Pet insurance really does pay – and here are some stories to prove it! From Boss the English Bulldog to helping to stop economic euthanasia, watch this great video that shows how insurance can give pet parents peace of mind (and protect their wallets) while securing the best care possible for our furry friends.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.– Pet owners across the nation will spend an estimated $15.73 billion dollars on veterinary care by the end of 2015, according to the American Pet Products Association.
The number of pet insurance companies competing for a piece of that business has grown from just a handful to dozens. But is it worth the cost? Which policy should you go with? Do you really need it?
Dog owner Angela Reker of Golden Valley swears by it. Reker purchased pet insurance for Boss, her English bulldog when he was a puppy. She pays $57 a month for coverage from VPI, a product of Nationwide. It came in handy this summer when Boss, now four-years-old, got sick.
Boss ate something he wasn’t supposed. Two doctor visits and $800 later he was okay and so was Angela’s bank account.
“I think I ended up spending $100 of my own. I was reimbursed the rest of the amount through his insurance thankfully,” she said.
Dr. Donnell Hansen with Blue Pearl Veterinary used to be a skeptic but says coverage has gotten better. Now she even has it for her pets and she has seen more and more clients choose it. She says having insurance often makes hard decisions easier.
“It’s the worst when we have an economic euthanasia. When it’s something that we can fix and because of finances now we don’t get to,” Hansen said.
Premiums can run anywhere from $19 to more than $90. Some plans even cover basics like yearly checkups and vaccines. It’s up to each owner to do their research and compare plans, according to Hansen.
“Just think about your breed and your lifestyle,” she said.
Reprinted from Kare 11.