Cat Health Insurance - Protect Your Precious Feline

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Cat Health Insurance - Protect Your Precious Feline

Thursday, January 31st, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

As you probably know Pet insurance has been around for quite a long time now. What was once only considered affordable to the wealthy pet owner has become a reality for most owners of cats and dogs. The affordability of Pet insurance is clearly as a result of more accurate statistics that has allowed pet insurance carriers to refine their premium pricing and the scope of coverage afforded by the policy.If you own pets you will have probably noticed that the cost of veterinarian visits and medications have steadily risen. These cost rises have made pet owners consider the benefits of taking out pet insurance to help cover the cost of maintaining their pet in perfect health.

Cat owners, particularly, have taken up the insurance option and this is basically because ca ts can typically live longer than dogs. As cats get older they start having more health issues such as cancer, arthritis and kidney problems. Cat health insurance can ease the burden of treatment costs so that you don’t have to make any difficult decisions about whether you can afford a particular treatment or not.

Before you go out and purchase cat health insurance for your cat there are some factors you should consider. Each cat health insurance policy is quite different so you need to make sure that the one you choose provides all the coverage that your cat needs.

Does Your Vet Accept Insurance?

It is important that you check if your veterinary specialist accepts cat health insurance. If they do you should find out which insurance carriers are approved and which are not. If your vet is good but does not like a particular insurance carrier because they are difficult to deal with or do not provide the right type of coverage or are slow at paying out claims then steer clear of insuring your cat through that carrier.

Exclusions, Caps And Deductibles

Most cat health insurance policies have certain clauses and exclusions that clearly mention that certain pre-existing conditions are not covered. There may be other exclusions that also apply such as heartworm medication, flea control, spay or neutering and vaccinations. Of course, each insurance carrier is different so some may include these things and others may not.

Each insurance carrier will have different rules regarding deductibles or co-payments towards the vet and related expenses. Some insurance companies require the payment by the policyholder of a flat deductible on each individual claim while others request that you pay a percentage of the total cost of each claim or series of claims arising from a single incident or condition. Some cat health policies have a cap on how much will be paid for individual claims or for all claims in a particular policy period.

Other Thoughts to Ponder

Cat health insurance can also have add-ons called ‘riders’ or ‘endorsements’ which can extend the coverage afforded by the policy to include other miscellaneous expenses like dental care, preventative health care and even accident coverage. Some cat health insurance policies also extend to offer extra benefits like discounts for boarding fees, grooming or even micro-chipping.

Before you head out and buy your cat insurance policy check with your vet as to which insurers are good, get a copy of the policy document and read it to assure yourself that the coverage is what you require and always compare premiums on a like for like basis.