Pet Insurance 101

Colin GrubbFeb 19, 2014

Pet Insurance 101

Cheap pet insurance is worthless if it doesn't cover your pet's emergency visit!

What to consider:

1) Reimbursement based on actual costs 

Some insurance providers pay out on a benefit schedule, also known as "usual and customary. " That means that regardless of what you pay, they only pay so much. 

The Times wrote an article comparing the providers who offer the best benefits, coverage and fewest restrictions. 

They also picked Healthy Paws as #1. Read the whole article here.  

2) Cover the Unexpected

Unlimited or very high payout caps are best. You don't actually want your plan to cover run of the mill vet visits. 

This sounds counter-intuitive, but if your plan covers things like routine vet visits, you'll pay a good amount more through higher premiums. 

3) Read Reviews

You can't learn much about pet insurance from Yelp or the Yellow Pages, so we have looked at the top pet insurance reviews websites and ratings with the BBB to help calculate our ranking.

4) Nobody covers pre-existing conditions

Don't delay! The vast majority of dogs have problems after the age of 7 but nobody will cover pre-existing conditions. Get insurance now while you're still eligible!

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