What you need to know about pet insurance

As pets age, they become more prone to expensive accidents and illnesses. Protect your pet now with an insurance plan and never worry about how a costly veterinary procedure will affect your wallet. Many insurance plans provide lifelong coverage for allergies, broken bones, genetic and hereditary conditions, costly ER visits, cancer, care by veterinary specialists, and a lot more. Most insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions, so earlier coverage is better!

We accept pet insurance from any carrier and encourage pet owners to shop around to find the best fit for them. For more information on pet insurance, read “Bindi’s Story” below and visit https://www.pet-insurance-university.com.

 

Pet insurance is similar to auto insurance and less like human health insurance. Here are some important things to know about pet insurance:

  • You must purchase insurance before your pet has an injury or illness. We recommend purchasing pet insurance as a puppy or kitten to avoid any “pre-existing conditions” that may not be covered in the future. (Certain conditions may be covered if a period of time has passed without experiencing symptoms, so be sure to ask your pet insurance company how pre-existing conditions are handled.)
  • Pet insurance can be used at any veterinary office, emergency hospital, or specialist! There are not in- and out of network providers to navigate. You can seek care where you want, as long as they are condition is not pre-existing. Many insurance providers have pre-approval departments where you can confirm that a procedure or treatment will be covered.
  • Most pet insurance works on a reimbursement basis and you are expected to provide payment to your veterinary provider at the time of care. If it would be difficult for you to provide payment for care while waiting on reimbursement (up to your limit of $5-15,000 or more!), many people use a credit card or even have Care Credit for short term financing to bridge the gap to reimbursement.
  • Coverage can include medications (such as allergy medications, insulin, and arthritis medications), alternative treatments (such as laser therapy and acupuncture), and even heartworm and flea preventatives!

As with any product, there are lots of options. We urge you to spend a little time researching or ask us for help. We can discuss common problems and conditions that may arise in your species and breed of pet (including exotic and pocket pets!) and help you determine possible costs if those conditions should arise. This could help you select the right plan for pet and budget.

Bindi’s Story

Read about how Bindi stays protected through Embrace pet insurance!

Our recommendation for pet insurance is strong and we needn’t look any further than one of our own for reasons why!  

Vicki (AMC Pet Stylist) shares her home with a  Great Dane, Bindi.  Thankfully, she purchased pet insurance for Bindi at an early age (at about 8 weeks of age) before any pre-existing conditions were present.  After one bout with diarrhea, a case of kennel cough, and an unexpected visit to the emergency hospital Bindi’s insurance policy had already payed for itself!

Vicki chose the EMBRACE program because “you can customize your policy based on the amount of yearly coverage, the amount of your deductible and the reimbursement portion.”  She chose the option that provides her with 80% reimbursement for all injury/illness cases once the deductible has been met. “You want to submit records even for wellness care since these can be used as proof your pet was vaccinated against commonly transmitted disease.  And claims are processed within 10-15 days,” she says.

Bindi’s policy provides her with up to $10,000 of coverage per year.  

Budgeting for bi-yearly check-ups and routine healthcare are a given.  It’s the unexpected emergency care that’s so costly!

Quotes can be easily obtained online at EmbracePetInsurance.com or right over the phone! You can also find out more about other insurance providers at https://www.pet-insurance-university.com.