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Originally Posted by crystalsmom  I think when it comes to insurance, it is the fine print that you have to read carefully. Some vets raise prices when they know you have insurance.
Lets say you pay $35 a month in a two year contract.....$840, you must call and see what wellness costs would be for two years at your vet based on what the insurance covers.
I always paid for wellness care and put $50 away for emergencies. I'm sure it would take more for today's prices and yet if you can find insurance that works for you and you are not putting your yorkie in the hands of someone careless or inexperienced then I say go for it.
The more I read about Banfield though, the more concerned I am. Google (gmail) is now offering a free coupon for Banfield and they have taken alot of what had been on the internet off. |
wellness costs are minimal, and banfield offers a "short term" savings on things that are costs that are not long term expenses. Wellness costs are the greatest during the first 6-8 months and then drastically decrease. Look at the FINE PRINT. Small dogs, especially yorkies, unfortunately have accidents(falling off the couch, bed and breaking a limb) or more serious issues( check the ER section). these are the issues that you need to be concerned with. Banfield, even if their plan did cover assist with these costs(and they dont), at most locations, could not help you with them.
Id like to meet one person who walked into Banfield and was not pitched an insurance plan within the first 5 minutes. Our vet charges 45 for a wellness visit. With a vaccine, fecal and nail trim...65.00 total.
Once the vaccines are done..45 a year for a wellness visit. Banfield also charges well above the norm for the little things most local vets will not charge for. Ill scan in a " free new puppy check" which cost us 75.00. Far from free, but hey, the coupon got us in. The vet told us our 12 week puppies skull had not closed all the way, and that we would probably require medical attention long term, and possibly surgery(all things there plan does not cover)??? It's noted in his comments... 4 weeks later his skull had completely closed. The same vet wanted to give a rabies shot at 12 weeks old, along with his 3rd set of vaccines. Dickie weighed 2.6 lbs that day. Who would do this? He also tried to sell me heartworm meds for dogs from 5-35 lbs, when there are plenty of small breed specific meds out there. This was all after we spent the first 10 minutes getting a sales presentation. To end the story, we brought a baggie of fresh poop, and they charged us for a fecal sample "collection" $10.00 and a fecal exam $15.00. When asked about that, i was told they charge for it regardless of if they collect it themselves or not...but... if we got their wellness plan these charges would be covered. My vet charges 5.00 for a fecal.
So. Our dogs have had all their shots, and barring any unforeseen issues, we will not be back at the vet for one year for an annual wellness visit. Outside of our banfield visit, we have a spent 212.00 for two dogs. How much will you pay for a banfield policy for year? i promise you that you will not walk out of that place without paying for something regardless of the plan.
Find a good legit vet who has experience with small breed dogs. You will feel better in the end, even if it costs a bit more on the front end. If your going to need pet insurance, get a plan that offers the greatest reimbursement that you can afford. Its not like people insurance(you will pay in advance and then get reimbursed), but most of the top plans would be a wiser investment of your money. We have little and its hard earned, so we have chosen to spare the quick fix and protect ourselves from the unexpected.
Take a really close look at what banfield covers.
as far as the internet goes, there is STILL website after website with nothing but horror stories and complaints.
In my opinion, it remains a scam. In my opinion, it remains staffed by under-qualified vets , with little or no desire to continue to educate themselves past what they learned in vet school( which is more than likely outdated and inaccurate).