Top 5 Preventive Care Coverage Questions

Preventive care, like check-ups and vaccines, can help your pet live a long and healthy life, and preventive care coverage added to a pet health insurance plan can help you manage the costs. Get answers to five commonly asked questions to help decide if it's right for you and your four-legged family member.

1. Why should I consider this coverage?

Preventive care is an important way to help keep your pet healthy. For instance, regular check-ups can give your veterinarian the opportunity to detect health issues while they are in the initial stages when the prognosis can be better for your pet. Cats, in particular, are notorious for hiding or masking their symptoms, so these visits can be essential in identifying potential problems early.

In addition, regular exams can help ensure your pet maintains a good weight for their breed and age. This can help your pal avoid conditions like diabetes, which is a growing problem for dogs and cats.

Preventive care coverage can reimburse you for the preventive care services your veterinarian recommends for your pet. If you're on top of your pet's preventive care needs, you're already paying for those treatments, so why not get cash back for them?

Of course, not all pet parents are totally up-to-date on their pet's preventive care. As a cat parent, I admit I have occasionally put off an annual veterinary visit to avoid the trials and tribulations of getting my frisky feline into her traveling crate! It's almost as tough as giving her a bath. Luckily, my cat has been healthy, but I know preventive care can help keep her that way.

Having preventive care coverage can motivate you to make and keep those appointments since you know you'll be getting money back for them.

2. What does it cover?

The preventive care services covered will depend on the provider and coverage option you choose. They can include things like:

• Annual exams
• Vaccines
• Blood or other wellness screenings
• Annual dental cleanings
• Flea and heartworm prevention
• Deworming

Some preventive care coverage options also cover spaying or neutering, which gives your pet important health benefits. For instance, neutering can protect pets against testicular cancer and some prostate issues. Spaying helps avoid uterine infections and breast cancer. These surgeries can also stop unwanted behaviors, such as yowling during heat or roaming away from home to search for a mate, which can lead to injury.

Since preventive care covers the cost of annual exams, this will help you stay more up-to-date with your pet's overall health. It is during these routine visits that your veterinarian can detect any health problems. If you continue your visits regularly, then there is an increased chance that your veterinarian will be able to catch any issues early on—the earlier an issue is caught, typically the easier it is to treat.

Not to mention, annual exams allow your veterinarian to better monitor your pet's weight and thus suggest any changes to your four-legged friend's diet or exercise routine. Once your dog or cat becomes overweight or obese, they will immediately become more susceptible to a line of other health issues.

3. How does it work?

Like the list of covered services, pet preventive care coverage will work differently depending on the provider and coverage options. Pet health insurance that covers preventive care is not something that all pet insurance providers offer, so it's good to check on that before you choose one.

If you enroll in a plan from the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance program, you can add preventive care coverage for an additional low monthly cost. This gives you coverage for unexpected accidents and illnesses as well as preventive care.

You can choose from two different pet preventive care plans. Each option has a list of covered services, and each service has a set annual maximum amount that will be paid to you when you submit a claim. You don't have to meet a deductible or satisfy a co-insurance amount before getting reimbursed for preventive care.

So, let's say you take your pet to the veterinarian for a regular check-up, which has a set annual maximum reimbursement amount of $50. This is what you would do:

• Visit your veterinarian and pay for the exam as usual.
• After the visit, submit a claim through our app, online, or by email, fax, or mail—whatever works best for you.
• Get reimbursed up to $50 for the exam without having to meet a deductible or co-insurance amount.

You can choose to receive your reimbursements through direct deposit or as a check in the mail.

Quick tip: The fastest way to send in your claims is to download the My Pet Insurance app. In the app, all you need to do is tell us the services your pet received, and then include a photo of your invoice. Aside from this, the app can also be used to pay your bill, find nearby veterinary clinics, and so much more.

4. How much does it cost?

You can add a preventive care coverage option to your ASPCA Pet Health Insurance plan for as low as $9.95 per month. That's in addition to the cost of your overall plan. You can get a quote online now to see the coverage available for your pet, along with the costs.

5. Can I get cash back for my next veterinary visit?

If you're a new customer and sign up for an ASPCA Pet Health Insurance plan with preventive care coverage today, those benefits would start tomorrow! That means you could get cashback for covered preventive care services at your next veterinary visit.

If you're already a customer, you can add it when your yearly policy reissuance date comes up. You'll receive an email around that time with a reminder to call us if you'd like to make any changes to your plan.

The information presented in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute or substitute for the advice of your veterinarian.