Did you know that September is National Pet Health Insurance Month? So how do you go about finding the right insurance for your pup? Well we’re here to help you figure that out.
Read the fine print
Because looking this good doesn’t come cheap. Pictured Ari from Holland
Much like human insurance, every company has a deductible. However, each company handles their deductibles differently. Some require an annual deductible that must first be met before any expenses are covered while others require a per condition deductible. There are often different ranges of deductibles to choose from.
It’s also important to know if the company has a pay out cap. Some companies have a per-illness cap, some have a yearly cap, and some have a lifetime cap.
Know the fees
A lot of companies say they cover “Usual and Customary” veterinary charges. However, this can actually mean is that they have a pre determined amount that they have decided is reasonable (i.e. the amount they have decided to pay). Unfortunately, vets don’t always charge what the insurance companies deem “reasonable” and you end up having the pay more.
Breed specific problems
It’s also important to know that many insurance companies exclude breed specific health concerns. For example, Boston Terriers tend to have brachycephalic airway syndrome and so some insurance companies won’t cover stenotic nare surgery. So when considering pet insurance please be sure to check what their exclusion policies are.
emergencies only
While we totally suggest that people get insurance it’s important to know that insurance doesn’t cover everything. As a matter of fact, it’s for emergencies only. Insurance doesn’t pay for well visits or routine things like flea and tick medication. It also doesn’t pay if your pup needs their teeth cleaned and most often won’t pay for the bloodwork leading up to the dental cleaning.
well plans
Some insurance plans also offer wellness plans on top of your regular insurance. While it’s definitely worth having a wellness plan to go along with your insurance it’s important to read the fine print and average out your costs to see if the plans being offered are actually saving you money.
who to choose?
With all the money you save with insurance your pup can look as fabulous as Ari.
While we can’t tell you what insurance carrier is best for you we can recommend some companies for you to look at since it can be hard to figure out which one to pick. Some companies that we think are worth taking a look at are HealthyPaws, Trupanion, Nationwide and Wagmo. We’re big fans of Wagmo’s wellness plan. For as low as $20 extra a month you get up to $800 dollars in savings. No matter who you decide to go with we think that insurance is an important part of being a pawrent.