Do You Need Dog Insurance?

Dog owners often suffer sticker shock after they take their beloved pet to the vet. Many pet owners are concerned about the rising cost of pet health care, which is partially the result of advances in veterinary medicine. To combat the high costs associated with pet care, some pet owners are looking to pet health care insurance as one way to cope. Medical treatments and technologies that were once used only for humans are now being used for pets. These new advanced treatments and surgeries can cost thousands of dollars. This has left some dog owners with an agonizing choice: do they put down their dog because treating a serious illness or injury is not financially possible or do they go into debt to treat the dog? This is where having dog insurance can help.

Statistics vary widely on the percentage of pet owners in the United States who insure their pets. However, experts advise considering pet health insurance as a way to prepare for unexpected medical expenses. While it is not always clear whether it is cost-effective, some pet care practitioners say such insurance may simply give owners peace of mind, or help them make decisions, about their pet's future that are not influenced by financial considerations.

So how do you go about choosing dog insurance? There are several larger companies that sell this type of insurance. They include:
• Veterinary Pet Insurance,
• Pethealth Inc.
• The Hartville Group
• Pets Best Insurance
• Embrace Pet Insurance
• PetFirst Healthcare
• PetPartners
• Petplan USA

If you know family and friends who've gotten pet insurance, ask them where they purchased it. You can check with local shelters and ask your vet who they recommend as well. Most companies generally offer a few levels of policies that range from $5 to $30 a month on average for a healthy pet. Keep in mind that the cost will vary, depending on the extent of coverage, benefit limits, deductibles and co-payments, just like human health insurance. Dogs are generally more expensive to insure than cats or other animals.

Not unlike human health insurance, pet insurance coverage varies according to company and plan. Some companies offer a basic "safety plan" that only covers treatment for injuries such as broken bones, bee stings and burns. At the other end of the spectrum, some companies have plans that can be customized to cover cancer treatment and alternative therapy like acupuncture. When you are shopping for a policy, it is crucial that that you find out exactly what the policy covers. Asking about exclusions is also important.

Dog owners will also need to know that most policies exclude pre-existing conditions, many exclude hereditary conditions, which purebred dogs are more likely to have and limit coverage for older animals.

Dog owners should also consider that if your pet is advanced in years, in poor health, or if you do not want to subject the animal to a major surgical procedure, insurance may not be a worthwhile investment. You should talk to your vet about your pet's health, and ask insurance companies about the limits of coverage, before purchasing a policy

Here are some additional questions that you should ask the insurance company, before buying any policy:
• Will my claim payments based on my vet bill or the insurance company's benefit schedule?
• Are drug and dental coverage included in the policy?
• Will my premium go up over time, as I file claims, or my pet gets older?
• What is the procedure for reimbursement? Do I pay the vet and then submit the bill, or will the vet handle billing?
• Will the plan cover chronic or recurring conditions?
• Are their financial limits of coverage? How are they applied?

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