Pets Best Insurance...good or bad? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

PiperPuppy · 01-01-2008, 05:08 PM

Hi!
So, after reading lots and lots of threads about injuries and etc, I've decided to go ahead and purchase pet insurance for Piper. She's a daredevil and even though I try to keep her from jumping off of things, she's very fast and apparently absolutely LOVES heights. Scares the heck out of me, but I don't want to confine her to her xpen...I love to have her around me. So, for piece of mind, I'm getting insurance. I did check out the PetInsuranceReview.com and found it helpful. I liked the Embrace company, but unfortunately they do not offer coverage in Washington state. So, my second choice at this point is Pets Best. Does anyone have insurance with them, and if so, are you happy with how they handle things? I am leaning toward not using VPI only because it seems so many people have had bad experiences with them.

juliaw04 · 01-01-2008, 06:41 PM

I'm curious about this too. I am considering insurance for KaCee. Hopefully someone that has experience with this responds soon.

Mere_de_Jambo · 01-02-2008, 10:55 AM

I insured Jambo with Pet Plan. Here is a link to a website with reviews of the various pet insurance companies that may be helpful to you.

www.petinsurancereviews.com

Grant at VPI · 01-03-2008, 09:27 AM

Piperpuppy,

I work for VPI and I noticed your post this morning. I can partly understand why you would lean away from VPI after going on PetInsuranceReview. As you stated, there are more complaints for VPI than many of the other companies featured, but, if you notice the amount of comments, there is also more praise. Please consider that VPI has hundreds of thousands more policyholders than any other pet insurance providers. In fact, we insure more than 450,000 pets nationwide, making us the nation’s oldest and largest pet insurance company. Some of our policyholders have had negative experiences, but we believe that a policyholder who knows what they’re buying and takes time to become familiar with their policy will never be disappointed.

VPI’s goal is to provide an affordable product that helps pay for the cost of veterinary care. We do not cover genetic or hereditary conditions (hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, osteochondritis dissecans, etc…), mostly because adequate coverage of these conditions would more than double our premiums, but also because we want to encourage responsible breeding. (Imagine what would happen in the breeding community if breeders knew any genetic condition could simply be covered by pet insurance.)

We do believe that pet owners have a duty to maintain some degree of financial responsibility for their pet; however, you will find VPI provides generous coverage for costly emergency conditions such as gastric torsion, cancer, broken bones, foreign body ingestion, and more. Take a minute to look at our benefit schedule (www.petinsurance.com). Be aware that other companies also use benefit schedules, but some neglect to show them to customers. Various veterinary fee guides are used by some of our competitors to determine what they call “usual, customary and reasonable” fees. Typically, they won’t reimburse pet owners beyond these customary amounts. My encouragement is just to be careful and make sure you know what you’re buying. VPI might not be right for you, but we’ve seen more than 50 competitors come and go in our 25 years, leaving their policyholders high and dry. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Sincerely,

Grant Biniasz
gbiniasz@petinsurance.com
Corporate Communications

PiperPuppy · 01-04-2008, 07:13 PM

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! Still deciding...it is sure a lot more complicated than I would have ever guessed. :-)

01-01-2008, 05:08 PM	#1
PiperPuppy Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 50	Pets Best Insurance...good or bad? Hi! So, after reading lots and lots of threads about injuries and etc, I've decided to go ahead and purchase pet insurance for Piper. She's a daredevil and even though I try to keep her from jumping off of things, she's very fast and apparently absolutely LOVES heights. Scares the heck out of me, but I don't want to confine her to her xpen...I love to have her around me. So, for piece of mind, I'm getting insurance. I did check out the PetInsuranceReview.com and found it helpful. I liked the Embrace company, but unfortunately they do not offer coverage in Washington state. So, my second choice at this point is Pets Best. Does anyone have insurance with them, and if so, are you happy with how they handle things? I am leaning toward not using VPI only because it seems so many people have had bad experiences with them.

01-01-2008, 06:41 PM	#2
juliaw04 Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Manhattan, Kansas Posts: 1,624	good question I'm curious about this too. I am considering insurance for KaCee. Hopefully someone that has experience with this responds soon.

01-03-2008, 09:27 AM	#4
Grant at VPI YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brea, CA Posts: 1	Some more information on VPI Piperpuppy, I work for VPI and I noticed your post this morning. I can partly understand why you would lean away from VPI after going on PetInsuranceReview. As you stated, there are more complaints for VPI than many of the other companies featured, but, if you notice the amount of comments, there is also more praise. Please consider that VPI has hundreds of thousands more policyholders than any other pet insurance providers. In fact, we insure more than 450,000 pets nationwide, making us the nation’s oldest and largest pet insurance company. Some of our policyholders have had negative experiences, but we believe that a policyholder who knows what they’re buying and takes time to become familiar with their policy will never be disappointed. VPI’s goal is to provide an affordable product that helps pay for the cost of veterinary care. We do not cover genetic or hereditary conditions (hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, osteochondritis dissecans, etc…), mostly because adequate coverage of these conditions would more than double our premiums, but also because we want to encourage responsible breeding. (Imagine what would happen in the breeding community if breeders knew any genetic condition could simply be covered by pet insurance.) We do believe that pet owners have a duty to maintain some degree of financial responsibility for their pet; however, you will find VPI provides generous coverage for costly emergency conditions such as gastric torsion, cancer, broken bones, foreign body ingestion, and more. Take a minute to look at our benefit schedule (www.petinsurance.com). Be aware that other companies also use benefit schedules, but some neglect to show them to customers. Various veterinary fee guides are used by some of our competitors to determine what they call “usual, customary and reasonable” fees. Typically, they won’t reimburse pet owners beyond these customary amounts. My encouragement is just to be careful and make sure you know what you’re buying. VPI might not be right for you, but we’ve seen more than 50 competitors come and go in our 25 years, leaving their policyholders high and dry. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Sincerely, Grant Biniasz gbiniasz@petinsurance.com Corporate Communications

01-02-2008, 10:55 AM	#3
Mere_de_Jambo YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 293	I insured Jambo with Pet Plan. Here is a link to a website with reviews of the various pet insurance companies that may be helpful to you. www.petinsurancereviews.com

01-04-2008, 07:13 PM	#5
PiperPuppy Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 50	Thanks so much for the advice everyone! Still deciding...it is sure a lot more complicated than I would have ever guessed. :-)