It has become common knowledge that preventative care is a basic
staple to maintaining a high quality of health, whether we are
discussing humans, dogs, cats, or friends of the feathered variety.
Basic maintenance keeps a body healthy and catches those little
problems before they turn into huge snags. With the ingenious introduction
of pet insurance, the question of preventative care coverage comes
to mind.
The majority of pet insurance policies available for reasonable costs have historically
not covered basic health care or preventative care. However, with the growing
trend of pet insurance popularity, pet insurance companies are now offering more
competitive services, including preventative care. Most pet insurance companies
wisely require that any animal carrying coverage receives their annual check
ups and vaccinations. After all, it’s during these visits that most problems
are discovered before turning into those pet health nightmares.
Just like all insurance companies, whether for humans, animals, cars, or homes,
you get what you pay for. Insurance companies prefer to make money rather than
lose money. Thus, all covered animals must rely on their humans to meet basic
standards of payment, enrollment options, and policy requirements. This means
that enrolling a 5 year old German Shepherd with hip dysplasia coverage is going
to cost more out of pocket than enrolling a 2 year old cat with no health concerns.
For approximately $30 per month, reasonable pet insurance can be purchased that
covers basic emergencies as well as accidents. However, for those seeking preventative
care coverage, the price tag just shot up to nearly $80-$120 per month, and in
most cases this buys you a discount at the veterinarian rather than full coverage
for shots, exams, and other basic preventative care. For the fee of an annual
vet visit and the basic veterinary care that is covered under preventative plans,
most pet owners will discover they will overpay if they rely on preventative
care pet health insurance.
These statistics are based on the quotes given for cats and dogs. Pet insurance
is available for whatever pet you fancy provided you’re willing to pay
a higher premium. Birds, ferrets, horses, and exotic pets are not covered by
many pet insurance companies. Those that do offer coverage for these animals
do not offer preventative care policies of any real value. However, the accident
and illness pet insurance that is offered seems well worth the cost for the coverage
received through most pet insurance companies.
Pet insurance is far from a racket. Although, counting on pet insurance to cover
basic needs is not always a very good value, the companies that do offer it are
bound to come down on their premiums over time. Preventative care is best paid
out of pocket and counted on a basic responsibility of owning a pet until that
time. Pet insurance is designed for emergency care, the type of care that can’t
be budgeted for. Pet insurance is designed to allow a faithful human to face
a serious pet illness or accident with the ability to make decisions based on
what is best for their beloved pet rather than what can be financially feasible.
Pet insurance companies, like all insurance companies, are not exactly altruistic
but are a sound and intelligent business that provides a service in exchange
for a monthly fee. There are limits on the amount of care they will pay for,
however, when faced with a challenging decision, this coverage can mean the difference
between life and death for some pets.
