Key points
- Pet insurance provides coverage in the event of a pet’s illness or injury.
- Not all pet insurance policies offer the same level of coverage.
- It may be a good idea to check if a policy covers alternate support.
Pet insurance can pay for medical care for pets so owners don’t have to put veterinary bills on their credit cards. But there are many pet insurance companies, and the types of treatment covered may differ from insurer to insurer.
For this reason, it is important to check whether a pet insurance policy covers the types of care that individual owners would like to seek for their pets. And there is a specific type of treatment that not all insurers cover and owners may want to confirm.
Find out if pet insurance covers alternative medicine
When pet owners purchase a pet insurance policy, consideration should be given to whether the policy will cover alternative medical treatments or whether alternative care is excluded from the types of treatment the insurance will pay for.
Alternative medicine can include a whole host of different protocols. For example, some common types of alternative medicine include acupuncture, chiropractic care, and laser treatment.
Many pet insurers offer payments for these types of care when the alternative treatments are performed by a licensed veterinary professional and when the treatments are necessary due to a covered condition, such as a degenerative spinal condition. However, some pet insurers do not offer this additional protection, instead forcing owners to use only more traditional methods of treatment.
Although not all pet owners need alternative medicine, it is difficult to predict when or if this type of care will become necessary – particularly as pets age and develop more serious health issues. chronic conditions that conventional medications are not always able to solve. .
Homeowners who haven’t checked to make sure this type of treatment is covered could be left paying out of pocket and carrying a credit card balance. Or they could find themselves in a situation where they have to forego procedures that could help improve their pet’s health or quality of life.
Fortunately, it’s easy to check with a given pet insurance company whether alternative treatments will be covered. Pet insurers specify the kinds of things they do and don’t cover when shopping for insurance.
Owners should check this before taking out a policy, as it can be difficult, if not impossible, to switch insurance companies later in an animal’s life when treatments become necessary. Other insurers may deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Pet owners should ensure they understand their coverage
Alternative medicine is just one of the many types of coverage a pet insurer might offer. It’s important for anyone buying pet insurance to look carefully at the fine print to understand exactly what a policy will and won’t do when a pet develops health issues.
By taking the time to carefully read the exclusions and limitations, pet owners can ensure that they get the best protection for their animal companions so that any treatment their pets may need in the future is within reach. tomorrow. When issues arise, owners will be glad they went to the trouble of making sure their coverage was comprehensive.