Pet Insurance 101

FAQs

Frequently asked questions directly from our pet owner community

Do I need insurance if my pet is young and healthy?

The ideal experience begins with getting coverage while your pet is healthy, before an accident occurs and/or before symptoms of an illness become present. If you wait to seek pet insurance when your pet really needs it, it will be too late as pre-existing conditions are not eligible for coverage from any pet insurer.

In addition, enrolling pets younger means that you start with a lower monthly premium while you are helping to ensure that new conditions would be eligible.

My pet is already insured, can I switch?

You can, however we will help to exercise full caution to ensure that your pet continues to receive the best care. If your pet has been completely healthy or with understanding that previously covered conditions becoming ineligible for coverage, then we can help you make the switch while ensuring no gaps in coverage through waiting periods.

If my current insurer has covered claims, will it be covered if I switch to another company?

This is important to know! When a new policy is started, it updates all previously eligible conditions to pre-existing whether it's a new policy from a new company or the same insurer.

We do not recommend switching coverage if you've had eligible claims. If you aren't sure, we are happy to discuss your pet's history and provide honest feedback.

What wellness visits are vet recommended for pets and how does a wellness plan help?

Wellness exams are recommended annual by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) whether or not the owner has pet insurance. Wellness plans are optional and has varying value to owners. Often, it is the most beneficial in the beginning of the pets life due to frequent visits for vaccinations and boosters. Some owners prefer having a wellness plan in place to help with annual wellness exams that can include preventative care, vaccinations, and disease screening methods.

Wellness plans are reimbursed through a benefit schedule so you can review that in advance to assess if it provides value for you.

Can pet insurance help my pet live longer?

It can, while their are several variables, pet insurance helps to alleviate the pressure of financial euthanasia (having to put your pet down due to the cost of care).

Pet insurance can impact a pet's lifespan as the pets that are insured are likely to receive prompt veterinary care due to less financial hesitation. Pet insurance also can save lives and we have direct, personal experience with that.

As a general example; if your maximum financial threshold for sudden vet care is around $1000, with pet insurance, the care level can increase to around $10,000 (assuming 90% coverage and exam fee coverage).

What disaster scenarios can pet insurance help me avoid?

It's hard to envision what can happen if you've been a lucky pet owner. For us, it's about alleviating financial stress so you can focus on your pet.

If a pet broke a bone and needed a $5,000 surgery, an owner with coverage in place would be able to provide care and enjoy many more years with their pet. We are strongly against scare tactics, so we will leave the remaining scenarios unspoken as that is what we are here to help avoid.

Plan on Coverage for Life

Prepare to stick with an insurer long term. Consider and be prepared to ensure that your coverage steps in seamlessly when your pet needs it.

Start coverage as young as possible while your pet is healthy
Do your part to ensure wellness care and vaccinations remain up to date.
Be aware that coverage will increase as your pet ages
Assess coverage levels during the life stages of your pet and adjust accordingly

Cost of Care

Just one visit after having years of coverage in place can provide undeniable value. Pet insurance helps to eliminate the surprises of sudden vet bills.

Are you familiar with the costs for common conditions (broken bones, foreign ingestion, etc.)?
What is the maximum cost before you'd need to stop care? Pet insurance exists to help expand limits for care.

Employer Work Benefit Plans

Pet insurance offered through work benefits is a positive reflection of modern companies understanding that pets are family. However, we are surprised that there isn't more dialogue around the long-term impact of relying on a group benefit policy.

If you were to depart from your employer:

Do you have the option to continue coverage? If so, how much is the estimated cost?
What steps would you need to take to avoid interruption in coverage?

Starting a new policy, whether it's the same or a new insurer means that previously covered conditions will become pre-existing. For these reasons, and more, we recommend maintaining your own policy privately.

Insights and Considerations

As pet owner advocates, we believe the topics below are important to consider when acquiring pet insurance.

Types of Policy and Plan Options

Differences between policy types as well as optional coverage add-ons

Illness & Injury

Comprehensive coverage for illnesses and accidents.

Having illness and injury coverage in place helps to ensure that you are able to provide care for new eligible conditions.

Accident Only

Covers only new injuries sustained from a accident. No coverage for illnesses.

A budget friendly option for pet owners and/or uninsured pets with multiple pre-existing conditions.

Boost Your Protection with Extra Coverage!

We love extra. Some add-ons may be included in core policies without additional cost.

Wellness & Routine Care

Wellness plans help budget for the routine care that you expect to do and shouldn't be confused with insurance.

Wellness plans help budget for expected care such as wellness checkups, spay/neuter, dental cleanings, parasite prevention, and more! This is a great option especially for puppies and kittens in their first year.

Exam/Office Visit Fees

Exam/Office Visit fee is separately charged from diagnostics and care. Fees typically range from $40-200 dependent upon the type of clinic you are visiting (ER/specialties tend to be higher). This add-on will provide coverage to reimburse those fees when your pets go in for care.

Rehabilitative Care

This option helps to provide continued care after an illness or accident. Physical therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture are examples of rehabilitative care.

Pet Insurance Glossary

Common pet insurance terms.

Deductible

The amount that you pay before your coverage kicks in. Lower deductibles mean high premiums. Higher deductibles equal lower premiums.

Deductibles for most policies reset annually.

Plan Limits

The maximum reimbursements on an annual basis which reset every year. With unlimited plans, you won't need to worry about plan limits.

Premium

Fancy word for your payment. Premiums are typically monthly, with some providing the option to pay ahead annually.

Pre-Existing Conditions

A condition or symptom connected to a diagnosis that started prior to the coverage being in place and though waiting periods. It's important to acknowledge that coverage for conditions that started prior to the policy will be excluded. Certain conditions may be eligible in the future if they are deemed curable and within an extended timeframe.

Reimbursement %

Also referred to as co-insurance. The percentage that you select (between 60-90%) is what the insurer will cover/reimburse of your eligible costs after the deductible is met.

Renewal

Renewals are typically the annual anniversary of your policy start date. You can often elect to make plan updates upon renewal, however many insurers will allow you to decrease coverage (lower payment) outside of the renewal period.

Waiting Periods

Waiting periods are the time period before the coverage goes live. Accident waiting periods can be as short as 3 days. Illness waiting periods average 14 days. There are often 6 month waiting periods on orthopedic injuries, but can usually be waived after a complete exam from your veterinarian.

Waiting periods may vary in certain states based on regulations.