68 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • OCTOBER 2021
PET INSURANCE
THE RIGHT MOVE? BY ALLISON MATOS
Whether you have a new, younger
pet or an older furry friend at home,
you may wonder if pet insurance is
worth the fi nancial commitment. We
asked Alyssa DeVito, Licensed Sales
Professional/ Customer Service Representative
N O R T H S H O R E A N I M A L L E A G U E A M E R I C A
DONATE YOUR CAR
FOR HOMELESS PETS!
Fast & Easy - How It Works
STEP 1: FREE TOWING
Complete the vehicle donation form and
we’ll contact you to arrange a convenient
pick-up time.
STEP 2: TAX DOCUMENTATION
You will receive all necessary tax
documentation required for a deduction.
100% Tax Deductible (as allowed by law).
STEP 3: SAVE LIVES
Celebrate that you helped save the lives
of homeless pets!
A great way to help homeless pets! Complete details
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at Allstate Cirigliano Agency
in Patchogue, to “shed” some light on
how pet insurance works and which
animals it best benefi ts.
To get started, think about your pets
and the type of coverage you may be interested
in. For example, Allstate off ers
two types of coverage with very little
diff erence; one covers more services
than the other and includes rewards for
grooming and yearly checkups.
“Basic coverage typically covers any
sudden and life-threatening expenses.
For example, it covers the cost of
cancer treatments, and any emergency
surgery in the event an injury
occurs. Any pet owners looking to
gain incentives from annual checkups
and grooming should consider a more
complete package; however, the basic
package is what we like to recommend
to our customers,” says DeVito.
Let’s talk about costs. You may be
surprised to learn that a dog’s breed
and age will not cause coverage to be
denied, but it will affect the price of
the premium. As an example, DeVito
notes that the average monthly cost
for a young healthy puppy is about
$30-$60 per month, but each breed
is rated differently so it may vary.
And while age is not considered a
factor per se, keep in mind is that
if the pet already has a preexisting
condition, coverage may not be approved.
“Whenever a policy is taken
out, the company will request a copy
of a physical dated within 30 days of
initial sign-on to better rate the policy
based on the health of the pet,” says
DeVito. Additionally, some companies
such as Allstate will off er a 10% multiple
pet discount.
Many pet owners have nightmare
stories about their insurance company’s
reimbursement process, but
typically once the pet is treated,
the company requests any and all
paperwork provided by the veterinarian
as proof of treatment and
cost. Once the paperwork is filed
and inspected by the claims department,
reimbursement should
follow shortly after.
DeVito suggests doing your homework
before you choose a policy that’s
right for your pet. “There should
be no fi ne print. These policies
are very cut and dried;
they should list everything
they do and do not
cover in clear, bold text.
At Allstate we try to make
this clear to the owner
prior to purchasing the policy, to
make sure they are getting everything
they are looking for because at the end
of the day, our main focus is making
sure that the pets we love so dearly are
protected the way we protect ourselves.”
For more information about Allstate
pet insurance, contact the Cirigliano
Agency at 631-758-7225.
PRESS PETS
A dog’s breed and age
will not cause coverage to be denied,
but it will affect the price of the
premium. (Getty Images)
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