Taking care of a dog or other pet adds up over time. In addition to the daily overhead expenses of food and shelter, there’s the yearly expenses of routine vet care. But what about other expenses? Dr. Amanda Hensley estimates that on average, there is about $10,000 in “unanticipated” medical expenses over the course of a lifetime.

Pet insurance can help cover those costs – and is probably going to cost you less over the lifetime of your pet than going without it. So says our guest Dr. Amanda Hensley, who says she will “die on this hill: every pet should have pet insurance.”

Dr. Hensley explains the difference between wellness plans and accident and illness plans, who offers them, how much they cost … and whether you should get one, the other, or both.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:

Article about Pet Health Insurance: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/stress-and-finances/pet-health-insurance/

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance: https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/

Fetch Pet Insurance: https://www.fetchpet.com/

Dr. Jules Benson with Nationwide Insurance podcast episodes:

https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/stats-and-facts/dog-cancer-risk-linked-to-size-dr-jules-benson/

https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/types-of-dog-cancer/nationwide-dog-cancer-study-and-breeds-at-risk-dr-jules-benson/

Related Links:

Tesoro’s True Tail About Getting $60,000 Covered by Insurance! https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/stress-and-finances/how-tesoro-spent-60000-on-dog-cancer-treatment-diana-gerba/

All About CareCredit: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/stress-and-finances/carecredit-for-dogs/

The Costs of Cancer Treatments: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/stress-and-finances/cost-of-cancer-treatment-for-dogs/

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:39 Every Pet Should Be Insured

01:42 Wellness Plans and What They Cover

04:54 Expect the Unexpected, Especially Cancer

07:50 How Pet Insurance Plans Work: Reimbursements, Co-Pays, Premiums, Deductibles

12:35 Dr. Hensley’s Favorite Providers

14:40 Pre-Existing Conditions (Like Cancer) May Get Partial Coverage

18:11 Pet Insurance Saves Money Over Time

21:10 When Is It Too Late to Buy Pet Insurance

25:21 The Realistic Health Cost of Dog Ownership Over Time: $10K

28:36 Crazy True Tail About Pet Insurance Covering Almost $18,000

31:06 Pet Insurance Is Worth It, Will Get Used, and Gives Peace of Mind

32:30 Most Insurable Dog Breeds

34:30 How to Choose a Policy and What Questions to Ask

40:05 Red Flags

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Get to know today's guest, Amanda Hensley, DVM, MPH, CCRT, CVA: https://www.dogcancer.com/people/amanda-hensley-dvm-mph-ccrt-cva/

For more details, articles, podcast episodes, and quality education, go to the episode page: https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/

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