Consider Protecting Your New Kitten with Pet Insurance

Pet Insurance can give pet owners peace of mind when it comes to their pet's health. Learn more about health insurance for kittens.Many people do not even know that pet health insurance is available. Pet insurance is very similar to auto insurance. You pay your veterinarian for services provided and then submit a claim form to the insurance company for partial reimbursement. The company then pays you directly what is owed according to the policy.

Insurance is not an investment vehicle, where you try to make your money back (there is no "ROI" or return on investment). Insurance is designed to protect against catastrophic loss. Similar to auto insurance, pet health insurance is meant to help recover some of your losses; so that in the event of an unexpected veterinary expense, you are better off than you would have been if you hadn't purchased it.

You would never consider crashing your car to collect on your auto policy, and that is the same way to look at pet insurance. If all goes well and your pet stays healthy, you hopefully won't be collecting much on your policy. That said, there are several companies that offer well-care coverage, which is reimbursement for routine or "healthy pet" visits.

The best time to enroll your kitten is when they are young and healthy. If you wait too long, they may develop pre-existing conditions that may not be covered. Every pet typically has at least one moderately expensive trip to the veterinarian in his lifetime and most pets have several!

According to Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation's largest provider, expect to pay approximately $16 per month for a base plan for a kitten (coverage for accidents and illnesses) and approximately $28 per month if you add on the optional well-care coverage.

There are many companies to choose from, but not all are created equal! Insurance is not the right product to price-shop or you may end up with an inferior policy. Choose based on company stability, longevity and reputation, as well as the opinion of your veterinarian. Keep in mind, however, that some veterinarians do not have much experience with pet insurance. If this is the case with your vet, call several large veterinary hospitals in you area and ask their opinion.

The bottom line: pet insurance does what it is designed to do, which is to help recoup financial losses due to veterinary care. Don't expect it to be like human health insurance (where you often have zero out-of-pocket expense for your visit). If that were the case, it would be too expensive for the average pet owner.