Like other forms of insurance, pet insurance's price is heavily affected by your pet’s age. The younger your pet is, the cheaper that pet’s rates will be. But, that’s not the only reason to sign up for pet insurance while your pet is young.
Most Vet Costs Come when Pets are Young
Think about it—when you adopt a dog or a cat, one of the first things you do is get them checked out at a vet, get their shots, have them spayed/neutered, and tested in every way possible. This, on top of adoption fees, new toys, bedding, those 25 pounds of dog food you carry over your shoulder to feel like a lumberjack, all cost a decent chunk of change—pet insurance is a good way to alleviate that.
How does Pet Insurance Work?
SDPEBA is partnered with Nationwide Pet Insurance, which offers a claim-based percentage reimbursement plan. That’s basically insurance speak for: you get a percent of your bill back, but you need to send your bill in after you go to the doctor.
Basically, if Fido needs his teeth pulled, you might end up with a $200 bill. Depending on which Pet Insurance you spring for, you could get between $100-$180 back from that bill (check out this article on pet dental health).
Pet insurance also generally features a deductible (an amount you must pay on your own before insurance kicks in) and also a maximum benefit (the total amount an insurance will pay out in a given benefit year). If you add “wellness” benefits, your rate will go up, but you’ll also get coverage on preventative care visits, like shots, blood tests, and puppy physicals. Okay, I made puppy physicals up—they’re just called checkups… for now…
How much does Pet Insurance Cost?
Beyond the vet bills, which will obviously vary based on the plan you choose and how often your cat might get sick, your rate is determined by your pet’s age, gender, and “reproductive status,” I feel like there’s a better way to phrase that.
Your pet’s rate changes year to year, but if you sign on early you can obviously afford better screenings/tests and save money in the long run by just having a healthier pet. Win, win!
Still not sold on getting Pet Insurance when the Pet’s young?
Long subheadings aside. If you’re not sold on saving money on initial bills, getting a cheaper rate, and the peace of mind of having the insurance—then note that most pet insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions.
With pet insurance, pre-existing conditions are more general, which can lead to some issues down the line. Essentially, due to this clause, most pet insurance plans won’t cover illnesses a pet has experienced prior to having insurance. This means if you rescued your dog and took it to the vet before you got insurance and found out it had worms, later in life if the dog has worms again, it might not have coverage. However, if this dog is covered both times it gets worms, you’ll be reimbursed both times.
Because of this, signing your pet up for insurance immediately can protect you from exclusions on future issues. Now I promise, I’m not trying to give you insurance FOMO, it’s just something that you ought to know when getting a pet.
Whenever you get a new pet, consider signing up for insurance as soon as possible. At the very least, check your rates against how much your initial vet bills will cost—who knows how much you might save.
Interested in signing up for pet insurance? Click here.
Want to learn more about pet insurance? Click here.