Do You Have Pet Insurance If Not, You Should Seriously Consider It

Most Americans know and understand the importance of health insurance coverage, but very few realize the importance of that same coverage for their pets. Just as you need to go to the doctor for routine and preventative care, so does your pet. If you get seriously ill or injured, you will be able to rely, for the most part, on your health insurance coverage in paying the bill, rather than be faced with massive amounts of medical debt. But, what happens if your pet gets seriously ill or injured? Could you afford to pay for emergency medical care straight out of your pocket? If the answer to that question is no, then you definitely need pet health insurance, and the sooner you get it, the better off both you and your pet will be.

As a pet owner, you are responsible for ensuring your pets health and safety, and that includes bearing the cost of your pets medical care. Your pet should have regular checkups with the veterinarian, to ensure his health and spot potential problems, as well as for vaccinations and other medical treatment as necessary. Most pets have to see the veterinarian at least twice a year, and those trips usually cost a minimum of $200 or more per visit, and that is just for routine care. If your pet needs anesthesia, vaccinations, wound care, or diagnostic tests, you could expect that figure to double, if not triple. Even if you dont have the cash on hand to pay for your pets medical treatment, it is still your responsibility to see that he or she receives the medical care needed as soon as possible, which is where pet health insurance comes into play.

When looking for your pet insurance policy, you should take the time to shop around and compare rates and different types of coverage, to make sure that you are getting a good deal with the coverage you need. The best place to start your pet insurance search is of course, on the internet. Simply do a search for pet health insurance, and you will get many, many results of providers offering you plans to choose from. Compare the plans and rates, and pick one. Your insurance coverage usually goes into effect within three days, and will remain in effect as long as you keep your premiums paid, unless you terminate coverage.

Policy coverage varies, but most plans will cover any accidental injury that occurs as soon as coverage goes into effect, but wont cover illnesses or diseases until after the first thirty days of coverage. Some pet insurance policies will allow you to pay a co-pay, and then have the veterinarians office file a claim for payment, but those policies are rare. Chances are, your pet health insurance policy will require you to pay the charges incurred out of your pocket, and then reimburse you the covered portion once you remit your claim. Yes, you will have to scrape up the money to pay for your pets care, but you will get most of that money back, so it is a win-win situation.

Just like your own health insurance policy, your pet health insurance policy will have annual deductibles that have to be met first. You can often choose the amount of your deductible, the higher your deductible is, the lower your pet insurance premiums will be. Keep in mind, if you choose a really high deductible plan because it is cheaper, you will be required to pay quite a bit of your pets veterinary bills out of your own pocket.

Pet insurance is very important, and is something that every pet owner should have. Your pet relies on you for its care and medical needs, and you have to provide for those regardless of your own situation.

Reasons You Should Consider Purchasing Pet Insurance

Millions and millions of people in the US have some kind of pet. The majority over pet owners though, do not have pet insurance. We become very attached to our animals and they become like part of the family. We don't hesitate to purchase insurance for our own health, our cars and homes, so it makes sense that we should consider insurance to protect our pets.

Pet insurance is an industry that has been overlooked and thought to be silly by some people, but if you've had to take your pet to the veterinarian lately, you realize that those trips can be very expensive! Vet costs have risen tremendously over the last decade and the need for pet insurance has grown to offset those high costs. About a year ago, one of my dogs was hit by a passing vehicle. $1200 later, I decided I should take a closer look at insurance for my dogs.

So other than rising costs, what are the main reasons you should consider pet insurance?

1) Accidents or serious illnesses can and do happen to your pets and always seemingly at the worst time. As the owner of several dogs and a cat, I can assure you that when you least expect it something can happen to one of your animals.

2) When an accident or illness does happen and you're given an estimate of the cost to make your pet well again, the last thing you should have to deal with is the stress over the expense of saving your pet. I remember well, the vet telling me that it would cost "at least" $1000 to save my dog! This dog is a part of my family but in the back of my mind, (and I'm ashamed to say this), I still wondered if the cost was worth it? Especially when you know that even with the surgery and treatments, my dog could still die from complications. Fortunately it all turned out well and my dog is happy and healthy today.

3) The financial strain of making or keeping your pet well can be overwhelming. When my dog was injured, it came at a time when that was the last thing in the world I needed to happen! I had recently been laid off from my job and quite frankly we were "over-extended" on bills. I ended up borrowing part of the money from a friend to satisfy the vet bill.

4) When money is an issue, you're more likely to give your pet the "bare minimum" with regards to health care. When you have pet insurance, you can give your pet the care it deserves because cost is no longer a major concern.

Insurance can usually be purchased for anywhere from $20 to $40 per month so it's very affordable, especially if you get hit with a huge vet bill. Various different coverage options are available so you can tailor the insurance to meet your specific needs. Some insurance providers even offer "multi-pet" discounts. Hopefully this article will make pet owners think twice about the usefulness of pet insurance.