How to Get Veterinary Insurance for Your Pet

Scientific advances have improved the quality of life for humans, but they have also crossed the gap into veterinary medicine as well. Things like MRIs, CAT scans, and chemotherapy have become available for pets and more and more people are opting to take the financial plunge with these procedures. Like human medicine, a vet visit can be very costly--here's where insurance comes in. Veterinary insurance can cover the costs of vet care for your pet. Here's how to get it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Beloved pet

1. Start early. Most pet insurance companies will not insure animals older than nine years old or have pre-existing conditions. Remember that 60% of dogs older than 6 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, so enroll in pet insurance while they are still young.

2. When shopping for pet insurance, be sure to be selective and do your research. Find the answers to important questions that will impact your benefits. Does is cover after hours visits? Can you pick your own vet or does it have to be one in network? Are there deductibles that must be met before coverage kicks in? Are there any co-pays? Does it offer any discounts if you insure multiple pets in your home?

3. Figure out your budget. Most pet insurance premiums add up to around $300 per year. This may seem like a lot until you figure the cost of just one of these procedures ranging in the thousands--without prescriptions. Like human health care, is going without a financial risk you are willing to take?

4. For more information on pet insurance, visit the "More Articles Like This" and "Resources" section of this article.

Resources

• VPI Pet Insurance
• Embrace Pet Insurance

[rewrite810]

on 2/5/2009 Great tips -- we had pet insurance for our cat and it definitely saved us in the long run. Thanks! 5*