advertisement
Looking for something on the site? Search for it here! Also see Clark's Greatest Hits

Jul 20, 2007 -- Is pet insurance worth the price?

The pet insurance market is a booming industry that's growing by 25 percent per year. There is a quarter billion being paid in premiums! What accounts for the amazing growth? The marketplace has decided that pet insurance is great to have thanks to events like the tainted pet food coming to our country from mainland China. Consumer Reports ran an article that found pet insurance is not necessarily a wise investment unless your pet is older and goes to the vet a few times a year. But if you have younger animals, Consumer Reports recommends putting what you would pay for pet insurance into a savings account for future use. Clark believes people treat buying pet insurance policies like they would when they purchase an extended warranty on electronics equipment. They say, "Wow, I bought the insurance and then my dog needed medical care six months later. The insurance company paid tons of money that didn't have to come out of my pocket." In fact, the argument is better made for pet insurance than extended warranties on your new TV or stereo. Less than five percent of electronics will break in the first few years. On the other hand, you know your animals will need medical care. Just think carefully about their age and current health before you buy. Also watch out because the industry excludes many breeds from coverage. Finally, ask your vet about which policies are best before buying. He or she will know firsthand from customer feedback.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

Avg. rating: N/A

What others are saying

  • pet insurance
    I don't have pet insurance and don't plan to get any for the following reasons. At present, I and others who regularly take their pets to veterinarians support the vet industry. The money we pay for our pets' health care pays for the vets' buildings, the vets' incomes, employees salaries, maintenance, office supplies and equipment, insurance, utilies, and all other costs associated with running a business. If we buy pet insurance, we are now paying for all the costs associated with that industry. There is no way we can pay less money to support two industries as opposed to one. Therefore: don't buy pet insurance. In the long run, it will cost you money, not save you money.
  • Thank goodness for our pet insurance
    When our dog was almost 8, we finally broke down and bout pet health insurance. Why? We noticed some little growths and we worried that they might be cancerous, and we wanted to option of being able to afford treatment. We went in to the vet, no problems with the growths, but do you know your dog has a small heart murmur? Let's check back in 6 months. We set an appointment. 2 days before the visit, he started acting sick on a trip. We were up all night before his visit with him and took him in early. He was in congestive heart failure. They got him back for us and we got some very precious extra weeks, not to mention that he was made a lot more comfortable. With the chest xrays, exams, medication, shots, sonograms... We thought there was no way our insurance would pay. They'd find a loophole. Now, it still cost us quite a bit, but they paid everything they claimed they would and did it with no argument at all. We saved more in one visit than we did on 2 years worth of insurance. It's not for everyone, but it was a lifesaver for us.
advertisement
THIS WEEK'S POLL
advertisement
advertisement