Reports Examines Pet Health Insurance Policies

Taking care of pets can be big business, and Consumer Reports recently took a look at the $230 million pet health insurance business.

Lillie is a healthy dog with no emergency trips to the veterinarian. But her owner Vickie Dey said she wonders if the typical medical costs such as shots for heartworm and rabies would be worth the expense of pet health insurance.

Consumer Reports experts said that more than a dozen policies with all types of coverage are available to pet owners.

Accidents are typically covered in a basic policy, and treatment related to incidents like the recent tainted pet food would likely be covered under this category, Consumer Reports said.

However, experts said that most policies do not cover a pre-existing condition, hereditary or congenital problems and would also limit coverage for older pets.

Surgery is covered by most policies, Consumer Reports said. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association said that one visit for surgery can average $450 for a dog and $350 for a cat.

Experts suggested looking at the premium of the policy, and said that if a pet is likely to need the extra treatment, the insurance could be worth it.

For example, pet owners that have PetCare's QuickCare Gold policy would end up owing a $100 deductible, after which the company would pay 100 percent up to $3,000. The premium on this type of policy runs $49 a month. Experts said it might just depend on the length of time you've been paying for insurance.

In Dey's case, experts said that insurance might not be useful because she will still have to pay for shots and checkups. Consumer Reports said that an interest-bearing account to handle pet's bills could be a better answer.

source: news.yahoo.com