NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- If you've decided you may need pet insurance for your pet, you'll want to know what to look for when buying a policy. Just like any form of insurance, there are pitfalls of which you should be aware.
From PetsBest.com, a pet insurance company, here are four tips to consider when buying insurance for your pet:
Ask your veterinarian. Chances are the vet has heard all the news, whether it be good or bad, about insurance plans from other policy holders. See which one gets the best reviews.
Choose the insurance company carefully. Be sure the firm is licensed in your state. That gives you some confidence the company has met some minimum standards, and it often means the plan will have the coverage you need.
Cover all your bases. Make sure your pet is covered for illnesses, accidents, and other routine forms of care. Also, ensure that the costliest forms of treatment and preventive screens are included. Choose a plan that covers serious illnesses such as cancer, and offers surgical coverage, such as removal of swallowed objects and treatment of hernias.
Consider the plan's restrictions carefully. For instance, you may not want the plan to restrict your choice of caregiver, if you hope to visit a vet you know or have heard about through reference. So, avoid plans that make you choose from a set network of veterinarians. Also, opt for insurance that covers after-hours care in case an emergency occurs in the middle of the night.
Before You Start
- Think about how you would pay for routine expenses if you or another income-earning adult in your home were to suffer a disability and stop working?
- Ask your employer whether disability income insurance is offered as an optional workplace benefit.
- If you're an employer, consider offering it as a benefit to attract and retain desired workers.
- If you already own disability income insurance, take a fresh look at the policy to learn about the level of coverage it provides, eligibility requirements, etc.
Chandigarh: J Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, which is a health insurance scheme for providing health care to BPL families, will be implemented through ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company.
While disclosing this here today, Labour and Employment Minister, A.C.Choudhary said that an agreement to this effect between Director, ESI Health Care, Haryana and ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company was signed.
Giving details of the scheme, he said that the scheme aimed at providing financial assistance for meeting expenses of hospitalisation and surgical procedures of beneficiary members upto Rs. 30,000 per family (consisting of five members) per year. The benefit to the family would be given on floater basis that is the total reimbursement of Rs 30,000 could be availed individually or collectively by members of the family, he added. He said that ESI wing of Labour Department had been made the nodal agency for the scheme.
In the first phase, the scheme had already come into effect in the four districts of Haryana namely, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Bhiwani. The total BPL families in these districts accounted for 3,29,508. As many as 83,616 smart cards had already been issued to the BPL families in these four districts till June 25, he added.
A C Choudhary said that the scheme was being implemented jointly by Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25, adding that Haryana was the leading state in the implementation of this scheme.
