As the cost of healthcare for pets continues to go up, having pet insurance might seem more necessity than luxury. Choosing the right pet insurance can be tricky, though, given the usual insurance fine print. Here are three of the main things to keep in mind when shopping around:
- Pet insurance typically does not cover preventative medicine. It’s designed to help offset the costs of treating a serious injury and/or illness, not your pet’s annual wellness exams. Some plans do cover routine care, but they’re more expensive.
- Pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. You can still get insurance for a pet with a pre-existing condition, it will just be stipulated in your policy that it isn’t covered. Insurance companies get records from your vet to check on this.
- Pet insurance is a reimbursement system. You’ll need to pay the full veterinary bill at the time of service and get reimbursed from the insurance company based on your plan.
Ask your vet’s office for insurance recommendations. They don’t work directly with pet insurance providers, but they’ve no doubt heard positive (and negative) reviews from other customers about different providers.
