We all hope our pets will live long and healthy lives. Yet the reality is, unexpected accidents, illnesses, and other pet medical situations happen. Veterinary medications can cost pet owners hundreds per month and veterinary surgeries can cost them thousands. And unfortunately, that often discourages pet owners from providing their pets with the treatments they need.
The good news: More pet parents now have their dogs and cats covered with pet insurance, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. So, they have the freedom to make health care decisions based on what is best for their pets versus being constrained by finances.
The bad news: Whether through a belief that pet insurance is not worth the cost, misinformation about how pet insurance works and what it covers, or confusion and intimidation in trying to decipher different terminology and different policies by different companies, most pet parents do not have pet insurance.
According to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association, about 90% of dog owners and 95% of cat owners do not have pet insurance.
So, when unexpected accidents and illnesses happen, they do not have a financial safety net. Instead, they must depend on credit cards, loans, or borrow money from friends or family when faced with unexpected veterinary costs, or worse.Â
They find themselves facing the agonizing decision to put a pet down because they cannot afford treatment, and no pet owner (or pet) should have to face such an experience.Â
That’s why LifeLearn Animal Health launched PetInsuranceInfo.com, a new website and free education resource to help pet owners learn about what pet insurance is, what it isn’t, and the questions they need to ask prior to purchasing a policy.Â
PetInsuranceInfo.com empowers pet owners to make the most informed decisions about purchasing pet insurance, and accomplishes this in three main ways by:
- providing comprehensive but easy-to-understand information
- demystifying common misconceptions about pet insurance
- providing a simple tool for pet owners to compare different insurance coverage and quotes
Reflecting LifeLearn’s belief that knowledge empowers optimal decisions, PetInsuranceInfo.com also reflects LifeLearn’s 25-year commitment to advancing health and education worldwide by delivering trusted and expert-vetted educational resources.
By lowering some of the stressors and inhibitors faced by pet owners, PetInsuranceInfo.com benefits practices. Practices enable themselves more opportunities to perform the best veterinary medicine because pet owners who ultimately purchase pet insurance have the resources to follow through with recommendations and treatments.
PetInsuranceInfo.com features include:
- A description of the types of plans and coverage to ensure there are no surprises for pet owners when they go to submit a claim
- Factors that pet owners can and can’t control to better guide pet owners when considering insurance plans and costs
- Policy underwriting explained so pet owners are prepared to answer questions up front or during a claim
- Coverage periods and waiting periods explained so pet owners understand when their coverage begins and how long it lasts
- How claims work and tips for pet owners to help them expedite claims and get the most from pet insurance
- Get a Quote tool designed to make it easy for pet owners to compare and review policies offered by different pet insurance companies
The “Info” in PetInsuranceInfo.com assures practices and their clients that the primary focus of the website is on education.
LifeLearn and PetInsuranceInfo.com currently work with Crum & Forster (ASPCA Pet Health Insurance and Hartville Pet Insurance), Healthy Paws, PetFirst, Petplan, Pets Best, and Pets Plus Us. LifeLearn will continue to collaborate with pet insurance companies and, over time, will add more. All pet insurance policy transactions are handled directly between the pet owner and the pet owner’s selected insurance provider.
All this simply means one thing. While no pet owner can predict or completely prevent unexpected pet accidents, illnesses, or other medical situations, pet owners can now more easily educate themselves about pet insurance and compare quotes to better prepare themselves to meet the goal that matters most: spending as many years together as possible with a healthy and happy pet.
Visit PetInsuranceInfo.com to learn more.
