Vet bills can really rack up — even if it’s just for preventative care. That’s where pet insurance comes in.
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Oh, the animal kingdom, with its whales, giraffes, tigers, birds, and bugs: it’s a gift to us all! While there are so many animals out there, not everyone can be Dr. Dolittle. So when most people get a pet, they opt for something a little less…complicated.
Whether it’s a dog, cat, a bird, or fish, it turns out a lot of you own pets. In fact, almost 70%, or around ninety million American families, have at least one pet pal. And as you all know, once you decide to get a pet, there’s a lot to do to keep your furry (or feathery, or scaley) friend happy.
One way we can make sure our pets lead healthy lives is to take them for regular checkups at the vet. Unfortunately, vet bills can be extremely expensive. The average veterinary visit costs around $50-$100. And that’s for preventative care! An emergency appointment (if Spot the Dog gets into the dark chocolate, for instance) could set you back thousands of dollars.
Those are big numbers, it’s true, but there are ways of making vet visits a little more manageable for your budget. Besides making sure you feed, bathe, and regularly exercise your pet, pet insurance can help offset other costs that Fluffy might rack up.
To see just how much pet insurance can save you, take a look at this data: the average monthly cost for pet insurance that covers both accidents and illnesses is $48.78 for dogs and $29.16 for cats. For accident-only coverage, costs dip to $16.17 for dogs and $10.51 for cats. That’s a pretty good deal, considering what it would cost you out-of-pocket without insurance!
The actual price of your pet insurance will be determined by several factors, including:
When you start shopping for pet insurance coverage, you’ll want to take into account your pet’s general health; any health issues that are common to their breed; and the amount of money you could reasonably spend if something were to happen.
Although it can save you the big bucks, most pet owners don’t have insurance. Only around four million animals are insured, a fraction of the number owned in the United States. (Shout out to California, which, at 19.3%, has the largest share of insured pets.)
But many pet owners would need help covering an emergency expense, like getting Spot’s stomach pumped post-chocolate, for instance. This is where pet insurance, like all insurance policies, comes into play.
There are three types of pet insurance:
First things first, do your research! Look at what your pet needs and what your budget can handle.
Then, be sure to shop around, just like you would for any significant purchase. We advise getting at least three quotes so that you know you’re getting the right plan for your budget and needs. Remember to search for the same coverage across providers so that it’s a true apples-to-apples comparison. And take a look at deductibles and payout limits, in addition to monthly premiums, so that you know exactly what you’re signing up for.
Then, investigate if you can bundle this coverage with any other policies. Getting multiple policies from one provider is a great way to save money. As the pet insurance market grows, so too do the options for bundling.
And finally, remember to ask your agent for any discounts or savings opportunities because, well, you never know! As our mothers are always saying: it never hurts to ask.
Got questions about when you need pet insurance? Marble’s got the answer! Plus, you can shop for policies directly within the Marble marketplace. So what are you waiting for? Get started with Marble today!
