Here at Stonecliff Animal Clinic, we recommend pet health insurance to budget for your pet’s health needs, as pets will often have a medical emergency or become ill when you are financially unprepared.
Pet health insurance allows you to pay affordable monthly premiums and provides peace- of- mind in knowing you can receive reimbursement after your deductible (depending on which provider you select.)
With pet insurance, you can afford the best treatment option for your pet; it can also help with the cost of things like:
- Emergencies
- Exams
- Surgery
- Prescriptions
- Lab tests
- Hospitalization
- X-rays
- Injections
Pet insurance puts YOU in control:
- Decide the treatments and care you want for your pet.
- Opt to add a wellness and routine care package onto your policy to help cover annual exam costs.
- Choose your deductibles and coverage based on your budget.
Once you decide pet insurance is a good option for you, you will need to select the right pet insurance provider. There are many pet insurance companies out there and we would encourage you to explore and find the company that suits you and your pet. Two companies Stonecliff Animal Clinic has experience with are Pets Best Pet Health Insurance and the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. For more information about these companies, please click on the respective links on this page. We do not accept any referral fees for our recommendation, we simply want you and your pet to have the best options.
We realize that understanding insurance can be a bit difficult because of their use of jargon. Click on the link to find a glossary of commonly used pet insurance lingo!
It is also important to understand exactly what you are getting when you choose a policy. Some important questions to answer are:
- How much is the deductible for illness and accidents? – be aware that some pet health insurance companies have a pre-set deductible while others allow you to choose one. Choosing a higher deductible will lower your monthly premium, but it means your out-of-pocket will be higher each time your pet begins a new medical treatment. Choosing a lower deductible will increase your monthly premium, but will lower your out-of-pocket costs.
- Does the plan allow you to see any veterinarian? – What is their policy on emergency and specialist care?
- How long will you need to wait to receive reimbursement after you file a claim?
- How long after purchasing a plan does your coverage begin?
- How is the reimbursement calculated? This may be the most misunderstood and most important part of your pet insurance coverage. Generally, reimbursement is calculated in one of two basic ways:
(a) As a percentage of your veterinarian’s bill, or
(b) As a percentage of a benefit schedule
- Does the pet insurance company offer Wellness Care coverage? Wellness Care options aren’t for everyone! But, they can be financially helpful for yearly checkups, blood work, dental cleaning, spaying/neutering costs, and much more. Even if they aren’t for you, its worth considering, especially if you have a puppy or kitten.
- How much coverage do you have for emergency care – unexpected accidents and illnesses?
- Does the pet insurance plan implement annual caps?
- Does the company implement a lifetime cap?
- Does the company cover hereditary or congenital diseases? – be sure to check on their policy about diseases acquired during coverage. For example, if your pet develops diabetes while insured. Will they be covered after your annual renewal for this condition and if not, what needs to be done so that they are covered?
- Does the company provide different coverage or charge more for older pets?
- Does the plan have national coverage (if you travel often)?
- Does the plan offer a multi-pet discount (if you have more than one pet)?
It is our policy at Stonecliff Animal Clinic that all patient services are payable in full at the time the services are rendered. This system works well with pet health insurance: most companies provide what is called indemnity insurance. This means that the client initially pays the fees to the veterinarian for services rendered, submits a claim, and then is reimbursed by the pet insurance company. Nothing changes but the fact that you can receive money back because you carry a policy!
We will be happy to help you with your insurance claim forms for any pet insurance plan you may choose. We will gladly fax your claim form and other necessary information to your pet insurance company as soon as possible. Thank you for trusting us with your pet’s health.
