Pet Insurance

Pet Insurance

Once considered an extravagance and largely ignored by the average family, pet insurance has now become the standard among a vast number of pet owners as they try to mitigate the escalating costs of keeping their dogs and cats healthy and happy. While veterinary bills were once just a small percentage of the overall costs of owning a pet, today they can be downright prohibitive. Regardless, pets are more part of the family now than ever before, and no pet lover I know would ever consider living without them. Pet insurance allows pet lovers to enjoy the best of both worlds: the joys of pet ownership along with more manageable, easy to swallow veterinary expenses.

Veterinary Expenses: Why Costs Have Exploded

Since rising veterinary costs are primarily responsible for the boom in the popularity of pet insurance, finding out why those costs have increased so much is important. Veterinary costs have risen approximately 70% in the last five years, for a couple of different reasons. By looking at those reasons, it’s easier to see why pet insurance – which includes cat and dog insurance – has become such a necessity for so many pet owners.

More Sophisticated – And More Costly – Health Care Solutions

In years past, if your dog or cat contracted a serious, life-threatening disease, treatment options were limited. In recent years, though, more human-quality solutions have been adopted for addressing a litany of different pet health conditions. Just as health insurance for humans has become pretty much mandatory (unless you like flirting with bankruptcy), pet insurance has, too. Cat and dog insurance allows pet owners to provide top-notch quality healthcare at a reduced cost. Since so many more sophisticated treatment options are now available, the majority of pet owners want access for their pets. Cat and dog insurance is the only practical choice.

So, what are some of the more sophisticated treatment options being offered for pets these days? Basically, choose any treatment option traditionally reserved for humans and apply it to pets. People hold pet insurance policies to help them cover procedures like MRIs, transplants, stem cell therapy and radiation therapy. Dog insurance is popularly used to make such procedures financially possible for cash-strapped pet owners. Without pet insurance, the majority of pet owners simply couldn’t even consider such treatments.

Pets Are Living Much Longer

Since the 1950’s, the lifespan for the average pet has doubled. Owning a pet is an even longer commitment than it once was. Pet insurance can generally help make those years less financially stressful, allowing you to enjoy your pet more and worry less. Better yet, a good pet insurance policy can help dramatically increase the odds that your dog or cat lives an exceptionally long, healthy life. Prevention is the new “anti-aging” regimen for your furry friends.

Preventive Care Is More Important Than Ever

More pet owners are conscientious about being as responsible as possible, ensuring that their dogs and cats receive top-notch preventive care. Having a pet insurance policy makes the idea of regular veterinary visits much more palatable – and affordable. As a dog owner, having dog insurance increases the odds that you’ll bring your furry friend in for regular check-ups – and can help you avoid costlier treatments down the road. There’s no doubt about it — pet insurance is a fiscally responsible way to keep your pet healthy and happy.

The Top Five Pet Insurance Providers

If you’re interested in getting cat or dog insurance, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available. In fact, the huge array of pet insurance providers should be evidence enough of the wild popularity of pet insurance in general. To make things easier, check out this list of the top five pet insurance providers

VPI Pet Insurance (www.petinsurance.com) – As one of the largest pet insurance companies around, VPI Pet Insurance receives excellent marks due to the number of different plans they provide. Whether you need cat or dog insurance – and whether you require extensive coverage or a less comprehensive plan – the reviews of VPI (http://www.galttech.com/research/buying-online/pet-insurance.php) indicate a pet insurance provider at the top of their game.

Pets Best (www.petsbest.com) – As with regular health insurance companies, pet insurance companies can cause problems by haggling about prices and coverage with their customers. Pets Best has a solid reputation (http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/pet-insurance-reviews.html#Traditional) for avoiding these kinds of problems, offering clear-cut plans and coverage for all sorts of pets. With a wide array of pricing options, there’s something for everyone.

Petsurance (www.petsurance.com) – Offering cat and dog insurance – as well as plans specifically geared towards older pets – Petsurance has collected a number of very positive reviews through the years (http://www.galttech.com/research/buying-online/pet-insurance.php) and covers all diagnostic tests. Better yet, it covers 90% of your veterinary bill, which is among the highest of any pet insurance provider.

Quickcare Pet Insurance (www.quickcarepetinsurance.com) – For a very cut and dry, easy to understand cat or dog insurance policy, it doesn’t get much better than Quickcare pet insurance. Their easy-to-navigate website makes getting a quote a breeze; understanding what you’ll be getting with one of their pet insurance policies is simple. Quickcare is frequently ranked among the top pet insurance companies (http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/pet-insurance-reviews.html#Traditional) and should be near the top of any comprehensive list of pet insurance providers.

PetPlan (www.gopetplan.com) – Billed as the largest pet insurance provider in business today, PetPlan can safely say that they have a long list of satisfied customers. Customers can’t say enough good things (http://www.petinsurancereview.com/petplanUS.asp)about PetPlan, so they are well worth considering if you are thinking about purchasing cat or dog insurance.

Non-Comprehensive Pet Insurance Options

The providers listed above all offer comprehensive pet insurance policies, meaning that their policies cover basic office visits, diagnostic tests and exams as well as accidents and emergencies. If you have a relatively young pet, though – or if you simply can’t afford to pay for comprehensive cat or dog insurance – there are options available covering accidents or major illnesses only. Two of these plans are outlined below for your convenience.

Hartville Pet Health Insurance (www.hartvillepetinsurance.com) – As a partner of the ASPCA, Hartville Pet Insurance offers full coverage plans – but also offers basic, accident-only plans starting at just $8.99 per month (http://www.petinsurancereview.com/dog.asp). If you’re looking for a way to protect yourself financially in case your pet runs into a mishap, this is a very smart plan and is worth considering.

QuickCare Dog Insurance (www.quickcarepetinsurance.com/us/dog/quickcare/index.asp?cuid=) – For only $10.95 per month, you can purchase a dog insurance policy through QuickCare that will cover you in the case of accidents. Dogs are notorious for getting into things they shouldn’t, and other accidents happen all the time. The peace of mind that is afforded by holding such a pet insurance policy is well worth the low monthly price.

Is Pet Insurance Right For You?

Whether it’s a comprehensive, full coverage pet insurance policy or an accident-only plan to cover those “what ifs”, pet insurance is something that every conscientious pet owner must consider. To determine whether cat or dog insurance is right for you, sit down and come up with a list of the top five ways it could benefit you and your pet. These entries will probably include making veterinary visits more affordable, the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your pet is protected, and having access to the absolute best health care possible for your pet.

Once you’ve written out the top benefits that a pet insurance policy has to offer, look around the Internet to find reviews of the top pet insurance policies. Sites like Pet Insurance Review (www.petinsurancereview.com) and ePinions (http://www99.epinions.com/reviews/finc-Insurance-All-Veterinary_Pet_Insurance) can help you get an idea about what users have to say about various plans.

Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make the best choice possible suited to the needs of your dog or cat. When you’ve found the policy that’s right for you, you’ll be prepared, knowing that your furry friend is protected for the long haul. Providing the absolute best for your pet is a true joy.  Having to make a choice between taking on an expensive financial burden you may not be capable of meeting, or euthanizing your best friend is not a situation you want to experience.

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