With veterinary costs on the rise, pet insurance may sound like a no-brainer. But it has some pet owners climbing the walls. What to know before you fork over for Fido. AMERICA IS FACING A HEALTH INSURANCE crisis, one that's left more than 160 million without coverage, forced to deal with soaring hospital bills, shocking drug prices and overall medical costs that are rising twice as fast as inflation, reaching nearly USD9 billion last year alone. Yet there's no complaining or hand-wringing from the uninsured, since they can't talk and don't even have hands. They're cats and dogs. Across the country, consumers have yet another kind of insurance to think about-protection for those cute and cuddly but ever more pricey pets at home. Hoping to cash in on the pet-spending craze (think kitty day spas and doggie ear lifts), the pet-insurance business has been on a promotional tear lately, hawking its policies in pet stores, animal shelters and on Web sites. New companies are rushing to get into the market, offering plans for as little as USD 10 per month and promising to cover everything from neutering to chemotherapy. Big companies, like McDonald's and Viacom, have even started to offer pet insurance as a perk for some of their employees.
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