Furry friends are special members of our families, and it’s important to keep their health and wellbeing in mind when choosing to bring a pet into the family. Like humans, accidents, injuries, and illnesses can happen to our beloved pets, which is where pet insurance lends a hand.
What is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is coverage that helps you manage the costs for taking pet to the vet. Pet medical emergencies often come out of the blue, and unexpected veterinary bills can take a hit to your finances.
Similar to how auto insurance works, pet insurance reimburses you for incidents that are covered by the plan you choose. Be sure to take a close look at the policy you choose so you know how the claim process works, but many of them are similar! If something happens to your pet, take them to the veterinarian of your choice, pay for the visit or treatment they receive, and submit a claim. You’ll then receive reimbursement for eligible vet bills and can either get a check in the mail or take advantage of direct deposit, it’s that simple.
What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
There are different coverage options you can choose to cover your pet. Most plans include accidents, illnesses, and conditions, but you can always opt for accident only or preventive care plans.
- Illnesses: Treatments costs of major and minor illnesses, such as cancer, arthritis, ear infections, hypothyroidism, digestive problems, or UTI’s.
- Accidents: Injuries and emergency accidents, diagnostic services, and treatments such as X-rays, MRI, ultrasounds, hospitalizations, surgeries, and medication.
- Conditions: Costs of inherited conditions and birth defects that don’t show up until later on in your pet’s life, chronic conditions that may need care across multiple plan periods, and behavioral issues.
- Additional Care: Alternative therapies that can help pets recover from injuries or illnesses (like physiotherapy and rehabilitative therapy), microchip implantation, prescription medication, prescription food, and supplements to help alleviate pain or help fight infections.
There are also preventive care plans that are available as an add-on, or as a plan by itself. Preventive care plans cover vaccines, dental cleanings, spaying or neutering, and annual wellness exams, where you can get reimbursed without having to meet a deductible. This plan is highly recommended for new pet parents with a puppy or kitten, who would need several appointments for vaccinations and exams within their first year.
How Much is Pet Insurance?
The cost may vary depending on the type of pet, the breed, age, gender, weight, and your location. The national average cost is $44 per month for dogs and $30 per month for cats, reported by Forbes for pet insurance in 2023. Most plans let you customize your coverage, where you have options for your annual limit, reimbursement percentage, and deductible.
While pet insurance isn’t a mandatory insurance plan, it helps give you peace of mind that your pet would be covered in case of illness or accidents. Protect your fur baby with the help of Michigan First Insurance Agency, LLC and start a quote today.