Is Doggy Insurance Worth It?

Like people’s insurance, pet insurance policies are complicated. They come with a variety of deductibles, co-payments, and premiums. Unlike people coverage, you usually have to pay the vet bills in full and wait for reimbursement. By purchasing a doggy insurance plan, you can rest assured that many unexpected veterinary bills will be reimbursed.

Usually when our beloved doggy gets sick or injured, we are forced to make tough decisions while under an enormous amount of emotional stress. Managing the finances of a doggy’s sometimes-lifesaving-care makes a difficult situation that much harder. That’s where doggy insurance comes in.

Reasons to Buy Pet Insurance:

Gives you an option to choose your veterinarian. Doggy insurance policies allow you to obtain care from the veterinarian of your choosing. You simply provide the veterinary bill to the insurance company for reimbursement of qualified expenses.

No discrimination against any breed or age of doggy. While it is advisable to obtain doggy insurance as soon as you adopt your doggy to obtain lower premiums.

Gives us peace of mind. Having doggy insurance allows you to choose treatments for your ailing or injured doggy based on the best medical option available and not restricted based on family finances.

Provides an easy way to budget doggy care costs. Doggy insurance policies can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. You decide which payment plan works best for you.

Helps prevent dipping into the family’s emergency fund. Did you know that you can set up a pet savings account, but it can be tough to discipline one’s self from dipping into this designated account when you face pricey car repairs, household renovations or other major unexpected expenses.

How does doggy insurance work?

Doggy insurance follows a reimbursement-based model. That means that when you take your dog to the vet for an injury or illness, you pay the vet bill at the time of service and submit a claim for reimbursement. Because of this reimbursement-based model, you’re free to use any licensed vet you’d like. Like car insurance, most dog insurance plans have:

• Deductible
• Reimbursement percentage or copay
• Annual or per-incident maximum
• Waiting periods
  Some dog insurance companies, allow you to personalize factors of your doggy insurance policy to best fit your budget and your doggy’s needs.

Always take note of the fine print.

It’s important to look at all the little details of a plan before deciding if it’s the right one. Try to consider the following:

Some plans don’t cover certain genetic conditions, and most will not cover pre-existing conditions.

Your plan might cover only a portion of certain services, like specialist care.

It’s important to learn how renewals are completed to avoid a gap in coverage and therefore possible disqualification of any ongoing medical issues.

Ask if your plan offers a “pre-approval” option for owners who have time to determine if a procedure will be covered, like a non-emergency surgery.