Compare Dog Insurance Carefully

Compare dog insurance plans carefully. You almost need to be a forensic accountant to detect the subtleties between different policies. If your dog has a pre-existing medical condition, make sure this is not excluded under the policy. It doesn't make sense to buy a policy that won't pay.

Check to see if your insurer excludes or charges a higher premium for your breed. Review any age limits for coverage. Some insurers start coverage right away, while others require the pet to be 8 weeks old. Some plans don't cover pets over 8 years old while other have no age limit.

Make sure you understand what you are purchasing. Some policies cover only accidents. Most policies cover accidents & illnesses, while others offer comprehensive coverage, including preventive care (checkups, vaccinations, neutering, etc.) along with accident and illness coverage.

Review the deductibles, co-pays and caps on coverage. Some insurers will pay 80% of the costs for treating your pet's illness, while others will pay 100%. Make sure you select an insurer that provides the coverage you need.

A recent survey of the top pet insurance companies is provided below:

Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Ratings of 1 - 10 (with 1 lowest and10 highest satisfaction)

U.S. Insurers

PetPlan: 9.39
Embrace: 9.09
Petfirst: 8.72
Trupanion: 8.63
PurinaCare: 8.4
Pet Assure: 7.75
Pets Best: 7.57
Hartville/ASPCA: 5.81
VPI: 4.85
Pet Partners (AKC): 4.78
PetCare: 3.94

Canadian Insurers

Petsecure: 9.37
Vetinsurance: 8.63
PurinaCare Canada: 7
PC Financial: 4
PetCare Canada; 3.94

Policy costs will vary from provider to provider, based on the breed and the speciific plan chosen. Some packages are comprehensive, including annual checkups and vaccinations, spaying/neutering and death benefits. Some plans only cover accidents and illness.

Gary Weiss has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years, specializing in risk management and risk mitigation.

To compare dog insurance policies and for more information about dog insurance in general please visit my website http://www.squidoo.com/comparedoginsurance
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