Here are Bella and Reagan, my favorite Yorkies getting ready for a road trip! They’ve got their little bandanas, their cozy bed and….their pet insurance!
Pet insurance is health insurance for pets. If you have a pet, take a moment to consider how much you would pay to save it from a life-threatening condition. If that number is so high you wouldn’t feel comfortable writing a check for it, you should learn more about pet insurance.
Veterinarians can do some amazing things today with medical technology borrowed from the human world, but it comes at a cost. According to the Wall Street Journal dog ACL treatment used to cost $1,200 but new and improved plate insertion costs $4,500. And NBC recently reported on dog Jack who got laser eye surgery ($5,000) and dog Klover who had tennis balls removed from his stomach ($2,700). Klover later developed some complications which required a second surgery ($6,980). I love dogs, but ouch!
Pet insurance is less expensive if the pet is young. It generally reimburses 70-90% of expenses with an annual limit of $2,500-$15,000. Deductibles range from $100-$500. Like human health insurance, pet insurance provides a contracted volume discount on service prices from providers. At Desert Insurance Solutions we recommend you “sweat the big stuff” by considering high deductibles and high limits for pet insurance, and any other type of insurance for that matter.
Some critics say pet insurance isn’t a great deal financially because if your pet is generally healthy you’ll end up paying more in premiums than you would have in vet bills. That’s like saying fire insurance isn’t a great deal financially because if your house is generally fire-free you’ll end up paying more in premiums than you would have gotten back in claims. Unless you are ready to self-insure, that doesn’t make sense. Pet insurance is protection against a catastrophic event…it’s not a savings account.
To me, pet insurance is a bunch of people getting together to protect the welfare of all their pets. Maybe your pet won’t need it, but somebody else’s pet will. It protects against the biggest tragedy of all…when some innocent pet is euthanized because money isn’t there for an available but expensive life-saving treatment. Call me crazy, but if some other innocent pet gets saved and my Bella and Reagan don’t need the pet insurance I’ve paid for, I’m ok with that.
For more information about pet insurance or any other kind of insurance, call or e-mail me today.
And make it a great day!
Did You Know?
Common Pet Surgeries and Average Prices
- Torn Knee Ligament/Cartilage: $1,578
- Intestinal – Foreign Object: $1,967
- Stomach – Foreign Object: $1,502
- Intervertebral Disc Disease: $3,282
- Stomach Torsion/Bloat: $2,509
- Broken Leg (Plate): $1,586
- Laryngeal Paralysis: $2,042
- Tumor of the Throat: $1,677
- Ear Canal Surgery: $1,285
- Ruptured Bile Duct: $2,245
Most Common Items Removed From A Pet’s Stomach
- Socks
- Underwear
- Panty hose
- Rocks
- Balls