Interested In Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is available to most pets and can be obtained through several companies.
Who Should Get Pet Insurance?
Any family considering adopting a pet should investigate pet insurance. Families that currently share their home with a pet.
What Is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is a way to help with the financial aspect of keeping our pets healthy and happy. Pet Insurance typically offers monthly or yearly plans and can offset preventative care visits as well as uncontrollable accidents.
How Does It Work?
Much like human insurance, there are several companies that offer insurance to our beloved furry family members.
Unlike human insurance, most insurance will have pet owners pay out of pocket for medical expenses and file claims to get reimbursed on veterinary bills. The amount of this reimbursement is based on the coverage you select.
Lately, there are some insurances such as Trupanion and Healthy Paws which will pay your veterinarian directly without pet owners paying up front.
When Should You Get Pet Insurance?
The sooner you get pet insurance, the better! Insurance your pet early will help reduce your costs as well as keep your pet insured for those unexpected visits.
Why Get Pet Insurance?
Routine veterinary care is the cornerstone of preventative care. Many pet insurances will offer options for basic veterinary visits, preventative treatments such as vaccines and flea, tick and heartworm medications. They can even cover routine bloodwork.
More comprehensive plans can offer coverage for life’s unexpected accidents. They can also cover more complex diagnostics, hospitalizations, surgery and specialty services if needed.
Ask your trusted veterinary care provider for more information.
* Levittown Animal Hospital does not endorse any specific insurance company. The links are for informational purposes only.
No. With most insurance providers, you are able to see any licensed veterinarian, rather than being limited to only a few veterinarians within the insurance company’s network. Also, you as the pet owner usually pay the veterinary bill at the time of service, rather than making a co-payment. You, rather than the health care provider, then submit the claim and the insurance provider pays you.
The best time to purchase health insurance for your pet is when it is still a puppy or kitten. You can still purchase policies later in life, but your coverage might be limited by “preexisting” conditions your pet develops before the policy is effective. What you do not want to do is wait until your pet is sick and really needs the insurance. At that point, the current illness will not be covered.
It is actually less expensive to purchase pet health insurance than it is human health insurance. Employers typically pay 80% to 90% of an employees’ premium, however, which is not usually the case for pet health insurance (although some companies may offer pet health insurance as an employee benefit). Still, pet insurance costs generally reach only between $20 and $50 per month, depending on your policy. The American Animal Hospital Association strongly suggests pet-owning families assess their financial situation and consider their ability to meet unexpected expenses that may arise for veterinary care. One of the ways these expenses can be met through pet health insurance.
While outdoor pets are more likely to be victims of certain accidents and illnesses, being an indoor pet does not guarantee good health. Accidents can occur in the home and indoor pets can succumb to a variety of illnesses. It is always better to be prepared.
Reputable pet health insurance providers should have an easy claim process. This usually consists of taking a copy of your claim form with you to an office visit, having your veterinarian provide your pet’s diagnosis and sign the form, then submitting the completed claim form to the insurance provider along with supporting receipts and invoices.
Questions to ask about the insurance provider:
Questions to ask regarding the policy:
Located off of Wantagh State Parkway on Hempstead Turnpike. Directly next to Starbucks between Loring Road and Wolcott Road.
Phone: 516-796-2266
