Some pet insurance companies include coverage for consultation/examination fees in their policy. Others make it optional coverage you can include when getting a quote. A few just don't cover exam fees.
I've had pet owners ask me, "Why wouldn't this be covered because a vet has to exam my pet to find out what's wrong and treat it?"
A subtle reason (I suspect) some companies don't cover this or make it optional is to deter you from taking your pet to the vet for relatively minor ailments to decrease the number of claims filed.
There are several reason you might want to include this coverage in your pet insurance policy:
- If not covered, it's like paying an additional copay with every new vet visit. Consider that if your pet has an ear infection, or UTI, it will usually require 1 or 2 recheck visits to determine if the problem has resolved.
- If your pet has a chronic condition that requires multiple recheck evaluations annually, you'll pay these exam fees out-of-pocket.
- Exam fees at emergency hospitals and specialty hospitals are often 2-3 times what your primary care vet charges.
- If you are the type of person that tends to take your pet to the vet often, you'll pay the exam fee for each visit out-of-pocket.
So, including this coverage in your policy will make your out-of-pocket costs more predictable.