Animal health care insurance can cut down on vet bills

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Updated: December 9, 2011 8:01AM

With the cost of human health care high, more pet owners are also wringing their hands over the rising prices in animal care and purchasing health insurance to combat it.

However, there’s some debate for when coverage is most appropriate. Does an owner need a complete wellness package or only a policy that covers illnesses? What about injuries when traveling?

For Donna Krofta of New Lenox, the answer was simple: complete coverage. Here’s why.

Several years ago, Krofta spent “a small fortune” treating a 20-year-old cat that eventually was euthanized, even though making the cat comfortable was the only treatment her veterinarian could offer.

After the cat’s death, Krofta decided, “I’m never going through this again,” and bought extended care pet insurance policies through The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on their dog, Buddy, and their cat, Neo.

“They pay 80 percent of the mean average, so what we get back varies, but we always get money back,” Krofta said.

Insurance put to good use

Six months after Krofta acquired pet insurance, Neo developed diabetes and the insurance paid for his care, including insulin shots. As Neo grew sicker, Krofta learned Neo had adrenal gland cancer that had metastasized to his pancreas, so Neo was referred to VCA Aurora Animal Hospital.

“After we met with the surgeon, we made the painful decision to put him to sleep,” Krofta said. “The insurance covered 100 percent of the euthanasia and 70 percent of the hospital bill. That was over $4,000.”

Last month Krofta’s current cat, Archie, 4, was in and out of the hospital with crystals completely blocking his bladder. Krofta first noticed something was wrong when Archie grew quiet and subdued; she rushed him to Animal Emergency of Mokena.

Archie spent three days in the intensive care unit; his insurance paid for $1,000 of his $1,300 care. A night at his veterinarian’s office for catheter removal and observation cost $180. Two days later, Archie had another blockage and another bill of $1,400. That bill is still pending.

Krofta currently spends $20 a month for Archie’s premiums and $40 for Buddy’s, which she feels is worth the cost.

“Dog premiums are higher than cat premiums are because dogs live longer and often have more issues,” Krofta said.

Injuries and travel

Laurie Minarcik of Schaumburg, president of Midwest Border Collie Rescue and owner of three border collies, first purchased pet coverage eight years ago when her dogs began agility classes.

Minarcik had seen other dog owners make hard choices when their uninsured pets were seriously — and expensively — injured. Minarcik didn’t want to face a similar situation and have her wallet guide the dogs’ level of care.

“A friend of mine had a golden retriever with a rare blood disease that was at Purdue three times over four months,” Minarcik said. “Their bill was over $10,000 and insurance covered it.”

So Minarcik researched policies until she found one that covered such conditions as hip dysplasia and torn ACLs, along with any needed rehabilitation costs. She decided reimbursement for wellness care was not worth the paperwork, but a policy with a $20,000 maximum limit and $200 deductible per injury was. Recently, her pet insurance paid an $800 chiropractor bill for one of her collies.

“I know a lot of people are skeptical,” Minarcik said, “but vets have gotten so specialized. You go to the traditional vet for your basic care, but when something happens beyond that, you’re sent to a specialist and they charge more money.”

Pet owners that travel with their pets should seriously consider obtaining coverage for their animals, said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Veterinary Pet Insurance.

That’s because risk of injury and illness increases once the animal is out of its home and owner-controlled environment. She cites the example of a pet owner that, while traveling in Canada, brought his dog on a subway escalator. The dog caught his paw in the grates and lacerated his paws and avulsed his nails.

Moreover, for some dogs, the sheer stress of traveling induces hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, a particularly severe form of bloody diarrhea that can cost $1,200 to treat. Still other dogs, in a new environment, might act impulsively and unexpectedly.

“Heaven forbid if your dog should leap from your hotel room patio to the ground below,” McConnell said.

An advantage, McConnell added, to a VPI policy is that, in an emergency, the pet can visit any licensed veterinarian anywhere in the world. Also certain regions, such as New York, often charge more for veterinary care, which owners might be unprepared to pay in an emergency.

“Vets today can do much more complicated procedures,” McConnell said, “but it comes at a cost.”