[krisgil88]

What is your feeling on pet insurance?
Does you have it?
Have you ever used it?
Do you recommend it?
Is one company better than another?
How much does it cost? Do you feel it's worth it?

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

Yes, I have it and it is worth it to me. That's because I have a very active dog and we play two sports competitively and dabble in a third. You can't do this and expect to never have an accident:

If I had a lap dog that mostly stayed indoors and leashed when outdoors, I'd skip it. JMO.

 

[krisgil88]

Wow, looks like fun! I have a puppy and I'm just thinking of what CAN happen when considering insurance.

 

[oldhounddog]

krisgil88 ,

I would explore the various pet health care insurance providers.
When you have selected the best one for your needs , instead of purchasing the insurance , start a bank fund for pet care and deposit what you would have paid in premiums each month. If you can stick to this you will be much better off. IMO

oldhounddog

 

[Hambonez]

I have pet insurance for all my pets. My cats have a different plan than my dog - the plan he's on didn't exist when I got insurance for my cats, and two of them are older now and would be tough to change insurance on them.

The dog's insurance was $265 for the year. If it pays out at the rate it claims, I've had it for a month and just filed my first claim, then I should get back $207 from his recent $330 vomiting/diarrhea episode. If he doesn't need to go to the vet for anything else for the next 11 months, then it still will have nearly paid for itself. Since his sick visit cost $330, had I just put the $265 into an account, we wouldn't've been able to cover it with that money, and like I said -- there's still 11 months left before I need to renew the policy!

My dog doesn't do sports, doesn't go to dog parks, walks on leash or plays in our yard, goes to obedience classes, and goes to monitored playgroups with healthy dogs -- and stuff still happens! I like knowing I can walk into the vet and say "Do whatever you think is best" and not have to worry too much about cost.

The two plans we have are Pets Health Care Plan for the cats, and Pet Plan for the dog. You need to research and see what would work best for you in terms of up front costs, payout, coverage etc... I will say that having the 'wellness' care isn't worth it. That you can plan for, and from what I've seen, the insurance costs more than the office visit and vax!

 

[Lafiel]

From my understanding, you still must be able to pay the vet bill upfront - you get a reimbursement later - so in that regard, if you need the money immediately and you're considering it for the reason of being tight on cash, it's still useless.

I see it as a waste in most situations. From what I've seen, they do not cover if the problem is reoccurring or preexisting, making it fairly useless for a lot of serious problems.

I think it would be a better idea to save up money yourself. Set that money aside for emergencies in your own savings account.

 

[Max and Me]

I wouldn't be without pet insurance. I insured Max when I adopted him because I was worried about future hip issues being as he was a large GSD/Lab mix. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with advanced lymphoma last fall (the only nodes affected were intraabdominal) and quickly ran up a several thousand dollar vet bill. While I was able to borrow the money to pay the bills up front I had to repay them quickly. I received reimbursment from the insurance company within 7-10 days of submitting the claims. Not all insurance companies or policies are created equal. Some will cover congenital problems while others do not. Some pay a percentage of the actual vet bill while others only pay a set amount. It definately pays to do your research.

 

[ahlersvye]

That you can plan for, and from what I've seen .

 

[Hambonez]

From my understanding, you still must be able to pay the vet bill upfront - you get a reimbursement later - so in that regard, if you need the money immediately and you're considering it for the reason of being tight on cash, it's still useless.

I see it as a waste in most situations. From what I've seen, they do not cover if the problem is reoccurring or preexisting, making it fairly useless for a lot of serious problems.

I think it would be a better idea to save up money yourself. Set that money aside for emergencies in your own savings account.

I disagree. There are so many different insurance companies, there ARE some that will cover reoccurring or preexisting conditions. That's why you need to shop around and see whose coverage best fits you and your pet's needs.

MOST people, whether or not they have the cash up front, have credit cards, which is what I imagine they'd be using for the large vet bill if they did not have the cash up front. The difference with insurance is that you get a large chunk of that money from the insurance company to pay the credit card bill, versus just having to pay it off out of pocket.

 

[melundie]

I have pet insurance for both our dogs and I'll never have another dog without it. We have accident/illness and wellness protection for about $800 a year for the two dogs. We use Embrace and I absolutely love them. They are easy to get in touch with (via email or phone) and they cover breed-specific conditions. I have a yearly deductible of $200 and then a 20% copay based on the bill, not some payment schedule. With the activities my dogs are involved in (herding, frisbee) and the fact that both of them got a mild case of demodecosis (the treatment can cost upwards of $1400 for just one dog!) and that Colby got kennel cough (despite being vaccinated) it has more than paid for itself. We do have to pay the bills up front, but Embrace usually refunds their portion within 15 business days.

I think it's worth it to compare companies and see what you're getting for the money. Do research--ours doesn't cover preexisting conditions. Read reviews. Several companies have a cancellation policy if you decide it's not for you.