Question:
My pet is 13 years old. Is he too old for pet insurance? I also noticed that some pet insurance plans will not cover older pets, is this common?
Answer:
A pet is never too old to need pet insurance. In fact older pets generally have more health problems than younger pets. Medical problems, such as heart and kidney disease, arthritis, metabolic disease, and cancer (just to name a few) become more prevalent as your pet ages. Older pets have a greater chance of incurring a costly and severe medical condition. Therefore the need for pet insurance becomes increasingly necessary as your pet ages.
It’s a good idea to have pet health insurance for your pets. The problem, of course, is that you never know when you will need it. Remember, you cannot wait until a problem develops to buy pet insurance. Medical problems that are present before the policy is effective, whether or not they have been diagnosed will not be covered. However, it’s important not let one or two chronic problems your pet may currently have prevent you from providing protection for the numerous other medical conditions that could develop. Any unrelated new medical condition that crops up would be covered by pet insurance.
Pet insurance rates are widely standardized based on the breed, age, and location of the insured pet. You can expect a slightly higher rate for your senior-citizen-aged pet, but your chances of actually using the insurance will also be higher.
Not all pet insurers will accept older pets and some restrict coverage or reduce limits as your pet ages. Be careful that the plan you choose does not add restrictions on care or reduce benefits as your pet ages. For a comprehensive pet insurance plan that places no upper age restrictions on pets, visit www.petsbest.com.
