More Employers Offering Health Insurance for Pets

As America’s affection  for animals grows, employers are beginning to offer health insurance for pets asan employee enticement and retention tool.

Veterinary Pet Insurance,the nation’s largest pet insurer, offers policies at a third of Fortune 500companies and about 3,400 other companies and associations. 

VPI, which covers 61% ofthis niche market with half a million pets insured, will offer pet insurance tocompanies with over 100 employees. Chipotle Mexican Grill began offering this benefit in 2002.  Only about 100 of its 3,000 eligible employeestake advantage of it, but now is the time to buy pet insurance as theincreasing cost of health care makes insurance relatively affordable.

See SueManning, More and More Employers OfferHealth Insurance for Pets, Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 15, 2013.