Pet Insurance for Dogs & Cats - Trusted Pet Health Insurance (2024)

FAQs

Is pet health insurance real? ›

Key Takeaways. 5.36 million pets were insured in the United States in 2022, and most pet owners chose accident and illness plans for comprehensive coverage. Most pet insurance plans will reimburse you after you pay the vet bills, but some plans, like Trupanion, partner with veterinarians and will pay your vet directly.

Depending on your insurer, when you submit a pet insurance claim, they will typically request your pet's medical records to evaluate the claim and determine if the issue predates your waiting period.

Most will cover common injuries and illnesses, like cancer, diabetes, and broken bones; however, coverage for certain treatments and services, like microchipping, behavior therapy, and dental care, can vary. Pet insurance works differently from human health insurance.

What Are Typical Pet Insurance Waiting Periods? The typical waiting period is 14 days, particularly for illness coverage. Some pet insurance providers have a waiting period of only a few days for accident coverage. Hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia typically have much longer waiting periods — up to a year.

The most common type of pet insurance plan covers accidents and illnesses. So if your dog is hit by a car or gets a urinary tract infection, your plan would cover their treatment, up to your coverage limit. Below are some of the scenarios that an accident and illness plan could cover. Animal bites.

Can you afford to pay that bill? If not, pet insurance might be worth considering. Pet insurance helps cover the cost of medical care for your furry friend. It can reimburse you for expenses like cancer treatment, emergency care, prescription medications and surgery.

Health insurers can no longer charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer, as well as pregnancy. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either.

Some of the most common things pet insurance does not cover are: Pre-existing illness or injury - In general, insurers will not cover illness or injury that your pet had or showed signs of having before the policy started.

Pet insurance companies do require medical records in order to enroll any pet in a policy. These companies employ teams of veterinary specialists that are trained to review your pet's medical records to determine if your pet has any pre-existing medical conditions.

We found that, on average, pet insurance costs $66 a month for dogs and $32 a month for cats. However, pet insurance premiums typically range from $15 to $90 a month. Pet insurance is an affordable alternative to paying vet bills out of pocket and can offer financial protection against high-cost emergency vet visits.

Does pet insurance cover CT scans? ›

Lemonade offers a primary accident and illness plan that covers costs such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, lab work, emergency care, hospitalization and prescription medication.

If you are looking to save on your pet's vet care but believe pet insurance is not for you, there are alternatives you should explore. The most popular pet insurance alternatives include veterinary networks, medical organizations, community pool funds, crowdfunding, etc.

Can I buy pet insurance with no waiting period? Most pet insurance plans don't offer immediate coverage for accidents, injuries, or routine care. However, a routine care or wellness pet insurance plan is usually effective the next day.

Although it's best to enroll your pet in a policy while they're young, you can still get pet insurance for older dogs and cats — and doing so could help you save a significant amount money if they develop health concerns in their late life.

It's true that you can generally expect your pet's insurance coverage cost to increase each year, along with their ever-increasing age. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't things you could—and sometimes should—consider changing about that coverage as time goes on.

Although it may seem similar to human health insurance, the claims filing process differs—you pay for veterinary bills upfront and receive a reimbursem*nt later. While you can purchase pet insurance for any dog or cat, some providers enforce age limits that may restrict enrollment.

That's right - many employers offer pet health insurance as a benefit, alongside things like dental and vision insurance. Read on to learn how pet insurance works as an employee benefit, why it might be a good option for your family, and what to do if your employer doesn't offer it.

About half, or 44.6%, of pet owners stated they currently have pet insurance in our survey. On a larger scale, NAPHIA's 2022 State of the Industry Report found that more than 4.41 million pets were insured in North America in 2021, up from 3.45 million in 2020.

Salaries. It takes a lot of people to provide health care for pets. Pet owners see the receptionists, veterinary technicians, and veterinarians, but they may not see the multitude of animal care personnel who work diligently cleaning kennels, feeding patients, walking dogs, mopping floors, and washing bath towels.