The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Seal of Acceptance

AAHA has recently established a "Seal of Acceptance" for pet health insurance policies that meet certain criteria. I believe that AAHA's Seal of Acceptance has already had an impact on the pet insurance industry because  the newer companies seem to be offering higher deductible policies, and some of the more established companies are now revising some of their policies to offer higher deductibles. Currently, 2 companies in the United States have policies that have received the Seal of Acceptance. I believe that several more companies will apply for and also receive the Seal for some of their policies in the near future. As they do, they will be added to the above list.

I'm providing a link to a brochure that AAHA provides that not only explains what this means, but is also a good resource for those pet owners considering purchasing pet insurance.

Remember, if you get a policy with a higher deductible, your premium will likely be lower, but you will assume more of the responsibility for your veterinary expenses. If you are going to get a higher deductible, make sure it is an annual deductible and not a per-incident deductible and try to keep the co-pay as low as possible. You should be able to actually calculate out on paper which plan a company offers (whether a high deductible or one with a lower deductible) will give you the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Just pick several possible veterinary invoice amounts from low to high (e.g. $500, $1500, $3000, and $5000) and calculate how much you would pay vs. what the insurance company would pay - then add the annual premiums. This is somewhat simplistic because it assumes everything you submit is a covered expense and that the company pays out benefits based on whatever the veterinarian charges (not according to a benefit schedule or strict adherence to what is "usual and customary"). Also remember that the deductible and premium are only two factors of many you should consider when choosing which company to purchase pet health insurance from for your pet

So, does this mean that you'd be better off buying a policy with a higher deductible or from a company on the AAHA list? Not necessarily, but I thought you needed to be aware of AAHA's Seal of Acceptance because as you visit company websites you will see it mentioned and you need to know what it means.

Comments

[geeks]

That was inspiring,

This is a very helpful site and i think because of it, i have the ideal pet insurance...

Keep up the good work