What pet insurance do you have and why?
 

Just because I'm curious.. :)

I chose Petplan for Rylee because I like the $0 copay (at regular vet and ER only) a whole lot, the $50 per incident deductible is so low, they cover chronic conditions and don't consider them pre-existing at the start of a new year, there is no per incident limit, and genetic issues are covered.

I don't like that they don't have a wellness plan. I'm going to see if Embrace will let me get just their wellness plan.

Embrace and Trupanion were my second and third choices. Embrace seemed quite a bit more expensive? And none of the others offer a $0 copay?

Anyway, what company did you choose and why? We may change next year if another company has a better deal.

Embrace offers everything you mention for Petplan, but they don't charge a higher co-pay percent for seeing a specialist, going to an after hours ER, etc. like Petplan does. (I'm not sure whether Embrace offers a $0 copay). There were a couple of other things that made me hesitate on Petplan but I don't remember exactly what they were now (and those things may have changed by now).

I originally switched from Embrace to Trupanion because:
1) Embrace had a limit on chronic care coverage of only 25% of your annual coverage. That limit has now been removed.
2) Embrace did not offer prescription drug coverage, unless the medication was administered at the vet's office. They now cover this.

Trupanion's coverage, lack of per incident, per year and lifetime limits sounded great to me. But after dealing with VERY poor customer service and a bad lack of communication from them, I switched back to Embrace and I'm much happier with their immediate responses and fast, knowledgeable answers. Their claims processing time is MUCH fast as well.

Oh, and from my gang - Embrace is actually less than with Trupanion. And I think it's less than it would be with Petplan when I got a quote from them. Petplan would definitely be my second choice after Embrace.

I forgot to mention that Embrace has an annual deductible instead of the per-incident deductable that Trupanion offers, and I like that much better. I can't remember which one Petplan has.

That is really good to know about Trupanion. I Hate bad customer service. Better things to do with my day than to deal with companies like that.

Their plan looked good, but the lowest copay they had was 10% and every exam had to be paid by the policyholder. I hope it's not that way with Petplan. So I go in 5 times in a year for the same thing. I want to pay the $50 per year, per incident thing once and not pay an exam fee every time. That's what we're paying an insurance bill for.

I was so close to getting Embrace. I think it was a combination of their chronic condition policy (didn't know that had changed), the need to purchase the extra coverage for prescriptions, and the no 0% copay option that made me hesitate.

Yup, Petplan caps at 80% at specialty hospitals and vet schools and also if an ER is used for non emergency purposes. For us though, we only use the ER for life threatening things, so that wasn't a problem. And our vet's office does a ton of stuff onsite, so I rarely use specialists, and they would still pay 80% anyway. So that seemed okay to me. Another thing I like about them (not sure if Embrace in the same) is that if dentals are done when recommended by a vet, medically necessary tooth extractions are covered.

I think I'll be watching both companies this year to see which one we go with next year.

Petplan is per incident. I really like that about Embrace.

What are your monthly premium payments per dog with Petplan and Embrace?

Yup, Petplan caps at 80% at specialty hospitals and vet schools and also if an ER is used for non emergency purposes. For us though, we only use the ER for life threatening things, so that wasn't a problem. And our vet's office does a ton of stuff onsite, so I rarely use specialists, and they would still pay 80% anyway. So that seemed okay to me. Another thing I like about them (not sure if Embrace in the same) is that if dentals are done when recommended by a vet, medically necessary tooth extractions are covered.

I think I'll be watching both companies this year to see which one we go with next year.[/QUOTE]


This is right where we are. We have had PetPlan for about 2 weeks.

Id be interested in knowing this also. :thumbup:

Ours is $45 (10% off for being microchipped and 5% off for ordering online).

there are exclusions and limitation that everyone should read before purchasing. Accident coverage starts 24 hours after start date. Illness coverage starts 14 days after. Nothing pre-existing is covered and there may even be an issue if it's a different disease presenting with the same symptoms. If it's a curable disease, you can ask for an exemption so that it's covered if it happens again (like for UTIs, etc.).

Also LP and CCL tears aren't covered for 6 months (so if they get symptoms of either within the first 6 months, it's pre-existing and won't be covered at all). You can shorten the time it takes to get these things covered, but a vet has to certify that they are okay on exam. But if they are not okay on exam, then these issues suddenly because pre-existing and they will never be covered (if that makes sense). Also, I think they only cover one CCL tear in a twelve month period. Embrace is probably very similar.

BTW, it's so high (at $45) because I chose the lowest copay and lowest deductible. You may be able to get a plan for much less. Because my vet's office does endoscopy, some ultrasounds, extensive dentistry, some ortho, etc., and I really trust them to take care of my pups, I knew the bills could get pretty high there. So the $0 copay made sense for us. If I thought we were going to live at a specialist's office or offices (just not my thing), then I would have probably gone for a company that did 90% reinbursement for specialists instead of 80%.

You can go to any of their sites and get a free quote. :)

I don't think I'll have another dog w/o insurance.

I have Trupanion.

I chose - 0 - deductible. They reimburse 90% of the veterinary bill for costs arising from injury or illness, less the veterinary exam fee and deductible, if selected.
Also, all diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications (including hereditary and congenital disorders).

I have had to file 3-claims with them within a months time for an allergic reaction to something Riley walked over, which then caused ear infections, and then he had a reaction to the Tresaderm they gave him. I had absolutely no issues and thought the customer service was wonderful.
All of my claims were approved within 1-week and I got my checks a few days later.

They did just raise their premium. I was paying $32.68 and it just went up this month to $43.77.... I heard it went up for several people. I have only had them for exactly 1-year, tomorrow.

I will stick with them, for now and will continue paying with the Hope, really, that I will Never have to use it. =)

I love my PetPlan insurance and added my new puppy Austen, as soon as I got him home. The claim process is simple and refund is prompt. I too, chose the gold plan with the lowest copay and for the highest coverage of $20k. We had our first year's premiums covered with only one urgent care (pancreatitis) and then were ahead of premiums after an ER visit bloody stools. I always pray we do not have to use it - but the knowledge that we have it; eliminates any and all fears of what something may cost.

I've been too scared to get pet insurance, lol.

I feel like I'd get it, and then Jackson would get the one thing that they don't cover, or they'd say 'it's a genetic issue' or something.

I really do need to look into it though.

Trupanion has no hereditary or cogenital breed exclusions.

I figured I would start with it for Riley, for at least his first few years... and then re-evaluate, after that.
I have been extremely happy with Trupanion's customer service so far. Hoping that continues, but like I said, I am Hoping I Won't have to use it. :)
My first pup, a Schipperke, was in and out of the vet Several Tiimes the first few years with random injuries. He was such a Boy!!!! LOL!!
He lived to 13-years and was Extremely Healthy after he got through the puppy stages. :)

One thing that I didn't know about Trupanion until it was too late - they do NOT cover the cost of the exams, you have to pay all of the exam fees yourself. :thumbdown The exam fee does not apply to your deductible or co-pay amounts either.

Both Embrace & Petplan include the exam in their reimbursable amounts.

That is what immediately made me realize it probably wasn't the plan for us. If I have to take a pup in 5 times in a year for the same thing, I want to pay the $50 deductible one time, not $40 each of the 5 times and then the deductible too (if any) and then the copay!

With Embrace, my monthly premiums range from about $30 to almost $35 per month per pet, based on their age. I have a 10% copay, a $200 deductible and a $10,000 annual maximum on each of them.

Embrace offers 5% discounts for spayed/neutered pets and for multi-pet coverage. They no longer offer a microchip discount. :confused: Trupanion does not offer any discounts.

Embrace has similar waiting periods to Petplan - 14 days for illness and 6 months for orthopedic issues (including broken bones) unless you choose to have an initial orthopedic exam done by your vet, then Embrace will waive the 6 month waiting period for orthopedics.

There is a pet insurance review site online
 

Trupanion offered a free trial through my vet. After reading the reviews and making some phone calls, I went with Healthy Paws. They have been stellar
Current Customer Ratings - Pet Insurance Review

Does anyone have petfirst?

When you say they don't consider them pre-existing at the start of a new year... does this mean if I were to get Petplan for Jackson starting in 2012, his pancreatitis issue would not be considered "pre-existing"? That just seems to good to be true, lol.

That would be too good to be true.

If a dog has any medical condition before signing up, it is considered pre-existing. Conditions that are expected to keep recurring (pancreatitis probably falls into this category) will never be covered. Not even sure other diseases with similar GI symptoms would be covered with Petplan. That would be a question for the sales rep. Conditions that aren't expected to recur (like kennel cough) can be covered after a waiting period as long as the disease is totally "cured".

With some insurance companies, they like to get you by considering a chronic condition pre-existing at the start of a new year. For example (making this up): Ellie is enrolled in Insurance X. After all waiting periods she gets liver disease (which she has never had before). It is covered for the rest of the first year. When I go to pay for my plan the next year, it is now considered pre-existing and no longer covered. Some companies do this and some don't, so you have to be really careful.

Brit, here's what Embrace says about pre-existing conditions and those considered "curable".
Pet Insurance & Pre-Existing Conditions | EMBRACE

I'm not sure where Jackson would fall in this. You may remember back at the first of May, Maddox had the one episode of very bloody diarrhea? This incident is the claim that made me leave Trupanion :mad:, but before I did I checked with Embrace to see if Maddox would be eligible for future coverage with them. They told me that he would be covered for similar tummy issues 12 months after the latest occurence. BUT, Maddox was not diagnosed as having pancreatis or any ongoing chronic condition.

Anyway, it may be worth calling Embrace and Petplan just to see what they say about Jackson's situation.

Give that little hunk huggins for me! :)

As I have posted in similar threads, I am satisfied with Dori's Embrace coverage. We pay $36/mo with 20% copay and $200 deductible (you can create your own copay/deductible combo). We also pay $145 for $200 of wellness care
(physicals, vaccines, titers, fecals, bloodwork, nails, microchip, spay, even flea protection). Service is excellent and friendly. Reimbursements go right into your checking acct.

I wish I had bought this years ago for Paris....

www.paristheblindwonderdog.blogspot.com

Hmmm I never thought about pet insurance. I am googling Healthy Paws.

Anyone else have pet insurance or information on pet insurance?

We are using "petplan".
After I registered Mina with AKC they sent me several emails about their pet insurance,I didn't check into it because we were already signed up for petplan. Also there is a thread in the library here on pet insurance.

I have Trupanion. Customer Service for us was great. Recieved a check within a week of filing our first claim.. So far no complaints.

My four girls are covered with Petplan. My premiums range from $98-$153 per year depending on breed (they are all the same age).

We chose Petplan because I thought it was the best value when my girls were puppies.

They have had stellar customer service any time I've had to file a claim and I've always got my money reimbursed within 2 weeks.

I think we have the bronze plan with the $200 deductible because I figure that we can cover that. I've only had to use it for my Lily and it's been a life-saver. On her surgeries, we've been more than reimbursed for the cost of all four of our dogs premiums.

Buster is covered by PetPlan. I was lucky because we enrolled in April and Buster was diagnosed with LP in October and they covered it. My annual premium went up when they switched to another insurance provider but I am very happy with them.

Do any of the insurance plans cover a liver shunt?

I insured Roxi with PetPlan when she was 3 months old because they do cover genetic diseases. I pay $225 a year with $100 deductible (per condition) with 90/10 at regular vet and 80/20 at specialty/er with an $8,000 per year limit. Roxi was diagnosed with MVD (thankfully no liver shunt) and with PetPlan I only paid the $100 and then the 10% for the bloodwork done at my regular vet and the 20% of the costs incurred with the surgeon at the specialty hospital. Altogether her liver issues were around $2,000 and I received checks for about $1,500.00. I couldn't have paid for this without the insurance and PetPlan was awesome to work with. I had all 3 checks within 10 days of filing claim. They did make a mistake and charge a 2nd $100 deductible (remember $100 deductible per condition) and they reimbursed me within 3 days. I don't know how they handle pre-existing conditions...I made sure to get Roxi insured as soon as I got her.