Finding the right insurance for your new puppy
Insurance can be a confusing topic for anyone to dive into. Therefore, finding the right insurance for your new puppy can be a challenge and potentially overwhelming. But there’s some good news. The steps for obtaining Aussie Mountain Doodle pet insurance is no different than every other insurance policy.
The first thing you’ll need to determine is what type of pet insurance policy you’re looking to obtain for your Aussie Mountain Doodle. There are policies that cover just accidents, policies that cover a combination of accidents and illnesses, and then full policies that cover accidents, illness and wellness. We’ll cover each of these policy types in the paragraphs below.
Know that for most of these policies, you’ll pay the bill from the provider (for example the Vet’s office) and then submit reimbursements to your insurance carrier. The insurance carrier typically requires that you reach your deductible for your Aussie Mountain Doodle insurance policy and then you get reimbursed a certain percentage based on the policy terms as explained in detail below.
Now on to the three main tiers of insurance policy types. Note that the cost of the insurance policy increases as the tiers increase.
Insurance Policy Types:
- Accidents
The first type of coverage will only cover accidents. This is anything from the dog swallowing something or hurting a leg to more serious injuries that may require anesthesia. It also includes the difficult scenario of accidental death. This type of policy does not cover routine vet visits, illness visits, spay/neutering, or medications that may be required.
2. Illness and Accidents
The next level of coverage is a combination of the accident coverage as previously described, and also coverage for illness. This tier of insurance would include any vet visits for illness such as cancer, canine flu (yes there is such a thing!) and kennel cough. It also covers any behavioural therapies and alternative medicines.
Some companies will also cover any hereditary and congenital conditions that are not pre-existing when the coverage was applied for such as heart disease, hip dysplasia, or eye conditions.
3. Wellness/Comprehensive
The last level of coverage is what we’ve chosen for Cooper the past two years. This tier covers not only the accident and illness as explained above, but also well visits. For instance, wellness includes services like spay/neutering as well as vaccinations and boosters and any medications that are needed (including the year long flea and tick prevention that we use for Cooper).
Typically the wellness tier is the most expensive insurance type you can purchase, but they’re really helpful when your Aussie Mountain Doodle is still a puppy. We found that especially in the first few years it was very easy to rack up large vet bills when going in so frequently for vaccinations or even when Cooper decided his foam bed looked appetizing. Ugh! He needed some x-rays to confirm he didn’t have any foam blocking his stomach (yes this is a common occurrence with puppies – they eat everything and anything!). Fortunately he was okay and we got him a new, non-foam bed.
We will probably drop down in coverage this year to the mid level (accidents and illness) as thankfully now that Cooper gets older he hasn’t needed to visit the vet as often. Typically as a puppy we were there every few weeks, and then months for all his vaccines and figuring out his dietary needs. We’ve now settled down to routine vaccine boosters, yearly rabies and flea/tick medicines (which cost about $100 every 6 months), and the occasional sick visit (which would be covered under the mid level plans).
Key Policy Components
The policies are made up of four key components that you’ll need to consider when doing your research for your Aussie Mountain Doodle:
- Upfront costs (the cost of the policy itself) can range from ~$16/per month up to $100/per month
- Annual Maximum (this is the max amount the insurance company will pay you back per policy period) can range from $5,000 up to $15,000 for a year long policy
- Deductible (this is the amount that you would pay before the reimbursement % kicks in) can range from $250-$1000
- Reimbursement percentage (this is the % that the company will reimburse you for your bills after the deductible is met) this can range from 70%-90%
Here’s an example. Let’s say your Aussie Mountain Doodle insurance policy costs $50 per month. And the deductible is $250 and your reimbursement percentage is 90%. You get a bill for $1000. If you’ve fulfilled your yearly out of pocket deductible of $250 then you will pay the full $1000, submit your claim, and receive 90% of the $1000 or $900. If you haven’t yet hit your deductible of $250, you’ll need to pay that first (whatever is the remaining balance) and then you’ll be able to obtain 90% of the remaining amount of the bill. For example if it’s your first visit with a new policy you’d pay the full $1000, they would put $250 towards the deductible and reimburse you for 90% of the remaining $750 or $675.
Factors that affect the costs of the policy include:
- what combination of the values of key components 2-4 you’re choosing
- what type of coverage (accident, illness, wellness)
- Your pet’s age, breed, and
- your location.
We’ve found that submitting claims is usually pretty easy but you should research the insurance company’s claim process before purchasing any policy. The company we have thankfully has a fairly easy website to submit claims. You just need to upload a picture of the receipt/bill and fill out some information as to why the charges were needed.
Other Considerations
Be aware that all insurance companies have their own unique nuances. We have heard that some have a more stringent process for submitting a claim while others have an app you can download to make the process even easier.
Also be sure to check with your home/auto insurance provider as sometimes they will offer discounts to their current customers. Another area to consider is checking with your employer for potential discounts. This is what we did for Cooper. In our case, the policy will renew unless we want to make changes during my company’s yearly open enrollment.
We hope this article has given you some beneficial information to help you decide if pet insurance is right for your Aussie Mountain Doodle. If it is, we hope this guide will simplify your decision-making process.
Cheers!
