Bringing a new pet home this summer is an exciting and joyful time. With all the preparation that comes with adding a new furry member to your family, how many of you have considered health insurance for your new pet?  

Like human health insurance, it is designed to cover your pet’s major medical expenses due to illness or injury. It will not cover routine and preventive care such as wellness exams, spay/neuter surgeries, and vaccinations. Though some insurance providers will offer routine and preventive care through optional riders.  Recently, Nationwide (formerly VPI) has created a product called Whole Pet with Wellness and they are now the only insurance provider to cover 90% of preventive care along with 90% of all accidents and illnesses (not pre-existing). Please note pre-existing conditions are never covered by any of the providers, which is why getting your new puppy or kitten covered from day one is crucial to gaining the most coverage.  

Unlike human health insurance, every veterinarian accepts pet insurance, no matter the provider. Typically, pet parents will pay for the veterinary services out-of-pocket at 100% and then fill out a claim form, have it signed by their veterinarian, and submit copies of invoices and payments, along with the pet’s medical record to their insurance provider. Within 15-30 days of a claim being submitted a reimbursement will be issued, minus any applicable co-pay (10-30%) and deductible.

No matter which provider you select, know that having pet insurance for your furry friend is invaluable.  In our experience, having pet insurance often means not having to make a difficult decision between what is medically best for your pet and your finances.