Don't Forget to Check if Your Pet Insurance Covers This Kind of Care

Pet insurance can pay for medical care for companion animals so owners don't have to put vet bills on their credit cards. But there are lots of different pet insurance companies, and the types of treatment that is covered can differ from one insurer to another.

Because of this, it's important to check if a pet insurance policy covers the types of care that individual owners would want to seek for their pets. And there's one specific kind of treatment not all insurers cover that owners may want to confirm would be included.

Find out if pet insurance covers alternative medicine

When pet owners are signing up for a pet insurance policy, it's worth considering whether the policy will provide coverage for alternative medical treatments, or whether alternative care is excluded from the types of treatment the insurance will pay for.

Alternative medicine can include a whole host of different protocols. For example, some common kinds of alternative medicine include acupuncture, chiropractic care, and laser treatment.

Many pet insurers offer payments for these types of care when the alternative treatments are performed by a licensed veterinary professional and when the treatments are necessary as a result of a covered condition, such as a degenerative spine issue. However, some pet insurers do not offer this added protection, instead requiring owners to use more traditional treatment methods only.

While not every pet owner will end up needing alternative medicine, it's hard to predict when or if this kind of care will become necessary -- especially as pets age and if they develop more chronic health issues that conventional medicines may not always be able to solve.

Owners who didn't check to make sure this type of treatment is covered could be left paying out-of-pocket for it and carrying a credit card balance. Or they could find themselves in a situation where they have to pass up on procedures that could help improve their pet's health or quality of life.

Fortunately, it's easy to check with a given pet insurance carrier about whether alternative treatments will be covered. Pet insurers specify the kinds of things they do and do not cover when you're shopping around for insurance.

Owners should check this before signing up for a policy, as it may be difficult or impossible to switch insurance carriers later on in a pet's life when treatments become necessary. Other insurers could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Pet owners need to make sure they understand their coverage

Alternative medicine is just one of many kinds of coverage a pet insurer could offer. It is important for anyone who is buying pet insurance to take a close look at the fine print to understand exactly what a policy will and won't do when an animal develops health issues.

By taking the time to carefully read about exclusions and limitations, pet owners can make sure they are getting the best protection for their animal companions so any treatment their pets might need in the future will be within reach. When problems arise, owners will be glad they went to the extra trouble to make sure their coverage was comprehensive.