Friday, November 4, 2011

Pet Health Insurance - Why Do You Need It?

By Richard Horowitz


You can insure almost anything and everything nowadays. People can insure their lives, their body parts, their equipment, their homes and yes, even their pets. Growing in popularity over the years is pet health insurance and not least due to rising veterinary costs. Do you really need to get your pet some health insurance even though it's the wealthy who have been known to take out special insurance for their pets.

The answer would be yes actually. The costs will be far outweighed by the benefits of pet health care and this will insure you against future financial worries in order to keep your pet healthy and alive. Like health insurance for humans, there are different policies that offer a variety of benefits. Make sure to choose the plan that will suit both your pet and your pocket.

Here are some useful tips in order to ensure that you will be getting the right kind of insurance for your pet without putting too much strain on your budget:

Compare prices. Pricing can vary quite considerably between pet health insurance providers. Check what the monthly premium covers too - the cheaper price may mean far less cover than you want for your pet.

Check the excess The excess, or deductible, is the amount you will have to pay whenever you claim against your pet health insurance. Some companies offer low premiums but have a high excess fee which may offset any savings you have made on your monthly premiums.

What is the term of the policy? In your policy, you need to watch out for the term 'lifelong cover' because it is seldom meant literally. When it comes to low cost plans, often they are limited to a specific time period. For instance, if your pet requires regular medication and treatment because it has developed a heart condition, then the first year of treatment is the only thing a time capped policy may cover. Being liable for all costs is what this will mean.

Limiting the amount that was claimed for a specific period of time is a financially capped policy. Your pet being covered for a period of three years is what it could mean for chronic conditions but there will be a limit to the amount the insurance company will pay out.

Naturally, genuine lifelong cover will cost you more but it will pay for your pet's treatment as long as the pet is ill. Most genuine lifelong policies do include a fixed amount that will be paid each year.

The current health status, the age of the pet, and the breed characteristics is what your pet health insurance will be based on just as with humans. You can consider these factors when you take out pet health insurance.




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