Many veterinarians say good things about pet insurance - after all, the vet can do more of the right thing for a sick cat or dog when money becomes less of an issue.
Many vets don't care either way since they may not know much about the products available or haven't heard of anyone getting a policy.
But some vets come right out and clearly advise against pet insurance, saying it doesn't pay out.
Well, historically, that has often been true as there are many reasons why the current pet insurers don't pay what you might expect out of the vet bill:
- many pet insurers do not cover genetic or congenital conditions and some conditions you might not expect, such as cancer and skin conditions, are often considered genetic and denied;
- some pet insurers only pay based on a benefit schedule, not what you paid your vet, and so the payouts can be much lower than your actual cost;
- some pet insurers don't cover a chronic condition once your policy renews;
- some pet insurers cap payments on a low per incident limit so that coverage stops sooner than you'd think.
All of these issues have given pet parents good reason to moan about pet insurance in the past and vets pass on these concerns to other pet parents, assuming that all pet insurers are like this.
Well, things are looking up now that Embrace is on the scene. For the record:
- we cover genetic and congenital conditions;
- we pay out based on the vet bill, not a schedule;
- we offer you the option of covering chronic conditions going forward; and
- we do not have a per incident limit
Vets needn't worry about Embrace Pet Insurance paying out on claims.
If you are considering pet insurance, make sure you know what your coverage does and does not provide so you have the coverage you think you are getting.
