Pet Insurance: What It Covers & What It Doesn’t
Sponsored by Figo Pet Insurance
Pet owners face a dilemma when it comes to offering their pets the best veterinary care. We all love our pets and want our pets to live the healthiest and happiest lives possible, but we often have to make difficult choices due to the high cost of veterinary care.
Unfortunately, pets get sick and accidents happen. Even the most cautious pet owner is at risk of their pet falling ill or having an accident that requires an unexpected visit to the vet. Wouldn’t it be great if when these unforeseen, unfortunate things happen to your pet, you could make decisions regarding their health without worrying as much about cost?
Good news! You can breathe easier thanks to pet insurance.
Sound too good to be true? You may be thinking that there is a hidden catch. There isn’t. However, it is important to know what your pet insurance will cover. So, we wanted to put together a quick guide to lay out some of the things that pet insurance covers, and some of the things that it doesn’t.
What Pet Insurance Covers
A common misconception about pet insurance is that it’s very limited in its coverage. While pet insurance doesn’t cover every pet-related thing you can think of, it covers a great deal of conditions. Coverage typically includes:
- Accidents and Illnesses: As pet owners know all too well, an accident or illness can pop up out of nowhere. Whether your dog is having digestive issues or your kitty has hurt their paw, your pet’s illness may be eligible for pet insurance coverage.
- Preventive and Wellness Care: There’s a whole list of things you can do for your pet that will limit the likelihood that they require veterinary care. Preventive care is covered by pet insurance at an additional cost, so your pets can take advantage of annual exams, vaccinations, deworming, dental cleanings, and more.
- Chronic Conditions: Chronic conditions are things like allergies, diabetes, and cancer. With pet insurance, your pet may be covered for treatment for these chronic conditions.
- Behavioral & Alternative Therapy: Some insurance companies and plans will extend coverage for your pet to receive behavioral and alternative care. These types of care often require exams, testing, and medications, which may also be covered.
What Pet Insurance Doesn’t Cover
As you learned above, pet insurance covers a lot of pet-related vet expenses. There are a couple of things that pet insurance won’t cover. They include:
- Inhumane Treatment: As troubling, sad, and difficult as it is to comprehend, animals are occasionally abused and mistreated by their owners. Injuries caused by mistreatment are not covered by pet insurance providers. They are also illegal. If you see or discover someone is mistreating their animal, you should report them to the authorities.
- Pre-existing Conditions: As is the case with many human health insurance plans, pre-existing conditions are not always covered by pet insurance providers. If your pet has been diagnosed by a vet prior to obtaining insurance, any expenses related to that diagnosis may not be covered. Some pre-existing conditions are treated differently than others. If your pet has a pre-existing condition, check with your provider for eligibility. Different providers will have different waiting periods for when a prior diagnosis is no longer considered pre-existing.
Remember to review the sample policy for specific details on what pet insurance providers cover and what is excluded from coverage.
Pet insurance is an excellent option for pet owners. Without having to stress about the high price of providing your pet with all the veterinary care they require, you can focus more on what matters most: their happiness.