pet insurance is the same as human insurance. you pay a monthly fee and you'll receive medical services at no additional charge or at a discount. Banfield's insurance is an HMO-like plan, kinda like Kaiser for humans. services are only covered if you go to Banfield. but it's cost effective and they have pretty decent coverage for typical care.
insurance companies like VPI are more PPO-like plans for humans. you can go to vets of your choice but the overall cost of coverage is a little more expensive for that flexibility. you get reimbursed for the amount you spend up to your coverage max which is usually a % of what you actually spend.
i had bunjee on the puppy plan with banfield. i'm now looking for pet insurance that allows more flexibility and better coverage. there are a few things i didn't like about banfield. in my area, they had no sunday clinic hours, no emergency services, no phone advice nurse/vet, their prices are kinda high around here for illness/accident treatment, and getting appointments was a PITA. they're puppy plan was a good deal if my puppy never got sick and only needed the routine stuff. if i can do it over again, i'd just opt for a more PPO-like plan and pay a few extra bucks for the flexibility and peace of mind. |