Is Pet Insurance Expensive?

Most pet owners think twice before they get insurance for their fur babies. But before investing money, you’ll definitely ask this: is pet insurance expensive?

Aside from the additional monthly dues, you’ll also likely ask if having your pets insured is worth it.

Before getting pet insurance, it is wise to be familiar with your pet’s needs. By doing so, it will be easier for owners to know which insurance plan suits their pets best.

Factors to Consider in Choosing Pet Insurance

Your pet insurance premiums all depend on certain factors. The majority of it relies on your pet’s breed and age.

Animal’s Age

The younger the animal, the better. Most owners who have insured their pets while they are young have benefited more than those who insured them later.

The reason behind this is older animals already have evidence of pre-existing illnesses. Conditions that exist before you purchase an insurance plan aren’t covered. So insuring your pets while they’re young will possibly cover most diseases and conditions that may arise.

Breed

Some pet insurance has set limits to a list of breeds from getting covered. Before owners get insurance, they have to make sure to be familiar with the pedigree of their pets.

In some cases, if the insurance company finds out that the pet is purebred, they ask for extra medical tests. Purebred animals have higher premiums since they are more susceptible to diseases.

Crossbreed and mixed breed animals have more affordable pet insurance premiums. Those who don’t have a dog’s pedigree chart or history are required to get a certification from the vet. This is usually common for those who went through adoption.

So, is pet insurance expensive? Various factors contribute to its costs, and of course, it mostly depends on your budget. If you can buy a purebred pet, chances are you can pay for its premium too.

Of course, the cost of any pet insurance also depends on which policy you agree with the insurance company. You may take a basic premium without any add-on or take a comprehensive or customized plan. This all depends on your pet’s needs and your budget.

Plan Coverage

Discover what’s covered and what’s excluded in the plan. The top common types are accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness policies.

Alternative treatments such as acupuncture are not usually covered by insurance. If a pet develops a condition that needs continual treatment, only the initial treatments are covered by insurance.

Some premiums or add-ons may cater to long-term medical care but they also come with a cost. As usual, pre-existing illnesses are excluded from insurance coverage.

When animals have their check-ups, medication and procedure can be reimbursed. Many don’t cover the exam fee. For others, the vet and procedure fees can be filed for claiming, but not the medications.

Also, take note that insurance companies often have a limit when it comes to payouts. This means that they have a maximum payout on certain diseases or time. Like for example in a year they can only release a certain amount for a certain type of disease.

Cost of the Top Policies

Is pet insurance expensive indeed? Let us look at a few examples of some premiums of policies for dogs and cats.

Accident-Only Policies

As the name goes, this policy will only pay for injuries relating to accidents. These are more affordable premiums and cost a monthly average of $15.84 for dogs and $11.74 for cats.

Accident and Illness Policies

These policies include accidents and a selection of common illnesses. Though this depends on the excluded list of illnesses based on your pet’s breed. Some companies call this a comprehensive plan.

If you have the budget, this is a good policy for your young pets. Some insurance offers a lifetime benefit if you enroll your pet before the adult age. Illnesses and long-term care can be covered here.

Each policy depends according to your pet’s species, breed, age, and location. The monthly average premium for dogs is $47.20 and $29.54 for cats. A five-year increase for these premiums ranges between 21.4% to 23.7%.

Wellness Policies

Sometimes they offer this type of policy as an add-on to your comprehensive coverage. Wellness covers routine care and some preventive care.

It includes annual check-ups, vaccinations, and flea treatments. Since each company offers a variety of wellness policies, most of them range between $250 to $450 annually.

So, is pet insurance expensive? Try to compare your annual pet insurance cost to a possible multi-thousand dollar medical bill. If you still have a doubt, here are a few samples of pet care procedures.

The most common amongst dogs are ear infections, allergies, and skin diseases. They cost on average at $149.30, $234.84, and $175.97, consecutively.

For cats, their vet visits are commonly for urinary tract infection, which averages at $295.18. Next is an upset stomach, which costs about $385.46. While on top three is renal failure, costing an average of $485.38

Most American pet owners choose the affordable accident-only plans. As seen above, your pet insurance cost depends on your pet’s needs. Should you decide to add more pets or get one, consider their needs and insurance altogether.