Pet Insurance?

• NuggetJones
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: May 2014

We don’t have pet insurance, but we have a Care Credit card. We only use it for our dogs, and only if the vet bill is more than $400. We have used it twice, and both times it was interest free if paid off within 6 months. Both times we were able to successfully pay it off in the interest free timeframe. Despite these two higher bills and couple that were around the $300 range, I still think we have paid less doing this than having pet insurance, and this system is manageable for us. 

• misty2007
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: February 2019

I have Trupanion and I think it’s $50 or something. I know there were cheaper options with higher deductibles but I felt the option I chose was best for us.

• sbl99
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: August 2019

NuggetJones :  That’s a cool idea – never thought to use a system like that before.

It’s our intention (when we get pets) to put whatever we would normally spend on pet insurance in a separate high interest account and not touch it. With a dog and a cat, that = about $120 per month. In my mind, it’s creating our own insurance without the fear of them not paying/charging gap payments/massive excess payments etc. 

My whole family has been bitten on the ass by pet insurers, so trust factor is like 0

• Schmashley
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: March 2017 - Nepal

We pay $120/month for the Nationwide Whole Pet with Wellness plan. It covers 90% of all vet visits, tests, procedures, medication and supplements. Essentially everything except food, grooming and boarding. I like that there are no caps with a $100 annual deductible. This may sound like a lot but after spending $9,000 in vet bills and $250/month in medication over the last 18 months for our other dog who recently passed, I definitely think it’s worth it.

• anev
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: August 2017

mrsautumn36 :  as an emergency vet I highly recommend pet insurance, always look for coverage that is unlimited. The only complaints about pet insurance I’ve heard from client service is them cancelling it, then immediately finding themselves spending thousands of dollars in vet bills. Happens way more than you think! 

• peekaboobs
• 2 years ago

NuggetJones :  where could one find a care credit card? I’ve been lucky in the past to find vets that are willing to work out an awesome payment plan with me but I’m afraid of that luck running out. 

anev :  I’ve heard of someone investing in pet insurance only to find out they weren’t covered when they actually needed it. Not sure who they were using or how much they paid but what should someone look for and what isn’t worth the money? 

• DoubleD
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: May 2017

I looked into it for my dog but it was way too expensive because he has pre-existing issues so it was more than what I pay for Dh DH and I.  We just pay out of pocket now and I hope and pray nothing ever happens to him that would cost unreasonable thousands of dollars that we couldn’t afford. Otherwise his maintenance stuff can be pricey but not too bad. He gets ear infections a lot and the cleaning solution is like $40 plus the antibiotic drops which idr how much they cost. But we started doing it at home so it’s cheaper than vet visits. His food also costs a lot. Agh but he’s worth it. 

• elphya
• 2 years ago

anev :  I am very curious about this insurance system for pets, as I am dealing with the national healthcare system for myself and my mother in our country and, apparently, we would have to be more sick (paralyzed or cirrhotic) to be treated – I went to the ministry of health to resolve this issue for me. 

Anyway, my cat has had diabetes when he was 13 yo, but went into remission after a month of insulin and canned food. Now he has diabetes once again (17 yo) and we saw (ultrasound) a strange growth in his liver (so we suspect hepatic carcinoma), but his biochemistry is better one month later.

 

When people heard I have to be home at 7 am and 7 pm to take his glycemia, give food and inject insulin, they ask ” he’s old, why don’t you put him to sleep?”

 

Wouldn’t the insurer say the same, to get out of the legal contract for drugs and treating complications like renal failure (dialysis), hospitalization, palliative care?

 

Also, do they cover hip replacement surgery for dogs from parents with a history in the family?

• sbl99
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: August 2019

mrsautumn36 :  Standard p*ss around – won’t cover certain skin conditions, won’t cover certain medications, didn’t cover tooth extractions at all (poor pupper needed 8 out at once). Huge gap payments

My parents pay approx $130 a month for their two dogs (either top cover or near top). Still pay out hundreds of dollars a year. Like, how is that worth it??

• pantsapocalypse
• 2 years ago

I second the suggestion of nationwide! I have had them for two years for our cats and dog and they are great. They have an app and make claims super easy! We saved tons of money with them so far and to my knowledge they are the only ones with no cap, that covers 90%,ER visits, wellness visits, shots, and genetic issues.

They even offered to cover trainer and behavioral modification as long as we get a referral.

Right now we pay $30 per cat and $90 for our dog($180 a month), it’s more expensive for puppy’s/kittens but it will drop after the first year.

• anev
• 2 years ago

• Wedding: August 2017

peekaboobs :  won’t cover pre existing conditions, so best time to get it is when they are very young. 

elphya :  not my experience at all, I had a client almost gave a kidney transplant on a cat (would involve travelling from Canada to the USA and going on dialysis first), the cat was 16 and it was quoted $25k USA. They had insurance and were in the process of settling the details when they ultimately elected to put him to sleep. But the insurance company can’t just decline treatment if it justified. 

 

That being said said I have had some clients get a spinal surgery 90% covered then when he had another pinched disk a few years later they would only cover 50% (the owners had gotten a letter to explain this after the first surgery and before the second issue happened). 

I have a client currently undergoing chemotherapy on their pet using insurance as well.

• cassiegirl
• 2 years ago

I pay $18 a month for my dog.  We haven’t had any big medical expenses come up since getting the insurance.  As everyone else said, get it sooner rather than later.