Age Matters When Considering Pet Insurance For Older Dogs!

Helpful Tips When Considering Pet Insurance

Although insurance might not be for every dog owner, with the rising cost of vet care, it's definitely worth looking into. Just remember that both age and breed do matter so read the fine print.

There are several different companies that offer pet insurance but most have a cut off age for obtaining coverage for your best friend. This cut off age can also be different based upon breed and the reason for this is that certain breeds are predisposed to particular diseases.

During our research, we found that it's best to purchase pet insurance before the age of five. Reason being, five is the cut off period for certain breeds, while other breeds including mixed breed are the age of eight or nine.

Over The Age Limit

If you have a dog above the age limit, you do still have an option for older pet insurance. There is a company that accepts all animals at any age and it doesn't matter if the animal has an existing illness or not. Zero exclusions, zero deductibles and you never have to wait to be reimbursed.

The only catch is that your Veterinarian has to participate in the program. If he doesn't currently participate, talk with your Vet and ask her to consider it. Explain how the program allows you an automatic 25% discount at the time of service on all procedures including:

•   Office Visits and Routine Exams
•   All Elective Procedures
•   Any Surgery
•   Hospitalization (Must Be In Network)

Pet Assure give you 25% off of your bill immediately while at your Vet's office and there are no deductibles

So if your pet is above the age limit for traditional pet insurance and budget is a concern, you can at least save 25% on your pets care. They offer coverage for a single pet for $99 annually or a family plan that covers four animals for $149 a year.

Pet Insurance Ratings

The following pet insurance carrier ratings are based upon the experiences from other pet owners on a scale between 1-10. These pet owners have rated these companies at www.petinsurancereview.com
Keep in mind that these ratings can change. The ratings that we are sharing with you were from February 1, 2008.

•  Pet Assure Rating of 8.69
•  Hartville/ASPCA Rating of 5.5 (They do offer pet insurance for older dogs up to the age of 13)
•  Embrace Rating of 9.26
•  PetPlanUSA Rating of 9.81
•  Pet First Healthcare Rating of 9.42
•  VPI Rating of 4.91
•  Pet Care Rating of 5.16
•  Pets Best Rating of 7.48
•  AKC Rating of 4.22

Ask Questions

•  Do they offer pet insurance for older dogs and what is the age limit to enroll?
•  Are hereditary diseases covered? Is there a dollar limit/time restriction?
•  Ask if they cover pre-existing conditions (most don't)?
•  What don't they cover (office exams, etc.)?
•  Do they offer any discounts (eg: multiple pet, online enrollment, etc.)?

If you don't already know, learn what diseases and illnesses are common for your dog's breed, even if your dog is a mixed breed.

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