Tips For Insuring Your Family Pets: When is the Right Time to Insure a Pet?

You have heard ‘better late than never’ before, and it applies to the pet insurance industry as well.

18:48 19 February 2013

It is never too late, at least in most cases, to get pet insurance for your pet. If your pet is very old you may end up paying much higher annual rates and premiums, but you should still be able to find a company to insure your pet. That being said, it is a better idea to try and insure your pet as soon as possible. Some insurance companies will refuse to insure your pet until they are at least 7 or 8 weeks old.

The benefits of insuring your pet as soon as possible are a lower premium and therefore a lower annual fee, but also in the actual coverage options. If you insure your pet right away, it usually reduces the likelihood of paying out of pocket due to a pre-existing condition. Some companies have a set of pre-existing conditions they refuse to cover regardless of the circumstances.

Other pet insurance companies simply make provisions by saying a condition is covered, if the pet was insured before 2 years of age.  If your pet does end up having an issue later, you may save yourself a lot of money by having your pet already covered. This is not a guarantee and all pet insurance companies differ in their policies, so be sure to ask around and get the details on congenital issues and pre-existing conditions.

If you choose to insure your pet as soon as possible, you may also consider choosing coverage that will help you afford preventative maintenance such as dental checkups, vaccinations, flea treatments, deworming and any other services you might normally have to pay out of pocket for. If you do not mind a little extra monthly cost, this option can help your extra cash stay in your pocket where it belongs instead of with the vet.