HMO for Pets

Men and woman are used to HMO plans for their own health insurance. You walk into your doctor's office, pay a pre-set co-payment and then your insurance company covers the rest. It is easy to deal with, we don't have paperwork to handle, and we are not paying out huge amounts of cash and waiting for our insurance companies to reimburse us.

Many pet owners have hesitated against pet insurance because pet insurance HMOs have not existed until recently. Pet insurance HMOs are new and many veterinarians refuse to use them because of the added paperwork. There are a few companies, however, that are not offering HMO-style pet insurance plans. This is helping to increase public interest in pet insurance.

Currently, there is one program available to United States residents. The company, Pet Assure, isn't quite an HMO, but it is closer than any other pet insurance currently offered. With Pet Assure, you pay a yearly premium, $59 for cats, rodents and reptiles or $99 for dogs and horses. Additionally, you can get a discounted package of $149 for up to four pets. Their insurance covers dogs, cats, horses, rodents, or reptiles.

After you have paid this premium, you can go to any veterinarian on their list. You go into their office and your animal receives quality care for a discount. Typically, a kitten's first year will cost you $300 in vaccinations and worm tests and then another $100 to $200 for the spay or neuter. With the current HMO-style offering from Pet Assure, you automatically get a 25% discount. Your bill of $500 is cut down to $375. In just one year, you have saved $125 after paying your $59 yearly membership.

The HMO-style pet insurance also covers emergency care. Let's say your new puppy finds some antifreeze that has leaked from your car and laps it up. Typically, the emergency care your puppy will require costs upwards of $300 for the first visit and at least $150 for hospitalization. With the HMO-style pet insurance, you can save $75 immediately and then another $37 if hospitalization is required.

Another common problem with dogs and cats is an injury after being hit by a car. Cuts requiring stitches usually cost $300 to clean and stitch. Broken ribs can cost $250 to tape. If the bone break requires surgery, you are looking at upwards of $3,000. Few can afford to pay these bills in one sitting. A 25% discount can make the mounting bills look far more affordable. $3,000 is suddenly cut down to $2,250. It's still a lot of money, I won't argue that, but it is a good deal less money.

For now, the HMO-style plans are well worth the meager annual investment. As pet insurance continues to gain in popularity, more plans will appear and perhaps a true HMO will arise to change the world of veterinary care forever.