CAT OWNERS also can buy health insurance policies for their feline friends.
SUMMIT THE HUSKY drinks from the Wind River in Wyoming. Health insurance can be valuable if pets are injured during outdoor adventures.
As if the world of health care insurance weren’t confusing enough, now cats and dogs are entering the picture as potential policy holders.
More and more people are choosing to insure their pets these days, said Amy Olinger, a veterinary technician with VCA Battle Ground Animal Hospital. She said people who own older pets are especially considering the move.
“That’s exactly when they need the help,” Olinger said. “That’s when the diseases start rearing their ugly head. Insurance is a good deal.”
Available plans range from basic coverage for $12 or $13 a month up to more elaborate coverage costing hundreds of dollars monthly, she said. Most people pay a monthly fee although some insurance companies allow pet owners to pay for an entire year.
Basic coverage includes such things as poisonings, heartworm and broken bones but not serious medical conditions, Olinger said. Meanwhile, major medical plans cover illnesses and hereditary conditions.
At VCA Battle Ground Animal Hospital, staff members take a client’s medical insurance information and a doctor fills out paperwork so the owner can be reimbursed through his or her pet insurance company.
Marie Xavier, director of Columbia River Veterinary Specialists, warned that those who purchase insurance for pets must read the contract closely. There are coverage limits such as pre-existing conditions, just as for humans, so due diligence must be done prior to purchasing.
Overall, Xavier believes insurance is cost effective.
“It’s never a bad idea to be insured,” she said. “This will change the landscape of our industry over the next 10 years or so.”
The VCA Animal Hospitals website notes that one in three dogs or cats will visit a vet each year due to illness or an accident.
“Diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures unheard of a few years ago are now commonplace in veterinary practice,” according to the website. “Unfortunately, few of us are aware of the true cost of medical or surgical procedures.
“Our elation in finding that our 15-year-old much loved pet can have the same sophisticated MRI procedure as our grandmother had following a stroke quickly turns to despair when a bill of several hundred dollars for the diagnostic procedure alone is presented. These are times when pet health insurance makes sense.”
Certain breeds are more prone to certain medical conditions and diseases, the website said. For example, skin conditions are extremely common in certain breeds. Insurance companies know about those conditions and set the price of premiums accordingly.
Plans offered by different insurance companies vary, although few cover routine health care such as neutering or dental care. The principle is like health insurance for humans – graduated levels of coverage are offered for different premium costs.
“Generally it is cheaper to start insuring when your pet is young and healthy than when older and more prone to illness,” the VCA website said.
More information is available at www.vcahospitals.com.
