PawNation talks pet insurance

AOL's Paw Nation blog recently ran an article on pet insurance, with a nice mention of Embrace.

Pet insurance covers your pet's accidents, injuries, and illnesses; sometimes it will even take care of chronic conditions, dental care or check-ups. Depending on the type of care your pet needs, pet health insurance can help your four-legged friend maintain a healthy lifestyle without the build up of vet bills.

It's not a bad little article but needs a little clarification in some areas:

Article:...Unlike most human health insurance, many pet insurance plans let you keep your vet, so your pooch or kitty won't have to leave his or her favorite doctor.

Fact: currently,  ALL pet insurance plans let you keep going to your veterinarian. Quite frankly, your veterinarian doesn't even have to know you have pet insurance because you pay your vet bill and then claim from the pet insurer directly. 

Article:  ...On the other end of the spectrum, Embrace Pet Insurance covers cancer treatments and chronic illnesses, but not pre-existing conditions, like respiratory infections.

Fact: it's true, Embrace does not cover pre-existing conditions - but then, neither does any other pet insurer. Having said that, we do cover pre-existing conditions if the condition is curable, like a respiratory infection, after goes away for 12 months or more. And just to be absolutely clear, we cover respiratory infections if they aren't pre-existing conditions, just in case you were wondering :)

Article: Pet insurance isn't for everyone. Talk to your vet about what type of pet health insurance plan would be best for you and your furry companion.

Fact: there's no doubt that there are many veterinarians who understand pet insurance and  would be able and willing help you decide what plan is best for you - but not as many as you might think. Vets focus on loving care and veterinary medicine - that's their job. They may feel pet insurance comes under that purview; they may not.   Would you ask your own doctor which health insurance plan is right for you?

When looking into pet insurance, I recommend you research in many places to find the plan that works for you - by all means, ask your veterinarian what he or she thinks, but also...

• read pet blogs on the topic,
• talk to other pet parents about their pet insurance experience,
• read online reviews (www.petinsurancereview.com is a good place to start),
• go to the companies' websites and call them with your questions.

Then you'll be in a good place to make the right decision for you.