Cat Health Insurance
Pet Care Programs

Cat health insurance pet care programs have gained widespread acceptance among owners and veterinarians.  These programs won't save your cat from injury from a car, but they relieve from making a life or death decision based upon financial resources.

Cat health insurance pet coverage  programs provide peace of mind for owners.  Instead of making the difficult decision to  euthanize a pet because you can't afford the costs of a medical recovery, cat owners can consider the best and, sometimes, more costly care.

Our human rarely backs away from appropriate preventative as well as emergency medical care for this four+ cat family.   Simon has a tendency towards liver ailments.  The testing, vet care and treatment has run over $1,200 in the past 3 years.

Simon, smiling because his liver is working, a black Siamese mix

Unfortunately, a cat health insurance pet care program wasn't considered until after the liver episode. Many more Happy Birthdays Simon!

Sally and Luci have allergies.  The diagnosis for the two was another $830.  Subsequent treatments run about $30/month for Sally and $275 every 3 months for Luci.

Luci, with xray vision burning holes into Sally. She is a domestic shorthair - Blue cream

Cat health insurance for pet care has been around for more than 25 years, but many pet owners aren't aware of it.  According to the Financial Planning Association, there are more than a dozen major suppliers of pet insurance in the United States.  Once pet owners learn about the variety of plans and low premiums, they are ready jump on board for the savings.

Sally the magnificent Calico beauty and only (in her mind) cat in the world. Special permission was received to make the picture smaller than full-screen.

What's Covered

Most pet insurance policies cover wellness care benefits like annual physicals, vaccinations, teeth cleaning and spaying or neutering.  Additional coverage's may be available for unexpected injuries and illnesses.  Some coverage is available for flea, tick and heartworm medications. 

We've yet to find coverage for cats 10-years and older.  Also, pre-existing conditions, birth defects and cosmetic care is not covered.  The lesson here is to get covered before the big ticket items hit your pocket book.

Coverage is for individual cats.  We can't use Simon's coverage for Ms Dee who isn't covered. When we looked into the different programs we found out that cat's need to be insured before they are 10 years old.  She had just celebrated her 10th birthday.

  Ms Dee who is always a kitten

Pet owners pay the vet for services, then they file a claim with the cat health insurance carrier, then they are reimbursed by the carrier.  This takes the vet out of the billing and claim filing nightmare plaguing human health care.  Usually there is a deductible, then coverage for anywhere from 80% - 100% of the fee.

Cat health insurance pet plans help you pay your veterinary bills, so you won’t have to choose between your pet’s well-being and your personal finances.  Veterinary care is becoming more sophisticated and expensive. Pet health insurance can help you manage the rising costs of veterinary care. 

Just like human health insurance plans, pet insurance programs have an array of deductibles, co-pay options, exceptions and plans to cover different levels of service.  The pet owner pays the annual or monthly premium, then the insurance company reimburses an agreed-upon portion of your pets health care expenses after you submit the claim.

Health Plan Considerations

• Cat health insurance pet care programs are becoming more accepted, but there are still some pet care insurance companies that may drop their programs.  Consider the history of the company.  You don't want it to drop its program leaving  you high and dry, with and aging cat and pre-existing conditions.

• Find out who underwrites the insurance plan.  Does the company have a good rating.  This is called an experience rating and the scale ranges from A+ to F.  An A+ rating means the company has a superior rating and ability to meet their obligations to policy holders.

• Some plans limit your participation to certain providers.  This may be fine if your provider is included in their list, but what if she isn't?   Also, if you travel with your pet how would you deal with emergency vet visits.   Consider a company that allows you to deal with any veterinarian.

• Take advantage of free quotes.  If you can't find answers on their website for your questions, then give them a call. 

• Ask your vet for her recommendation.  Does she already have clients using a plan and have they been satisfied with its services?

• Does the program give discounts for multiple cat households?

• Understand when the policy begins and ends.  Find out if there is a x-day wait period before you can benefit from the coverage. Find out if your cat is covered until he dies or if there is a age limitation.

• Typically you can start a program for your kitten at 6-8 weeks.  Usually there is an enrollment age limitation.  We haven't found a program that allows enrollment of a cat once they turn 10 years old, nor have we found coverage for pre-existing conditions.  Pre-existing can mean any illness accident, or injury that was contracted prior to the effective date of the policy.  The key is to enroll your cat early in his life.

• Most plans place a "cap" on how much they pay for each illness or injury per animal, per year.  Some have lifetime "caps."

Answer These Questions

1. Can I use my current veterinarian?

2. Can I use any veterinarian?

3. Is dental care covered?

4. Are flea and heartworm medications covered?

5. Are routine vet visits covered?

6. Are vaccinations covered?

7. Are prescriptions covered?

During our selection of cat health care pet coverage plans we did some plan comparisons.  Here are some links to cat health insurance pet care programs that we have reviewed.  If you'd like to read our reviews, just sign-up for our "Felines" ezine below.   We just need your email address and your cat's name.

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI)

PetCare Pet Insurance

Petshealth Care Plan