I was a senior in high school when Marley and Me came out. Watching the final scene with noses blowing and eyes dripping with tears all around me, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why someone would cry over a dog. I later came to find out that apparently I had no heart. To be fair, I had never had a dog and didn’t understand. When I finally did get a dog and re-watched it, I was two boxes of tissues down and had a very puffy face. I, like most pet owners, have ended up spending thousands on pet medical expenses. Between that bout with parvo and the sock we had to have surgically removed, a lot of money has been put into that puppy of mine. I probably could’ve saved some money if I had the right insurance in place. If all pet owners were concerned with the checkups and shots, you might not need insurance, but it’s everything else that adds up.
Pet medical care can be costly. Depending on what it is, the complexity and cost could rival that of procedures even for humans. Even your cat can get an MRI now with an average cost of around $1,200. Even cancer treatment is becoming more common, with sophisticated treatments starting at around $900 and could quickly reach $5,000 or more. Pet insurance policies can help to supplement some of this cost. In many ways, they work just like human policies. Most will cover ailments and accidents. Deductibles will apply like in normal human policies, and usually, preexisting conditions will be excluded. Depending on the different companies, the coverage will vary a little–some companies will cover an accident or illness that’s hereditary or even congenital. Some will put a policy term maximum and some will limit your reimbursement to a certain percentage.
If pet insurance is something you’re interested in ask questions before you do. Every company is different and there can be major differences between varying policies. Find out what exactly is covered, how the reimbursement is calculated, whether there’s a claims limit, and if it’s a good company, these are just a few of the things to ask. If you have questions regarding insurance for your pet, ECI is always here. Call us for Oklahoma City pet insurance at (405) 373-2977.
