The Power of Pet Insurance

We are all not immune to a changing economy. It can be stressful, expensive, and unnerving to think about! One of the great things about veterinary medicine is the creation of pet insurance. Similar, but not exactly like human insurance, pet insurance is a wonderful tool for today’s pet owner to help cover the increasing costs of taking care of your furry family member. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to your pet’s veterinary visit and be able to do all of the recommended testing from your veterinarian without having to worry about cost?

WHAT IS PET INSURANCE?

Pet insurance functions similarly to health insurance for people. Although there are some differences between the two, it’s important to understand what pet insurance covers for your pet and what it doesn’t. Unlike human health insurance, pet insurance requires pet owners to pay their veterinary bill up front at the time of the services. Veterinary hospitals and pet insurance companies are independent of each other and do require some extra work for the pet owner.

Filling a claim with pet insurance can require either invoices or ‘SOAP notes’. SOAP notes contain the medical diagnosis, treatment, and more pertinent information to help guide why the pet was prescribed certain medications, why certain diagnostic tests were either performed or recommended, and what underlying health conditions the pet has. A lot of pet insurance companies have online submission processes, which can expedite the process of reviewing a claim.

Once the invoice or SOAP notes have been submitted, the insurance company will have a claims adjuster review the files. Sometimes additional information will need to be provided by your veterinary hospital to ensure that the pet insurance company has all of the information they need. From there, pet insurance then uses reimbursement to give you money back from your veterinary bill.

WHY GET PET INSURANCE?

Life can be unpredictable! Having pet insurance gives you an extra layer of protection in case of an emergency, illness, or accident. Some policies can help cover costs of preventative medicine, such as annual visits and dental procedures. This helps your pet live a long, healthy life.

MY DOG IS HEALTHY. WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?

The absolute best time to get pet insurance is when your pet is healthy! With no pre-existing conditions, pet insurance can still help cover routine care and give you a safety net in case of an emergency, illness or accident. As your pet grows older, the likelihood of needing more diagnostic testing, medications, and chance of illness increases significantly. By already having a pet insurance policy in place, you can then receive reimbursement from a lot of the more expensive services that senior pets need.

WHAT ABOUT PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS?

Each pet insurance company is different with how it handles pre-existing conditions. Some companies will cover pre-existing conditions after a waiting period, and others will simply not cover pre-existing conditions. It’s very important to understand what conditions your pet currently has in order to determine what company would be the best fit.

HOW DOES MY VETERINARY HOSPITAL BECOME INVOLVED?

Veterinary hospitals are completely independent of pet insurance companies but will provide any information requested by the insurance claim adjuster. Loyal Companions specifically does not affiliate with any pet insurance company. This means that any policies or claims need to be filed directly from the pet owner. All invoices still need to be paid in full and the pet owner gets reimbursed afterwards.

WHICH COMPANY DO YOU CHOOSE FROM?

Searching for the right pet insurance company can be very overwhelming at first. You will find a lot of different companies who tend to have different tiers of policies available. There are many factors to consider when comparing plans. The monthly payment, covering of pre-existing conditions, if preventative care is covered or not, dental care include dental prophylaxis, oral surgery, or other surgeries, and a waiting period are all things to consider. Plans that cover preventative care, as well as annual exams, vaccines, stool sample testing, and bloodwork are highly recommended.

OUR CLIENTS’ FAVORITE COMPANIES

Our clients have had positive feedback from companies like Nationwide, Trupanion, Embrace, Pet’s Best and ASPCA. Below you will find direct links to companies listed:

Nationwide Pet Insurance: www.petinsurance.com