Bernie's Mom

Does anyone here use pet insurance? Any recommendations? I've been considering it and keep going back and forth but don't know anyone who has it and was wondering if one was any better than another or if they were all about the same.

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henry'smum

i use the ASPCA pet insurance. We have always insured our dogs as we just dont want to have to afford to be able to give them treatment they may need. The ASPCA have different levels of cover, have been super helpful and really easy to contact. take a look, we didnt find anyone else whos coverage compared.

Kirska

Petplan is awesome. They don't cover routine stuff like checkups and dental but every unexpected illness or accident is covered, even cancer or genetic problems. Problems have no lifetime maximum benefit (only annual based on your plan). We have the plan with 100% coverage after a $200 deductible per incident, so anytime something happens we know we won't be out more than $200. They cover the cost the vets charge you, not "standard" costs.

We have used them for 3 major things in addition to some small stuff: first Harley had 3 tumors removed, Anabelle's neck problem, and 2 ear surgeries for Anabelle. They covered all of them what we expected. Basically you pay the vet bill, get the vet to fill out a tiny form (their portion is like 1/4 of a page), send in your paid invoice with the form, and then within a week or two you get a check in the mail. The girls at the front desk at our vet fax the forms in for us. Generally they're happy to help since they get paid the same (or more when you consider we are more likely to opt for "premium" treatment).

Some people think pet insurance is a ripoff but for us we've about broken even with overall costs. The main benefits are being able to set a budget for unexpected problems with an expected bill, and making decisions based on what's best for the dog without having to worry about how much it will cost.

Our policy is ALZ1023549-00. The website is Petplan Pet Insurance - The Best Pet Health Insurance Plans for Unexpected Veterinary Bills - Get a Free Quote! and you can do a quote there on the website.

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Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Kirska

Also they send you a magazine in the mail every couple of months which is fun to read, and a calendar at the beginning of the year with great pictures in it.

You can find reviews of all companies at Current Customer Ratings - Pet Insurance Review. That is how I found petplan.

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Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Mommy2MaggieMae

I have also been looking into pet insurance. A friend of mine has a cat who has been going through some major medical problems and if not for my friends insurance there's no way she would have been able to afford the care.

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- Laura

Bernie's Mom

Has anyone heard of "Healthy Paws"?

They have the highest reviews i've seen. They reimburse 90% of the actual vet bill instead of the usual & customary rate. and there are no limits or caps on claims. unlimited lifetime.

https://www.healthypawspetinsurance....ndPuppies.aspx

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Follow the adventures of me and my humanz at http://countercruiser.blogspot.com/

Kirska

Petplan also covers actual vet bill. They weren't in business yet when I originally signed up. Looks like a good company but I think I would still stick with the 100% we have.

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Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

houndmomma

For the first time I have pet insurance and it’s for Mabel – I still don’t know how many thousands went out looking for a cure for Flash, and truthfully I don’t really want to know. It is what it is and I’d do it again. I just want to make sure I have a backup for Mabel incase God forbid I ever need it.

My vet is an AAHA – Accredited veterinarian, AAHA-accredited hospitals voluntarily choose to be evaluated on 900 standards – Here’s a link to their accreditation standards – http://www.healthypet.com/Accreditation/WhyStandards.aspx

So… When I went looking for pet insurance for Mabel – I went to AAHA to see who they give the Seal of Acceptance to. Below is a link to Specific policies from Trupanion, PurinaCare, Petsecure, Pets Best Insurance, HealthyPaws Pet Insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) and Petplan that have earned the AAHA Seal of Acceptance.

http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_key=baff3963-d00b-46c2-a9d6-18a8539ae88e

I ended up going with Trupanion – There were a lot of reasons – but the highlights for me were
1. Covers 90% of actual veterinary costs – not an amount a group thinks I should pay for my area
2. Coverage is for “ANY” hospital or clinic – since we’re not sure where we’ll end up when we finally retire this was important to me.
3. Does not impose any per incident limits, annual limits, or lifetime limits on the amount of care your pet can receive.
4. One deductible per incident – so say you take your hound in for allergies – for the lifetime of your hound – you never pay a deductable – opposed to annual deductibles that I’ve found out there.

For Mabel I took a very low deductible – once she’s grown out of her puppyhood and levels out – I’ll increase it – Also, it doesn’t cover wellness – routine office visits – dental surgery – getting fixed – they can tell you better. For the cost and what it covers I personally couldn’t find better.

Good luck and I hope this helps

Jen~

Bernie's Mom

And that's where i'm torn and don't know which one to choose. lol
With PetPlan "bronze level" there is an $8,000/year limit but you get reimbursed 100%.
With Healthy Paws there is no limit but only reimbursed 90%.

We've had 3 dogs die from cancer but by the time they were diagnosed there wasn't much treatment they could do. And honestly at the time we couldn't have afforded it.
I've never had a to deal with extremely high vet bills due to an accident or illness so I don't know the cost of, say cancer treatments, but how high are the chances that you would meet the $8,000 limit?

Ugh! this is why i haven't chosen one yet. lol So confusing!
I just know that I want to be able to provide the best care possible for Bernie and not have to make a decision I don't want to make because I don't have the money.

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newton'sdad

I got Norman a policy from Trupanion. Costs $500.00 DEDUCTIBLE, about 33 bucks a month. I sleep well.