‘What to ask a pet insurance provider’ Series…#1
I plan on doing a series of questions that you should all ask yourself or your potential pet insurance provider if you are considering pet insurance to protect your pet. These questions are derived from a set of questions that was first publish by The American Animal Hospital Association when they created their Seal of Acceptance program for pet insurance companies.
I’m going to break up the questions so that I am able to explain what each one means.
Today I’ll start off with some basic company questions.
1. Are there any complaints about this provider on record at the Better Business Bureau?
I think that this one is pretty straightforward, and may be something that you’re in the habit of doing already. Simply visit the BBB’s website and see what, if any, complaints exist about the company.
2. Does this provider have good ratings at independent websites that review and/or publish customer ratings of pet health insurance companies?
I know of one really good independent website called Pet Insurance Review. They have made sections where policy holders can go under their given company and write a review. You can view the reviews by visiting their website, here. I would also appreciate any other suggested websites that you might know of.
3. Is this provider selling the insurance licensed in my state?
You shouldn’t worry about this question too much, as either you’re able to get the insurance or you’re not. Each company is required to jump through hoops with each state’s department of insurance, and if they have and they’re approved then you’ll be able to get insurance. Typically, once you have the insurance, the company will cover any veterinarian that you visit (even if they’re outside of your home state).
Please feel free to comment with questions or concerns. And, as I mentioned, I would also love to hear any embellishments on either question, or other suggested pet insurance review sites!
thanks so much for the imformation. My family has been thinking about this subject for a while and has been worried that if we got this service, it would have been a scam.
Melissa, I tried go to the BBB and searching for Pets Best Insurance and Pet Care Insurance and neither of them show up. What happens if a company isn’t listed?
Hey Sarah,
I was able to find Pets Best under “Pets Best Insurance” (they’re located in Idaho) but doing a ‘business or charity’ search. I found PetCare by doing a ‘URL’ search for their website. PetCare is actually called PetHealth, Inc., but they do business as PetCare. Hope this helps!