Many owners ask if pet insurance is worth getting. Pet insurance is gaining in popularity especially with the advances in veterinarian medicine which now offers a range of diagnostic capabilities and the availability of specialists. More and more veterinarians are excepting insurance including emergency room coverage.

Like any insurance policy it is wise to first look at all the different policies available to you since many companies vary drastically on the types of coverage offered. We have read articles suggesting out-of-pocket costs will range from $2,000 to $6,000 for the lifetime of your companion animal. But, keep in mind that your furry kids will need to see the veterinarian for an annual check up each year and will most likely experience one emergency room visit. We also recommend researching policies that cover unexpected illnesses or injuries that we see clients run into all the time such as knee injuries, skin/food allergies and eye issues such as cherry eye.

When analyzing which policy is best for you, there are a few restrictions to consider:

• Not all policies will cover every state
• Older pets are not always covered or allowed new coverage
• pre-existing conditions are most often excluded
• pre-dispositions to certain heredity conditions cause certain breeds to be excluded from coverage

Coverage is easier to get immediately when your companion animals are young and many offer multiple pet household discounts.

Listed below are the major providers and their contact information. However, a great place to see the top insurance plans consolidated and to get quotes visit petinsurancereview. If you want more indepth information on general pet insurance benefits another great source is mypetcover. An alternative to or in conjunction with insurance is care credit. This alternative allows you to get funding to cover veterinarian bills and pay at a zero or minimum interest rate. More and more veterinarians are excepting care credit. Visit carecredit to find out more.

AKC Pet Healthcare Plan
866-725-2747

ASPCA Pet Insurance 866-861-9092

Embrace Pet Insurance
800-511-9172

Pet Assure
888-789-7387

Pet First Healthcare
866-937-7387

PetCare Pet Insurance Programs
(866) 275-7387

Pets Best Insurance
877-738-7237

Petshealth Care Plan
(800) 807-6724

Premier Pet Insurance
(877) 774-2273

Union Plus
866-473-7387

VPI Pet Insurance
(800) USA-PETS