The common misconception about pet insurance is that it is not needed for healthy pets. Owners think they don’t need to pay for pet insurance coverage when their pets are young, agile, and healthy. However, this is when it is the perfect time to get insurance for them. The earlier you get the pets insured, the lower the premium, and the more protected you are in case of an emergency.
Remember that pet insurance, like your health insurance, relies on the dogs’ health, among many factors. To learn more about pet insurance for your healthy pet, keep reading below.
How Does Pet Insurance Work?
Unlike health insurance, you are not limited to a particular network of veterinarians when you get pet insurance. Instead, you must spend from your own pocket first before you reimburse the cost of the veterinary services. This might put off some people who don’t have the means to pay thousands of dollars worth of services from their own pockets. However, you must think of the benefits before choosing to forego pet insurance.
Pet insurance policyholders usually have a deductible of $500 with a maximum amount of reimbursement at $5,000 annually. This is typically the case for pet insurance with a premium of $50 a month. Most pet owners can reimburse 80% of the total cost of their vet visits. However, keep in mind that pet insurance companies are unlikely to cover pre-existing conditions.
While you are not completely free from financial responsibility, pet insurance will help cover 80% of your pet’s vet fees. That is worth the premium you have to pay each month. And remember, you won’t need to choose a particular veterinarian covered only by the pet insurance network. You can move around the country and not worry about your insurance not being accepted by the vet.
When Is the Right Time to Get Insured?
The right time is now. Every day that you don’t get your pets insured is time wasted. Most pet owners will get them insured before taking them home from the animal shelter. If you’re getting a puppy, make sure that little ball of fur is insured before taking it home. There is nothing worse than realizing your dog is sick and you have to spend thousands of dollars after only a week with it.
Pet insurance offers the right level of protection. While not many insurance companies provide coverages for pre-existing health conditions, most of these policies will help you throughout your pet’s life. This means covering critical illnesses (even hereditary ones) and accidents. If your dog swallowed a foreign object, it needs to undergo a medical procedure. With surgery,
you’ll need to pay between $1,600 to $10,000. Without surgery, it will still be around $300 to $1,200.
Healthy pets might mean your dogs and cats won’t get sick. However, that doesn’t protect them from accidents. As young and rambunctious puppies, they may run to the streets and get hit by a car. They might fall on the stairs or get into fights with other dogs. All of these little accidents will require a vet visit. That’s something most pet owners will try to avoid, except for necessary vaccinations.
So, if you think that your pets don’t need pet insurance just because they are young and healthy, that is far from the truth. The younger your pets are, the more reasons you have for insuring them. After all, pet insurance will never be cheaper than at this time.
Picking the Right Coverage
There are plenty of pet insurance companies out there. Even your veterinarian might recommend an insurance company to you. Don’t allow yourself to be tempted by too-good-to-be-true deals. Pet insurance usually costs around $28 for cats and $50 for dogs. Sure, some pet owners choose to pay as much as $100 for the insurance, but that’s because their pets are older and of different breeds.
Do your due diligence when picking pet insurance. Compare and contrast the offers, and ask for at least five different quotations. The more options you have, the bigger chance you have of picking the right policy. However, stop yourself from getting attracted by cheap premiums. There must be a reason why a policy will only cost $15 when the most affordable premium for dog insurance is about $30 a month. Be vigilant with your choices.
The Takeaway
Even if your pets are young and healthy, they should have pet insurance. This is the best time to get them insured. The premiums are lower, and there’s a very good chance that you won’t suffer emotionally and financially since your pets are young enough to fight through illnesses and diseases. Just make sure their vaccines are updated to give them more protection.