As the cost of veterinary services rises, people are looking for alternatives to help them pay for their pets’ care. They want to be able to give their pets the very best medical care they can, but sometimes it can be hard to do financially.

Pet insurance can help. Most plans reimburse owners for a part of, or sometimes the whole, veterinary bill when pets are ill or injured. Some plans even help when pets die or get lost or stolen. As the costs continue to increase, more owners are looking for plans that cover preventative medicine like routine exams and vaccinations.

Many companies offer pet insurance. They each have multiple plans to help owners afford the best medical care for their pets. Many plans allow owners to choose a deductible or coinsurance they are comfortable paying. This changes the monthly premium so all owners can be happy with the coverage that works best for them.

Here are some possible choices owners may have when it comes to picking insurance for their pets:

• How much they can afford to pay each month.
• Whether preventative medicine is included in the plan.
• Whether pre-existing conditions are covered. This means if a pet is diagnosed with a condition before their owners get insurance, does the insurance have to cover the bills to pay for that condition?
• Whether congenital and hereditary conditions are covered. These include hip dysplasia, heart defects, and similar problems.
• How much of the bill will be reimbursed. Some plans cover all or a part of the bill. Some cover only what they think the veterinary hospital should be charging you instead of what they are really charging you.
• If there are any limits to your pets’ coverage. Some insurance plans will only pay for a problem once or set a dollar amount per condition. Companies may also have yearly limits or even limits of how much they will pay during a pets’ lifetime.