It is an understood fact that various pet insurance plans and companies tend to offer variety of ‘whistles and bells’. Pet insurance appropriately can get categorized into different distinct plan types. The ‘narrowing down’ of the options can be regarded to be the first big step taken towards deciding as to which plan can be appropriate. Most insurance plan for the pets based upon the plan provisions could be funneled into any one of the 4 distinctive types.
Compare Pet Insurance the Right Way
- Traditional: The standardized pet insurance plans having pre-determined plan design choices cover pet accidents, illness and sometimes preventive care. Based upon the chosen plan design, the insurance provider would pay part or all of the vet bills to a specific amount.
- Customizable: This type is somewhat similar to the standard pet insurance, however, that it provides more freedom in regards to ‘matching and mixing’ plan design provisions, like copays, deductibles, annual maximum amount of coverage and coinsurance percentages.
- Accident only: Similar to the implication of the name, such plans tend to cover just accidents. No particular coverage is present for preventive care of illnesses.
- Discounts: When the pet is taken to the hospital or veterinarian, which is within the network of the insurance provider, the individual is likely to receive a discount that is provided on the services offered. Such plans typically tend to have caveats (that is ‘finer prints’) outside of requiring to visit innetwork vet.
What Pet Insurance Type is Appropriate for the Pet?
It entirely depends upon several factors which includes the following:
- The budget: It is undoubtedly an important aspect that needs to be considered. As with other things in life, the individual avails, what he pays for with the pet insurance. A low monthly premium is to be paid with Discount and Accident only plans, however, vet visits is sure to cost much more. Customizable and traditional plans are offered with comprehensive coverage when the pet gets injured, sick or is due to avail preventive visit.
- Age of the pet and if pre-existing conditions exist: Customizable and traditional plans would not accept new pets once they reach a specific age. Neither the company will make payments for those treatments that are related to pre-existing medical conditions.
- The pet’s breed: Several plans exclude specific conditions that could prove to be an issue for few pre-disposed breeds. Usually it does not apply to Discount or Accident only plans, however, applies to Customizable and Traditional plans. Several plans do deny coverage completely for specific breeds.
- The veterinarian: Usually, it is the Discount plans that are a type that needs the vet to become part of the network. In this plan type is what the individual is interested with, and then it is necessary to find out if the vet currently belongs. In case they don’t, it becomes possible for getting them to be a part as long as insurance provider’s needed discounts fit within the pricing model of the vet.
