Everyone has purchased insurance at some point, but very few people understand how it works. This is no surprise as it can be confusing, so when people hear of insurance for animals they wonder: “What is pet insurance and why would I ever need it?”

First, consider the things in your life you deem worthy of having insurance. You invest in car insurance because you want protection from negligent drivers. You have homeowners insurance to protect your precious, invaluable items from emergencies.

And of course, you have health insurance for yourself because after all, there’s only one you.

Pet parents feel the same way about their dogs and cats. Pets are not a burden, accessory, or nuisance to animal lovers — they’re part of the family. That’s why Prudent Pet has customizable insurance plans that work for your pet and your budget.

Pet owners should be educated on all the nuances of insurance, as well as the cost and benefits of each plan. That’s why we broke down everything you need to know about pet insurance.

About Pet Insurance

The most significant incentive for pet owners to insure their animals is the peace of mind and knowing they can receive financial recompenses if their pet becomes sick or has an accident. In this way, pet insurance is not unlike other forms of insurance.

Pet insurance coverage reimburses you for certain medical and surgical expenses if your pet gets into an accident or becomes ill. The concept is simple and luckily, so is the process.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

Having coverage for your pet is not as complex as healthcare for people can often seem. When you buy insurance for your pup, you don’t need to worry about visiting vets that are in-network or accept certain kinds of insurance.

You can visit any licensed veterinarian nationwide with your cat insurance. All you have to do is visit your vet and pay the bill like you usually would. Then, you submit a claims form with your vet receipts through email, mail, fax, or our online pet portal.

Once your claim is submitted, you will get reimbursed for your costs via check or direct deposit.

Pet parents often worry their vets will reject coverage or need to deal with the insurance provider directly. However, all you have to do is pay the bill and file your claim so we can refund you for the costs, which means less worry and stress on your part.

How Plans Are Built

Prudent Pet has Accident-Only and Accident & Illness plans, each with the option for Preventive Care add-ons for a little more cost.

Our policies are built and tailored for the individual needs of your pet. Throughout the quoting process, you’ll find we request specific questions about your animal to determine which plan will work for them.

These are three critical pieces of information taken into consideration when building a pet insurance policy:

• Age: Older animals are at a higher risk of getting sick or injured.
• Breed: Some breeds are more prone to certain ailments. This is especially true for purebred dogs.
• Location: Your zip code lets us know if you live in a rural or urban area. Veterinarian bills are much higher in urban areas than they are in rural ones.

We request your animal’s age and breed so we can understand your needs and help create a plan that will work for you and your furry friend. This does not mean we deny pets of a certain age or specific breed.

How Long It Takes to Get Reimbursed?

Currently, all companies in the pet insurance space require you to submit a claim to be reimbursed for your pet’s medical expenses. This means you will not find a pet insurance plan that reimburses you immediately.  However, reimbursement is a relatively quick process.  The average reimbursement takes about 10 business days.  The time period can fluctuate based on these factors:

• How the reimbursement is sent (check or direct deposit)
• If medical records were requested to complete the claim (this can lengthen processing time)
• How the claim was submitted (online, email, fax, or postal mail)

What Does Pet Insurance Cover?

Your coverage depends on the pet insurance policy you purchased for your animal. This means that coverage is different between Accident-Only and Accident & Illness plans and varies based on whether or not you included a Preventive Add-On.

No pet insurance company currently covers pre-existing conditions. It’s also important to note the difference between pre-existing conditions and hereditary conditions.

Pre-existing conditions are defined as ailments and issues noted by you or your veterinarian before your policy becomes active or during a waiting period.

Hereditary conditions are genetic disorders inherited by your pet, often because of their breed. Hereditary conditions are covered, so long as they are not pre-existing.  However, any injury or illness that is cured and doesn’t show symptoms or need treatment for 180 days is no longer regarded as pre-existing (knee and ligament conditions excluded). If knee or ligament conditions occur before the coverage effective date or during waiting periods, then future ones will not be covered.

Why Get Pet Insurance

Many of us will do anything for our furry friend, but how far will we go to protect them? Over 1 million dogs alone are hit by cars on U.S. roads annually. The healthcare costs associated with those accidents could be thousands of dollars if you don’t have pet insurance. This is where Prudent Pet comes in. By choosing our Accident-only plan, you would be covered for your animal’s medical costs associated with the accident and reimbursed up to 90%.

Prudent Pet also covers illnesses and hereditary conditions with an All-Inclusive plan. Our pets get sick just like us; dogs visit the veterinarian more than 2.5 times per year and cats more than 1.5 times per year. With pet insurance from Prudent Pet, those multiple trips to the vet can be covered if anything happens to your precious family member.

You never know when your furry friend is going to get in an accident or come down with an illness. For less than a $30 per month pet insurance policy, you could end up saving your pet’s life.

Source:  Brittany | https://www.prudentpet.com/what-is-pet-insurance/