Pet Insurance

[brutus77]

Does anyone have pet insurance? With two bullies now I thought it might be beneficial to have. I got a good quote from a company that I saw someone else mentioned yesterday I think it is called Best Paws? Does anyone know if this is a reputable company? If we can't discuss this (?) can you pm me? If you do have insurance how much do you think is good amount to start with??

 

[2BullyMama]

I do not have it, but where I work offers a discount with VPI and they seem reasonable with good coverage

 

[izstigspunks]

Can't say which one is best since I'm up north, but before you make a decision, make sure to ask them about their policies about pre-existing conditions, what they will cover, and what they won't.

 

[Casper]

Does anyone have pet insurance? With two bullies now I thought it might be beneficial to have. I got a good quote from a company that I saw someone else mentioned yesterday I think it is called Best Paws? Does anyone know if this is a reputable company? If we can't discuss this (?) can you pm me? If you do have insurance how much do you think is good amount to start with??

I have Trupanion with my boys, but they pay benefits directly to me, and I found it to be the best out there for my needs. My vet doesn't do any major procedures, and doesn't take insurance at all, and the Vet Center that does medical procedures also doesn't take insurance, So everything for me is $$$ up front, then a reimbursement on the back end. I'm going to enclose a link here in this conversation, Hope it helps you, It was a giant Insurance debate a long while back, and a lot of input. A lot of Pro's and Con's. hope it helps. 7 pages of in depth discussion and debate.

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f...insurance-recommendations&highlight=insurance

 

[ddnene]

I have Trupanion, and so far they have been wonderful… they also do pre-approval for some procedures which I just found out!!!

 

[AubreysMom]

I have Pet Plan. I haven't had to use it yet, thank goodness, but I've heard good things about it and that's why I chose it.

 

[Daphnee]

I've had VPI since day one for our 8.5 yo bully. Like others, you pay up front, then submit a claim. This is where it's tricky, not everything is covered. They do clearly state on their website what is covered, and what isn't. We have the full coverage which includes wellness and a cancer rider. Overall, we've broken even and then some. I didn't take advantage of it in the beginning, but it covered over half of her TPLO surgery.
Which ever you pick, just read that fine print to see what is covered and what isn't.

 

[Annie1991]

When I rescued Mickey he came with a free 30 day insurance from 24 Petwatch. I called to find out if they reimburse for special food, because Mickey has to have special food for his kidneys, and they said yes they will reimburse some of the cost. I turned in my receipts about two weeks ago, so far I have not received anything yet, but I do not know how long their process is. Will let you know when or if I receive any money.

 

[nycbullymama]

I have Trupanion as well. My experience has been eh.

They denied Blue's Cherry Eye procedure because they said it was pre-existing. This is fine, but only one eye was pre-existing, not both. They denied both.
They also denied his Hip X-ray because when he was 10 weeks old, there was a note in his chart that said I was interested in having the x-ray done due to a popping sound I heard. HELLO- They're bulldogs. Hip Dysplasia is common with them. But at 10 weeks old he didn't even have it, and to be honest, who knows what I really heard.
But, they decided the X-ray that I had done when he was 9 months old was "pre-existing". What condition was pre-existing is beyond me.

They did pay for his palate, saccules and tonsil surgery. Still, I winded up paying close to 2k out of pocket even with the partial reimbursement. So much for insurance.

 

[AceTheBathound]

I'm looking into pet insurance. I had a great quote from VPI. Just wondering, since Ace was diagnosed with Upper resp infection, does this mean he will never be covered for this again? Or how about other respiratory issues? They are closed today so I couldn't speak with a rep. I'll be calling tomorrow.


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[Pati Robins]

yes it is classes as underlying condition , because Shy scratched lilly eyes which popped her cherries-withing first 14 days of having insurance im not covered by anything to do with her eyes

 

[TheLost]

VPI is inexpensive... but you have to deal with their 'payment schedule' (ie.. they decide how much you get). With Trupanion andothers you get a % of the cost. We currently have Molly on Trupanion and we pay ~$50 each month for a $500 deductible and 90% coverage.

We've paid $$ in vet bills but haven't had any that are over our $500 deductible so we haven't made a claim in 2 years. For example, Kevin scratched Molly's eye the other day while playing.. $350 and she's all better but Trupanion wasn't any help. Also, Trupanion has raised our rates ~$15 per month over the past two years.

I started a thread a few days ago when i was thinking about changing my 'Bulldog Financial Health Plan'..

I've decided to take Molly off Trupanion and switch to a new plan/company that will reimburse 90% with a $1000 deductible up to $10k annually (no lifetime limit). For two dogs its $58 per month (~$30 per dog with multi-pet discount). I'm then going to set aside a few $$ each month to either cover the deductible or take care of the smaller stuff.

In short.. i'll have insurance to cover any Major issues (including hereditary and congenital issues) and a 'Medical Savings Plan' to handle the smaller stuff.

 

[AceTheBathound]

VPI is inexpensive... but you have to deal with their 'payment schedule' (ie.. they decide how much you get). With Trupanion andothers you get a % of the cost. We currently have Molly on Trupanion and we pay ~$50 each month for a $500 deductible and 90% coverage.

We've paid $$ in vet bills but haven't had any that are over our $500 deductible so we haven't made a claim in 2 years. For example, Kevin scratched Molly's eye the other day while playing.. $350 and she's all better but Trupanion wasn't any help. Also, Trupanion has raised our rates ~$15 per month over the past two years.

I started a thread a few days ago when i was thinking about changing my 'Bulldog Financial Health Plan'..

I've decided to take Molly off Trupanion and switch to a new plan/company that will reimburse 90% with a $1000 deductible up to $10k annually (no lifetime limit). For two dogs its $58 per month (~$30 per dog with multi-pet discount). I'm then going to set aside a few $$ each month to either cover the deductible or take care of the smaller stuff.

In short.. i'll have insurance to cover any Major issues (including hereditary and congenital issues) and a 'Medical Savings Plan' to handle the smaller stuff.

TheLost,

Thanks for sharing. So you mean that throughout the yearly expenses, trupanion does not apply those to the deductible? For example, you pause $350 on one visit. God forbid, but let's say you go back in a few months and pay $200. Wouldn't this cover the deductible so future visits you can claim?


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[AceTheBathound]

Btw, I actually called petplan today and the rep told me that future upper resp infections may be covered, but it cannot be something chronic/ongoing. He said it's an average of a 12 month period for them to accept a claim related to respiratory infections for Ace. The quote was ~$50/mo, $250 deductible @ 90%


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[TheLost]

TheLost,

Thanks for sharing. So you mean that throughout the yearly expenses, trupanion does not apply those to the deductible? For example, you pause $350 on one visit. God forbid, but let's say you go back in a few months and pay $200. Wouldn't this cover the deductible so future visits you can claim?

Trupanion's deductibles are per-condition (as opposed to an annual deductible).. meaning that if i spend another $150 on vet bills for Molly's eye, anything over that would be covered ($350+150=$500 deductible). However, if she then gets an ear infection and i spend $400 on it... the $500 i spent on the eye doesn't cover the ear deductible

This is who i'm thinking of switching over to.. http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/ . I like that they reduce the deductable $50 every year you don't make a claim. They also seem to cover more 'bulldog' issues then most other companies.