Pet Insurance

I bought pet insurance the other day.



It dawned on me that if our 1 year old puppy got sick, the Empress (my wife) would, without pause, spend $10,000 on a cure.  Knowing myself as I do, I would have a problem spending such money on "the beast."



Expressing financial concerns to the Empress when our dog was sick would quickly land me in the dog house with little hope of extrication - plus there would still be a vet bill.



So, for $250 a year I've protected myself from being the heal.  Pretty smart, hu!



Here are the variables I found in pet insurance policies:

• Deductible - per event or per year.

• Copay - most seem to pay 80% of the vet bill.

• Preventative - some plans cover preventative treatments, some do not.

• Annual limit - some policies limit the amount paid each year.

• Lifetime limit - some policies limit the amount paid over the pet's life.

• Preexisting conditions - some policies seem to consider conditions in a prior policy period as excluded in subsequent years.  Unimaginable to me but there was mention of this in several places where policyholders commented.

I am not sure that pet insurance is a great deal.  I'm not buying it because I am worried about a few vet bills (I bought the $1,000 annual deductible plan).  I am buying it solely because I now do not have to have a financial conversation with my wife if the dog ever gets sick or hurt.  I will be able to focus 100% on what is best for the dog and us - without being pissed off about a $10,000 vet bill.

By the way, why isn't my local independent insurance agent trying to sell me this policy?