Frequently Asked Questions - PetInsurance.net

Frequently Asked Pet Insurance Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the basic considerations when deciding what pet insurance coverage is right for me?
Q: In some places, I’ve seen it described as older pet insurance or senior pet insurance. Can I get insurance for my older pet?
Q: What about pet insurance for pre-existing conditions?
Q: My dog is perfectly healthy? Do I really need pet insurance?
Q: How will my pet’s insurance policy be involved when I visit my veterinarian’s office?
Q: Are the issues within the pet insurance industry similar to those being talked about in Washington?

Q: What are the basic considerations when deciding what pet insurance coverage is right for me?

Most policies have annual premiums that can be paid monthly, including varying levels of deductibles, and allow for different types of coverage. Many plans do not cover hereditary conditions, illnesses or annual vaccines.

You should decide whether to secure comprehensive pet insurance coverage, which may include exams, vaccinations, and spraying or neutering, or a more limited plan that focuses on emergencies or surgeries.

In evaluating different types of pet insurance coverage, consider your own financial situation and ability to pay for a catastrophic event such as a medical emergency or a surgery against the likelihood that your pet will have certain types of medical problems. In making this decision, some pet owners have found it useful to weigh whether the neighborhood in which they live are conducive to traffic-related accidents or incidents with neighboring animals.

Q: In some places, I've seen it described as older pet insurance or senior pet insurance. Can I get insurance for my older pet?

You may be able to get older pet insurance, but you will want to very carefully review plan features and make certain the benefits are consistent with your expectations. Not surprisingly, you are likely to find that premiums for senior pet insurance are more expensive than those for your younger pets.

Q: What about pet insurance for pre-existing conditions?

As with securing insurance policies for yourself or your family members, securing pet insurance for pre-existing conditions can be an insurmountable hurdle. When requesting a quote or completing paperwork, we encourage you to be forthcoming about your pet's medical issues and be prepared to provide your pet's medical records, if requested.

Q: My dog is perfectly healthy? Do I really need pet insurance?

Life is unpredictable. No matter what you do to keep your pet healthy, you have no control over accidents and unforeseeable illnesses. Pet insurance coverage helps ensure the best possible medical care for your pets, while protecting you, as the owner, from having to make extremely difficult financial decisions around your pet's car, at a later date.

Q: How will my pet's insurance policy be involved when I visit my veterinarian's office?

You pay the complete costs upfront and get reimbursed later.
After paying your veterinarian for the complete costs your pet's care via cash, check or credit card, you must complete the appropriate paperwork provided by your insurer and submit this to the insurance company. In the pet insurance industry, there are no co-pays. Your insurer will then reimburse you the based on the conditions of your plan.
In certain cases, you may have to request that your vet complete elements of the insurance company's claim form.

Q: Are the issues within the pet insurance industry similar to those being talked about in Washington?

The high costs of healthcare for humans are complicated by the relationship between insurance companies and doctors, who have seen their reimbursements for basic services slashed dramatically by insurance providers in recent years. Pet insurance companies exert no such influence on veterinarians, because the primary relationship is between the insurance company and the pet owner. The veterinarian sits outside that dialogue, and is free to practice medicine in the manner that he or she sees fit.