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  • 2 years ago
More than 4.8 million U.S. dogs and cats were covered by pet insurance in 2022 -- an increase of 22% from the year before. And with seemingly more pet owners in the U.S. today, the number of pets needing pet insurance is on the rise and likely not slowing down anytime soon. If you do not have pet insurance, you have probably considered it but may be unsure where to start or what questions to ask. Dr. Katy Nelson, Senior Veterinarian at Chewy , joined us to share expert advice on considerations to be aware of. Chewy asked their more than 20 million customers what they think about pet insurance. For those with a wellness or insurance plan, the top reason to have it is peace of mind - almost half (48%) of survey respondents agreed that knowing they can take care of their pets if something happens to them is the primary reason for purchasing pet insurance. For others, the top reasons include a preference for paying a fixed amount each month vs. dealing with one great expense unexpectedly and being able to bundle wellness and illness coverage. When purchasing plans through Chewy, many people decide to go that route because they gain access to a wide range of already-established healthcare offerings from Chewy. They have a dedicated arm focused on healthcare with a mission of making healthcare affordable and accessible to pet parents nationwide. When you sign up for a CarePlus plan, you gain access to those resources, including free direct access to pet health experts via Connect with a Vet telehealth service. Chewy customers can also get one hundred percent of the costs covered for veterinary diet food, prescription medications, and supplements delivered quickly and conveniently via Chewy Pharmacy. This is in addition to no caps on payout limits and direct payments that go straight to the veterinarian. This experience is all wrapped in the award-winning customer support you have come to know from Chewy. To find out more, visit chewy.com .
Transcript
00:00 Hi, I'm Dr. Katie Nelson, the Senior Veterinarian for Chewy Health, and we're talking a little
00:10 bit today about pet health insurance.
00:12 I've been a veterinarian for over 20 years, and I've never had one of my clients say to
00:17 me, "I really regret having pet insurance."
00:20 But you don't have to take my word for it.
00:22 Chewy has over 20 million customers, and we surveyed our customers and asked them why
00:26 they are buying pet health insurance.
00:29 And the number one response, over 48% of respondents said that they're doing it because they want
00:34 the peace of mind of knowing that they can give their pet the very best care at the moment
00:39 that they need it.
00:41 Other pet parents said that having pet health insurance actually helps them to budget a
00:44 little better.
00:45 They know exactly what's going to be coming out of their account every month, so there's
00:49 no surprises when it comes to their pet's health.
00:51 And also, we have customers that just said, "Hey, I just want my wellness covered," or
00:56 "I just want some backup for accidents or illnesses."
01:00 Or some of them even want it all bundled together.
01:03 And at Chewy, we can help those pet parents with that.
01:07 And the great thing about working with us at Chewy for your pet health insurance is
01:11 that we have a whole host of offerings through our health care suite that pet parents can
01:16 have access to through Care Plus, one of which is our Connect with a Vet telehealth platform.
01:21 We have licensed veterinarians and licensed technicians on call 18 hours a day, 365 days
01:27 a year, and it's completely free for our Care Plus customers.
01:31 Plus, our Care Plus customers can get all of their veterinary diets, their pharmacy
01:36 items, as well as their supplements delivered safely and easily to their door, as well as
01:42 accessing that completely amazing customer service that Chewy is known for.
01:47 And people say, "Well, why wouldn't I get pet health insurance?"
01:50 And what we hear back is that oftentimes people are saying it's the cost.
01:55 It's intimidating.
01:57 There's so much information out there about insurance plans, and I don't know how to choose.
02:01 But it comes down to determining the value of these plans for your pets.
02:06 So yes, are you going to be spending the average of $30 per month for a cat or $50 per month
02:12 for a dog?
02:13 Absolutely.
02:14 But what is that going to get you, right?
02:16 So it's really breaking down these plans and figuring out what is the right coverage for
02:20 your pet, and when do you start?
02:22 That's a big question too.
02:24 And my advice is to start looking at this the day that you decide that you're going
02:27 to bring a pet into your home.
02:30 But it's also never too late.
02:32 So if you do have an adult dog or a senior cat, it's not too late to have great coverage
02:37 for your pet.
02:38 And spend a little time understanding the difference between a wellness package and
02:43 an accident and an illness package.
02:46 Obviously, they cover what they say they cover.
02:48 Wellness packages are much more for preventative care.
02:51 So that's your annual exam and your vaccinations and your flea and tick and heartworm prevention,
02:56 all of those, that falls into your wellness packages.
02:59 Accident and illness cover just that, accidents and illnesses.
03:02 So you've got a pet that maybe swallowed a sock and he needs to have a surgery to remove
03:07 that or maybe he injured himself playing at the dog park.
03:11 That's going to all be covered under those plans.
03:13 And then we do have bundles where you can take advantage of all of those together.
03:18 So really, the best way for you to figure out what's best for your pet is to know your
03:22 pet.
03:23 Talk with your veterinarian about your particular breed, your pet's age, and any sort of things
03:29 that they might be predisposed to.
03:30 Do you have a golden retriever that maybe is predisposed to having hip dysplasia?
03:35 Or do you have an older kitty who may have some kidney values that are getting a little
03:40 bit elevated?
03:41 These are all things to take into consideration when you're planning forward on which plans
03:45 to get that are appropriate for your particular pet.
03:48 But don't worry, you don't ever have to do it all alone.
03:51 Here at Chewy, we can help you walk through that and figure out what's the best plan for
03:55 your pet.
03:56 You can call our customer service line, we can walk you straight through it.
03:59 You can go to Chewy.com or you can check us out on our app and go to Care+.
04:03 (upbeat music)
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