Pets can benefit from insurance just like humans. Finding the right type of pet insurance ensures your furry, winged, or scaly friend receives the routine care they need and covers any illness or injury. Find out how time-limited pet insurance differs from a lifetime policy and how to choose the one that best fits your pet’s needs.
Reasons for Getting Pet Insurance
Pets deserve the best treatment available. A reliable pet insurance policy provides several benefits, including:
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Saving You Money
Vet bills for your pet’s unexpected accident or illness can be costly, forcing you to dip into your savings. Having pet insurance ensures your personal finances are not disrupted in an effort to help your beloved pet.
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Third-Party Liability Coverage
Sometimes pets can venture into a neighbors’ yard or house. They may damage furniture, antiques, electronic equipment, or other items that can rack up an expensive bill. If a hyperactive dog breaks a pricey item, having pet insurance that includes third-party liability coverage protects you if you’re sued for damages caused by your pet.
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Covering Hereditary Condition
Many pets are susceptible to serious health issues and congenital conditions that can appear over their lifetime. Getting pet insurance as early as possible helps you avoid age restrictions that some providers place to limit coverage of pets’ hereditary medical conditions.
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Help Finding a Missing or Stolen Pet
Pet insurance policies can cover the cost of advertising to find a missing pet. They can also offer a reward to incentivize people to look for and return your pet.
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Peace of Mind
A pet’s health emergency can impact you emotionally as well as financially. Knowing your pet has the necessary coverage will give you peace of mind since your animal friend will have the best medical treatment if they get sick or injured.
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Flexibility
Your pet’s insurance can adapt to your financial situation. You can select a lifetime plan or a time-limited option that meets your current needs.
What is Lifetime Pet Insurance?
Lifetime pet insurance is the most extensive type of pet insurance. A lifetime plan covers your pet for the entirety of its life, as long as you don’t allow the policy to lapse or cancel the plan. Since many pet insurers don’t cover pre-existing conditions when you enroll, lifetime pet insurance holders benefit from getting coverage early on and keeping their policy current.
Owners of pets that develop long-term medical conditions such as arthritis or diabetes will benefit the most from a lifetime policy. The higher cost of a lifetime policy is likely to cover complementary treatments like hydrotherapy, acupuncture, or even a pet chiropractor.
A lifetime policy covers all medical conditions in the current policy year up to your chosen policy limit. If you select an annual limit, the policy renews at the end of the 12 months, so your beloved animal friend is constantly insured.
What is Time-Limited Pet Insurance?
Time-limited pet insurance is for pet owners who want a policy covering basic, short-term matters. This type of plan may interest owners of older pets with pre-existing medical conditions that may be ineligible for a lifetime plan. It may also be a viable option for owners who prefer to pay less upfront and are willing to risk spending more out-of-pocket if something unexpected occurs.
Time-limited insurance comes with many benefits, depending on the provider. Insurers can provide complementary treatments such as physiotherapy or hydrotherapy for your pet. They can also offer sizable third-party liability coverage for property damage or injuries your pet may cause.
Many pet insurance providers will only cover a medical condition up to the policy limit for a maximum of 12 months, even if the condition occurs again in the future. When the limit is reached, the coverage for that condition stops, and the provider will consider the specific condition as pre-existing.
Differences Between Lifetime and Time-Limited Pet Insurance
Time-limited pet insurance plans differ from lifetime policies in that they only offer coverage for a recently diagnosed condition over a set period, usually 12 months. Once the period ends, these medical conditions will usually be excluded from coverage if you renew your plan.
On the other hand, lifetime pet insurance offers coverage for ongoing medical care when your pet reaches old age or suffers from a recurring condition.
Another difference between lifetime and time-limited policies for your pet is that time-limited coverage offers lower payout limits than lifetime plans.
How to Choose the Right Pet Insurance Policy
Selecting a pet insurance plan that fits your needs involves answering questions about your pet, understanding its medical needs, and determining which policy matches your financial situation.
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Is Your Pet Eligible?
Depending on the insurance provider, your dog or cat may have to be between six and eight weeks old to be eligible for insurance, although some companies insure puppies as young as five weeks.
Older pets may not meet first-time enrollment requirements with certain insurance providers, or they may only qualify for accident coverage. If your pet is eligible, lifetime plans offer continuous coverage as long as you pay the insurance premiums.
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How Much Coverage Do You Want?
While most pet insurance policies cap the amount they pay out per year, some also have lifetime limits. You will have to decide between comprehensive coverage offering you peace of mind or a lower-cost plan with the potential to pay vet fees out-of-pocket.
Having a young or healthy pet may make an inexpensive option more appealing, but an unexpected health issue can wreak havoc on your budget.
Maximum benefit pet insurance is a hybrid solution for those that don’t want a lifetime plan but are also looking for something more extensive than time-limited insurance. It offers coverage for vet fees up to a predetermined amount per medical condition.
This type of policy doesn’t place a time limit on when you can file a claim for a health condition. This allows you to submit claims for treatment until you reach the limit.
Maximum benefit pet insurance differs from a lifetime policy in that the latter is more comprehensive. Lifetime coverage is the highest level you can get and is the most expensive pet insurance option.
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Compare reimbursements and deductibles
Many pet insurance plans will reimburse you for a percentage of your veterinary bill. Reimbursement rates vary from 70% to 90% between plans. A reimbursement rate of 80% means you are responsible for paying 20% of the costs through your copay and deductible, while the insurer reimburses the remaining 80% of eligible veterinary costs.
Most pet insurance policies carry a deductible. This is the amount you pay out-of-pocket before the policy starts paying for treatment. You can choose from a range of deductibles to meet your financial needs.
Compare Pet Insurance Options With Finance is us
When choosing a pet insurance plan, do your research to avoid signing up for a policy that doesn’t meet your pet’s needs. Compile a list of potential pet insurance providers and their rates and coverage options. Then choose the plan that works for your budget and your pet.
Take advantage of any discounts the provider may offer for insuring multiple pets and compare insurers to find as much coverage as your money can buy. Choosing between lifetime and time-limited pet insurance depends on your beloved animal friend’s age and medical history. Consider all coverage options when picking a plan to ensure you find the best policy.
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