Pet Insurance

[evilsquirrel]

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I learned my lesson (within 3 months my one dog had a $2,000+ ER sx and my other dog was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer) and got pet insurance for my puppy. I use Pet's Best and it even covers typical wellness visits (vaccines, spay, $25 for preventatives) so even tho she hasn't had an accident/gotten sick I still have gotten some of my money back 😉

 

[Scarlettmorgana]

Thats surprising that they covered wellness visits. The problem I have run into with clients, is their dogs will fall under breed restrictions (In this case since the dog was a Shih-tzu they wouldn't cover anything related to eyes). What have your experiences been with that? Was it just this one crazy insurance policy?

 

[TooLove]

Thats surprising that they covered wellness visits. The problem I have run into with clients, is their dogs will fall under breed restrictions (In this case since the dog was a Shih-tzu they wouldn't cover anything related to eyes). What have your experiences been with that? Was it just this one crazy insurance policy?

It depends on the company. When it first came out and there were only a few hands in the pot, they didn't have any silly rules like that. I think now the companies that have been out there longest are using that as a way to get away with silly things like that since people are more likely to go with a company that has been established rather than just started. VPI comes to mind here - and I'm willing to guess that they insured your shih-tzu patient. I know they will no long cover any adrenal issues in ferrets (basically making that a worthless policy) and I've had a few other instances with them - like the clients who had submitted their first claim for a CCL repair (well out of the two-week waiting period) only to have the claim rejected because there is some clause buried somewhere saying that cruciate repairs aren't covered until the dog has been insured for 6 months. I have a policy with them myself, but it's just something I've noticed in recent years. If another company were to start insuring exotics, I would probably switch. For dogs I think Trupanion and embrace are the best and have the fewest restrictions on breed and things like that. I've heard embrace will even cover cremation which I think is awesome.

 

[Kyoht]

I have Trupanion for my cat and I like it because I could choose a plan with no deductible. There is also "no claim payment limits per year or per claim throughout the lifetime of your pet." The rate is reasonable as well since she was under a year when I insured her.

 

[Gwenevre]

Zombifying this thread, because I'm planning on getting my kitten insured when I do bring her to school with me next semester. Seems Trupanion, Pet's Best, and VPI are the leading contenders, and I plan on doing more personal research. But for you cat owners, what's been your experience so far?

 

[Skimble]

I'm not a fan of VPI because they seem to have the most restrictions. I have used Trupanion for my one Cavalier Spaniel and I didn't have any problems getting reimbursed for her patella sx. I've heard very good things about PetPlan too, but I've not personally used them. The ASPCA insurance isn't bad either, and is fairly cheap.

 

[OneGrainOfSand]

I've been with Embrace for a while now for my cats and have really liked them. Would recommend checking them out as well.

 

[bunnity]

I have personally had good experiences with Embrace and Pet Plan.

 

[dirtanddog]

I work at a 24-hour emergency hospital and they actually started providing insurance for us via Trupanion. We get 90% coverage for emergencies, no coverage for pre-existing conditions (like all insurance companies I guess). They have an age limit that my dog was literally a year below (14 years old) and employees don't pay anything for it, unless we're paying for what wasn't covered. It'd be great if they covered adequan injections, but, hey. You know. They said that after I leave (to go to vet school), I can keep the insurance, and they'll still cover about as much as is covered currently. Hope that helps!

 

[JaynaAli]

A family friend uses PetPlan. They have absolutely loved it and say it's worth every penny. Their dog got necrotizing pancreatitis, was treated (41 straight days in ICU!) and survived. He's diabetic now and needs insulin because of that, has had phacos and new lenses on both eyes because of diabetic cataracts, needs prescription low fat food, and usually has a yearly pancreatitis flare up that requires hospitalization. They have had over $30,000 in vet bills for this dog in the past two years, but PetPlan covers 80% of everything since this is all related to that one event of necrotizing pancreatitis. They are always reimbursed within 10 days after the school sends the paperwork in. Her monthly payment is like $30. As far as I know there isn't an age cutoff, just a higher monthly cost for older pets. Once I graduate and have more disposable income, I plan on getting PetPlan for my own dog.

 

[Jamr0ckin]

Second the vote for PetPlan! I LOVE it, and they are so good about covering things!

 

[NStarz]

Stupid question: do you guys think pet insurance is worth having for veterinarians? My cats are healthy now, and I plan on working ER, so that wouldn't be an issue...but thinking into the future in terms of chronic diseases or surgery or things like that. I think a lot of places would offer a professional courtesy but I know that can't be guaranteed. Thoughts?

 

[orca2011]

Stupid question: do you guys think pet insurance is worth having for veterinarians? My cats are healthy now, and I plan on working ER, so that wouldn't be an issue...but thinking into the future in terms of chronic diseases or surgery or things like that. I think a lot of places would offer a professional courtesy but I know that can't be guaranteed. Thoughts?

I feel like it depends on the practice. Like the first practice I worked at exams and most procedures were free/really cheap (like I just paid for the diazepam(potential seizure) and extraction during my dog's dental) and meds/lab tests were at cost. Now I work for a corporate practice, so I get a free wellness plan (free rads, vaccines, and dental each year) but I still have to pay for meds or any other emergency procedures (granted they're discounted). However, I probably won't be working in emergency, so if something crazy happens, I could still potentially be looking at a several thousand $ procedure and I'm not sure if other practices would give a discount just because you're also a veterinarian.

Right now, I have PetPlan for my dog but haven't submitted a claim. I probably could have for his allergy testing and shots, but since we get 50% off procedures, it only cost me like $300 total, so I didn't really think it was worth it since I have an annual limit. Totally wish I had known VPI had exotic insurance before I got my one piggy. I just probably dropped over $300 on her yesterday for a ton of diagnostics but it was related to an illness from first year, so it would have been pre-existing if I had put her on it after the fact.

 

[JaynaAli]

I don't plan on practicing clinical medicine so I'm in a different situation than most (I'm planning on doing path). Should an emergency happen to my dog, I won't be able to do much myself. Even if professional courtesy is extended, it won't likely be nearly as much as the percentage insurance would cover, so for me it's worth it. I own a breed of dog predisposed to certain types of cancer, so I want to make sure chemo will be covered should he get cancer someday. That said, If you plan on owning your own practice or working ER in a clinic with good discounts, maybe it doesn't make as much sense.

 

[DVMDream]

Stupid question: do you guys think pet insurance is worth having for veterinarians? My cats are healthy now, and I plan on working ER, so that wouldn't be an issue...but thinking into the future in terms of chronic diseases or surgery or things like that. I think a lot of places would offer a professional courtesy but I know that can't be guaranteed. Thoughts?

You might get a discount at your place of work, but I would not rely on any discount from another clinic. Obviously going to be up to their policies, but most places will only cover their own employees into a discount. If anything, maybe you can get a place to give you a small discount, but I wouldn't expect it. They aren't under any obligation to give you a discount. So even if you can get say a 10% discount, if you have a $300-500 bill, insurance would still be nice to pay for that... $270-$450 worth. Just my opinion.

ETA: I also doubt you will have a 100% discount at your place of employment, so would probably still be worthwhile to have the insurance for if you ever do have an emergency. It can cover whatever is the remainder of that bill, even if it is just a bunch of at cost items... those add up.

Example: I had an 80% discount at my place of employment as a tech. My dog got a splenic tumor. We did xrays, BW (multiple times both out to a lab and in-house), surgery, medications, post op care, hospitalization for a couple days and eventually ended up euthanizing him... total bill with the 80% discount: over $900. It adds up fast.