Pet Health Insurance has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more dog and cat owners opting for coverage to help maximize the quality of care that can be comfortably afforded.
One of the most well-known pet health insurers is VPI Pet Insurance Company, which has been insuring pets since 1982.
How VPI Pet Insurance Works
VPI Health Insurance is designed specifically for pet owners who are seeking reimbursement for costs associated with a pet’s care, like vaccinations and immunizations, routine care, surgery, lab work, dental procedures, prescriptions, diagnostic testing and even flea and heartworm medication.
“Pet care can be extremely expensive – into the thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars. And if a pet owner doesn’t happen to have three or four thousand dollars laying around, there’s many cases where they may be faced with the terrible situation where they either have to make serious sacrifices to come up with the money, or euthanize a beloved pet,” explained Dr. Michael Levine, who added, “If an owner does have insurance, there’s cases where we can work with the insurance company so that the pet can receive care, with the idea that the reimbursement check will be sent directly to the clinic to clear the balance.”
As Dr. Levine noted, companies like VPI work a bit differently than human health insurance companies in that the owner does have to pay for the costs up front. But VPI customers have the advantage of printing out a claim form from the Veterinary Pet Insurance company website or requesting the form by mail. And once the claim form is signed by the veterinarian, the form, accompanied with an itemized receipt, can be submitted. A reimbursement check for the pet’s veterinary care is typically sent out within a couple of weeks.
Advantages of VPI Pet Insurance
There are many benefits afforded to pet owners who opt to obtain a pet health insurance plan, beginning with VPI's lost pet registry and the pet health database that’s available to policy holders through the pet insurance company’s website. There, pet owners can obtain accurate information on a vast array of pet health and behavioral issues, written by veterinary professionals.
When a dog or cat owner, or an owner of an exotic pet, decides to obtain a pet health insurance policy from VPI, there are several coverage options available, with the insurance policy premiums spanning a range of prices.
Pet owners can pick from several pet insurance policies, which are profiled in detail on the VPI Pet Insurance Company’s website. These plans include health care plans at several different reimbursement levels, and these can be combined with VPI’s WellCare Coverage, which reimburses owners at various levels for the costs of spaying, dental cleanings, flea control and other routine care costs.
VPI Pet Insurance is designed to cover pets for life. According to the company’s website, “Unlike other pet insurance companies, VPI does not consider conditions treated [during the previous year of coverage] to be ‘pre-existing’ upon renewal. In addition, VPI policies have a benefit allowance, which renews with each new incident.” This policy thereby ensures that a pet can be covered in an affordable, yet effective manner for the rest of his or her days.
In addition, VPI does not develop its policy premiums based on the pet’s age and health instead of on the number or value of claims that have previously been filed.
It should be noted that VPI does have some limitations to coverage, though its terms are generally more flexible than other similar pet insurance companies. According to the VPI Pet Insurance website, “VPI covers pre-existing conditions, as long as the condition is temporary and has been proven to be cured for at least six months.” It should be noted that some breed-specific conditions that are generally considered hereditary – such as hip or joint problems – are not typically covered by VPI’s pet medical coverage plans.
Learning More or Signing Up for VPI Pet Insurance
Pet owners can visit the company website to learn more about the VPI Pet Insurance Company’s coverage options, pricing, policies, or to obtain an online quote.
To enroll a pet in a VPI Pet Insurance policy or to learn more about pet insurance, call 888-899-4VPI
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Learn more about the benefits of pet health insurance policies.
