Pet health insurance removes barriers and encourages preventive care

Veterinarian holds Golden Retriever puppy chewing on stethoscope. Pet health insurance helps keep dogs healthy by removing barriers, encouraging preventive care, and diagnosing lifelong conditions early. — Pet health insurance helps keep dogs healthy by removing barriers, encouraging preventive care, and diagnosing lifelong conditions early.

Health insurance is not healthcare. However, insurance can improve access to healthcare. Furthermore, it can incentivize you to take care of yourself. And pet insurance can do the same thing with regard to your pet. Let’s learn more about how pet insurance can help you protect your pet.

Incentivizes preventative care

A pet insurance policy that pays for well checks and vaccinations removes barriers to care, but you shouldn’t own a pet if you can’t do that much for them. The more important driver for many pet owners is that you must invest in preventative care in order for the premiums to mean anything. For example, your pet insurance policy won’t cover diseases prevented by vaccines. That knowledge will drive many to keep their pet’s vaccinations up to date.

We often forget how critical timely care is to proper healthcare. Waiting weeks or months to see a doctor may allow a disease to go from serious to life-threatening. With pre-existing conditions, the problem may worsen until it is disabling or fatal. Pet insurance policies often encourage us to get regular checkups for our pets and take the vet’s advice when they recommend medication or lifestyle changes.

Removes barriers to care

One of the greatest tragedies a pet owner can face is an accident or sudden illness. Too many people try to wait and see if things get better. This is often because they can’t afford emergency vet bills. When it doesn’t get better, they may lose their pet. This is why pet insurance is key to protecting your pet’s health. If you go to the veterinary emergency room and get told everything is fine, you have a modest bill and peace of mind. If something is seriously wrong, you didn’t make your dog walk on a broken bone for weeks because you didn’t think you could afford it.

Furthermore, pet insurance may give you a discount on flea and tick collars or heartworm medication. If you don’t pay so much out of pocket for it, you’re more likely to buy it and keep using it properly instead of stretching things out.

Improves quality of care

Pet insurance often covers secondary services that improve your pet’s quality of care. For example, pet insurance that pays for a several day stay at the vet ensures that your pet gets high-quality nursing care after surgery.

This improves the odds of a full recovery for your pet. Furthermore, you’re more likely to go to the pet ER when an emergency occurs instead of waiting until the veterinary clinic on the corner opens.

Lifelong conditions get diagnosed early

Taking your puppy to see the vet for a full exam is sometimes a condition of qualifying for pet insurance. This often results in serious conditions getting diagnosed early.

You’ll know if your dog is prone to a certain problem and get personalized advice on how to manage it instead of assuming everything is fine until it isn’t. For example, you’ll know if they have joint problems before you start training them to do tricks. Conversely, you won’t punish a puppy for not paying attention if you know they’re partially or wholly deaf.