Why Take Out A Pet Insurance Policy

It's obvious that you need insurance on your home and car, your health and even your life. But what about another important aspect of your life - your pet?

Pet insurance has grown in popularity as people have realized that health care costs for animals are often as exorbitant as hospital bills for people. Whether you're worried about a chronic health condition like hip dysplasia (common in large dogs) or a random accident, it's important to plan ahead for unforeseen medical costs for all types of pets.

You may be able to get pet insurance through your homeowners' or car insurance; many companies offer pet insurance as an 'add on'. It might be cheaper to go through your existing insurance company, as people with multiple policies through the same organization often receive discounts. If your provider does not have pet insurance, many specialty companies can help - ask your veterinarian to recommend a responsible company.

Whomever you purchase pet insurance from, you will need to make some basic decisions about what type of policy best suits your needs. Usually, there are two basic options: a base plan, which covers your pet in times of extreme illness or injury, and a routine care option, which helps pay for regular vet check-ups as well as major care costs. Some plans will pay for treatments like pet acupuncture and dermatology, while others only cover basic vet visits and common tests. Be sure to ask if your plan covers dental care.

As far as pricing, different plans carry different premiums and give varying amounts of coverage per injury. Some plans have a maximum yearly or lifetime coverage limit, a point at which they will stop paying for any treatment. Be sure you know the specific financial details of whichever plan you select - the last thing you want during a time of a pet crisis is an unpleasant surprise on your bill.

Keep in mind, just like human health insurance, pet insurance almost never covers pre-existing conditions. Some providers also have a maximum age for eligibility. Because of this, it's important to get your pet covered as early as possible, so that any illness they may develop as they age will be fully covered. Also note that most pet insurance policies don't go into effect right away; it may be anywhere from three days to a full month from application before your dog or cat is covered.

Whatever policy you choose, you will rest easier knowing you're prepared for the worst.

Pet Insurance and the Meaning of Policy Terms

Pet insurance policies can be difficult to understand if you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the terms they contain. Many policies are written with jargon that is difficult to understand which can prevent you from knowing exactly what you are getting for your money.

Deductibles, co-pay, exclusions, pre-existing; the list of terms goes on. Understanding what these terms mean before you start looking for a pet health insurance policy will help you to avoid any frustration or confusion.

Here then are the meanings of the more common terms in pet insurance policies. The next time you read through the features of a pet health insurance policy, you'll have a better understanding of what everything means.

By knowing the meaning of each term, you'll be able to ask intelligent questions, make informed decisions and ultimately buy the right policy for you and your cat.

Let's get started.

Descriptions of Pet Insurance Policy Terms

Deductible

The term 'Deductible' is fairly straight forward. You've probably heard of the term deductible from car insurance. If you don't have a car or are new to insurance, here is what it means.

A deductible is essentially the money that is deducted from a Vet bill or a charge for medication. It's the part of a claim that you are responsible for paying.

There are two types of deductibles in pet insurance; the annual deductible and the per-incident deductible.

The best way to explain what they mean is by example. Let's say your Cat, Simone, is going to the Vet to be treated for an infection. After everything is done including the blood work, treatments, medications and visits to the Vet the total costs are $1800.

Luckily you have pet health insurance and won't have to take a second job to pay for the costs. The deductibles on your insurance policy determine how much money you will have to pay. The remaining amount will be paid by the insurance company.

First there is your annual deductible. Let's say its $500. Next is the per incident deductible which is usually around $100. Your total deductibles come to $600. The remaining balance of $1200 dollars is paid through your insurance policy.

The next time Simone has to go to the Vet during the same year all you need to pay is the per-incident deductible and your policy covers the rest.

Once you've fully paid your annual deductible, you're good for the rest of the year. With your annual deductible fully paid, you'll only need to pay a per-incident deductible on any new claims made during the remainder of the year.

Per-Incident Deductible

A per incident deductible is the amount that you pay on a claim for a specific incident. Depending on your insurance policy you may need to pay a per-incident deductible.

Let's say your Cat has been diagnosed with kidney disease. The first time he goes in for treatment you will pay a per-incident deductible. If the treatment continues you will not need to pay another per-incident deductible since it is part of the same incident.

Benefit

If your pet dies during the term of your pet insurance policy, you will receive a benefit from the insurance company. This is a lump sum paid out to you that covers any related expenses such as the burial or cremation of your beloved pet.

Claim

A claim is a request made to a pet insurance company for any Vet expenses, treatments and or medications for your pet. Your pet insurance policy will have a list of the items you are able to claim for. Check your pet insurance policy to see the expenses you are able to claim.

Most claim forms are available on the insurance company's web site. Once you have downloaded and printed the form, simply fill it out and mail it in.

The amount of time it takes your insurance company to process a claim and send out a payment varies from company to company. Check with your insurance company to see when you can expect to receive a payment.

Co-Pay

A co-pay is a small fee that is paid each time you visit your Vet. Any additional expenses will be paid through your pet insurance policy. A Co-Pay is usually around $20. and must be paid before any other pet health insurance payments can be made.

Exclusions

Exclusions are items that your policy will not cover. Exclusions can be anything from specific diseases and ailments to the Vet you would like to use.

Depending on your pet insurance policy, only certain Vets or types of pet care will be covered. If you are unwilling to switch Vets, make sure the Vet you plan to use is covered before buying a policy.

Does your cat have any pre-existing conditions? Check to see if their condition is covered. Be sure to review all the exclusions of a policy and ask any questions in order to fully understand all the exclusions.

Most pet health insurance plans contain a number of common exclusions. If the pet insurance plan you are looking at has an exclusion that you need coverage for then ask what the additional cost would be to have the coverage added. If nothing can be done, consider looking for another pet insurance plan.

AM Best Underwriter Rating

The AM best underwriter rating is a top rating company that develops independent reviews on insurance companies. They determine how well an insurance company can make payments based on their financial state.

To get an idea of the stability and quality of the pet insurance company you are planning to use, be sure to take a look at the AM best rating. This rating is a good indicator as to the ability of a particular insurance company to pay on a claim.

We hope this list of terms and their meaning will come in handy during your search for a pet insurance policy. Although this list is not exhaustive, it will help you to better understand pet insurance policies.

There are many pet insurance companies with different plans available. By knowing the meaning of these common terms you'll see that pet insurance isn't as complicated as you may have originally thought.

If there is a term you come across while reviewing a pet insurance policy that is not covered here, share it with us in the comments. Also, be sure to ask as many questions as you need to fully understand the meaning of any terms not covered here.

Never assume or take someone elses word for anything that appears in a policy. It's your money and your Cat's welfare you're protecting. Make sure you understand everything completely.

How To Identify A Good Pet Insurance Policy

There are many good reasons for spending time for investigating in the selection of an ideal pet insurance policy. Some of the reasons are that, the pet owner may be attached to the pet very much emotionally, or the welfare of the pet may make a difference to the pet owner. The health of the pet is very important to the pet owner it is part of the household. Pet insurance serves as a tool that makes sure that the pet does not suffer from any kind of short or long-term illnesses. Financial planning plays a very important role as it may lead to a dangerous situation affecting the pet owner financially in the event of major medical condition when the pet gets injured in an accident or develops a life threatening disease etc. Pet insurance can ease out all sorts of worries. It makes the pet owner free from worrying regarding healthcare, regular checkups, vaccinations, vision checks, gums and teeth checkups etc. Pet insurance serves as an investment to the pet owner in shouldering the financial costs associated with the pet's health.

Tips for getting a real deal out of insurance policies:

Everyone loves being safe and secure. That is the main reason that pet insurance concept has come into being. It acts as a risk management tool to the pet owner. There are several pet insurance policies with various terms and conditions, to get the real deal out of the insurance policies. The pet owner should go through each term and condition to select the one which will give the maximum benefit out of it. Online services are there to help such people who are confused about the pet insurance policy and the benefit the pet owner can get out of it. Comparisons can be done in terms of premium, health coverage of the pet, if the policy suits the pet etc. as normally pet insurance is offered for cats and dogs. If a person has iguana as his pet, he should look for an insurance company who covers this kind of pet.

Incase if the pet owner has more than one pet, he can very well approach the insurance company which offers discounts on insurance coverage for all his pets. This might be very useful in striking the real deal.

Pets are prone to accidents and illnesses, and the trip to the vet might be very costly affair. Hence pet insurance plays a vital role in providing financial assistance in such cases. Since the vet is the person who is going to treat the pet, it is good to ask him regarding the best insurance policy for the pets. Some vets have their own network of insurance agencies and companies and only work for them. In such cases the vet can provide some valuable information on which insurance company to be approached. Since the vet knows the health condition of the pet, he can suggest the best pet insurance policy which may cover to the maximum. Almost all pet insurance policies require the pet owners to pay the initial amount and then get the reimbursement of the amount they spent on their pets. The vet suggestion may help the pet owner to get the real deal by having the best policy with a good reimbursement plan.