MetLife Adds Pet Insurance To Voluntary Benefit Lineup. (Life/Health).

MetLife Inc. has teamed up with Veterinary Pet Insurance, Brea, Calif., to add pet insurance to its menu of voluntary employee benefits. The insurance covers dogs, cats, birds and other common household pets for more than 6,400 medical treatments for accidents and illnesses. Coverage is also available for preventive and routine care.

Employees may enroll through their companies' portals, by phone or by mail. Policyholders also may qualify for provider discounts. Premium payments may be made through payroll-deduction programs or by credit card.

Demand for pet insurance has increased the past two years as has the cost of medical care due to more treatments and procedures available for pets, said Dr. Jack Stephens, Veterinary Pet Insurance's founder and chief executive officer. For more information, call (800) USA-PETS or visit www.petinsurance.com.

Employers view voluntary benefit programs, in which employees bear the costs, as a way to attract and retain employees, said Irene Bick, MetLife's vice president of business development. She said MetLife had received "frequent inquiries" about pet insurance.