Highlights of the CareCredit program:

* Low Monthly Payments (3% of the Total Balance)

* Interest-Free for 6 Months

* Determine Approval in a Few Minutes

* No Annual Fee

Insurance for Your Pets

Another popular option which your family may consider for your pet is insurance coverage. The doctors and staff of World of Animals are now recommending Petplan Insurance. If you have a policy with another pet insurance carrier – do not worry – we will always work with you and them to get your claim settled. We feel that Petplan pays clients back the more on their claims and has the least amount of “fine print” exclusions. No insurance company will cover pre-existing conditions, but Petplan does not have any restrictions on congenital or breed-specific problems. Research yourself in order to ensure the coverage you purchase is what you and your pet need.

Do I Need Pet Insurance?

With the advancement of science, technology, and medicine, veterinary care is becoming more advanced, with a greater capacity to heal and cure previously untreatable diseases. MRI’s, CT Scans, and ultrasound examinations are becoming routine tools to help diagnose and treat our furry companions; this is a great thing. However, with more advanced diagnostics and treatments come higher expenses, translating to higher costs for our clients.

As veterinarians, our goal is to keep and make pets healthy. One understandable obstacle to this is finance. In the following article, I will discuss the benefits of pet insurance in keeping costs down for our clients and making all the benefits of advancement in medicine affordable options for your pet.

What Is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance companies have been growing in number and popularity in the United States over the past 20 years. Today, there are numerous companies offering plans to pet owners across the company. Not all companies are the same, although they share some similarities.

How Are They the Same?

1) All pet insurance companies offer a model where you pay the veterinarian and are reimbursed directly for their care. Insurance companies do this after seeing price inflation in the human health care system. Keeping all payments directly to the pet owner helps reduce medical inflation, keeping costs lower for the pet owner.

2) All pet insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions. It makes sense because an insurance company would quickly go out of business if they allowed people to wait until their pet becomes sick before signing up for insurance to cover their illness. For this reason, it is important to enroll in pet insurance before your pet develops a pre-existing condition that will not be covered in the future.

How Are They Different?

1) Some companies cover routine wellness care, some do not. This includes annual examinations, vaccinations, and routine yearly testing including heartworm and Lyme disease. Pet insurance is really designed to cover illness and accidents where costs of care can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Companies that offer routine wellness coverage likely pass these costs along in the form of higher premiums to the consumer.

2) Some companies cover genetic/hereditary conditions; others do not. What does this mean for your pet? Certain conditions have an increased genetic prevalence in certain breeds. Golden Retrievers are predisposed to hip dysplasia and resulting arthritis. Bulldogs too often suffer from brachycephalic disease and resulting respiratory problems. Yorkshire Terriers develop collapsing trachea and a honking, goose-like cough as they get older. Some insurance companies will cover all hereditary/genetic diseases; others will not. If you have a dog with a predisposition to certain diseases, it is important to learn if your pet will be covered should they develop one of these conditions.

3) Some companies reimburse claims based on a “benefit schedule,” which pre-determines what a condition’s maximum reimbursement is. Of course, the same disease can vary in severity and length of treatment, meaning the same broken leg can cost very different amounts to treat.

How Can I Learn More about Pet Insurance?

Fortunately, there’s a website with more information about pet insurance (www.petinsurancereview.com). This website provides information and customer ratings and reviews for many insurance companies and can help you identify which pet insurance company is right for you. Additionally, it is always recommended to call the companies themselves for more information, including how the companies work. Are hereditary conditions covered? Exclusion periods, costs of premiums and deductibles. Maximum reimbursements per year, and reimbursement percentages or rates. Also, be sure to speak to your veterinarian about pet insurance and why it may be right for you and your pet.