THINKING ABOUT PET INSURANCE?
-Jessica, Pathway to Hope Adopter
Food. Treats. Crates. Leashes. Collars. Toys. Pet owners think of buying all these for their pets. One thing most do not consider is how they will pay for medical bills if their pet becomes sick or injured.
My family has had dogs my entire life. My first dog was a Miniature Pinscher named Hershey. I was very lucky that Hershey was healthy almost her entire life. During the last six months of her life, she developed kidney issues that required various medications, vet visits, blood work, ultrasounds and subcutaneous fluid injections. After she died, it didn't take me very long to realize I would get another dog. I also knew I would purchase pet insurance for the puppy to help defray any unexpected medical bills.
I was so happy and excited to adopt my 6-month old lab/shepherd mix, Ziva. She has such a great personality, so smart and fantastic around children. She loved to run around the yard, play with her toys, and chew on her Nylabones. A few days after I adopted her, I purchased her pet insurance. After all the research I did, PetPlan was the best choice for Ziva. Her first premium was very reasonable, and I was pleased with all the conditions that would be covered. I printed her policy and filed it in my desk. I thought, "I won't need this any time soon."
About five weeks later, I noticed Ziva starting to sit down during our walks, sleeping a lot more and grunting when she was laying down. After a few days, I brought her to the vet where it was thought she had panosteitis (puppy growing pains). Ziva's doctor told me to monitor her. When I came home from work one night and she was limping very noticeably on her back right leg. I immediately made an appointment with her vet for an X-ray. The X-ray showed severe hip dysplasia in both hips. Her right side was worse. Her femur bone was not even in the hip socket. Her doctor was astonished that she was even able to walk.
Three days later, Ziva had an appointment with an orthopedic specialist. The doctor took one look at the X-ray and said Ziva was at 'end stage'. The only option was surgery and without it, Ziva would lose the use of both legs. We decided Ziva would have a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) on her right hip as soon as possible then another FHO on her left hip later. Four days and a lot of tissues later, Ziva had her first surgery. Did I mention it cost $2,600?
Ziva's surgery went very well and within a week, she was putting more weight on her leg as she walked. Ziva began therapy sessions to get her back on her feet. Cost? $728. At this point, I heard money pouring out of my savings account, but I knew it was necessary in order for Ziva to have maximum use of her hip and leg.
It was right around the time Ziva started her therapy that I filed my first claim with the pet insurance company. Even with everything in order, I thought "If this is anything like 'human' medical insurance, I am going to have a fight on my hands for them to pay this.". Within a week, I received an email stating that my check was in the mail. I read the email three times. I didn't believe it until I had the check in my hands two days later.
When I did my research, I never realized there were so many pet insurance companies out there. One website that was incredibly helpful was petinsurancereview.com. It lists all the insurance companies, links to their websites and client reviews. Here are a few things to know and research about pet insurance:
▪ The pet owner has to pay all medical costs when their pets have treatment. The insurance companies do not work through the vets. They work with the pet owners. So yes, you may initially feel the pain in your bank account, but a reimbursement check will soon follow (as long as it is a covered condition).
▪ Find out the claims process. How quickly do claims need to be filed? How fast will you receive a reimbursement check?
▪ Some insurance companies offer co-pay and deductible options. Both of these affect your premium and how much you would have to pay if your pet needed treatment. Make sure the policy premium, co-pay and deductible fit your overall budget and what you are comfortable paying if your pet needs treatment.
▪ If your pet currently has a condition (such as hip dysplasia or diabetes), find out if it will be covered before you buy the insurance. Most companies do not cover pre-existing conditions.
▪ Some companies are very upfront about what they will cover, but they may not be as clear explaining what they don't cover. If you own a breed known for specific medical conditions/genetic diseases, ask if it would be covered before you buy.
▪ Some companies will cover a condition one time and then it becomes a pre-existing condition and it won't be covered in the future. Find out if conditions have a time limit.
▪ Waiting periods are very common. Waiting periods are the amount of time after your policy is effective that condition(s) will not be covered. This is good to know upfront so that there are no surprises in the future.
Medical treatment for pets isn't cheap. It isn't even reasonably priced. It is down right expensive. I can understand how some pet owners decide not to seek medical treatment for their pets. It's not that they don't want to, but they can't afford it. My case alone was $7,000. That's mortgage payments, car payments, groceries, gas for the car...living expenses for a family. Pet insurance makes your pet's medical options affordable and completely puts your mind at ease knowing you will not need to struggle with tough decisions about whether or not to get treatment for your pet. Most importantly with pet insurance, you and your family will not feel the financial strain.
-Ziva's mom
