Americans love their pets. Around the country, there are somewhere between 74 and 96 million cats and between 70 and 80 million dogs. About 30 to 37% of American households have cats and between 37 to 47% of them have dogs, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). With all of these cats and dogs, it is easy to see how people are looking for better pet care options.
Employee Benefit Advisorandnbsp;is reporting that new pet health insurance plans to expand their coverage. The Pet Insurance Group recently unveiled its new pet health insurance plan, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Pet Health Insurance Complete Coverage Plan, giving pet owners an expanded array of options for pet care.
Included in the plan will be sicknesses, injuries and accidents and other services. The plan will be a lot like some human health insurance plans where a percentage of the costs of the pet care will be covered. Unlike most human health insurance plans, pet owners will be able to take their pets to the veterinarian of their choice in both the United States and Canada. This includes specialists.
The percentage of pet care costs that will be reimbursed at rates ranging from 70 to 80 and 90%. The insurance plan will include annual deductibles and coverage limits. These can be customized based on what the owner and their pet need.
“Complete coverage is designed to be easy for our customers to use and understand,” said Liz Watson, chief marketing officer for Hartville Pet Insurance Group. “By providing them with the coverages theyandrsquo;re looking for and straightforward reimbursement process, pet parents will have one less thing to worry about as they help their furry family member recover from a recent veterinary visit.”
The complete coverage plans will cover fees for the exams, diagnostic tests, procedures and other forms of treatment. That holds true for accident, sickness, behavioral and even hereditary coverage. Pet owners whose pets need advanced healthcare for pets should be relieved by the inclusion of more complicated treatments that their animals may need. Some of these more advanced health care for animals includes surgery, chemotherapy, acupuncture and stem cell treatments.
Pet owners who buy the new complete plan will be able to take their pet to the veterinarian as early as the next day should the animal be inured in an accident. They will have to wait two weeks (14 days) from the date of purchase to receive pet care for ligament issues, hereditary problems and sicknesses.
Exclusions to the plan include pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures and breeding costs. This means that conditions that occurred before coverage begins or during a waiting period will not be covered; however an injury or illness that is cured and free of treatment and symptoms for 180 days will no longer be regarded as pre-existing.
Not every procedure that an animal can receive will be covered under the comprehensive plan. The plan will not cover claw removal, ear cropping, tail docking, cosmetic or elective procedures. If you want to get a tummy tuck or liposuction for Fluffy, you are on your own.
There will be add ons for those who wish to get them. Pet owners can also get preventative coverage if they want to buy it. The preventative coverage will reimburse pet owners for services such as the annual exam, vaccinations, dental care and the spay and neuter surgeries. Pet owners will have three options they can choose from should they want to add these services on, they are prime, standard and basic options.
This new plan should come as welcome news to pet owners throughout the United States where people who own animals currently lay out about $13.59 every year for veterinary care for their pets.
This plan will also help the improve the health of the pet owner. According to WebMD, pets do a number of things to help people live healthier lives. They have said that spending time with a pet has a number of positive effects from stress reduction to lowering cholesterol to reductions in heart disease to lowering the risk of having a stroke. It has also been said that people’s pets make them smile at least ten times a day.
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