What You Should Know About Dog Health Insurance

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Is pet insurance right for your dog? Consider this scenario; it's a dog owner's worst nightmare: Your cherished pooch is suffering in pain and you're faced with the agonizing choice of paying huge veterinary bills you can't afford or putting your dog to sleep.

The Growing Demand of Pet Health Insurance

Americans spent more than $10.5 billion in veterinary care in 2005, according to the Pet Industry Strategic Outlook report from Dillon Media LLC, a marketing and research firm. Fortunately, more dog owners are quickly learning that reasonably priced pet health insurance is readily available in the United States. Although pet insurance has only been gaining widespread recognition as of recently, the demand has been established for many years and has proven to be a successful financial solution for helping pet owners afford veterinary costs. With an insurance policy, dog owners are free to make optimal healthcare decisions for their pets, focusing on their well-being rather than on veterinary costs.

How Pet Insurance Works

Using pet insurance is easy. You simply pay the veterinarian at the time of service, fill out a claim form with your pet's diagnosis and treatment, then fax or send the claim form to your pet insurance provider for processing. A reimbursement check for eligible expenses is then sent to you.

As with medical insurance for humans, pet health insurance providers charge premiums and deductibles for different levels of coverage so be sure to choose the plan that's right for you. Exclusions may exist for older pets, pre-existing or hereditary conditions and breed-related problems so read up and make sure you understand what you're buying.

The Affordability of Pet Insurance

Are you wondering whether you can afford pet insurance? Well, the question you might need to think about is, can you really afford not to?

Americans spent more than $10.5 billion in veterinary care in 2005, according to the Pet Industry Strategic Outlook report from Dillon Media LLC, a marketing and research firm. While advances in veterinary medicine mean pets can live longer, more rewarding lives, they can be expensive and dog owners need to be prepared for the cost. An insurance policy allows you to budget your veterinary expenses so you don't have to worry about whether you'll need to make a lifestyle change, take on a second job, or sacrifice that next vacation to pay for your pet's veterinary care.

Choosing the Right Provider

Although there are several pet insurance providers out there today, Petplace.com has teamed up with Veterinary Pet Insurance, America's Trusted Choice, to make selecting a pet insurance provider easy.

Why have we teamed up with VPI? It's simple. According to a recent independent survey, nine out of ten veterinarians who recommend pet health insurance recommend VPI.* Although other pet insurance companies exist, none have the financial stability, experience and history of VPI's proven success:

VPI policies are licensed in all 50 states.

No other pet insurance competitor can match VPI's credentials. We believe you're not just buying a product-you're also joining a family of professionals with decades of pet health knowledge, expertise and service dedication in an industry they pioneered. With VPI, you can have peace of mind knowing they will be around when you need them most.

Pet Insurance Buyer's Guide

Even if you choose not to go with VPI, make sure to check out their Pet Insurance Buyer's Guide, available at petinsurance.com for a list of important questions all pet owners should consider when looking for a pet insurance provider.

To learn more about veterinary insurance, visit their Web site at petinsurance.com.

 

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