Pet
insurance pays, partly or in total, for veterinary treatment of the insured
person's ill or injured pet. Some policies will pay out when the pet dies, or
if the pet is lost or stolen.
As
veterinary medicine is increasingly employing expensive medical techniques and
drugs, and owners have higher expectations for their pets' health care and
standard of living than previously, the market for pet insurance has increased.
History
The
first pet insurance policy was written in 1890 by Claes Virgin. Virgin was the
founder of Länsförsäkrings Alliance, at that time he focused on horses and
livestock. In 1947 the first pet insurance policy was sold in Britain. As of
2009, Britain had the second-highest level of pet insurance in the world (23%),
behind only Sweden. According to the latest data available from the U.S.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science and the Pet Food Institute, only 0.7%
of pets in the United States are covered by Pet Insurance. In 1982, the first
pet insurance policy was sold in the United States, and issued to television's
Lassie by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI).
How policies work
Many
pet owners believe pet insurance is a variation of human health insurance;
however, pet insurance is actually a form of property insurance. As such, pet
insurance reimburses the owner after the pet has received care and the owner
submits a claim to the insurance company. Pet insurance policies primarily
cover dogs, cats and horses though more exotic species of animal can obtain
coverage.
UK
policies may pay 100% of vets fees, but this is not always the case. It is
common for UK pet insurance companies to discount their policies by offering
customers the chance to pay an "excess", just as with motor
insurance. Excess fees can range from £40 to £100.
Policies
in the United States and Canada either pay off a benefit schedule or pay a
percentage of the vet costs (70-100%), after reaching a deductible, depending
on the company and the policy. The owner usually pays the amount due to the
veterinarian and then sends in the claim form and receives reimbursement, which
some companies and policies limit according to their own schedules of necessary
and usual charges. For very high bills, some veterinarians allow the owner to
put off payment until the insurance claim is processed. Some insurers pay
veterinarians directly on behalf of customers. Most American and Canadian
policies require the pet owner to submit a request for fees incurred.
Previously,
most pet insurance plans did not pay for preventative care (such as
vaccinations) or elective procedures (such as neutering). Recently, however,
some companies in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are
offering routine-care coverage, sometimes called comprehensive coverage. Dental
care, prescription drugs and alternative treatments, such as physiotherapy and
acupuncture, are also covered by some providers.
There
are two categories of insurance policies for pets: non-lifetime and lifetime.
The first covers buyers for most conditions suffered by their pet during the
course of a policy year but, on renewal in a following year, a condition that
has been claimed for will be excluded. If that condition needs further
treatment the pet owner will have to pay for that him/herself. The second
category covers a pet for ongoing conditions throughout the pet’s lifetime so
that, if a condition is claimed for in the first year, it will not be excluded
in subsequent years. However, lifetime policies also have limits: some have
limits “per condition”, others have limits “per condition, per year”, and
others have limits “per year”, all of which have different implications for a
pet owner whose pet needs treatment year after year, so it is wise to be clear
which type of lifetime policy you are considering.
In
addition, companies often limit coverage for pre-existing conditions in order
to eliminate fraudulent consumers, thus giving owners an incentive to insure
even very young animals, who are not expected to incur high veterinary costs while
they are still healthy. There is usually a short period after a pet insurance
policy is bought when the holder will be unable to claim for sickness, often no
more than 14 days from inception. This is to cover illnesses contracted before
the pet was covered but whose symptoms appeared only after coverage has begun.
Some
insurers offer options not directly related to pet health, including covering
boarding costs for animals whose owners are hospitalized, or costs (such as
rewards or posters) associated with retrieving lost animals. Some policies also
include travel cancellation coverage if owners must remain with pets who need
urgent treatment or are dying.
Some
British policies for dogs also include third-party liability insurance. Thus,
for example, if a dog causes a car accident that damages a vehicle, the insurer
will pay to rectify the damage for which the owner is responsible under the
Animals Act 1971.
The difference between companies
Pet
insurance companies are beginning to offer the pet owner more of an ability to
customize their coverage by allowing them to choose their own level of
deductible or co-insurance. This allows the pet owner to control their monthly
premium and choose the level of coverage that suits them the best.
Some
of the differences in insurance coverage are:
Which
pets are covered (typically dogs and cats, though some insurance companies
cover horses or other pets.)
Whether
congenital and hereditary conditions (like hip dysplasia, heart defects, eye
cataracts or diabetes) are covered;
How
the reimbursement is calculated (based on the actual vet bill, a benefit
schedule or usual and customary rates);
Whether
the deductible is on a per-incident or an annual basis;
Whether
there are any limits or caps applied (per incident, per year, age or over the
pet’s lifetime); and
Whether
there is an annual contract that determines anything diagnosed in the previous
year of coverage is considered pre-existing the next year.
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