Health care coverage for the whole family

One thing the health care debate has accomplished is make me more frequently appreciative of the fact that I have health insurance.

Last week I felt grateful again, though this time it wasn't for me or my wife, Kathy, but for the health insurance coverage for our dog, Smoke.

I'll note that Smoke's health plan isn't employer-provided, though I'd be happy to take advantage of such a benefit, if offered.

When we brought Smoke home nearly a year ago, we'd decided to purchase pet health insurance. Our experiences with Smoke's predecessor, Algren, sold us on the idea.

Algren had various health issues in his senior years that required ongoing treatment, various regular and special examinations, and some medications that certainly were not inexpensive.

We begrudged Algren none of that and, in fact, were happy that we had the resources that allowed us to enjoy several quality years with our wonderful friend that we would have missed but for the fine veterinary care he received.

But, those resources didn't include pet health insurance, so we enrolled Smoke in a pet health plan.

Here's the twist: At just under 2 years old, Smoke generally is the picture of canine health, and I didn't expect to tap his health insurance until his golden years. Well, that's why we buy insurance, right?

While in Orlando last week at the annual meeting of the Property Casualty Insurers Assn. of America, I heard from Kathy that Smoke was listless and off his chow. Smoke is never off his chow, so Kathy and Smoke were off to the emergency vet.

Various tests and X-rays later, Kathy was told that Smoke had pneumonia and was spending the night in the hospital.

Being the stoic young guy Smoke is, he'd showed no sign of trouble until the legs suddenly went out from under him. But antibiotics quickly did the trick and, a day later, Smoke was home, his energy level and appetite quickly returning to normal—including his appetite for mischief.

His first night home, Smoke took his bottle of chewable antibiotics off the counter, chewed off the cap (childproof, not dogproof) and ate 10 of the 14 pills inside. And Kathy mastered a new skill: A call to animal poison control taught her how to induce canine vomiting.

Anyway, after following all of this by long distance, I returned home last Wednesday night to find Smoke looking none the worse for wear, but for the spots on each of his forelegs shaved to allow IVs.

I also found the paperwork from his hospital stay, including a pretty impressive bottom line, making me quite glad we'd purchased pet health insurance.

Pet health insurance is a growing business.

No less than Warren Buffett understands that, as Berkshire Hathaway Inc. company Central States Indemnity of Omaha recently partnered with a pet health insurance division of Nestle's Purina unit to market pet insurance products.

And some companies are offering pet health insurance as an employee benefit. In its 2009 Employee Benefits Survey, the Society for Human Resource Management found that 3% of those companies surveyed offer a pet health benefit.

I don't know whether pet health insurance will catch on as a benefit in the future, but I'd be grateful if it did.

For reprints of this story, please contact Lauren Melesio at 212-210-0707 or email lmelesio@crain.com