Pet Insurance

mer55

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Nov 16, 2012
1,049
105
Venice, FL.
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Jackson, Bogey (granddog) Ruger (granddog)
OMG! There are sooo many Insurance companies out there! I think I have it narrowed down with all the different options. Worse than picking out paint!! Anyway, has anyone out there used VPI, and if so, are you happy with it. It seemed to be the one to give more "bang for the buck". I would love some input!
DID I MENTION THAT IT IS ONLY 6 DAYS TIL WE PICK UP BOGART????:clap2: Seems like eternity!
 

Izzy's Mom

New member
Sep 25, 2012
817
43
Houston - TX
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Izzy
I have VPI and I am thinking about changing to Trupanion + Banfield.

I had VPI with my pitbull in the past and at the time it worked for us so when I got Izzy I decided to go with them again but now I regret it. I pay the most expensive plan with them with the addition of the wellness plan but after my second visit at the vet she already maxed out the yearly benefits for shots, deworm medication and many other items. Here's an email I sent to my bf earlier this week, hope it helps:
I am doing a study and checking all the possibilities but her current pet insurance max out rates are very low and for example it wont cover any other shot because we already reached the yearly max. Also for her cherry eye surgery out of 450 that I spent it may cover 200 only. The benefit schedule is not the best….

I am shopping around right now but the best option might be a combination of the Banfield (which it would be the petsmart on Sheperd and they have a vet that knows bulldogs) for the wellness appointments/shots/ etc with the Trupanion which has a policy that covers up to 90% of any procedure with a deductible of $100/year.

The wellness costs 24.95/month(http://www.banfield.com/Pet-Owners/Optimum-Wellness-Plans/Dog-Plans ) and the Trupanion costs $36.17
(https://trupanion.com/ppc/quote?refNum=04fb94c6-d971-4bda-a265-3638527ec32c )

Right now I am paying with VPI: Major Medical Plan with $100 deductible $28.73 plus CareGuard $22.00 for the wellness. (both plans are attached to the email in detail)
Out of our 3 claims we submitted so far this is what we got back:
10/06 - $71.87 reimbursed out of $116.01
10/27 - $48.13 reimbursed out of $118.06
11/14 – pending ($447.87 claim).

Trupanion: attached


Banfield Essential Wellness (considering that we wont switch Izzy until she is 6 months which is Jan. 7[SUP]th[/SUP]).
Dog Plans (6 months or older)
As they age, dogs' health care needs inevitably change. Make sure to consult with your Banfield veterinarian when choosing or changing your Optimum Wellness Plan®.
REMEMBER! You and your veterinarian can personalize your plan with custom options to fit your pets’ evolving needs.
Services
<image001.gif>Essential
Wellness

<image001.gif>Active
Prevention

<image001.gif>Special
Care

Comprehensive Physical Exam (2x/year)
This in-depth evaluation assesses your dog's overall health and establishes important baseline information.
  • Ear exam
  • Eye exam, including eye pressure
  • Rectal exam
  • Dental exam
  • Neurologic evaluation
  • Cardiovascular evaluation
  • Weight & nutrition counseling
  • Coat & skin evaluation
  • Abdominal palpation
  • Urogenital evaluation
  • Musculoskeletal evaluation
  • Pulmonary/lung evaluation
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<image002.gif>
Vaccinations*
Protects against a wide variety of diseases and infections, based on your pet's individual needs.
  • Distemper/Parvo (1x)
  • Bordetella (2x)
  • Leptospirosis (1x)
  • Lyme disease (1x)
  • Rabies (1x)
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<image002.gif>
<image002.gif>
Diagnostic testing
Identifies disease, parasites and infections. Catches issues early before they become more serious and harder to treat. Builds baselines for current and future care.
  • Blood work, including internal organ screens
  • Heartworm/Lyme/Ehrlichia test
  • Ear swab and microscopic exam**
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<image002.gif>
<image002.gif>
Fecal exams (2x)
Detects parasites and other intestinal organisms that can cause disease.
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<image002.gif>
<image002.gif>
Deworming (2x)
Treats roundworm, hookworm and other intestinal organisms that can cause disease.
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<image002.gif>
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Dental cleaning
Prevents serious infection, tooth loss, pain and potential for heart and kidney disease. Thoroughly assesses your dog's health before anesthesia.
  • Pre-anesthetic blood testing
    • Complete blood count
    • Internal organ screens
    • Electrolytes
  • Blood pressure check
  • General anesthesia
  • Pain medication***
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<image002.gif>
Urinalysis
Detects infections, dehydration and disease.
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<image002.gif>
2x/year
Chest X-rays (3 views)
Evaluates the tissues, organs and bones in the chest cavity. Assesses potential breathing or heart issues.
<image002.gif>
Electrocardiograms
Verifies that the electrical system in the heart is functioning normally.
<image002.gif>
2x/year
Free office calls/exams
No need to delay when you have a concern about your dog's health!
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Discount on most other Banfield products and services
Save on other care your pet may need.
10%
15%
20%
 

ModernFemme

Arts'y bulldog farts'y
Community Veteran
Oct 5, 2012
882
61
Delaware
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Remington (Remi)
The only thing holding me back from getting pet insurance is that the known conditions in bulldogs may not be covered. Ie, hip dyspepsia, cherry eye, etc. Any ideas?
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
I'm not familiar with any of the plans in the States, as I live in Canada. I'm insured with PetSecure, and am on the Puppy Wellness Program, it covers everything for puppy, vaccinations, exams, spay/ neuter, unlimited illness, and unlimited accident, plus deworming revolution for 6 months, stool samples, and it covered my females cherry eye surgeries. I pay $125 a month, but will drop down a level when they're a year old, and all their puppy stuff is done, then I will pay $45 a month for basically the same coverage minus the puppy stuff, and they will cover $5000 per year each for illness and accidents, as well as $450 per year for dental.
 

Dubbiedog

New member
Community Veteran
Apr 29, 2012
963
65
Beautiful Sarasota, Florida
Bulldog(s) Names
Dublin
OMG! There are sooo many Insurance companies out there! I think I have it narrowed down with all the different options. Worse than picking out paint!! Anyway, has anyone out there used VPI, and if so, are you happy with it. It seemed to be the one to give more "bang for the buck". I would love some input!
DID I MENTION THAT IT IS ONLY 6 DAYS TIL WE PICK UP BOGART????:clap2: Seems like eternity!

Let me say from experience ( unfortunately) that you are making a very smart move getting ins. We didnt' with Dublin and it has cost us, well, lets just say a LOT in surgeries and vet bills. We still need to find insurance so if you could share the infor we would all be appreciative. Six days seems like a lifetime when you are waiting for such a wonderful "gift" Will be here before you know it..:D
 

kevi204

New member
Nov 6, 2012
97
2
Virginia
Bulldog(s) Names
Henry
I went with Trupanion. Just started the plan last week. Make sure you read all the details for each provider. From all the reviews i read, the best seemed to be Trupanion. The only issue with them i found was mainly the premium increase after a year, which was anywhere from 4%-100% in some stories i read. They pay 90% and you can choose your deductable and even have a $0 deductable if you want. I chose the $100 deductable. Now the difference with Trupanion is that it is a per illness type deductable. The advantages with them are that they seem to have a pretty decent turn around time with payment. I was torn between them an "Embrace". My problem with embrace was that it could take up to a month before they would pay out anything.
-If you choose to go with Trupanion, make sure you choose "Bulldog" not English Bulldog. It is cheaper. AKC reg. shows as Bulldog and i made my "vet" make sure to only put Bulldog on the vet history.

Also read up on when the plan goes into action. There is usually a waiting period. Trupanion has a 5 day accident waiting period and a 30 day illness waiting period. If something happens before that time then it becomes a "pre-existing" condition and they won't cover it. I think embrace has a 14 day waiting period but you have to have some special exam done otherwise they don't cover hip displaysia type issues for 6 months.
 
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Gunny B

New member
Jul 19, 2012
348
14
Marysville, Wa
Bulldog(s) Names
Gunny Beaufort & Denali (Boxer)
I will say this, recently Trupanion has been great and they started this fast pay thing, where at our vets because they are "tight" with Trupanion, we haven't needed to get reimbursed, we have only been responsible for our co-pay and Trupainion pays the vet directly.
 

sweetpeasmom2008

Bully lovin' movie buff
Community Veteran
Jun 29, 2012
2,515
89
Utah
Bulldog(s) Names
Lola and Lucy
Im looking at pet plan and I have heard a lot of good things about them and heard VPI is the worst.
 

Dee J

New member
Oct 16, 2012
307
13
Denton, Texas, United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus Mayhem AKA B-Ham AKA Brutty Boy
I am with VPI right now, and just made my first claim..... I have to say it is very dissappointing. Brutus had really bad diarehhea so we took him into the vet. The only thing they paid for was his deworming which was about to be due. They didn't pay for any of the meds or the check up cost. Out of $94.31 they paid $20.00. We currnetly pay $56.00 per month for his.
 

thesspa

I live with 2 porkers!
Apr 10, 2012
416
24
New Jersey
Bulldog(s) Names
Bacon
I went with Trupanion after reading prior posts here - they have an extra category just for Hip dysplasia. Just be sure to categorize your dog as a "bulldog" if you can instead of an "english bulldog." There really is no difference except the general bulldog category is less expensive.
 

MeekosMummy

New member
Oct 9, 2012
606
42
Wales
Country
Wales
Bulldog(s) Names
Meeko
Searching around i found about 90% of pet insurances didnt cover ongoing illnesses such as cancers. SKin conditions etc. One even stated they didnt cover death by illness over the age of 6.. Absolutly ridiculous! U really do have to read every last letter in the smallest of prints. On average it was about £40 a month so instead me and my partner have a bank account for Meeko and put a lump of money to start it and then transfer £40 a month (sometimes more) into an account. Hopefully we wont need to use it then we have a lump of savings we werent expecting (which u dont have with pet insurance.. If you dont end up using it or only for the smallest of problems uve spent a lot of money on nothing and dont get it back) .. I expect a lot of people to disagree woth this comment but we worked it out to be more beneficial to us.
 

Dee J

New member
Oct 16, 2012
307
13
Denton, Texas, United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus Mayhem AKA B-Ham AKA Brutty Boy
[MENTION=4676]thesspa[/MENTION] I actually called my vet to make an appointment for Brutus (shots for December and microchip) and asked their opinion on it. They sent me an email with a break down of the experiences they have had, and reccommended Trupanion as well. My only concern with them is the monthly cost going up after one year...... Have you had that problem? We are on VPI right now with care guard so I want to go get all all his normal stuff done, and switch. They also reccomended Pet Plan, but they wanted $108.00 just for Brutus alone. I think that's a little to pricey for one baby. If I were going to pay that much I would just do what [MENTION=6330]ncra6761[/MENTION] is doing
 

kazzy220

..........
Jul 31, 2010
8,556
441
Grafton, OHIO
Country
England
Bulldog(s) Names
Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
On average it was about £40 a month so instead me and my partner have a bank account for Meeko and put a lump of money to start it and then transfer £40 a month (sometimes more) into an account. Hopefully we wont need to use it then we have a lump of savings we werent expecting (which u dont have with pet insurance.. If you dont end up using it or only for the smallest of problems uve spent a lot of money on nothing and dont get it back) .. I expect a lot of people to disagree woth this comment but we worked it out to be more beneficial to us.

Actually, I think it's a very good idea. I guess the only problem is if something very expensive happened but for the average thing it would probably cover most vet bills.
 

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