What
if you had to CHOOSE to save your best friends life?
Many pet owners facing an animal's serious illness or injury are forced to choose euthanization for financial reasons. Or,
they may have to decide on a less expensive treatment for their injured companion. "If they have a fracture that they can't afford to get
stabilized -- and can't afford an orthopedic surgeon to plate it -- they
might even choose amputation rather than fix the fracture," says Dr. Lauren
Adams of Emory Animal Hospital.
Such tough
decisions are more likely in rural areas, Adams says, noting her clients in Decatur, Georgia,
usually are able to pay for any specialized treatments that their pets may
need. But escallating medical bills can be overwhelming. "The medical treatments and technologies being used for humans
are now being used for pets," says Laura Bennett, chief executive officer
and co-founder of Embrace Pet Insurance. Chemotherapy, heart surgery and MRIs
are becoming more common in the pet world. But advanced treatments and
surgeries can cost thousands of dollars. Some are looking to pet health
care insurance as one way to cope.
Pet health
insurance may be worth considering as a way to prepare for unexpected catastrophic
medical expenses - and lifelong preventative health care. Pet care
practitioners say such insurance may simply give owners peace of mind, extend
their pets life, or help them make decisions about their pet's future
that are not influenced by financial considerations.
When pet
insurance makes sense
Norma Jean
Kern of Hickory, North Carolina, is
sure that purchasing insurance was the right decision. Soon after she signed up
to cover Storm, her Akita puppy, the
policy paid off. Storm was running along the fence in the yard when
the neighbor's dog caught hold of his leg and tried pulling him under the
fence. Storm's leg was severely mangled, and he needed three operations and
regular X-rays. Embrace Pet Insurance has reimbursed Kern for most of her
bills. She has a 20 percent deductible, and so far the company has paid about
$3,000.
Choosing a
pet insurance policy
Companies
selling pet insurance in the U.S.
include Veterinary Pet Insurance, Pethealth Inc., The Hartville Group, Pets
Best Insurance, Embrace Pet Insurance, PetFirst Healthcare, PetPartners, Pet
Health Care, and Petplan USA
- to name a few. These companies generally offer a several levels
of policies ranging from $5 to $30 a month on average for a healthy pet. The
cost varies depending on the extent of coverage, benefit limits, deductibles
and co-payments.
Coverage
varies according to company and plan as well. For example, ASPCA Pet Health
Insurance's most basic "safety plan" covers only treatment for
injuries such as broken bones, bee stings and burns. But the other end of
the spectrum, Embrace Pet Insurance's policies can be customized to cover
cancer treatments and alternative therapy like acupuncture.
When shopping
around for a policy, find out exactly what the policy covers and what the
exclusions are. Most policies exclude pre-existing conditions and
many exclude hereditary conditions, which purebred cats and dogs are more
likely to have, or core coverage may be limited for older animals.
A few other questions to ask the insurance company include:
-- Are
claim payments based on my vet bill or the insurance company's benefit schedule?
-- Is
drug and dental coverage included?
-- Will
my premium go up over time, as I file claims, or as my pet gets older?
-- How
will I be reimbursed? Do I pay the vet and then submit the bill, or will the
vet handle billing?
-- Does
the plan cover chronic and/or recurring conditions?
-- What
are the financial limits of coverage? How are they applied?
If your pet is advanced in years, in poor health, or if you do not
want to subject the animal to a major surgical procedure, insurance may not be
a worthwhile investment. Also, a restructuring of coverage may be advisable
as your pet ages. Talk to your vet about your pet's health and query
insurance companies about the limits of coverage before purchasing a policy.
For those fortunate enough to have specialized Service Dogs; how
much is your working companion worth if tough choices had to be made about his
or her life, tomorrow? Don't forget... your dog can also be
seriously injured riding inside a vehicle. Although you and other human
passengers may be covered for catastrophic medical in an auto accident - what
about your canine companion?
Think about it... Proper medical treatment can make
100% difference for a continued quality of LIFE for you and your
faithful friend!
