For most of the past twenty years, the most frequent topic my clients have wanted to discuss is flea control. Since the advent of modern, effective, easy-to-use flea insecticides, however, what many pet owners are interested in is pet insurance. My clients usually start the conversation with, “What do you think about pet insurance?” or “Is it really worth it?” or “Do I need it?”
In 1981, VPI was the first and only company offering pet insurance in the United States. It was started here in California by Dr. Jack Stevens. In the last several years many other companies have started offering insurance for pets. Some of these companies are subsidiaries of much larger corporations (like Purina or the ASPCA). Most pet insurance companies are licensed throughout the U.S., although some are not available in all states.
It’s important to the discussion to realize that not everyone has the same feelings toward their pets. For many of my clients, their dogs are beloved members of the family. For others, their pets have meaning and value, but these people have different ideas about how much they are willing to invest in their care. (Note that this does not correlate with a person’s ability to financially afford the cost of medical care for a pet.)
The more you “use” your dogs – i.e. dog parks, hiking, and play groups – the greater the likelihood that at some point they will require veterinary care. It may be something as simple as a foxtail removal or ear infection, but it could be a more involved and costly orthopedic procedure (as one example). Cats like to play and sometimes ingest foreign objects like string and yarn. If they go outside, cat fight abscesses are a very common problem. All of these issues would be covered by pet insurance.
I suggest that my clients ask themselves if a $300 unexpected medical expense would be prohibitive. What if it were $3000 – $5000? For some, neither situation would present a problem, but for others it can mean the difference between treatment or euthanasia. As a veterinarian it’s not my job to be a pet owner’s financial advisor, but I need to let them know the kinds of expenses and problems they might encounter so they can think about the pet insurance question with full knowledge of what it could mean to go without it. I have clients who can’t afford health insurance for themselves, but they have policies for their pets just so they won’t have to make a life-or-death decision based on the economics of treatment.
So, “Is it worth it?” Well, if you never have to use it that means your pet has been healthy and disease-free. You have not gotten anything for your premium payments, but you’re still happy, right? If you do need it, you’ll be glad you made the decision before your pet became ill.
Whether or not you need pet insurance depends on your personal financial situation. Do you have a credit card available so you can charge the cost of veterinary care, and are you willing to do so? In my view, if more people had insurance, decisions about emergency veterinary care and the quality of that care would not be dictated by the cost alone.
Please keep in mind that veterinarians and hospitals do not get commissions or rebates for selling or providing pet insurance. Mostly we discuss the options and make recommendations based on our experience with the companies and feedback from our clients who have policies.
Insurers and their policies differ, so it is important to pay attention to the fine print. Some cover accidents but not illnesses. Some have breed exclusions, cancer limits, and exclusions on recurrent problems. Two useful websites that can help you choose wisely are petinsurancereview.com and findthebest.com, which offer comparisons of different insurers and policies.
Here are some questions to consider while conducting your research
- Is a physical exam of your pet required before you can buy a policy?
- Is there a waiting period after you sign up?
- What is the deductible and what percentage of a claim is covered after the deductible?
- Is there an annual cap on payments? Lifetime cap?
- What constitutes a pre-existing condition?
- Can you choose any veterinary hospital? (Most allow this.)
- What medications are covered?
- What happens if your pet dies?
- What congenital or hereditary defects are covered?
- What types of cancer treatment is covered, and how much?
You will get the lowest price if you sign up when your pet is young. Most companies allow coverage to continue throughout the animal’s life as long as it started before they are reach a certain age.
As a final anecdote, my office manager, who has a Bulldog puppy, purchased insurance for him. She has already been to emergency clinics twice and he is only 6 months old. She and her husband (who thought they didn’t need it) are very happy that they decided to purchase insurance for Bubbles, even though she works for a veterinarian.
Dr. Gutlaizer has been practicing veterinary medicine at Oakland’s Broadway Pet Hospital (www.broadwaypethospital.com) since 1985. A lifetime animal lover, he currently lives in Oakland with his wife, two sons, a Pug, two cats, a snake, and several goldfish.
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