Pet health insurance has become immensely more popular since it first appeared on the market some decades ago. Many more people who care for pets are deciding to get pet insurance, and some companies are even now luring top performers with promises of free or reduced insurance premiums.
This is great for insurance companies but you as a consumer should also do what’s best for you. Ask the potential insurer as many questions as you can before you sign up with them. Use the following list as a guide.
Question number one
Ask yourself whether you need a discount plan or an insurance plan that is comprehensive. The big difference between the two is that discount plans only give discount on veterinarian and pet services that are related. Comprehensive insurance plans cover far more than discount plans and are rather similar to those that we get for ourselves.
Question number two
Ask your prospective insurer whether you get to decide to which veterinarian your pet may go. Different type of pet plans generally have different rules so you should find out sooner rather than later whether the veterinarian whom you’d prefer to frequent would be included in the plan.
Question number three
Be sure to find out about any waiting periods that they may impose on your pet. This is fairly normal and is something you should expect but it’s always good to know about it beforehand.
Question number four
You need to know which procedures the insurance company will not cover. Different policies may have different exclusions. Pre-existing conditions and hereditary defects are two exclusions that are very common, though many companies will allow you to get cover for these conditions if you are willing to pay an increased premium.
Question number five
What about things that need to get done regularly? Some of these may include immunisations, testing for heartworms, and dental work. Will the policy cover these items or do you need to pay extra to have them covered?
Question number six
Who is responsible for neutering or spaying your pet? This is an important consideration because you might end up with more pets than you’d like or can afford.
Question number seven
Your pet might need some sort of prescription medicine eventually. Does the policy cover this?
Question number eight
Can you get insurance for a 5-week-old puppy or do you need to wait until the puppy is a bit older? Most insurance companies prefer pets to be a certain age.
Question number nine
Certain illnesses and incidents have caps on them. The insurance company should be able to tell you which ones these are, and at which amount the cap starts.
Question ten
The final question should be one directed to yourself: do you feel comfortable with everything you’ve heard from the company?
Author bio:
Bow Wow Insurance wrote this article about how to get the best pet health insurance for your pets.