 TITLE: Do I Need a Good Credit Score for Pet Insurance? CONTENT: How to Save on Pet Insurance\n----------------------------\nShop around and compare various policies to get the best price on pet insurance. Be sure you're evaluating the same levels of coverage. You can save on pet insurance by:\n*   **Choosing accident-only coverage**: Just as with human health insurance, you can save money on premiums by purchasing insurance for catastrophic coverage only. Budget the money you save for your pet's routine care.\n*   **Opting for a higher copay**: Reducing coinsurance from 90% to 70%, for instance, could save you some money. (Just make sure you can afford the higher copay.) Before reducing your coverage, find out whether you can bump it up again if you choose; some insurers don't allow this.\n*   **Purchasing a policy when your pet is young**: It's harder to get pet insurance as your pet gets older; in fact, some insurers won't write policies for pets over a certain age. Like people, older animals usually need more medical care as hereditary conditions arise or chronic diseases set in. If you get insurance when your pet is young, however, you can usually keep the policy for the life of your pet.\n*   **Keeping your pet healthy**: There's a lot you can do to maintain your pet's health yourself. Brushing your pet's teeth, feeding them a good diet and providing plenty of exercise will keep your pet in good shape, and help to prevent many health problems.\nPet insurance isn't the only way to save money on pet health care. Some veterinarians participate in discount programs that charge a membership fee in return for lower rates on care with veterinarians in the network. Veterinarians affiliated with animal rescue organizations may offer discounts for rescue pets. Your community or local animal shelter may periodically offer low-cost vaccination or spay and neuter clinics. Sometimes you can get a lower price for your pet's prescriptions by filling them at a pharmacy for humans. Ask your vet about suggestions for lowering the cost of your pet's medical care.\nVeterinary visits aren't cheap, and pet insurance can help protect your pocketbook—but it's also a complicated insurance product with lots of factors to consider. Taking the time to thoroughly research the pros and cons of every policy you consider will help you choose the best pet insurance for both your pet and your budget. END