The 5 Biggest Benefits of Having Pet Insurance

dalmation-at-vet It’s interesting that we are a society that spends tons of money picking out the right food, the right bedding, and all the best toys for our pets, yet we’ve been so slow to embrace the concept of pet insurance. We don’t know about you, but the pets in our household are very much a part of the family, which means we take their health just as seriously as our own. If that’s the case for you too, then you might want to consider pet insurance. There are five main benefits of pet insurance, so take a look and see if these make sense for you.

You Can Pick Your Own Vet

Unlike human insurance policies that may require you to use specific health providers or you pay more money, pet insurance allows you to use any licensed veterinary clinic you’d like. This is helpful for those who travel with their pets, and it’s also helpful for those who move often for work. Regardless of why you might change vets, with pet insurance, you can do so without worrying about being charged more for out-of-network visits. You simply send the bill to your pet insurance company, and they reimburse you for all qualifying expenses based on the levels you chose at the time you signed the policy.

Does Not Restrict Age or Breed

You can insure your pet no matter their age or breed, but keep in mind that some pre-existing health conditions may prevent you from insuring your beloved pet. That’s why it’s important to insure them as soon as possible. If you’re adopting a pet, have your vet check them out, and then once you get the clean bill of health, insure them. However, you can still insure them as they get older if you need to, but the benefit of insuring them early is that the premiums are often lower.

Provides an Easy Way to Budget Pet Care Costs

Another benefit of pet insurance is that it makes it fairly easy to budget for pet care costs, at least on a monthly basis. Pet insurance policies can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, and you can decide which payment plan works best for you. Because you get to decide, it’s easy to budget those costs. Based on your preferences, you’ll know exactly how much to pay, when to pay, and how to pay. There are also options to help lowers costs, as well. For example, most insurance companies offer discounts when you insure more than one pet with them.

Prevents Dipping into the Emergency Fund

Families who actually have an emergency fund are ahead of the curve, and it can be a tough pill to swallow when you need to dip into it. If you have pet insurance, even if you do have to borrow from it, you know you’ll be able to put that money right back in five to 14 business days. The ability to avoid using that fund and having to rebuild it can be a relief to families. Also, it means those funds are available for unexpected car repairs or other emergencies that come up.

Delivers Peace of Mind

A lot of times, families put off going to the vet because they know they can’t afford the bill. The guilt eats at them because they know their pet is suffering, and that guilt affects other areas of their life, as well. Pet insurance gives families peace of mind because they can take their beloved pets in for the care they need, and families don’t have to choose cheap care that may do more harm than good. Most pet insurance policies reimburse families 80% of costs after the deductible is met, and some even reimburse 90-100%, if they’re willing to pay a higher premium. Knowing that you’ll get at least 80% back on an unexpected $7,000 vet bill takes some of the sticker-shock away.

You may love your pets unconditionally, but if something happens, and they need unexpected vet care, you might find yourself in a stressful situation trying to figure out how to pay for it. Rather than stress yourself out, or make your pet suffer, you can look into pet insurance to help make sure your beloved pet receives the care they need without bankrupting you. As you can probably tell, there are several benefits of pet insurance that work in your favor. Although you still have to pay for costs upfront, it’s a little easier to deal with when you know you’re getting that money back at some point in the near future.

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