Pet Insurance
If you follow our blog, you’re probably familiar with our dog, Richey, and his recent medical issues. He was diagnosed with hip (dysplasia) and knee (luxating patella) problems shortly after we adopted him, and both issues required surgery. Luckily, we insured him shortly after we brought him home and that decision has, literally, saved us thousands of dollars.
Having Richey insured, even while living a conventional lifestyle and earning a good income, was extremely important to us since we know, fist-hand, just how expensive veterinarian care for uninsured pets can be. We are, of course, referring to our beloved Wilson (How Our Tiny Home Got Its name – “The Willy Wagon”) and Nina. And although we would have spent any amount necessary to improve and save their lives, having pet insurance would have minimized the financial blow. Now that we’re full-time RVers and earn much less than we used to, having pet insurance is even more important! We certainly couldn’t afford to shell-out the kind of money we did when we were living a more conventional life. The bottom line is… the less money you have, the more important it is to insure your pets.
Is Pet Insurance Affordable?
Most people think they can’t afford pet insurance, but the truth is, most can. Sure, age and pre-existing conditions factor into the monthly premium, so this is a consideration, but insuring pets while they’re still young and with no or limited medical issues is a no-brainer. The problem is, pet insurance isn’t talked about enough so it’s simply forgotten about when it comes to budgeting. That, and people think it’s too expensive. It’s not! Unfortunately, due to lack of awareness and misconceptions, uninsured animals are euthanized every year because their human companions can’t afford the medical care that could have saved their lives. Either that, or uninsured animals are forced to live painful and unfulfilled lives because, once again, their human companions can’t afford to improve it.
The Cost?
We pay $36.00 a month for Richey’s insurance through Healthy Paws and it covers 90% of all procedures, surgeries, x-rays, MRI’s, blood tests, etc., just to name a few. It essentially covers everything but basic health maintenance (flea, tick and heartworm meds, vaccinations, dental cleanings, etc.), but there are insurance plans that do cover those things. You can tailor fit your pet’s plan to whatever you think you’ll need financial assistance with and a monthly premium you can afford. We’ve always budgeted for our pets’ health maintenance, so we wanted Richey covered for everything else.
Our insurance carrier, like most if not all, doesn’t cover hip dysplasia diagnosed within the first 12 months of coverage, so we paid for Richey’s hip surgeries out of pocket. We suspected Richey had hip dysplasia before he was diagnosed. We could have waited another three months before taking him in and making it official, but that would have resulted in an entirely different procedure/surgery (total hip replacement on both sides) which wasn’t in his best interest. FYI, the earlier you address hip dysplasia (before bone plates finish growing), the more surgery options are available for your pet. And some are better than others!
The Proof Is In The Numbers!
The figures below represent the total cost for each of Richey’s knee surgeries and then what we actually paid after insurance.
December 28, 2018
Medial Patellar Luxation (knee surgery)
Total: $2,791.57
Insurance paid $2,512.41, which is 90% of the total. We paid $279.16.
March 22, 2019
Medial Patellar Luxation (knee surgery)
Total: $3,167.14
Insurance paid $2,850.43, which is 90% of the total. We paid $316.71.
Still Think You Can’t Afford Pet Insurance?
Ask yourself this – How much money do you spend every month on fast-food, daily Starbucks coffees and lunch with co-workers or dinner after work? I bet it’s a hell of a lot more than $36.00 a month! As a matter of fact, I would bet it’s more than ten times that amount. One day when you have time and are in the mood for a real eye-opener, figure out exactly how much you spend each month on fast-food and dining out. You’ll be shocked! The point is… if you can afford the crap McDonalds is serving, and the 800 calorie, sugar-filled, coffee drinks, then you can afford pet insurance.
They’ll Probably Never Need it!
You could be right, but you’re probably wrong. And while you can afford $36.00 a month, you might not be able to afford $7,000.00 for a genetic issue or an accident that requires surgery, x-rays and post-op care. Keep in mind, medical issues are inherent in older pets, and always a possibility with adopted or rescued pets, regardless of age. Just ask Richey! There’s also a higher risk for injuries to pets whose companions live certain lifestyles or for pets who spend more time outdoors than indoors. And then there are your everyday common, and not so common, accidents.
In Our Opinion
When you choose to bring a pet into your life, you’re charged with his or her safety and well-being. This includes being able to provide monthly flea, tick and heart worm medications, vaccinations, checkups, and emergency medical care when necessary. If you can afford to pay for all of this without the assistance of insurance, that’s great! But if you can’t, then planning for incidents that would require you to do so is your moral responsibility.
Richey is our most loyal friend and protector, and he would sacrifice his life for either one of ours. The least we can do is set aside $36.00 a month to ensure he’ll always be able to receive medical attention.
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