Guidelines for Making Pet Insurance Comparisons

Use pet insurance comparisons to find the policy that best matches your budget and needs. Every animal insurance policy differs and while one might be highly rated by friends, it may fail to meet your expectations. Learn how to create a checklist of requirements that makes shopping for pet insurance easy.

Use Breed Traits in Pet Insurance Comparisons

Many breeds are predisposed to some illnesses and genetic diseases. When shoppidong for pet insurance, you're wasting money if your policy doesn't cover diseases that your pet has a high risk of developing.

Research your breed and look for diseases common to that breed. Keep that list handy when you start making pet insurance comparisons. Look over each policy to see who would cover the high-risk health issues and who would not. What are the price differences between those policies?

Cheaper Policies May Save Money

Once you have price differences to work with, research what the average cost to fix the animal's health problem would be. For example, German Shepherds are prone to developing hip dysplasia. The average price of a total hip replacement is $2,500.

Say you have two likely pet insurance policies for your new puppy, one with coverage for hip surgery is $75 a month and the other lacks hip surgery coverage but costs $25 a month. If you went for the less expensive policy and saved the additional $50 in a special bank account, you'd have more than enough to cover the surgery by the time the adult dog needed it.

Scrutinize the Fine Print

Up front, a pet health insurance policy may look wonderful. Always read the fine print. While policies may offer amazing coverage, you often find there are high deductibles to cover every year before the insurance company pays for any care.

For example, Embrace offers low-cost policies of $15 a month making them a contender with those on a budget. However, reading the fine print finds that they do not pay anything until you've met a $500 annual deductible. In addition, their basic coverage ends after the $5,000 maximum and does not cover accidents caused by neglect or cruelty, acts of God, pregnancy, behavioral treatments, dental care, wellness visits, illnesses or preexisting conditions. If you want wellness and dental coverage, you must by separate riders. While you're saving money, you're getting very limited coverage.

Veterinarians Help Make Pet Insurance Comparisons

If you have a preferred veterinarian, ask them if they accept pet insurance. Many veterinarians limit the insurance they accept. If they do not accept your preferred policy, you may need to find another vet.

Some pet insurance companies reimburse you and allow you to visit any vet you like. This is a great option, but remember to check that you are not limited to specific veterinary practices before enrolling.

User Reviews Help with Pet Insurance Comparisons

Always read stories from pet insurance policy holders. You'll hear how the policies work and if others had problems with the company when it came time to submit claims.

People are happy to share positive and negative experiences, so take time to read them and decide if you would be happy with that specific company or if it sounds like another insurer would better fit your needs.

 

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