Pet insurance

Differences between UK and US

2007-07-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

UK Policies usually pay 100% of vets fees. Policies in the USA usually offer to pay 80-90% of the costs minus a $50-100 deductible depending on the company (VPI Pet Insurance offers a $50 deductible, while PetCare pet insurance offers a $100 deductible). The owner will usually pay the amount due to the Vet, and then send in the claim form and receive the reimbursement. In the case of a very high bill, the Vet will usually allow the owner to work out a contingency plan to pay the Vet when the claim is processed. However, providers such as Direct Line Pet Insurance do pay the vets directly (subject to vets agreement) on behalf of customers.

Pet insurance generally will not pay for preventative veterinary care (such as vaccinations) or elective veterinary care (such as neutering) since these costs are known and can be budgeted for in advance. Recently however, some companies in the UK and US (Such as PetPlan & Direct Line Pet Insurance, in the UK, and VPI, in the US) are offering routine care coverage as well to help reimburse for all costs related to pet care.

In addition, companies are not equipped to pay for pre-existing medical conditions for a pet (much like trying to get house insurance for your already burning house), which is why, if one does choose to sign their pet up for insurance, it's best to do it as a puppy.

Rowan!

2007-07-30T05:38:00.001-07:00

This is Rowan, a beautiful 1 year-old mixed breed dog from Los Angeles - don't you just love those ears?! This is her personalized Embrace Pet Insurance policy:

Annual Deductible: $200

Copay %: 20%

Annual Maximum: $5,000

Drugs and Dental Plan: Yes

Continuing Care Plan: Yes

Continuing Care Maximum: $1,250

Annual Premium: $364.23

Her dad says "...please let us know that she's the big winner and when we need to show up for the parade." Now there's a proud pet parent :)

Are you a policyholder and want me to feature your beloved? Email me with some pictures and we'll put them up.

And if you want to sign up for a policy, get a free quote at http://insurance.blog2blog2.nl/

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Programs

2007-07-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

We pet parents are pretty much accustomed to getting our pets their regular puppy or kitten boosters and can schedule the spay or neuter as soon as the vet recommends it so that these costs are spread out over several months.

But after a life out in the great unknown, Nugget had a bit of veterinary care catch up to do. The costs of her vaccinations, heartworm test, health check and basic puppy necessities (crate, collar, toys) added up quickly.

Fortunately, there are samaritan groups like Valley Save a Pet available to help with the costs of a spay or neuter. Lea was able to send Save a Pet a money order for just $65 (for a female dog under 50 pounds) in exchange for a voucher for a spay at her own veterinarian. These discounted vouchers are made possible by donations raised by the 100% volunteer organization.
There are more details on spay and neuter programs through Spay USA for low income households or through voucher programs such as this. Some programs are strictly cat or dog programs, and may have different criteria for qualification. You may also want to check schedules for a mobile spay or neuter clinics through a group NeuterScooter.com, though national programs are not common.

Do you have a spay or neuter program experience to share?