Pet health insurance is one of those things that can be rather personal. A lot of people feel strongly one way or another, and that is fine. There are a lot of considerations to make before deciding to get or not get insurance for your pet. Mom has had insurance for all us dogs since she moved back from Germany in 2007 and it gives her peace of mind. Let’s look at what you need to know to make the right decision on this topic.
Finances
One of the most common things we hear from people is to just put the premium payment each month in a bank account instead of paying it to an insurance company. The idea is a nice one, but the problem is you don’t know when something may happen and how much it will cost. At thirteen months old, Nelson had eye surgery that came to over two thousand dollars. Had we depended on savings for that, we would have come up very short. Madison has had an expensive year with her leg injury last winter and the recent incident. Had we put away the premium amount in savings rather than with pet insurance, we would have not quite had enough to cover it all. Remember you also have the regular expenses every year of exams, immunizations, flea/tick/heartworm medications and possibly other things.
How many dogs do you have? If you only have one, savings may be more feasible, but if you have multiple dogs, things add up fast. Two years ago our cats both had some bigger vet bills and they didn’t have insurance. Their bills can also be quite high, but dogs tend to end up costing more in the long run.
How much money do you make? Can you afford to save enough for everything including pet emergencies? Are you willing to take out a loan if need be, or put the bill on a credit card and pay that off over time? There is no right or wrong answer, only factors to consider.
Which Pet Health Insurance Is Right For You
There are a lot of different companies out there to choose from when it comes to pet insurance. We started out with one but it got more expensive and then we moved to one that suits our needs better. Bailie was unable to switch as she was over the enrollment age but she still is insured by the old company.
One big thing to think about is whether you want unlimited yearly and/or lifetime benefits or not. Bailie is with Nationwide and her last injury stopped paying before treatment was done because she reached the limit on that injury. We are talking about $1000 or so. Cancer can be ongoing and expensive, and other conditions may need lifelong care.
Will the insurance cover breed specific or hereditary conditions? Many will not.
How about coverage for everything including annual exams, medications, immunizations? If this is important to you, make sure the company covers those items.
Can claims be filed on line, do they offer direct deposit, are claims paid out in a timely manner?
These things seem obvious, but you really need to look into what is important to you to make sure it is covered.
Don’t Wait To Enroll Your Pet
Don’t wait to enroll your pet. We were all enrolled as new puppies. As soon as your dog has a medical history, it can become more difficult to find insurance if there are any pre-existing conditions. Some companies require dogs to be under a certain age or they won’t insure them.
Peace Of Mind
At our house, we’re thankful we have pet health insurance for Mom’s piece of mind. Our insurance of choice is Healthy Paws. They are friendly and helpful, and they pay out claims usually within days of submitting a claim online. You can choose direct deposit or check which is also nice. The price works for us and most importantly, there are no yearly or lifetime limits on benefits. They allow you to choose a deductible and that determines your reimbursement percentage. That’s our take on pet health insurance. As long as you make an informed decision, that is all that matters. Your furry ones depend on you and as with humans, their health can take a bad turn in seconds and you need to be ready to be there for them.
I’m joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
We have never had pet insurance but it’s sure a great thing to have when you need it!
It has come in quite handy for our family. With four of us, something can always go wrong. Mom thinks we may be around the break even point, but since you never know what can happen at a moments notice, it has been a good thing.
it can help you a lot if you have at least something what covers surgeries or accidents… but sadly they kick you out when your pet turns 6 or the want a fortune… sigh….
The price goes up some every year, but they don’t kick you out and the price isn’t that crazy when you get older over here. These days there are a lot of companies to choose from. Competition helps with keeping prices reasonable as well as coverage.
Pet insurance is almost the same as human healthcare coverage…it’s a challenge to obtain or navigate the system, especially when you rescue a dog with pre-existing conditions that prevent being insured. Elsa had epilepsy and I either couldn’t obtain insurance or it was too cost prohibited even for basic care. Especially problematic as she required $4K in surgery this week. Oi…my aching bank account.
Very true. We all got our insurance as soon as Mom got us at 9 or 12 weeks old. That was the easy part, but choosing the right company is hard as they are always changing, but right now we are happy with Healthy Paws and they have handled several bigger claims in the past 14 months. Payout is fast too. Bailie is still on Nationwide because she was too old to join Healthy Paws when Mom switched. Those surgeries and other injuries that need ongoing treatment can add up fast. Sorry she needed surgery. Any surgery is hard enough but the bill is makes it so nasty. Thankfully most of Madison’s emergency was covered.
Thankful to read your Mom has ins for you all. No need to worry about a $$$ vet bill when it comes to the best care for you 4
Hugs Cecilia
She would never want to have to say I can’t afford the surgery so I will have to let the dog go. Some things can be super expensive and fast. Glad we are covered.
There are lots of options now.
There are constantly new companies popping up, so you just have to know what you are looking for.
We haven’t gone there yet but we sure think about it often. You gave us some great information to ponder. Thanks for joining Angel Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
We never had the cats insured. Stuff happens to indoor cats too, but since we dogs are out and about all the time, our chances of having something happen are much greater and also more expensive.
Informative post on pet insurance ~ thanks,
Awesome photo of you sweet doggie ~ so professorial looking ~ hugs to you
Thank you. We just want people to know their options.
Lovers first surgery was over $20,000. They rejected it but after many vet letters and lawyers they paid
My goodness, that is huge! Glad you fought and won. Things can get really expensive fast and many people don’t realize that.
I had insurance on my last two. Ned to look for it on my current two, and definitely will have it on the puppy I’ll be getting.
It is hard to get on dogs that are more than a couple years old. We like it for the big emergency stuff.
Thank you for the insightful and enlightening post. We do not have health insurance for our cats, but we’re not ruling it out if we ever adopt a kitten or, once I retire, a dog.
We never had it for the cats. They don’t have as much of a need for it since they are in the house and don’t do all the things dogs do.
We would never be without pet insurance! I learned the hard way with my first cat, Bobo, who had 6 kidney stones and I had no health insurance for him. I have been with Trupanion for YEARS now and couldn’t be happier with them!
We have friends that have Trupanion. There are a lot of choices and as long as you are happy, that is what counts. Mom would be terrified without insurance for all of us. So many opportunities for something to go wrong.