Not all pet insurances are made equal. There are various companies to choose from and different insurance plans available with each company. Reading the fine print of all insurance plans is a must so that you know what your pets are and are not covered for.
What is Covered By The Insurance
Petcube Emergency Fund
Petcube offers unlimited telehealth with a veterinary professional. In this way you can confirm if you have an emergency on your hands or not. If you do, you will need to take your pet to a nearby vet within 4 hours. Once you have been helped the receptionist at the vet can phone the hotline with the final cost and Petcube will pay up to $3000 out.
Only emergencies are covered by this insurance, such as:
- Foreign body ingestion (Up to $3000)
- Major traumas (Up to $3000)
- Difficulty breathing or coughing (Up to $1500)
- Toxin ingestion (Up to $2170)
- Bloat or gastric torsion (Up to $2371)
- Vomiting or diarrhea (Up to $1080)
State Farm Pet Insurance
State Farm Pet Insurance is part of the larger Trupanion group that offers coverage from homes to pets. According to the information provided on their website you can enjoy unlimited payouts on covered costs, and the coverage will not be dropped no matter how many times you claim. The following is included in their coverage:
- Hereditary and congenital conditions: diabetes, upper respiratory infections, elbow and hip dysplasia, nervous system problems, thyroid disease, heart disease, liver disease and cataracts.
- Unidentified issues: issues that do not have a definitive diagnosis such as coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea and weight changes.
- Unexpected injuries and illnesses: diagnostic tests, hospital stays, surgery, medication and other treatments that may be required when your pet is sick.
- Diagnostic tests: any tests that are necessary to determine the cause or extent of your pet’s illness or injury.
- Hospital stays & surgeries
- Medications: any medication prescribed by your veterinarian
- Advanced dentistry: comprehensive dental coverage from what is explained on the website
What is Not Covered By The Insurance
Petcube Emergency Fund
- Scheduled appointments or regular check ups
- Scheduled surgeries that are not considered an emergency
- Wellness visits
- Pregnancy related problems
- Parvovirus
State Farm Pet Insurance
- Pre-existing conditions: this could mean any condition that has occurred previously even if it was resolved and currently nothing is being treated.
- Wellness care: I found the description vague; I assume this excludes vaccinations, tick and flea treatment and deworming.
- Exam visits: these are classified as a known cost if there is no illness or injury, and the visit is purely a ‘wellness’ check and the choice of the owner to do so. The insurance states that it is for the unexpected so these costs would not be covered, as it is expected.
Dr. Dodds says: “The immune system of companion animal pets, like that of all mammals, forms the backbone of body function to ensure health, well-being, and longevity while protecting against the foreign invaders of disease.”
How Many Pets Can Be Insured
Petcube Emergency Fund
Up to 6 pets can be named and covered with this emergency fund, but the monetary fund has a limit of $3000 per year.
State Farm Pet Insurance
Up to 5 animals on one plan. (This is how many animals the quote system would allow me to load.)
What is The Waiting Period for Insurance
Petcube Emergency Fund
They have a 14-day waiting period for veterinary visits, but from the moment you sign up you can chat to a veterinarian about any concerns that you may have on their telehealth platform.
State Farm Pet Insurance
They have a 5-day waiting period for injuries and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses.
How Much Does Insurance Cost
Petcube Emergency Fund
The fund is $29.99 only per month.
State Farm Pet Insurance
The cost varies according to the deductible and any extras that you select.
There is a quote option where you can see an estimate of how much your monthly fee would be at this link. You decide what your monthly premium will be and the deductible amount if your pet were to need veterinary attention. The deductible you select is the monetary amount that you as the parent pay for an illness or injury, prior to coverage for your pet. Once your veterinary bill reaches the deductible amount, the policy will pay out all further amounts for that specific condition. (Subject to terms and conditions of the policy.)
For example:
You opt to pay $170 per month for a pet with a $500 deductible. If your pet were to have a veterinary emergency and the total bill came to $3000, you would have to pay $500 plus 10% of the total amount (10% of $3000 = $300). The amount you would need to pay of that bill would come to $800 and insurance would cover $2200, and any other future charges related to this condition.
If you opted to have a zero deductible amount, you could pay $435 per month, and still must pay 10% of the total veterinary bill with insurance covering the other 90%.
If you decided to add recovery and complementary care an extra $6.90 will be charged per month. This includes cover for acupuncture, behavioural modification, chiropractic, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, naturopathy, physical therapy and rehabilitative therapy.
If you were to add the option ‘Pet Owner Assistance’ for $4.95 per month then you would receive the following benefits:
- Advertising and reward
- Boarding fees in the event you are hospitalized
- Liability coverage for third-party property damage
- Cremation or burial for deaths due to accident
- Holiday vacation cancellation costs
Conclusion
Always read the fine print and do get some form of an accident cover at the minimum, you would not want to land in the doghouse due to lack of planning on behalf of your fur children.
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