Pet Insurance vs
Emergency Plan
Pet insurance can be tricky to navigate
One of the things we get asked a lot is around the pros and cons of pet insurance vs. an emergency plan. With that in mind, we put together this fast little summary to let you know what’s covered in both – and what’s not…Coverage
A pet insurance plan will cover virtually any new accident or illness (including emergencies) your pet has in their life, plus you can add a routine wellness plan to most plans for their regular preventative needs.
The emergency plan will cover any emergency (even for a pre-existing condition) that needs treating in the next 4 hours, or your pet’s life could be at risk, but it will not cover regular accidents and illness.Plan Limits & Out-of-Pocket Costs
Pet insurance plans provide annual coverage to pay for even the most expensive of claims, with variable deductibles and copays to suit your budget. The emergency plan provides a fixed $3,000 fund but has no out-of-pocket expenses if you need to make a claim.
Pricing & Add-Ons
A pet insurance plan varies based on your pet, where you live and the plan you choose. Plan costs usually go up 5-10% per year as your pet ages and becomes more susceptible to expensive vet bills. Many plans have multi-pet discounts. The emergency plan is a fixed $24 in total for up to 6 pets, regardless of your pet’s age, breed or location.
Claims
A pet insurance plan lets you make as many claims as your pet needs to stay healthy, but you’ll usually pay the vet and get reimbursed by the insurer, whereas the emergency plan will only let you make one claim per year but it’ll be paid in full on your behalf over the phone to any vet before you leave the clinic, with no out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Our Recommendation
Every pet should have an insurance plan to pay for the cost of expensive vet bills in the event of an accident or illness. Even if your pet is healthy now, you can never predict the future and it’s best to be prepared.
At a minimum, the emergency plan could save your pet’s life in the event of a worst case scenario, and at $24 per month with no out-of-pocket expenses, it’s a total no-brainer.
At a minimum, the emergency plan could save your pet’s life in the event of a worst case scenario, and at $24 per month with no out-of-pocket expenses, it’s a total no-brainer.
Life threatening emergencies
A life threatening emergency would include if your pet was hit by a vehicle, had swallowed a serious amount of chocolate, grapes or some other foreign body ingestion, if they were choking and having difficulty breathing, if they’d had a serious seizure, or if they’d been badly bitten by another animal.