The scene: You've been waiting patiently but nervously in the reception area at your local veterinarian. Your beloved Brownie — not merely man's best friend in general but your best friend in particular for the last nine years — has been in there for 45 minutes. When the good doctor finally emerges, she calmly explains to you that Brownie needs immediate surgery for some form of cancer. The cost? About $3,000. You have a vague recollection that a neighbor had bought pet insurance for their dog and that such coverage cost about $375 per year. Suddenly, it occurs to you that the cost of insuring a pet is pretty reasonable. You're not alone. By some accounts, the U.S. market for pet insurance has been growing at an annual pace of 45% over the last 5 years.
Despite this growth, however, only 1 percent of the 136 million dog and cat owners in the U.S. have pet insurance. Technical advances within the veterinary profession are providing more effective treatment options for sick or injured pets. Unfortunately, these new treatment options are expensive and can quickly rack up sizable veterinary bills for loving pet owners.
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According to 2002 figures from the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 61 million dogs and 69 million cats in the U.S., with approximately 300 species of birds kept as pets. More than 60 percent of U.S. households own a cat or dog. More than 91 percent of pet owners take their dogs and cats to the veterinarian for vaccination and preventive care. In addition, avian care is increasing. In 1991, consumers spent $37.7 million on veterinary medical expenditures for birds, increasing to $140 million by 2002.
VPI is the nation's oldest and largest licensed health insurance plan for pets, with its VPI Superior, VPI Standard and VPI Avian & Exotic Pet Plans available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1980, VPI offers several plans that cover everything from homeopathic medicine, vaccinations, and other routine care to cancer treatments, for a wide range of pets, including many birds species.
The plans are available for dogs and cats age six weeks and older — with no upper age limit — and for birds age three months and older who have been in the owner's possession for a minimum of 60 days. Rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes and other common exotic pets must be at least six weeks old.
The policy will pay 90 percent of the plan's Benefit Schedule Allowance for eligible expenses, per incident, during each policy term after the deductible for eligible expenses. Two accident and illness plans are offered for dogs and cats, and while both provide the same coverage and carry the same per incident deductible, they differ in benefit schedule allowances, the maximum amount allowed per year and premium amounts. VPI's premiums are the same whether the animal is a show pet, a guard dog, or a Seeing Eye dog.
QuickCare Gold 100% Coverage for cats provides coverage for an unlimited number of accidents up to $2,500 per accident. QuickCare Gold also provides coverage for over 6,000 types of accidents and illnesses up to $2,500 per illness category, up to a maximum lifetime illness coverage of $30,000.
Petshealth's Quickcare plan for dogs also provides coverage for an unlimited number of accidents and over 6,000 illnesses with no maximum annual illness benefit restrictions. Enrollment is as early as 8 weeks of age for puppies. When you enroll your dog in QuickCare Gold before the age of 8 (age 6 for 'select' breeds), coverage continues for the rest of its life. The same $50 fixed deductible applies on all QuickCare Gold Programs for dogs.
"When we added the Veterinary Pet Insurance plan as a benefit, our employees were pleased that this was offered to them," said Brian Clelland, director of benefits and administration for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Currently, more than 900 companies offer Veterinary Pet Insurance as a voluntary employee benefit, including companies as varied as The Weather Channel, GMAC, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, VPI said.
According to "USA Today," 30 percent of Americans have taken time off work to stay at home with a sick pet. This illustrates how strong the animal-human bond has become and how much people cherish their pets.
"It's great to see so many companies recognize the importance of adding new benefits like pet insurance for their employees," said Bill Gorman, VPI group sales manager. "A company may elect to have pet insurance coverage with as few as 100 eligible employees."
An enterprising group of students won the 2003 Annual Wharton School Business Plan Competition, not with a technology plan or a biotech venture, but with a simple business plan highlighting the large opportunity for growth that exists in the pet insurance market.
Pet insurance is much more common in countries such as the United Kingdom, where over 12% of the pet owners can buy insurance from over 60 different companies. In the U.S. there are 5 main players: PetHealth, Veterinary Pet Insurance, Pet Protect, Pet Assure, and Hartville Group. The U.S. market for pet insurance has grown at an annual growth rate of 45% over 5 years, totaling $88 million in 2002 according to the research firm, Packaged Facts.
Last updated July 19, 2004