condition excluded as a pre-existing condition but he should be able to get coverage for everything else. Your Dachshund is young and you should get her covered.

Pet insurance is for responsible pet owners who are not interested in necessarily getting money back but who instead are focused on providing the absolute best care for their pet in the event that something bad happens. Insurance is not a form of forced savings.

I hope this helps.

Alex
Embrace Pet Insurance
http://www.embracepetinsurance.com

Answer 2

Find out what is the best insurance. Get more information about lets say 3 insurance and see which one is best for you. I wanted to take out for my dog, but my dog does not go so much to the hospital or vet and the vet is affordable. Their is so much to look out but if your dog do get very ill and he / she is on chronicle medication it is good to have pet insurance and on the long run if you pet died they help with all the arrangements and that sort of stuff. I know Hollard do have pet insurance as well. Good luck for you hope you can make the right decision for you and you pet.

Answer 3

Pet insurance or "wellness plans" are good, especially if facing a huge vet bill. There are lots out there. The best thing to do is check several out and compare them. They are all a bit different and cover different things. However, if there is a PetSmart with a Banfield Vet near you, their wellness plan is a good one.

Cindi G.
Pet Trainer

Answer 4

Im sorry but to me pet insurance is a rip off they have a lot of double talk and when me and my sister tried to get them to pay a claim for a bite that was caused by a parasite all we got was double talk . We no longer have it . they were supposed to cover parasite infections and did not after all . we canceled our insurance and now we just put money in an emergency fund for them . it works much better .

Answer 5

Wish I would of had it this year- all my pets were ill. I have looked online at it too. Hard to really know which one is best.
Good luck