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Does your cat need medical insurance?

© Caroline Anderson

Seems like a strange thing to ask - medical insurance for a pet? But more and more often I keep hearing about it and so do veterinarians. "Wellness plans," which are pet versions of HMOs, and even a membership savings plan for pet owners are options springing up across the country and have been growing in popularity. Skyrocketing health care costs and the availability of sophisticated, new high-tech veterinary medical options are two of the main reasons for the recent interest in these types of programs. In 1994, the American Veterinary Medical Association endorsed the concept of pet health insurance that provides coverage for health maintenance (wellness), illness and accidents, and even set up some guidelines.

Cat owners in 43 states and the District of Columbia can readily obtain pet coverage that is similar in some ways to human health policies from the Veterinary Pet Insurance Company of Anaheim, California. The insurance, which is endorsed by the American Humane Association, was begun more for altruistic reasons than profit-making and was founded primarily on the need to reduce the number of pets being euthanized due to financial reasons or worse yet, left to suffer. Among the problems covered by the VPI Health and Accident Policy are ear infections, chemotherapy, broken bones, heart disease and major surgery. However, preexisting conditions, elective procedures, vaccinations, parasites and routine teeth cleanings are all excluded. VPI can be contacted at 1-800-872-7387. Other key players in the pet health insurance business are VetSmart Pet Hospitals and Health Centers (800-838-6738), and Pet Assure (888-789-7387). There are probably others out there as well - you can always ask your veterinarian.

Wellness plans for pets promote regular, comprehensive checkups based on preventive care, which allows pet owners, potentially, to avoid problems and save on the high cost of major medical problems.

There are some things to consider before getting medical insurance for your cat. First, will your vet even accept and work with a certain insurance company? Does your cat have a lot of pre-existing conditions or chronic conditions? This can definately affect the type of coverage that your cat can get. Be sure any policy you obtain is not for livestock but for a pet specifically, since llivestock would be treated differently.

Some stats from The American Animal Hospital Association's 1997 survey on pet insurance: Of 1,225 pet owners, 1 percent carry insurance for their pets. Those who do have health insurance for their pets reported paying $141 on average each year, with the low being $30 and the high being $500. The decision is up to you, but be sure to talk over your options and the need for insurance with your vet. For other vet issues, read my articles:

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