If you're shopping around for the best pet insurance, remember that the industry is still young. The first major pet insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), has only been around since the early 1980s. Contrast that with other kinds of insurance that have been around for decades! While there are not that many pet insurance companies out there (yet), we've looked for the best ones and list three of them below. Remember that the best company for you will provide the cheapest, most comprehensive coverage for your individual pet.
As mentioned above, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) is one of the first pet health insurance providers - quite possibly the very first one, in fact. VPI's goal is to give all pet owners affordable pet insurance coverage. This includes many kinds of animals that people may have as pets, including dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and other creatures. VPI currently covers hundreds of thousands of pets and offers a wide range of coverage options. Best of all, a VPI policy lets you use any licensed veterinarian or specialist worldwide. There are no networks or provider lists to choose from. We recommend that you begin your search with VPI when it comes to finding the best insurance coverage for your pet with VPI.
PetCare offers good protection for pet dogs and cats in the U.S. and Canada (unfortunately, it doesn't currently cover any other kinds of pets). PetCare's coverage costs about $10 or more per month, but the actual premium will depend on your pet's needs and your preferences.
Finally, there's Pet Assure. This useful discount program (it's not insurance, but it's similar) offers you significant savings on veterinary services and pet products and services in the U.S. The main drawback is that you can only get these discounts (up to 50%) at participating care providers. As Pet Assure's network of providers grows, so will the incentive to insure your pet through this company.
If you're still debating whether to get pet insurance, MSN.com has an informative article about the positive and negative aspects of insuring your pet. The basic question to ask yourself as you search for the best company is, How much am I willing to pay to insure my pet's well-being? If the answer is less than what you would be able to pay in the event of a pet health emergency, you might want to seriously look into these pet insurance companies.