Pet Health Insurance: What Is Covered and What Is Not?

1. Pet Health Insurance: What Is Covered and What Is Not? Many pet parents are starting to enroll in pet insurance coverage in an attempt to offset the costs of veterinary bills. However, not all pet owners understand the scope of pet insurance policies. While they can help with many vet bills, the fact is that some elements of health problems, such as pre-existing conditions, are not necessarily covered all the time. With that in mind, we're going to show you the aspects of pet insurance that you need to know before buying. What Most Pet Insurance Plans Cover The majority of pet insurance covers animals in the same way that a person's insurance covers their family members. You obtain a policy through an insurance agency, pay a monthly premium, and then you're responsible for paying up to the annual deductible before you start getting reimbursement for the money you spent. For some health outcomes, there are co-pays involved, depending on the insurance plan in which you enroll your pet. Most insurers out there have pet wellness plan in addition to typical health insurance policies. The former covers preventive medicine such as checkups, vaccinations, and heartworm care. However, there are other forms of healthcare coverage that require enrollment in a full insurance plan to help care for larger medical expenses. The pet insurance plans that are most profound and useful to pet parents are the ones that provide the greatest peace of mind. For example, they will often help offset the costs of hospitalization, spaying, hereditary conditions, broken bones, and other medical emergencies. That way, if your pet suddenly becomes sick, they have illness coverage that will cover the costs of having them examined by a licensed veterinarian. Generally speaking, the more expensive plans will also have provisions for hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, and chronic conditions as well as routine care. The best way to get a good deal on your monthly premium is to research the needs of your pet, plan for chronic and hereditary conditions, and leave some space in the event of an emergency. What Pet Insurance Companies Do Not Often Cover When you are trying to get pet insurance for your furry family member, you need to consider what is not going to be covered by the plans. In many cases, your insurance is not going to cover pre-existing conditions. These are problems that occur before the insurance plan goes into effect. Every insurance company is going to define these conditions differently, too. Some will be pretty simple to understand— if your pet tore a ligament and then got insurance, it will not be covered unless it is proven to be healed within a certain time frame during the waiting period. Other cases are not so cut and dried.

2. Pet insurance companies and plans are numerous. Pet owners should feel confident about finding the one that works best for their needs. Whether you need preventive care, routine care, or you want the peace of mind of having emergency care, you can find a plan that works for you. Take some time to look through the healthcare market for pet policies, and you'll find the one that offers a good balance between costs, savings, and help for your pet.