RetrieverTraining.Net - the RTF banner

Pet Insurance

42K views 120 replies 54 participants last post by  John Shoffner 
#1 ·
Need some input on Pet Insurance

I have been using PetsBest and until recently have been very happy. Premiums reasonable, service good, and quick turnaround with claims.

However, PetsBest has switched insurance carriers and premiums have increased by 25%.

Looked at AKC. Better price, but low yearly incident coverage ($3000)

Looked at ASPCA. Better price, but also low yearly incident coverage ($3000)

PetsBest covers up to $7000 per incident

Any other ideas?
 
#2 ·
Hey Ted,

I dont know if you have been following my little girls snakebite from this past weekend...... but after 2 days in the Vet ER, we racked up a $3,300 bill. Antivenin being the largest expense. Going forward...... my dogs will have Pet Insurance.

My girlfriend has had Pet Insurance on her 2 dogs and really see's the value.

Here is who she uses.

http://www.gopetplan.com/Why-Petplan/Choosing-The-Right-Pet-Insurance.html

Here are some important questions when shopping around:

1. Does the policy cover hereditary conditions?

Most U.S. pet insurance companies automatically exclude hereditary conditions Hereditary Conditions Close Genetically transmitted diseases found predominantly in purebred pets. These are diseases that your pet has inherited directly through breeding and include conditions such as hip dysplasia. Petplan policies cover hereditary conditions so long as they were not apparent prior to the purchase of the policy. or offer very limited coverage. Petplan will cover such conditions with no time or dollar limits per condition

2. Is there a time limit for treatment per condition?

Some pet insurance companies will only pay for an illness for a maximum of 12 months, and on renewal classify the condition as pre-existing. Petplan offers a Covered For Life guarantee that means that any ongoing illness that your pet develops after you have taken out a Petplan policy, will be covered in subsequent years provided that you renew your policy with us each year.

3. Is there a dollar limit per condition?

Beware of some policies that will only pay up to a specified amount in veterinary fees for any illness or injury. Check the maximum benefit for veterinary fees and whether this amount is reinstated yearly, or whether there is a running total per condition. Most of the pet insurance companies in the U.S. offer maximum benefit policies maximum benefit policy Close A policy that is restricted by dollar limits on illnesses and injuries. This means that over your pet's lifetime the policy will only pay up to a set figure per condition regardless of the total cost of treatment. Should your pet's treatment exceed the limit for that condition the company will simply stop paying claims. , which means that you may run out of cover.

Petplan offers simple annual limits that replenish each year - so you never have to worry about running out of cover.

4. Is there a choice of coinsurance?

Some companies only cover up to a maximum of 80% of claims leaving you to pay the rest. Petplan offers you the choice of whether to accept a coinsurance option or whether to opt for 100% reimbursement




I ran a quote on my 19 month and it came back at 23.00 per month.

Chad
 
#7 ·
I dont know if you have been following my little girls snakebite from this past weekend...... but after 2 days in the Vet ER, we racked up a $3,300 bill. Antivenin being the largest expense. Going forward...... my dogs will have Pet Insurance.

Chad
Yes, but have you or anyone else run any claims through to see what they deliver?

It is one thing to promise, another to deliver

Ted
 
#3 ·
Needless to say Tiffany and I have been on every Pet insurance website the last 3 night's ...... and PetPlan seems to cover the most.

Chad
 
#4 ·
I use AKC and my coverage is 10k a year and 10k for accidents. It really depends on which plan you get and which parts you get bumped up.
 
#5 ·
Take a look at your coverage

My bet is that it is $10k per policy term but only $2-$3k per incident

PetsBest is $7k per incident, $100k for pet's lifetime
 
#6 ·
Buffy's spleen removal cost $3400. PetsBest paid back 80% after deductible.

I am happy with product and service, but not price
 
#12 ·
I have PetsBest. Have been very happy with them.

They changed carriers from North Point Insurance to Aetna.

I have 7 dogs insured. Premiums jumped $900.

Consequently, am shopping for better rates.
 
#9 ·
I have 3 dogs on VPI, and I am trying out Pet Plan...
 
#10 ·
Because?........

when clients ask about pet insurance I like to give the correct (or best) answer, VPI is the longest tenured, certainly veterinarian friendly with a simple form to sign with the diagnosis
 
#11 · (Edited)
I had VPI, key word had VPI - I'll have to dig up the thread where I showed how my claim worked out....wasn't happy...

This are the links, but they seem to no longer be on the RTF server:

http://www.retrievertraining.net/for...ic.php?t=17662

http://www.retrievertraining.net/for...ic.php?t=25171

Essentailly I had a bill for around $2000 or so and they didn't pay all that much....I want to say less than $500. It was my first claim I had made and I had the coverage for 5 years...no pre-existing condition either.

Lainee
 
#14 ·
Anyone know anything about Pet Assure? I remembered an email from David, his work actually provides it as a benifit....cool, huh?

FOM
 
#15 ·
Am calling Pet Plan for quote. Too many dogs to do it online. Would still like to hear from someone who has actually made a claim and been satisfied before making a move from PetsBest.
 
#16 ·
Need some input on Pet Insurance

I have been using PetsBest and until recently have been very happy. Premiums reasonable, service good, and quick turnaround with claims.

However, PetsBest has switched insurance carriers and premiums have increased by 25%.

Looked at AKC. Better price, but low yearly incident coverage ($3000)

Looked at ASPCA. Better price, but also low yearly incident coverage ($3000)

PetsBest covers up to $7000 per incident

Any other ideas?


Help me out here. I to am interested in pet insurance.

I didn't see the $7000 per incident. I did see a $2500 per incident. You must have been quoted a more expensive plan than the Basic.

I saw no cruciate coverage until the policy has been in effect for 12 mos. No parasite coverage except what's provided for usually a minimal amount. No preventable diseases which could be anything they deem preventable. No hereditary diseases, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia etc.

These all seem to be things we would want insurance for.
 
#20 ·
Help me out here. I to am interested in pet insurance.

I didn't see the $7000 per incident. I did see a $2500 per incident. You must have been quoted a more expensive plan than the Basic.

.
I got PetsFirst through PetsBest which has $7k limit, as opposed to Pets Basic which has $2.5k limit.

From experience
Buffy - cruciate $3k to 5k
Buffy - splenic torsion $3.2k
Mootsie - splenic torsion $2.2k
Zowie - variety of urinary tract ailments over $30k, maybe over 40k over time

I want insurance for the big ticket item, so I pick higher limits.
 
#17 ·
I have Petplan. You can get a quote online. I have $20K with a $200 deductible and 80% and I paid $256 a year. The forms look simple enough for the vet. I have not had an incident, but after my last dog, I will have the insurance.
 
#19 ·
I will have the insurance.
something everyone should consider with the cost of sophisticated diagnostics and surgery, one of my training partners has a 5 year old with 2 TPLOs and a bout with pyothorax, he estimates he has about 20K in medical expenses for the dog (not including routine care)
 
#18 ·
PetPlan has more comprehensive coverage than PetBest (they cover tooth extraction, cruciate without waiting period) and slightly better pricing.

For $100 deductible, 80% coverage,

Pet Plan 12k limit per year per pet
Pets Best 7k limit per incident, $100k per pet lifetime

For 8 dogs, $270 per month Pet Plan

versus

$277 per month for Pets Best
 
#21 ·
PetPlan has more comprehensive coverage than PetBest (they cover tooth extraction, cruciate without waiting period) and slightly better pricing.

For $100 deductible, 80% coverage,

Pet Plan 12k limit per year per pet
Pets Best 7k limit per incident, $100k per pet lifetime

For 8 dogs, $270 per month Pet Plan

versus

$277 per month for Pets Best

Ted,

Did you just call PetPlan ???

Whats your first impression with their customer service ???

Chad
 
#23 ·
From website

Current Customer Ratings

US InsurersHartville/ASPCAAverage customer rating: 5.86Read Hartville/ASPCA reviews
VPIAverage customer rating: 4.98Read VPI reviews
EmbraceAverage customer rating: 9.05Read Embrace reviews
Pets BestAverage customer rating: 7.48Read Pets Best reviews
PetPlan USAverage customer rating: 9.27Read PetPlan US reviews
Pet Partners (AKC)Average customer rating: 4.66Read Pet Partners (AKC) reviews
Petfirst HealthcareAverage customer rating: 8.56Read Petfirst reviews
PetCare USAverage customer rating: 4.17Read PetCare reviews
Pet AssureAverage customer rating: 7Read Pet Assure reviews
TrupanionAverage customer rating: 8.52Read Trupanion reviews
PurinaCareAverage customer rating: 9.05Read PurinaCare reviews
 
#24 ·
Website worth checking out

Ted
 
#28 · (Edited)
I checked PetPlan out. Pretty good coverage. I feel dumb for not giving it much thought before. For Gold coverage, $200 deductible, and 100% coverage is $285 a year. For single dogs, there is a only small differnce in price between the least and most coverage at the $200 deductible level.

I have a friend who had to put down his dog due to money. After spending $4K, he was tapped out. Less than $1 a day is worth the peace of mind I will not have to face a similar situation.

The funny this is now my insurance which covers my wife cost the exact same as the dog's!
 
#30 ·
I went to the petplan website via the post that Ted put up.

I can not find any Wellness coverage like vaccines or well checks. Is that something that is foreign to pet insurance and their policies?
I didn't look for wellness plans. AKC, Pets Best, and ASPCA all have wellness plans, but they did not seem cost effective to me

I am looking for insurance to cover the big hit
 
#33 ·
How much , in general, do premiums vary depending on the age of the dog when you take out the policy?
And do they generally increase as the dog ages?
Thanks,
JS
 
#34 ·
They probably do vary depending on the age of the dog. I've only taken out my policies when they were younger.. the oldest being 2. My premiums have not gone up very much with VPI. Don't know about Pet Plan.

But, do some online quotes. After a certain age, I know they won't take them...
 
#37 ·
Pets Best used to have fixed premiums. However, that went away with carrier change to Aetna
 
#38 ·
Great information! I have been kicking this around for some time and just been too lazy to follow through on it and do the research. Thanks everyone for the motivation!!

JS
 
#39 ·
I wished I have taken one for my GSP six months ago. It cost me $1300 when she broke one of her hind leg playing and jumping around the patio stairway. :)
 
#40 ·
I switched from VPI to Petplan 12 months ago, just got renewals for the 7 dogs on it, have not had to use it yet. The oldest dog on it is 6.5, she's a couple dollars more a month than the younger dogs. Did not see a rate increase this year on any of them. In comparing a bunch of policies, Petplan offered more coverage for less, including hereditary conditions, cancer without a separate rider, complications from breeding, whelping, nursing. I hope I don't have to use it to find out how well they actually pay, but VPI at my vet's wasn't top notch in that department. At age 8, Petplan will require an annual checkup including bloodwork, nothing stated about how much the premium will go up.
 
#41 ·
If anyone is planning on going with PePlan or switching to PetPlan ...... I have a promo code that will get you a 10% discount, if your dog isnt already micro-chipped, if your dog is chipped, you automatically get the 10% discount.

Promo code: SPD78787

Chad
 
#42 ·
Shoot...now this thread pops up! Argghhh..I just got signed up, through open enrollment at work, with VPI. They offered it this year for the first time and since I wanted big ticket item coverage, after about 4K in vet bills this year, I decided to try it. VPI, with three dogs and there top end coverage is $94/month.

Has anybody had any good experiences with VPI?

We're trying them for a year and then figured we'd make a decision next year as to whether it was worth it or not...of course, the dog with the TPLO is not covered next year if she blows the other one...but it covered after next year.

Sue Puff
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top