Is it Worth Having Pet Health Insurance?

Is it worth having pet health insurance? You can bet your bottom dollar it is! This is a very serious question which many kitty guardians may be asking themselves today.

According to a recent article on Pet MD by veterinarian Dr. Doug Kenney, a recent study was done by “Consumer Reports”. Their conclusion was:

“..pet owners with mostly healthy dogs or cats will not receive back in reimbursements for what they pay in premiums. However, pet owners with dogs or cats that have major illnesses or chronic diseases that result in large or frequent claims are more likely to benefit from pet insurance.”

As far as this writer is concerned, the cost of pet health insurance premiums is well worth it. Moreover, the peace of mind that kitty guardians get from having pet health insurance is priceless; especially when their cats are young and healthy at the time they take out a policy. The younger the kitten, the lower the cost of the premium; which rises very slowly over time.

It is true that as long as their cats remain healthy, kitty guardians will not be reimbursed for the cost of what they pay in premiums. Pet health insurance companies, just as any other insurance company, must take in more in premiums than they pay out to be able to pay out on claims and in order to remain in business.

But think about this from another perspective! What happens when the once healthy cat suddenly, out of the blue develops a serious illness; requiring expensive diagnostic testing, medications and costly treatment? It’s gut-wrenching to find oneself in a position of having to make decisions that are based solely on financial constraints. Insurance let’s you focus on cat health grounds.

Although purchasing pet health insurance may be considered by those with healthy cats to be similar to “gambling”, what happens when an unexpected major or chronic condition suddenly crops up? These are the times that most people would have a great deal of difficulty to have to personally pay for out-of-pocket.

Many of these conditions may include an open fracture requiring surgery (which alone can cost thousands of dollars) or hospitalization and treatment, along with the necessary pharmaceutical costs that go hand-in-hand with chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, pancreatitis or other chronic illnesses. Although these conditions are generally thought of as happening to older kitties, young cats can also develop them.

While overall, “Consumer Reports” recommends that pet owners would do well by opening a “pet healthcare” savings account instead of purchasing pet health insurance, it is easy to forget or delay making deposits to the account so adequate funds are available. But will there be sufficient funds left over to cover the cost of the next huge bill? It is doubtful in this writer’s opinion.

This writer feels that paying those monthly pet health insurance premiums is, in a way, a type of “forced” savings account. We ante in, betting that someday we will have to make claims and the pet health insurance bets that we won’t. But isn’t the cost of policy premiums worth the peace of mind we have that one day perhaps we will have to cash in our chips so we can provide our cats with the care they need?

This writer has a pet health insurance plan for her three kitties. It gives me the reassurance that most of the cost of our cats’ care will be covered, helping me to get a good night’s sleep.

Is it worth having pet health insurance? Tell us what you think in a comment.