Irina P.
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Verified by
Adam B.
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Last updated:
August 29, 2024
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(0)
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself,” said Josh Billings, the American humorist. And how much truth is in that! Needless to say, when dogs find themselves in hard times, their owners will do anything to ease their pain and make them feel better again. Every dog parent is going to love them dearly and treat them awesomely, but on top of that it’s recommended to do is to insure your doggie with the right policy. This way they can provide their four-legged pal with the best care even in those cases where severe conditions need to be treated – and they can cost a small fortune. But with so many pet insurance offers out there, which one should you choose?
When choosing the most appropriate pet insurance for your dogs, there are a few very important questions you need to ask yourself before signing the contract.
Firstly, ask yourself what type of conditions is your dog prone to. It is a purebred dog, or not? That’s because purebred dogs are prone to certain illnesses and conditions specific to their breed. Then, look for a pet insurance company that covers those illnesses.
Another question is: do you have your pet’s entire medical history? In other words, it is a pet you have had since it was a puppy or did you adopt it from a shelter? Because, in the second case, it is necessary to contact the shelter and ask them if they have any medical records of your dog. This is important from the point of view of preexisting conditions. No insurance company offers coverage for such diseases, it is therefore crucial that you find out if your dog has any.
Keep in mind that some shelters also offer discounts on the pet insurance for the dogs adopted from them, with certain companies, therefore this could work in your favor and you could get an approximate discount of 5% on the policy if that is the case.
Finally, find a pet insurance company that best suits your dog’s age. If you have a senior dog who hasn’t been insured as of yet, many insurance companies will charge much more, if they do at all, for the insurance. The costs of veterinary treatments for these dogs will definitely cost a lot, so getting insurance even for an older dog will prove helpful, if the right company is chosen.
Similarly to human medical insurance, pet insurance enables you to reduce the extremely large sums needed for medical treatments for your dog by paying only a monthly premium and then also, when the time comes to take him or her to the vet, the deductible and your share of the invoice, while the insurance firm will reimburse or even directly pay the vet most of the amount.
Unlike medical insurance for Americans, though, pet insurance does not cover preexisting conditions. That means, if your dog is ill with a certain condition before enrollment, the insurance company will not cover the expenses spent for treating that illness. Actually, most pet insurance firms will not cover that specific condition even after your pet is treated. There are, though, a few exceptions, that make the difference between curable and incurable preexisting conditions, allowing you to insure your dog for that condition if it is cured, after a certain time frame.
Filing a claim with pet insurance companies is more or less complicated, depending on each firm’s procedure. Certain companies request a form to be filled in, while others only require a picture of the invoice from the vet.
After sending the claim, it is approved or denied by the insurance firm’s specialists. Even if your claim is approved, keep in mind that, in most cases, you will have to pay the entire bill to the vet, and afterwards the insurance company will send you its percentage of the reimbursement.
Besides paying your own part of the vet invoice, you will also have to pay the deductibles. It is recommendable you choose an annual deductible rather than a per condition one, so that, if your dog develops several conditions in the same year, you only pay the deductible once.
The costs involving your dog’s insurance vary from less than $10 for an accident-only insurance plan to above $100 for accident and illness plans, depending on your dog’s breed, his or her age, your location, the type of caps you choose and the number of dogs you want to insure.
After receiving a quote for all these factors, there is also to add the expenses of the annual or per-condition, per-lifetime deductible. The bigger the deductible is, the least expensive the monthly premium is going to be.
Then, you must take into consideration the reimbursement rate the insurance company offers you. Most of these firms offer a reimbursement ranging from 70% to 90%, with a few offering even a 100% one. The reimbursement rate is the actual amount of money the insurance company will pay from the vet invoice.
Now, there is also the issue of the annual limit (cap) that a pet insurance company is willing to reimburse. Some pet insurance companies have annual limits, some of them don’t, and some firms have payout caps per-condition, which sets the maximum amount of money the insurance firm is willing to reimburse for a certain condition.
Just like with human insurance, it is paramount that you do your research thoroughly before enrolling your dog, just to make sure that, when things get gloomy for your furry friend, you will be reimbursed.
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