For Love or For Money: What would you do if you had to choose?

A number of people left their comments on the post, but I clearly remember one of the comments more than any other. The commenter said:

Now, I know where she was coming from. Economics indeed is a reason why many of us cannot do a lot of things that we otherwise would have done… but does that include overlooking a loved one because he/she is not human? It may be easier commenting on this blog about making a practical choice, but carrying through with what you write might turn out to be one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to take.

Last week, we lost a little puppy that we were caring for. She died from some unknown ailment that appeared overnight. But more importantly, she died without proper treatment. Why? because the vet wouldn’t treat an Indian dog. I can tell you this, at that point of time, I would have given anything to have her treated. I didn’t care how much money I had to spend… I just wanted her to live.

Now, here’s a question for everyone who has a pet at home? What would you have chosen? Life for your little darling, at the expense of a huge vet’s bill? Or would you have looked the other way, not knowing how you can pay the vet for the treatment?

You wouldn’t want to make the choice at all… would you? So, what’s your option?

I actually looked something up that can serve as an answer to these painful questions. In fact, this may just be THE solution.

Pet Assure claims to be the #1 Alternative to pet insurance.

So what is it? Let’s examine:

From the pet assure website – Pet Assure is the preferred alternative coverage for your family pet. Unlike insurance, all pets are covered; regardless of age, medical condition or any pre-existing condition. There are no exclusions, no deductibles and no waiting for reimbursement. No need for a quote, as Pet Assure’s minimal cost remains consistent for our members and so do the discounts. We are the alternative coverage to insurance for every pet. Search for a participating veterinarian today!

Pretty self-explanatory. The service is not really pet insurance, but offers you advantages over and above most pet insurance companies would give you. Here’s a list of PROs that I drew up after going through their website, and researching the company on the net.

1. A flat 25% off the bill if you happen to avail the services of any vet who participates in the Pet Assure network. The discount is on offer all year round, and covers almost all possible areas of treatment you may need for your pet.

2. No annual usage limits.

3. No waiting period.

4. No deductibles.

5. Routine care, spaying, neutering and hospitalization covered.

6. Cancer coverage.

7. No maximum.

8. Lost pet recovery

Now, that’s a pretty impressive list of things you get for so much less than you usually would. So there’s got to be some cons.

I looked up their website, and there is a list of national merchants that participate in the pet aasure program. Simply speaking, your membership card pays only when you avail the services of merchants listed here. My concern is that the number of participating vets under the medicines section is not that big. If this is a national list of vendors, then this low number is definitely a con.

The good news… you can refer your very own vet to the network and enjoy the benefits.

I actually looked around the net, and the feedback to the pet assure service has been pretty positive.

I do not live in the US, so I cannot avail this service. I really wish that something like this comes up in India too. For our readers in the US, I hope this service helps you make the right decisions when faced with a tough choice. I would love to hear from you about this service. Do you think this is a good alternative?