Pet insurance for French bulldogs is like a health insurance policy that covers mainly veterinary expenses. The major difference is pet insurance is usually reimbursement-based, meaning you’ll pay up front for your French bulldog’s vet bills and submit a claim for reimbursement. Your insurer will reimburse you for problems covered by the policy.
The portion reimbursed by pet insurance will depend on your annual limit, deductible and reimbursement percentage. There’s also a “waiting period” before your coverage kicks in after you buy the initial policy.
To get a better understanding of how pet insurance works, here’s what each of those terms mean.
Waiting Period
Pet insurance companies have waiting periods after purchase, which is the specific amount of time before coverage begins:
- Accident waiting period (typically one to 14 days).
- Illness waiting period (typically 14 days).
- Extended waiting period (typically six to 12 months, but not all insurers have this waiting period).
The length of the waiting period will depend on the pet insurance company. For example, Lemonade pet insurance has a two-day waiting period for accidents, which is one of the shortest waiting periods you’ll find. But it also has a six-month extended waiting period for cruciate ligament issues. Not all insurers have an extended waiting period for cruciate ligament issues.
If you visit the vet before the waiting period ends, you won’t be reimbursed for the vet costs.
You can find pet insurance with no waiting period. For example, ManyPets does not have an extended waiting period for problems like cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia, and the company will reduce the accident and illness waiting period to 24 hours if you switch over from another pet insurance company.
Maximum Annual Limit
The amount your pet insurance company will reimburse you in a policy year is the annual coverage limit. Common annual limits are $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited coverage.
Choosing a lower annual limit will result in cheaper pet insurance costs, but you’ll have to pay for any vet bills that exceed your annual limit.
Deductible
The deductible is the amount of money you need to pay out of pocket for vet bills before your coverage begins. Common deductible choices are $100, $250, $500 or $1,000.
Choosing a higher deductible will result in cheaper pet insurance since your insurer will pay out less if you file a pet insurance claim.
Reimbursement Percentage
The amount your insurer reimburses you for problems covered by your plan is the reimbursement percentage. Common reimbursement percentages are 70%, 80% and 90%.
A lower reimbursement percentage will result in cheaper pet insurance costs because your insurer will pay less if you file a pet insurance claim.
