Pet Insurance?

Draugr · 08-11-2011, 09:48 PM

I'm thinking about getting this.

How much do you guys pay each month, those of you who have it? Deductibles, premiums, etc, that sort of thing?

Who do you get it from?

I know so little about insurance. I had a horrible time trying to pick my own and that was just my employer showing me a sheet and having me pick between three plans. Now I've actually got to look at different providers and stuff. I don't know what to look for, I don't want to get scammed or anything.

Samson's only problems in the past health-wise have just been a couple UTI's and an ear infection. Nothing else.

I need a plan that would cover end-of-life care, that's mostly what I'm worried about. I would not be able to forgive myself if I had to put him down because I could not afford chemo treatments or some other expensive thing like that.

dogluver · 08-11-2011, 10:17 PM

I also need help with this

GSD84 · 08-11-2011, 10:45 PM

Was also wondering about this. Anyone in Canada (Ontario) know about this? and if it's even worth it?

jdh520 · 08-11-2011, 11:04 PM

I just did a little research b/c I am also interested and I have been studying for my Life and Acc/ Health exam I have in the morning so this interested me. I just googled pet insurance and the first one that came up was VPI. The premium would be about $24/monthly with a $250/annual deductible. Which isn't too bad but but but their policy excluded hip dysplasia treatments/ surgeries and I knew that will prob turn away a lot of GSD owners.

Draugr · 08-12-2011, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdh520

I just did a little research b/c I am also interested and I have been studying for my Life and Acc/ Health exam I have in the morning so this interested me. I just googled pet insurance and the first one that came up was VPI. The premium would be about $24/monthly with a $250/annual deductible. Which isn't too bad but but but their policy excluded hip dysplasia treatments/ surgeries and I knew that will prob turn away a lot of GSD owners.

Hmm...that is affordable for me, depending. Does it cover basic/preventative care? Checkups, etc, things like that? What about blood draws? Difference in premiums for altered/intact dogs? (I don't know if they really do that but given that people are unfairly charged higher for car insurance just because of their gender I wouldn't doubt it...)

I guess I didn't specify that. My main worry is being able to provide end-of-life care for him but I don't want to pay a fee every month and never be able to get any benefits from that. I think I can risk the hip dysplasia. Unless another company will cover it at comparable cost.

Vaccines are not a worry because he is not ever receiving another one.

malinois_16 · 08-12-2011, 01:22 AM

Drauger, alot of insurance companies will not cover anything related to him being intact. So if a vet says his UTI's are because hes intact and recommends he be altered then insurance company will not cover them unless hes fixed.

Of course they wont cover anything related to them being fixed either.

For Lincoln, its not worth it because anything that goes wrong with him will be considered pre existing. For example. If I had insurance before he was diagnosed with Pannus, they would claim his allergies which were pre existing caused and or contributed to Pannus, so therefore they wouldnt cover him. Insurance companies are sneaky. I say its often not worth it unless the dog is signed up as young puppy.

I know several people who have been screwed by insurance companies and VPI is one of them

ayoitzrimz · 08-12-2011, 09:12 AM

I have PetPlan on the bronze plan - it covers up to $8000 annually and I have a $200 deductible (per case not per visit so if your first visit is more than $200 your follow-up visits are fully covered) and 90% reimbursable so anything over $200 I get 90% of it back.

They've been great and I would highly recommend it. The thing I like about PetPlan is they cover hereditary conditions as well so if (god forbid) my dog has HD (he's still young and hasn't been OFA certified yet) they will cover the cost of treatment.

It costs me roughly $400 per year (give or take - I dont remember the exact quote) which I pay in four installments (one every 3 months). Not a terrible cost considering the peace of mind I get knowing he's covered if something serious happened.

This is a very useful thing to have in case of an accident - surgeries are extremely expensive nowadays) but it's also useful for regular stuff - my dog had a case of allergies and really bad ear infections and the first visit totaled $350 and two follow up visits roughly $100 each. Total cost: $550. Total out of pocket: $250. Not bad...

Fiddler · 08-12-2011, 09:42 AM

I have Healthy Paws for my insurance carrier and have been very happy with it. I chose it because it covers congenital conditions and even
hip displaysia. Hip displaysia is covered after the policy is one year old.
I have used it to cover the cost of X-rays and medications and have been very pleased with how quickly they me the check. Within two hours of sending in the form I got a reply that the claim was in process.

They do not cover the cost of the office visit, exximinations and routine vaccines (which you would pay for anyway)
As with most insurance remember that you have to pay the vet up front and the insurance reimburses you. I got the policy when Gracie was only
10 weeks old. I pay $30.97 monthly for 80% coverage with a $250.00 deductable. You can choose your own coverage.

Of course it costs more to insure an older dog. If yo go to their website
you can look at the options.

Heidigsd · 08-12-2011, 09:56 AM

I have Petplan also and am more than happy with them. I pay $38 a month and have a $200 deductible and I get 100% reimbursed after the deductible is met. I signed up in Jan 10 and so far they have paid out around $10,000

Their customer service is great and claims get processed quickly, I haven't had any problems with them at all. You would need to check on what they won't cover since you have some pre-existing issues. http://www.gopetplan.com/pet-insurance-comparison

Here are some other posts about insurance:
Pet Insurance

Is there a need for pet insurance?

Health insurance opinions

Michaela

kr16 · 08-12-2011, 10:22 AM

Here is my research, just because someone is happy with what they have doesnt mean anything until all the fine print is read. Might be great but if it was never utilizied you wouldnt know.

I hear this way to much with the human insurance companies like Kaiser permanente. That company has restrictions people have no clue about. I wouldnt sell that to anyone.

I never heard of Healthy Paws so I would need to see an actual policy to rip it apart.

I will research it today and see if I can add that to my link.

VPI is garbage, keep away.

Health insurance opinions

I picked petplan

08-11-2011, 09:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
Draugr Master Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 677	Pet Insurance? I'm thinking about getting this. How much do you guys pay each month, those of you who have it? Deductibles, premiums, etc, that sort of thing? Who do you get it from? I know so little about insurance. I had a horrible time trying to pick my own and that was just my employer showing me a sheet and having me pick between three plans. Now I've actually got to look at different providers and stuff. I don't know what to look for, I don't want to get scammed or anything. Samson's only problems in the past health-wise have just been a couple UTI's and an ear infection. Nothing else. I need a plan that would cover end-of-life care, that's mostly what I'm worried about. I would not be able to forgive myself if I had to put him down because I could not afford chemo treatments or some other expensive thing like that.

08-11-2011, 11:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
jdh520 Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 166	I just did a little research b/c I am also interested and I have been studying for my Life and Acc/ Health exam I have in the morning so this interested me. I just googled pet insurance and the first one that came up was VPI. The premium would be about $24/monthly with a $250/annual deductible. Which isn't too bad but but but their policy excluded hip dysplasia treatments/ surgeries and I knew that will prob turn away a lot of GSD owners. __________________ Chamuel "Cam" - White German Shepherd born 11/2/08

08-12-2011, 09:56 AM	#9 (permalink)
Heidigsd Master Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 905	I have Petplan also and am more than happy with them. I pay $38 a month and have a $200 deductible and I get 100% reimbursed after the deductible is met. I signed up in Jan 10 and so far they have paid out around $10,000 Their customer service is great and claims get processed quickly, I haven't had any problems with them at all. You would need to check on what they won't cover since you have some pre-existing issues. http://www.gopetplan.com/pet-insurance-comparison Here are some other posts about insurance: Pet Insurance Is there a need for pet insurance? Health insurance opinions Michaela __________________ Olivia von Jagenstadt "Nikki" 11/21/2009 Heidi Mouse 02/10/1995 - 02/21/2009

08-11-2011, 10:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
dogluver Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Coastal GA Posts: 70	I also need help with this

08-11-2011, 10:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
GSD84 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Barrie, On Posts: 223	Was also wondering about this. Anyone in Canada (Ontario) know about this? and if it's even worth it?

08-12-2011, 01:22 AM	#6 (permalink)
malinois_16 Banned Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 743	Drauger, alot of insurance companies will not cover anything related to him being intact. So if a vet says his UTI's are because hes intact and recommends he be altered then insurance company will not cover them unless hes fixed. Of course they wont cover anything related to them being fixed either. For Lincoln, its not worth it because anything that goes wrong with him will be considered pre existing. For example. If I had insurance before he was diagnosed with Pannus, they would claim his allergies which were pre existing caused and or contributed to Pannus, so therefore they wouldnt cover him. Insurance companies are sneaky. I say its often not worth it unless the dog is signed up as young puppy. I know several people who have been screwed by insurance companies and VPI is one of them

08-12-2011, 09:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
ayoitzrimz Master Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New York, NY Posts: 503	I have PetPlan on the bronze plan - it covers up to $8000 annually and I have a $200 deductible (per case not per visit so if your first visit is more than $200 your follow-up visits are fully covered) and 90% reimbursable so anything over $200 I get 90% of it back. They've been great and I would highly recommend it. The thing I like about PetPlan is they cover hereditary conditions as well so if (god forbid) my dog has HD (he's still young and hasn't been OFA certified yet) they will cover the cost of treatment. It costs me roughly $400 per year (give or take - I dont remember the exact quote) which I pay in four installments (one every 3 months). Not a terrible cost considering the peace of mind I get knowing he's covered if something serious happened. This is a very useful thing to have in case of an accident - surgeries are extremely expensive nowadays) but it's also useful for regular stuff - my dog had a case of allergies and really bad ear infections and the first visit totaled $350 and two follow up visits roughly $100 each. Total cost: $550. Total out of pocket: $250. Not bad...

08-12-2011, 09:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
Fiddler Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 43	I have Healthy Paws for my insurance carrier and have been very happy with it. I chose it because it covers congenital conditions and even hip displaysia. Hip displaysia is covered after the policy is one year old. I have used it to cover the cost of X-rays and medications and have been very pleased with how quickly they me the check. Within two hours of sending in the form I got a reply that the claim was in process. They do not cover the cost of the office visit, exximinations and routine vaccines (which you would pay for anyway) As with most insurance remember that you have to pay the vet up front and the insurance reimburses you. I got the policy when Gracie was only 10 weeks old. I pay $30.97 monthly for 80% coverage with a $250.00 deductable. You can choose your own coverage. Of course it costs more to insure an older dog. If yo go to their website you can look at the options.

08-12-2011, 10:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
kr16 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Boca Raton, Florida Posts: 394	Here is my research, just because someone is happy with what they have doesnt mean anything until all the fine print is read. Might be great but if it was never utilizied you wouldnt know. I hear this way to much with the human insurance companies like Kaiser permanente. That company has restrictions people have no clue about. I wouldnt sell that to anyone. I never heard of Healthy Paws so I would need to see an actual policy to rip it apart. I will research it today and see if I can add that to my link. VPI is garbage, keep away. Health insurance opinions I picked petplan

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