You've taken care of your family's health insurance election period, now you need to give some thought on how you're going to take care of your pet in case of an accident or illness.
Unlike your personal insurance coverage, you are not restricted to the company that your business chooses.
The choice is up to you.
With this choice, some research is required.
The time to compare pet insurance policies is now, but you first need to consider what is most important to you and your family of pets.
When looking for a pet insurance company, there are several things you will want to consider.
Think about the age of your pet, the need of having it spayed or neutered, the number of pets you have and any known pre-existing conditions your pet may have.
All of these things will factor into your premiums.
When you're comparing companies, note the premiums of course, but also look at the co-pays, the deductibles and any caps on coverage.
For example, some insurance companies will only pay for an illness one time.
If the illness runs into another year, they think it's necessary for you to pay that second year.
Another thing to consider is a semi-HMO plan for your pet insurance.
At the current time, there is only one company, Pet Assure, that offers anything similar to an HMO.
This plan has you pay a membership fee and in return you receive a discount of 25% off the services.
This plan also requires you visit one of the veterinarians on their pre-approved list.
So while it's still not a true HMO, it does offer an alternative to monthly premiums that the traditional insurance companies charge.
It was mentioned before that you need to consider the age of your pet when considering what policy to buy.
This is true because some companies will not insure your pet after a certain age, usually about eight years old.
One company however will, Petshealth.
They are one of the only companies that offer coverage to dogs up to ages 13 and more.
However, they do have a pre-existing health clause that you need to be aware of.
Read all of the policy before you buy, prioritize the criteria you need in a policy and ask lots of questions before you make a decision.
Compare pet insurance companies and the policies they offer.
Your pet and your wallet will thank you in the long run.