What is the Average Cost of Pet Insurance in 2022?

Having a pet isn’t cheap. But still, more than 90 million homes in the U.S. have pets. With a pet, there is not only another mouth to feed, but you also have to bear medical costs. The cost of owning a pet can range, on average, from $200 to $2000 a year. If something goes wrong and your pet is not covered by insurance, you may have to shell out hundreds and thousands of dollars towards medical costs, surgeries, or vet charges. There is a way out and it is by animal fundraising. You can raise money to cover the costs of your pet’s emergency medical bills through crowdfunding. Let’s get to it later.

Buying pet insurance is a personal decision. Not everyone can afford to have one for their pet. The average pet insurance for a dog costs about $35-$50 per month and costs $25-$30 for a cat. You can find a policy that fits your budget by adjusting the coverage levels inside the plan. But keep in mind that the rates generally rise every year at the time of renewal.

Types of pet insurance plans

The coverage type determines the average pet insurance costs. You can have an accident-only policy or a comprehensive coverage plan. Your coverage depends on many factors, including the insurance provider and the money you can afford to buy the plan.

Here are the common types of pet insurance plans-

Routine wellness plan:

This covers routine medical expenses such as wellness tests, flea prevention, vaccinations, and others. These are taken as add-ons.

Accident-only plan:

This covers certain medical expenses if the pet suffers an accident. The coverage generally includes expenses for surgeries, x-rays, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, emergency care, and prescription medications.

Accident and illness plan:

This combines an accident plan and pays the vet bill for illnesses such as ear infections, poisoning, sprains, and other incidents.

Comprehensive pet insurance plan:

It combines both accident and illness plans along with the routine wellness plan.

Pet insurances are reimbursement-based. You’ll have to pay the pet’s medical bills upfront and then submit a claim to the pet insurance company. Let’s try and understand the deductible and reimbursement first.

Deductibles:

This is the amount you pay out of your pocket to meet the medical expenses of your pet before coverage starts. The higher your deductible amount, the lesser your pet insurance cost. You can select a deductible ranging from $0 to $1000.

Reimbursement levels:

Pet insurance has reimbursement options of 70%, 80%, or 90%. The costs are higher for better levels of reimbursement.

Let’s try to understand it with a simple example. Say, you have a pet insurance plan with $500 as a deductible and a 70% reimbursement level.

1. If the medical procedure costs $2500 and it’s your first claim in the policy period, you pay the full amount upfront to the vet.
2. Of the $2500 you have paid, $500 is the deductible amount you’ll have to pay from your pocket.
3. Now, from the remaining $1500, you’ll be reimbursed 70%, which amounts to $1050.

So in total, you have paid a $500 deductible and $450 (30% non-reimbursable) which amounts to $950.

Average Pet Insurance Costs

A number of factors come into play when determining pet insurance costs. The animal type, breed, age, location, and many other factors collectively decide the pet insurance price.

1. Animal type
2. Breed of the pet
3. Age
4. Zipcode
5. Company partner discounts
6. Insurance provider
7. Plan/coverage type
8. Deductible
9. Reimbursement
10. Payout limit
11. Billing schedule (monthly or annual)
12. Number of pets enrolled under the same plan

Most people get pet insurance early when the pets are young and healthy. It ensures low monthly premiums. Here’s a look at the pet insurance averages.

Source: Data from Petinsurer.com with a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement level.

Now, let’s look at one more reference data to understand how breeds affect pet insurance prices.

Source: Data from Petinsurer.com for $5000 annual coverage with a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement level.

Let’s now compare some of the features of various pet insurance providers for a dog as a pet. Note that the waiting time is also crucial for you to select the appropriate pet insurance provider.

Source: Data from Petinsurer.com

Note: This is not a complete technical comparison chart. There are certain conditions and exclusions covering the intricacies of the pet insurance policy. Please contact the pet insurance providers for more details.  

Your pet insurance is meant to help you lower the burden of more expensive but less common ailments and diseases such as cancer, and fractures. Paying for treatment out of pocket for common dog and cat conditions is less expensive than the annual pet insurance cost.

Nevertheless, if you don’t have pet insurance and you are faced with an unexpected medical emergency for your pet, you still have hopes to raise money through crowdfunding!

Online animal fundraising platforms to your rescue:

Online fundraising platforms like givingx give a voice to countless pets in distress. Community animal fundraising is made easy through tools and features provided by these platforms. Pet owners can even access the ultimate pet fundraising guide provided here to get ideas for a successful crowdfunding campaign. Creating an attractive donation page and sharing it with your network can definitely help you pay for your vet bills.
 
Sometimes, caring for our furry family members can cost more than we can afford. Not everyone can buy pet insurance. givingx helps pet owners save their pet’s life by getting the needed help.