Pets Health InsuranceA pet’s health insurance is a must when you consider all that can befall your pet.  Just imagine your pet unexpectedly becomes ill with a life threatening disease like cancer, or gets hit down by a car in the neighborhood and suffers an injury that requires surgery.  Ask yourself if you would be able to easily meet those costs, and if the answer is no, then, now is the time to get started with an insurance policy for your pet.

One obvious reason why you need pet health insurance is to meet medical costs.  Face it; having a pet does not come cheap.  There is a huge cost attached.  So if you want your pet to remain in the best of health, and be well taken care of when they do fall ill, or are involved in an accident, then the proper plans have to be put in place to care for them.

Take time to do some research and educate yourself about pet insurance.   With the plethora of information, and alternative plans that are available online, this is very easy to do.  Make sure to watch out for the fine print.  Pay keen attention to key words like deductible, coverage limitations, spending caps, limits, pre-existing conditions, and the like.

There are a couple key features of pet insurance that you should bear in mind, and we will examine a few of these now.  Pet health plans generally cover illness, injury, and accidents.  In other words they are essentially emergency health plans, those that cover regular treatments such as vaccinations or teeth cleaning do exist, but they are more expensive.

Emergency coverage tends to be immediate, but other benefits usually start after a month or so in most cases.

Another important aspect of pet health insurance is that you are required to pay all fees up front.  However, you are reimbursed when you submit a claim but the length of time this takes does vary.  On average, the processing period can be between 12 to 15 days, depending on the provider.  Typically insurers reimburse 80% to 90% of the associated allowable fees.

As mentioned earlier, most plans include a “deductible,” which is the minimum amount you have to pay for the health care of your pet, before the insurance provider will pay towards you pet’s health care.   It is important that you pay particular attention to this when comparing plans as it impacts the premium amount.

Most pet insurance plans do not restrict you to a particular veterinarian.  Therefore, if you have been going to a vet with whom you have had a good relation prior to taking out a plan, you are free to continue to do so, as you will still be covered by the policy.

Remember that your pet’s health is your responsibility.  Having a pet health insurance plan will ensure that you take care of your pet’s health needs.   It is very likely that without it you will not be able to meet the high cost for veterinary services. So be prepared, and be certain that your pet won’t have to suffer.