Pet Health Insurance Company
and Plan Comparison

There are a few differences between how a pet health insurance company works, and how a human insurance company works.

*You choose your vet.*

Unlike with human insurance, there are no "participating providers". All vets participate, because of how the payment system works. Which is -

*You pay your vet, then get reimbursed from the insurance company.*

There are no copays or visits covered in advance. The relationship is between you and your insurer, and your vet doesn't participate in that relationship. There are no deals between vets and the pet health insurance company!

*It would be rare for a veterinary visit to be 100% covered by pet insurance.*

The majority of the policies will require the pet owner to pay the charges at the time of service, and then the pet health insurance company will pay a percentage back to the owner.

*Most incident claims will have a maximum reimbursement amount.*

So, if the insurance will pay 80% up to a maximum of $2,000.00 for example, then everything over $2,000.00 is the owners responsibility. The owner would also not be reimbursed for 20% of the first $2,000.00, or $400.00. Big medical events can easily climb this high...

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I guess the key thing to remember is that a pet health insurance company is a business. They are designed to create profit. Profit happens when money coming in is greater than money going out. One of the ways to create profit is to limit payments out (for example, with exclusions). Another way is to provide insurance to only or mostly low-risk individuals (for example, with enrollment restrictions). Neither of these methods have the consumer in mind; they are to benefit the pet health insurance company, to create profit.

This is not saying that pet health insurance is not helpful - it can be. But you MUST know and understand just what coverage you are paying for. This is information that YOU must gather and interpret - it can't be done for you....

Be realistic in what you expect of your insurance company. They will not cover everything your pet will need in its lifetime!

Take the time to THOROUGHLY compare companies and plans.

There is a FREE DOWNLOAD (to the right) for you that will help you organize and choose which company you want to work with (Part 1 of 2).

Pay special attention to the exclusions clauses. These seem to be where owners are let down most frequently - they don't know that a specific condition or event isn't covered, and find out after the fact. Also pay attention to breed clauses, requirements and restrictions.

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**All come with accident and/or illness coverage. (24 PetWatch, AKC, ASPCA, Hartville, Pet First, and PetsHealth provide accident coverage, but not illness.)

**Most come with prescription drug coverage, except for the lowest cost plans of Embrace and PurinaCare.

**Most come with surgery and hospitalization coverage, except for the lowest cost PurinaCare plan.

**Dental cleanings, Wellness visits, and Vaccines are available in the higher cost plans of most. However, Healthy Paws, Trupanion, and Pet Plan do not offer coverage for these services. Pets Best and VPI offer an additional coverage plan for "routine care".

Company	# Plans Avail	Cost/Month	Max Enrollment Age	Exclusions	Optional Additional Riders
AKC and Pet Partners (same parent company)	5	18.00-75.00	9 years	Congenital, Dysplasia, Hereditary, Pre-exist	none
ASPCA, Hartville, PetsHealth (all same parent company)	4	9.50-59.00	12 years	CCL surgery, Alt Care, Behavior, Repro, Congenital, Elect, Hereditary, GI Foreign Body, Pre-exist	Continuing Care
	Customizable	15.00-82.00	6-8 years	Behavior, Repro, Cosmetic, Elect, GI Foreign Body, Prevent, Pre-exist	none
Healthy Paws	Customizable	20.95 and up	13 years	Alt Care, Behavior, Parasites, Pre-exist	none
Pet First	5	16.95-68.95	9 years	CCL surgery, Elect, Parasites, Behavior, Cosmetic, Dysplasia, GI Foreign Body, Pre-exist	Breeders, Hereditary, Chronic, Perscription Foods
Pet Plan	3	25.00-31.00	5-8 years	Elect, Pre-exist	none
Pets Best	3	23.00-56.00	none	Prevent, Congenital, Elective, Parasites, Pre-exist	Routine Care
PurinaCare	2	22.00-28.00	none	Repro, Cosmetic, Elect, Pre-exist, Prevent	none
	Customizable	24.08 and up	13 years	Elect, Behavior, Repro, Pre-exist, Prevent	Hip Dysplasia
VPI	2	17.00-29.00	10 years	CCL surgery, Elect, Hereditary, Repro, Pre-exist, Misc.	Enhanced Cancer Care, Routine Care
24 PetWatch, QuickCare, Union Plus (all same parent company)	7	10.95-54.90	6-8 years	Prevent, Pre-exist, Elect, Repro, Behavior	Emergency Care

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There is a FREE DOWNLOAD (to the right) for you, to help you ask 20 important questions of your chosen pet health insurance provider (Part 2 of 2).

Get as many details in advance as you can! Like, have them specify the exclusions for the plan you are interested in, and find out if there are breed related factors or special exclusions that will work against you.

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There is also one company out there that is not like traditional insurance. "Pet Assure" does negotiate and deal with individual veterinary practices, so there are "participating providers". Services at these providers are discounted at the time of checkout, by showing your Pet Assure card.

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Top Reasons Pet Health Insurance Claims are Denied

1. The pet has a pre-existing condition. This means that the pet had the illness or condition before pet insurance was purchased. Also, "pre-existing" often refers to when the condition actually began, not just when it was first diagnosed or treated.

2. The insurance coverage had not yet begun before a claim was made. Many plans have a waiting period after enrollment, and before any claims can be submitted.

3. Paperwork. The forms are not filled out completely, they are not legible, or they are not signed.

4. You are filing a claim for a condition that is not covered in your insurance plan. Know what your plan will help you with, before you buy!

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Pet health insurance company plans and costs are changeable things - I apologize if there are errors here. Again, be sure and visit their websites to get current information!

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The information presented here is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian! A valid veterinary-client-patient relationship (created when you take your pet to see your vet) is essential to providingexcellent individual pet care. If your pet is ill, call or go to your vet or an emergency veterinary hospital!

Go to the Pet Health Home Page from Pet Health Insurance Company.

Page last updated 11/27/11.