Should you get pet health insurance?
It’s a common remark for those devoted to their pooches: “I spend more on my dog’s health care than I do on my own!”
Dog owners can expect to pay a few hundred dollars a year for routine veterinary care, but a serious illness could send the bills soaring into the thousands.
One way to protect yourself is to buy pet health insurance.
It’s still not that common. Fewer than 1 percent of pets are insured in the U.S., according to Petplan USA — one of just 13 pet health insurance plans available in the U.S.
Most people don’t start looking for insurance for dogs or cat health insurance until they face a big vet bill, said Michael Hemstreet, who runs Pet Insurance Review, a Web site for comparative shopping.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates pet health insurance costs at $225 per year, but the price can more than double for older dogs. Many companies offer discounts for coverage of multiple pets.
In general, pet health insurance plans cover about 80 percent of pet medical bills, including routine checkups, vaccinations and tests. Whether it's cat health insurance or insurance for dogs you need to shop for a policy that fits your needs. Healthy Pet Choices offers four pet insurance companies to choose the plan that fits your pet's needs.
