Health insurance for people is kind of a no brainer. Some people skip it while they're in their twenties, some people who are rich don't bother, but the rest of us end up getting health insurance, whether it's through your job or you pay for it out of pocket. It might seem like a no-brainer to get health insurance for your pet, because you have insurance too. Is it really worth the cost, though?
One catch with pet insurance is that it doesn't cover as much as regular health insurance does. A standard plan will generally only cover half of your expenses for a several hundred dollar vet bill. Pet insurance for a medium sized dog costs anywhere from $25 for $50 (or more) a month. Ten years of coverage is $4800. My last dog, who lived for 12 years, never cost us $4800 in vet bills. Even my cat that had several urinary tract infections and we had to put down at 8 years old only came close, but not over, that amount. If we figure that the insurance would pay for half of the vet costs for my cat, we wouldn't have been paying any less money.
The second catch of pet insurance is that it doesn't cover much. If you have a German Shepard (or a German Shepard mix) and it develops hip displaysia, insurance won't cover it. If the animal is prone to UTIs and needs prescription food, it doesn't cover that either. Here are some other big things that aren't covered by a standard plan:
- Heartworm and other internal and external parasites
- Developmental defects
- Hereditary and breed-specific disorders
- Teeth cleaning and other teeth-related care
- Routine vet visits
What should you do if you want to feel better protected against any sudden vet bills? A lot of people recommend making a savings account at your bank just for pet related costs, kind of like a pet emergency fund. If you take the cost of the insurance ($20-40 a month) and put it in an account, it will be there in case you need it. You get the peace of mind of knowing exactly how much you can spend if there is a problem, and not have to worry about what might not be covered. Like I said earlier, if your German Shepard comes down with hip displaysia, the $30 you've been sending to the pet insurance company every month won't help you at all. However, the $30 you've put every month into your pet emergency fund will.
Have you had any experience with pet insurance? Would you want to pay for insurance for your pet?Image Source
Comments (28)
Not worth it, unless you have a breed of dog that is highly prone to multiple health problems.(or cat, I suppose, but most people don't have a "breed" of cat, just a DSH/DMH/DLH, considering less than 8% of cats are purebred).
I was an animal adoption counselor for two years, and always recommended that if you're worried about pet health costs, open a savings account and put in a monthly amount similar to the monthly premium you'd pay for insurance. Most people will not have routinely high vet bills - this way, when your dog is, say, 8, and needs major surgery, you could have nearly 2500 stored away if you just put 25 dollars in each month. Not too shabby.
Oh, and another tip - go to a private practice with 6 or fewer veterinarians. Basically, a place where if you're being a good owner and going in frequently, they will recognize you, and you will develop a relationship. This increases your chances of getting a payment plan in the future if there is a serious medical cost. If they know you come in every 6 months and always pay in full, etc., as well as knowing you're friendly and take good care of your dog/cat and really care, they are more likely to consider a payment plan for major procedures. (My dad's a vet and I worked in the practice for a few years - trust me. Doing this will help you so much if you ever have unexpected high costs - just don't abuse it or they could fire you for being a deadbeat.)
One last thing - in an emergency, try CareCredit. (CareCredit.com). It's an emergency line of credit for medical costs - for both animals and people. If your pet needs surgery within a couple days, get on there, find a clinic that accepts CareCredit, and get it done. (Obviously, this will work best if you have good credit. I have known people to ask someone in their family who does have good credit to apply under their name to increase likelihood of acceptance, but that only works if you're trustworthy!)
If all else fails, go to your local veterinary school (if there's one nearby). If you're lucky, your pet may have a case that interests students and you could get a huge discount or free procedure.
Also, back to private practice - try to find a private practice with an on-call doctor. There are big name emergency hospitals in many areas, but you are guaranteed a 500 bill for just walking in the door. I know my dad's clinic emergency fee is 89 dollars and then cost of treatment - MUCH cheaper.
Oh, forgot to add - if you end up never using that money in the savings account, you get it all back (unlike insurance premiums) - which can come in handy at the end of your pets life if you are interested in cremation, etc. which can be expensive depending on what happens. Also, many people end up in need of emergency euthanasia (old animal, can't have or can't survive surgery, etc.) which can be very expensive. Good to have, and I don't think most pet insurance companies cover the cost of euthanasia (could be wrong though).
Oh, and I LOVE the grinning pittie picture! Though, his owners better have a pet fund because that fattie is gonna have pancreatitis before long if he doesn't get that weight off.
I disagree completely. Of course it depends on the pet, but our pet insurance does cover the routine vet visits. It covers 100% spay or neuter. For our first cat, it saved us hundreds of dollars when he was young and had all kinds of health and urinary issues. Now that he is much healthier, we are talking about discontinuing it. But for the first year that we have the pets? The $12 a month more than covers all of the shots and the neuter!
dont think its worth it
@der_lila_Stern@xanga - That's a great deal (for the early years, as you said) - mind if I ask through what company? I didn't consider that side of it; I worked in a shelter and always have gotten rescue pets so they're always fixed and up to date on shots, so those costs are out of the way. But that is a really great deal if you go to a breeder or whatever!
@whitetrashpoet@xanga - we go to Banfield - which is the vet inside PetSmart. It is through them that we have the pet insurance. Our first cat was a kitten that we got from a shelter - who ended up being really, really sick. Our second cat is from a litter of an outdoor cat that my nephew claimed as his. So they both needed everything!
My dog has pet insurance and its been great. I would never have gotten the dog to begin with if I couldn't get the insurance. It has paid for alot and its simple to send in claims. Its mainly for ACCIDENTS but helps with the vaccines and when she was fixed. She gets yearly vacs so its a big help.
I actually have pet insurance through Trupanion (http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com) and so far I do not regret it one bit. Vet bills can be outrageously expensive. The reason why I chose to get pet insurance is because one of my friend's dog got cancer and the bill for the surgery and medication was so expensive! I am talking about in the thousands range. I had no idea dogs could even get cancer! I know if my pup were to get cancer or got sick, it would be very difficult for me to afford the bill. I like the fact that with Trupanion they do pay 90% of the vet bill and there arent a limit on the number of claims I submit. Not only that, but I can choose my own deductible! I thought about just saving up money in a separate bank account but that requires to have the ability to save and not touch that money - in which I dont really have. Also, what if you dont save enough? You cant predict how much the bill is going to be. So I think it is just hard to guestimate what you should be putting aside!
I doubt I'd have the money to pay for pet insurance that actually covered everything that I would want it to cover.
I think that the OP's suggestion of a pet emergency fund via a savings account at your bank is a much better idea. Plus, a savings account will usually draw at least a little bit of interest.
And there are some breeds of dogs that are just prone to always having SOMEthing wrong with them. There's no reason to throw money out the window.
But, with all the stuff they don't cover, I can't think of anything much that they WOULD cover. Why else do you bring your pet to a vet if not for those reasons? And judging from the way the OP was talking, this is just a partial list of what they won't cover.
If you're going to shell out the money anyway, I think the OP's got the right idea. Just put it in a savings account.
@tracezilla@lovelyish - It definitely depends on the insurance plan. Admittedly, dogs are more expensive. But I spend less than $30 a month of having both of my cats covered. My insurance does cover routine visits and vaccines. It even covered the spay/neuter. If you ever consider a pet, dont rule it out completely! Look at your options and your own situation. You might be surprised.
@der_lila_Stern@xanga - Thank you for the advice. :) I own a little dog named Hunni. So far she's been pretty healthy, though. I've already gotten her spayed, though. Did that as soon as possible. :p She turned 2 last December.
not worth it for just a regular house pet... as much as I love mine.
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