Sunday, August 23, 2009

Health Insurance for Pet

Most of the people treat their pets as members of the family. No matter if someone has a fluffy four-legged creature or a slithery reptilian companion, they will demand similar services for their pets as they do for themselves " and for an every growing number of people, that includes pet insurance.

According to recent polls, pet health care spending has risen over 40% in the last two years to roughly $10 billion dollars. According to the founder of Pet's Best Insurance, Jack Stephens, over $2 million of that was spent on pet insurance. By all accounts, that number is expected to top $1 billion by 2011 which makes pet health insurance one of the fastest growing insurance products on the market today.

The trust is that you never need your coverage. But, even with a pedigreed animal there is always the chance they will need emergency care or surgery. These pet bills often spiral into the thousands and can catch you unaware.

A check with the ASPCA has seen a surge in the number of pet owners contacting their local offices in recent months. These owners are struggling to provide veterinary care to their pets, a situation that can be helped with a simple pet insurance plan.

Normally, pet insurance cover bills due to injuries and illnesses. They also cover preventative care and vaccinations. Some plans will also cover a portion of obedience training costs and flea/tick medications. In addition, pet insurance policies often cover the cost of advertisements and rewards if a dog or cat goes missing, kennel costs if the owner is hospitalized and the cost of holiday cancellation if a pet requires life-saving surgery.


This makes it important not to shop on price alone. How would you feel denying your pet a life saving procedure knowing that it saved you $1 a month? Pet health insurance is becoming more common every day. It's a great feeling knowing that your pet will be taken care of no matter what sort of emergency comes up.

No one wants to make the choice to end the life of their pet when faced with a huge treatment bill. Wallace Sife, who as founder of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has counseled hundreds of guilt-racked pet owners, said, There is no right answer,
This means there is no hard or fast rule when your pet needs sudden care. Will it can not take away the trauma of the situation, a pet insurance plan can be the financial cure and ultimately make the emotional decision a bit easier.


There will still be some more research to do when choosing the right plan for your needs. This is often as simple as a web search for companies’ websites to compare the different plans and coverages. It's important not to get hung up on price as your sole shopping criteria.

The cheapest plan may not necessarily be the best deal. Ultimately, you want to be sure that your pet will be provided with the best care should there ever be a need. This will keep you both happy for many years to come.