Dog Insurance — A Pawsibility?
The popularity of pet insurance has skyrocketed over the last decade. But is it for you?
Dr. Brian Peters with Lake Hamilton Animal Hospital in Hot Springs shares his perspective on dog insurance.
“In the 22 years that I’ve been out of vet school, insurance is becoming more popular in the pet community,” says Dr. Peters. Pet insurance has become so popular that it’s hard to pick one company over another.
“Purebreds are more likely to have issues based on their genetics, so insurance is most helpful for them,” he explains.
It’s important to remember that, unlike human insurance, pet insurance doesn’t have a co-pay: In other words, you pay for veterinary procedures out of pocket, then pet insurance companies pay you after the fact.
However, if you have an expensive pet or multiple pets, pet insurance can be a relatively inexpensive solution to fees that might otherwise add up quickly.
When shopping around for pet insurance, it’s important to take note of how much you’ll be paying for insurance, what procedures the insurance will cover and whether these procedures will be covered partially or fully. Additionally, consider the likelihood of your pet needing any of these procedures in the future.
Some are easier to predict than others. For example, if your pet has already been spayed or neutered, they won’t need that procedure done again.
Otherwise, if you don’t fit some of the criteria above and your pet seems relatively healthy, it may be more economically feasible to save money for a pet emergency, as opposed to paying for insurance that you may never use.
Dr. Brian Peters is Chief Veterinarian of Lake Hamilton & Hot Springs Animal Hospitals. Peters grew up in Sherwood, Arkansas, and has loved animals since he was a child. He made the decision to become a veterinarian after working as a kennel assistant in high school. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine.
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