Pet Insurance 101
More and more people today are realizing the importance of pet insurance. The last thing we ever want to see is a pet be unable to receive proper care because of finances. Nor do we want their human caretakers to be under great financial stress to take care of their pets.
Veterinary care costs, just like everything else these days, are rising. We do everything we can to prevent disease and help you keep your friend healthy, but let’s face it, emergencies happen, illness happens, and the unforeseen happens. We want you to be prepared.
How Is Pet Insurance Different From Human Healthcare Insurance?
With *most* insurance policies, you pay the entire invoice and then submit the paperwork to your insurance company, whom then reimburses you. There are a few exceptions to this rule.
The majority of people with pet insurance only have accident/injury coverage for their pets. There are wellness policies that you can obtain as well, to help out with annual exam fees, vaccines, wellness labs, preventions, etc.
Unlike human healthcare, there is no way around PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. Once a problem has been diagnosed by a veterinarian, costs related to that diagnosis will always be excluded. That’s why it’s always recommended to open an insurance policy when your companion is a puppy or kitten.
Insurance does not dictate what veterinarian you use. You may submit claims from any veterinarian, general practitioner or specialist.
How Much Will I Have To Pay For A Visit?
Most pet insurance policies have adjustable deductibles, allowing you to cater the deductible and monthly premium to your budget. You will always be responsible for your exam fee, as well as deductible. Some policies vary between an annual deductible (you pay your one deductible every year once, regardless what the claims are) and a lifetime per condition deductible (you pay the deductible for that diagnosis once, then never again, even if your pet continues to need treatment for it).
While we are not affiliated with ANY insurance company, we would love to see all of our patients insured. It helps you and it helps us be able to practice gold standard medicine on every pet for every illness or accident.