Accidents and emergencies are unavoidable among pets. Thankfully, pet insurance has become readily available as more and more pet owners are more aware of its benefits and importance.
However, getting the right pet policy is not a walk in the park. The insurance plan you take may not cover every veterinary expense. As such, it’s crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the levels of coverage before purchasing a policy.
In this article, we will walk you through what pet insurance covers and what it does not.
Read on.
What Pet Insurance Typically Covers
Generally, pet insurance covers unexpected health issues that may arise among pets. These are some of the things that pet insurance covers:
Illnesses and Injuries
This is contained in the illness and medical plan, which usually covers medical expenses resulting from various illnesses or accidental injuries. Some of the issues covered in this plan include:
- Accidental injuries such as broken bones, lacerations, toxic ingestions, cuts, bite wounds, ACL ruptures, and swallowed things.
- Chronic conditions such as allergies, arthritis, seizures, digestive problems, diabetes, respiratory issues, and skin conditions
- Hereditary diseases and congenital issues such as hip dysplasia, kidney issues, cherry eye, and blood disorders.
- Sudden onset illnesses like vomiting, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and ear infections.
- Procedures and treatment including surgery and hospitalization, nursing care, chemotherapy, endoscopy, diagnostics and imaging (X-rays, MRIs, blood tests), emergency care, and prescription medication.
Preventive Care
Preventive care is offered under the wellness and preventive care plan. This is usually an add-on aimed at supplementing the standard coverage. A wellness and preventive care plan encompasses the following:
- Vaccinations
- Dental cleanings
- Fleas, ticks, and heartworm prevention
- Routine check-ups (may have limitations)
- Deworming
- Microchipping
- Spaying/neutering
- Deworming
Surgeries
This covers expenses incurred for both minor and major surgeries resulting from accidents or illnesses. It includes:
- Exploratory surgeries: This is carried inside the body to find out the root cause of a problem.
- Orthopedic surgeries: This procedure is carried out to diagnose, treat, or prevent conditions that affect the pet’s musculoskeletal system, including the bones, ligaments, muscles, and joints
- Soft tissue surgeries: It’s carried out to repair or replace damaged tissues such as ligaments, fat, skin, tendons, and muscles.
Other Potential Coverage:
You can also take an insurance plan for other vet expenses, such as :
- Prescription medications for chronic conditions, pain and inflammation, and other infections.
- Diagnostic tests such as blood tests, X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds
- Boarding fees due to illness or injury, including nursing care costs.
What Pet Insurance Typically Doesn’t Cover
Every pet insurance plan has restrictions and exclusions that you, as a pet parent, must understand before signing up. Some of the common exclusions in pet insurance include:
- Pre-existing conditions: These are conditions diagnosed before the policy’s effective date. Any condition in your pet’s medical history is generally not covered by pet insurance. However, you can counter this by immediately enrolling your pet for insurance upon adoption and keeping records of all medical exams.
- Routine care: Some policies may exclude basic check-ups and preventative care such as vaccinations, neutering, microchipping, and routine bloodwork. However, you can purchase a wellness plan as an add-on to cover this.
- Hereditary conditions: These are conditions that your pet is born with or predisposed to due to their genetics or breed. These are mostly excluded or have limitations.
- Experimental treatments: These are the treatments that are not within the standard of care accepted by the veterinary community and are often not covered.
- Behavioral issues: These are typically not covered
- Cosmetic procedures: Procedures for purely aesthetic purposes are usually excluded as they are not considered medically necessary These include tail docking, ear cropping, and declawing.
- Breeding costs: Any costs associated with breeding or pregnancy complications are generally excluded.
- Elective procedures: These are procedures or treatments not deemed essential for a pet’s survival
- Non-veterinary expenses: Expenses such as grooming, haircuts, nail clipping, and bathing are not considered medically necessary and thus excluded.
- Behavioral Treatments: These include training for behavioral issues. However, some policies may offer limited coverage.
- Specific Exclusions by Breed: Some policies exclude certain breed-specific conditions, such as hip dysplasia, in large breeds.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Pet Insurance
Different insurance providers offer different plans and options. The following are some important factors that you should consider when choosing pet insurance.
- Coverage limits: Understand the maximum amount the insurer will pay per incident or annually. This is important because you’ll pay for any amount that exceeds your annual limit cover.
- Deductibles: It’s essential to determine the amount you’ll pay out-of-pocket before coverage kicks in. The higher the plan’s deductibles, the less the monthly premiums but the higher the amount you’ll need to pay out of your pocket before coverage commences.
- Reimbursement rates: Know the percentage of veterinary bills the insurer will cover. It’s unlikely that the insurer will give you a 100% reimbursement for your pet’s medical costs.
- Exclusions and limitations: Be aware of specific conditions or treatments not covered by your plan.
- Waiting periods: Understand the time between policy purchase and coverage for certain conditions. This varies from one insurer to another.
Tips for Maximizing Coverage
If you want to enjoy maximum benefits from your pet’s cover, consider these tips:
- Keep thorough medical records for every vet visit. This will act as support for your claims
- Go for regular vet check-ups, as this will help you recognize and prevent issues before they escalate.
- Understanding claim procedures: Be conversant with the claim procedures to avoid delays and for a flawless process.
Conclusion
Pet insurance can be a lifesaver in case an emergency happens to your pet. However, different plans cover different costs with different exclusions. It’s thus important to be aware of what’s included and what’s excluded in different coverages.
Ensure you carefully read and understand your policy’s terms and conditions before signing up. It’s also crucial to research and compare different policies to determine the best fit for your pet.
