Health Insurance Benefits Going To the Dogs (and cats too!)
[8/27/07]
With more and more companies cutting health insurance benefits for their employees, a growing number of companies are adding a surprising perk, health insurance benefits for pets!
In some highly competitive fields, Human Resources professionals understand unique benefits sometimes are the keys to attracting and keeping good people. If you are one of the many people without health insurance it may be hard to swallow that their are cats and dogs out there with better health coverage than you have. But if you work for Home Depot, AT&T or a growing number of other firms, your four-legged furry friends may well have better health coverage for illness or injuries than some 47 million erect walking humans.
For some, their pets are everything to them. Pet care is a multi-billion dollar industry. Employers are recognizing that for many, pets are as important as or more important than children. A recent survey conducted by the Society of Human Resources Management said that the number of companies offering pet health insurance has doubled over the past three years. The list included very large and very high profile employers such as Google, Ford, Viacom , and HSBC Bank. A spokesperson for Embrace Pet Insurance says that companies really like the idea of offering pet insurance. In reality the plans cost a company very little money, and they gain a lot in boosting morale and offering unique benefits to their employees.
And the trend doesn’t end with pet health insurance as a benefit for furry dependants. Some firms offer to pay for pet care while a person is at work. Others have even been known to pay for pet funerals and for time off to grieve the loss of a beloved pet. Chipolte a Denver based fast food Mexican restaurant giant says the majority of their workforce is young without children, but most do have pets. They really appreciate the idea of us covering their “pet families”
Pet health insurance is really not designed to deal with routine veterinary care, although some policies do include payments for check ups and wellness visits. No, pet insurance is really there to help with the cost of treatments for serious illness or injuries to a pet. When this occurs a pet owner is often faced with the uncomfortable decision of euthanasia, or paying thousands of dollars for treatments. Pet Health Insurance eases this burden.
In some highly competitive fields, Human Resources professionals understand unique benefits sometimes are the keys to attracting and keeping good people. If you are one of the many people without health insurance it may be hard to swallow that their are cats and dogs out there with better health coverage than you have. But if you work for Home Depot, AT&T or a growing number of other firms, your four-legged furry friends may well have better health coverage for illness or injuries than some 47 million erect walking humans.
For some, their pets are everything to them. Pet care is a multi-billion dollar industry. Employers are recognizing that for many, pets are as important as or more important than children. A recent survey conducted by the Society of Human Resources Management said that the number of companies offering pet health insurance has doubled over the past three years. The list included very large and very high profile employers such as Google, Ford, Viacom , and HSBC Bank. A spokesperson for Embrace Pet Insurance says that companies really like the idea of offering pet insurance. In reality the plans cost a company very little money, and they gain a lot in boosting morale and offering unique benefits to their employees.
And the trend doesn’t end with pet health insurance as a benefit for furry dependants. Some firms offer to pay for pet care while a person is at work. Others have even been known to pay for pet funerals and for time off to grieve the loss of a beloved pet. Chipolte a Denver based fast food Mexican restaurant giant says the majority of their workforce is young without children, but most do have pets. They really appreciate the idea of us covering their “pet families”
Pet health insurance is really not designed to deal with routine veterinary care, although some policies do include payments for check ups and wellness visits. No, pet insurance is really there to help with the cost of treatments for serious illness or injuries to a pet. When this occurs a pet owner is often faced with the uncomfortable decision of euthanasia, or paying thousands of dollars for treatments. Pet Health Insurance eases this burden.
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