New Puppy or Kitten Now's the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance

New Puppy or Kitten Now's the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance

What's one of the top 5 questions about pet insurance? "When is the best time to buy?" If you've recently gotten a new puppy or kitten, the answer to that question is "right now."

Pet Insurance is a Lot Like People Insurance

There are certain factors that cause pet insurance rates to increase. A big one is age. Just as people insurance includes age in its price calculation, your pet's age will cause your monthly premiums to rise.

The older your pet is, the more you'll pay for coverage.

Getting a policy when your dog or cat is a baby can save you a lot of money. Yes, as your pet ages, the rates may go up, but getting a policy while they are young saves you money in a different aspect as well.

How to Avoid the Pre-Existing Condition Trap

One of the biggest mistakes pet parents make is waiting until something goes wrong before buying pet insurance. After your dog or cat develops a condition, nothing related to that injury or illness will be covered by insurance. It will be considered a pre-existing condition.

You must insure your furry family members *before* anything goes wrong.

New puppies and kittens are perfectly healthy (under normal circumstances). So insuring them right from the start saves you money over the long haul because you will be reimbursed for anything that happens to them (depending on the type of policy you have).

Broken leg? Covered. Diabetes? Covered. Spaying/neutering? Covered. Ear infection, upper respiratory infection... covered and covered. Whatever comes your way, you'll know you have pet insurance in place to pay you back a significant portion (up to 90%) for the estimated $10,000 - $20,000 you'll spend in vet costs over the lifetime of your pet.

Regulate Your Vet Expenses

The third advantage to buying pet insurance early on in your pet's life is the ability to regulate your vet bills. Nobody likes emergencies sprung on them. Those situations are especially hard to take when they involve large sums of money.

By paying a monthly premium you have the assurance of knowing life's little trials won't break your bank. Instead of paying $2,000 or more to fix a broken leg, just pay 10% - 20% of the vet's bill. If you had not paid your deductible for the year at the time your pet broke his/her leg, you would need to include that. If you have a $100 deductible and 20% coinsurance (the amount you pay), you'd be looking at something like $380 instead of $2,000. Nice, huh?

Considering how much pet insurance has improved over the last 15 years or so, you'll probably be surprised at how much you can save. Annual exams, booster shots, dental cleanings, spay/neuter and a whole lot more are covered.