Pet Insurance: Helping You Focus on Care, Not Cost
We all love our pets, and they provide us with hours of loving companionship and adventure. However, sometimes their curiosity and fun loving hearts can get them into trouble. At the worst of times, unexpected illness or injury can occur.
That’s where pet insurance comes in. Let’s face it – peace of mind can be priceless. Advances in veterinary medicine have given us access to cutting edge care for our pets, but this care comes at a cost. With average annual pet care costs reaching $1800, Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital wants to shed a little light on some of the benefits of pet insurance.
Benefits of Pet Insurance
Pet owners with an insurance policy can often make medical decisions without worrying about financial constraints. Other benefits include:
You can pick your veterinarian. Unlike human medicine, there’s no network of covered veterinarians. Pet insurance policies allow you to see any veterinarian you prefer and submit the bills for reimbursement.
You have peace of mind. Over the last decade, advances in veterinary medicine have given pet owners access to cutting edge care for their pets. Unexpected pet care costs are often the result of emergency situations. Pet insurance allows you to remove the financial burden from medical decisions.
You can insure any pet. Although most companies don’t cover pre-existing conditions, you can still insure your pet, regardless of condition. Keep in mind that your monthly premium will be less and you’ll reap more of the benefits of pet insurance if you purchase a policy when your pet is young.
It prevents you from dipping into your emergency fund. A separate pet emergency fund can be a lifesaver, but pet insurance allows you to pay for expenses without using your family’s emergency account, credit cards, or taking out an emergency loan.
Where to Start
As you begin shopping around for pet insurance, know that many pet insurance companies require you to pay your veterinarian first and then submit a bill to the insurance company for reimbursement.
You should also consider the following needs when looking at different companies:
- Premiums/monthly payments
- Coverage details
- Deductible amounts
- Waiting periods
- Exclusions
- Lifetime limits
- Payout maximums per incident
- Add-on costs
- Pre-existing conditions
The Nitty Gritty
At its best, pet insurance is designed to help you absorb the costs of catastrophic illness or injury. Make sure your insurance policy covers the following conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic disease
- Congenital disease
- Common breed-specific conditions
If you’d like any recommendations or if you need help navigating the world of pet insurance, please give us a call. Many of our team members have chosen pet insurance for their companions and would be happy to speak with you in more detail.