Pet Insurance

[plain_jane]

I was just curious as to whether or not anyone invests in pet insurance. I've heard it exists now and I have to admit that I really haven't done any research on it other than asking a few dog crazy co-workers about it. From what I've heard so far, is that the coverage isn't really worth the premiums that would be paid. Any ideas on the subject?

 

[Lori]

Hi,

I have VPI for both of my dogs (one newf) and they have paid on some stuff, but not much. I'm still not sure if the cost outweighs the benefits. Chance is 11 1/2 yrs old now and his premium is $55.27 a month. It's gone up and up as he's gotten older. You also pay more because he's a Newfoundland. I'm keeping on him because of his heart problems. Sydney, my aussie/collie mix who's 6 1/2, her premium is $32.20. VPI doesn't cover anything with hip dysplasia either, which both of mine have. I know someone had mentioned in previous posts about pet ins. that there is one company that did cover it.

 

[charlieinnj]

It's like a lot of things....It's there but hopefully you'll never need to use it (just like car insurance, health insurance, etc.).

Medical costs can be staggering these days and if one is not in a position to lay out the cold, hard cash for those kinds of Vet bills, it may be to one's advantage. Of course, there are others who can't even afford the insurance premiums so if faced with a huge expense, would have no other choice than to put their pet down.

I can speak of huge expenses because my previous dog (a Berner...) bloated twice, had to have stomach-tacking surgery and also had (2) ACL surgeries. The costs over the years exceeded $10,000.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Pet Care Insurance does cover hereditary issues... www.petcareinsurance.com
but does not cover routine visits for vaccines, neutering, etc.
I have ASPCA Pet Health that does cover routine visits but not hereditary issues ....
www.aspcapetinsurance.com
I pay about $33/mo. It really is not the small issues that are a problem, but anything larger can add up real fast.

 

[CMDRTED]

We have AKC Insurance. It has paid for a couple of morerately big ticket items for us.

 

[Murphy]

I have pet insurance. $31.00 per month and covers a variety of accidents.. and illnesses but not Hip Dysplasia.. www.petplan.com My plan is PetMedic Select.

It is like any insurance company though. You have to jump through hoops to make a claim.. Still, there is a certain peace of mind.

 

[guysndolls]

I tell people to look seriously at getting insurance, and absolutely to look at Pet Care Insurance (they have Pet Care USA and Pet Care Canada).

Cost have gone THROUGH THE CEILING in the past 10 years, but even moreso in the past 5.

Unless someone can afford to comfortably self-insure - and that means dropping $3000 on the counter without breaking a sweat or dipping into their kid's college fund or their retirement account - then the smart move is to get insurance... and to get insurance that does NOT have breed exclusions.

Even careful breeders using dogs with all health clearances will produce a puppy with a problem. (and on the other hand, just because a dog failed a clearance does not mean it will produce the problem!). Anyone buying a Newf puppy should do so with their eyes wide open, and know that even with the greatest care, you might still have the puppy that drew the genetic "short straw". The list of potential problems is HUGE and can be VERY expensive. So I use Murphy's Law - plan for the best, expect the worst.

Pet insurance therefore gets a huge "thumbs up".

Also - I stood at the counter at the 24 hour emergency clinic and listened to a family argue about treating their 3 year old Great Dane. The receptionist carefully explained to them that the estimate to save their dog was $3500, with 1/2 required up front. OR they could euthanize the dog for $85 (plus the cost of the visit $150, plus the cost of disposal of the body if they chose that). The husband was all for euthanasia, saying they didn't have enough room on their VISA card after buying a new dining room set last month. The wife was tearful and begging, and wanted to save the dog. I had to go outside because the entire scene was too painful emotionally to witness. They did euthanize the dog, a dog that could have been saved except for the financial consideration. Insurance might have made the difference.

Patti
http://www.councilcupnewfs.com

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

I agree, Patti. I strongly suggest my puppy buyers to get insurance, since I would hate one of my pups to be in a situation like you describe with the Dane, where a decision has to be made (of course I would not let that happen). It is easy for people to think they can put money away for medical bills for their dogs, but it is not easy to do and one incident, even with the best bred dog, can be thousands.

 

[Sailorgirl]

I think you just have to have a plan, whether that's insurance or a special savings account for vet care. For me, I chose the latter. When I did the math, basically I figured that the premiums alone over the lifetime of a dog (I figured 10 years) would be equal to one "major" issue per dog. If you don't have any major issues, then you lose. If you have lots, then you're in great shape. I suspect that if you had enough dogs over the years you'd probably break even in the end.

I haven't done the math on what we've spend on surgeries and physical therapy for one of my dogs. Don't much care to. However, I've been told that some insurance companies are not covering cruciate injuries (extremely common judging but what you read on NN), and I have doubts they would cover physical therapy. I would be livid if I had insurance and was not reimbursed for these expenses. Then I'd be out all the money I've already spent PLUS the premiums.

And frankly, I HATE dealing with insurance companies. Having to argue with one more was enough to make me opt against insurance for our animals.

Whatever you do, you don't want to end up in the situation mentioned above where you are in an emergency situation and you have to choose between fixing your dog and putting them down, based solely on monetary issues.

Also, people should know about Care Credit, which is offered through most vets and emergency vets. People can apply for a loan through Care Credit to cover the cost of veterinary procedures (also lots of other things including human dental work, etc.). It's one more tool people can use to cover costs so they can make the best decision for their pets regardless of the finances involved.

 

[ardeagold]

I have Embrace. It covers heritable issues (like Hip Dysplasia) as long as the dog is insured prior to being diagnosed. It does not cover routine checkups, HW/Flea and Tick Meds, vaccinations, etc.

It covers cruciate repairs even tho there is a 6 month waiting period before they're covered. If you get a doctor's letter that the cruciates have been examined and are in good shape, coverage will begin in two weeks, versus the six months.

You can build your own policy. Choose your deductible, the co-pay, the amount of coverage, and also some options (like prescriptions and dental work).

One extremely important option to choose is "continuing care". If you have this option and your dog gets ill with a chronic disease (like thyroid, or diabetes for example) and you have the dog covered without lapse in the policy......they'll pay for it. Some policies renew yearly and any illness that pops up the year before, isn't covered in the renewed policy.

I had Pet Care, but the payout limit was very small over the lifetime of the dog ($3,000). And the premium was higher ($38 per month), so I switched to Embrace.

In 2005, Molly had Lyme. She was treated and cleared by C6 test. In 2007 we tested again (just to be sure) and she was still "clear". We switched to Embrace in March of 2008, and they wanted a new C6 done for them to cover Lyme (should it happen again....and it well could around here). Otherwise, they would have listed it as a pre-existing condition. We had the test done, and she's now fully covered...no exclusions.

The cost of treating certain illnesses and injuries is astronomical in Newfs. We don't have Pet Insurance for the Goldens, because, frankly....the cost is so much less that we could handle it without too much strain. But the same procedure on a Newf could well be 3x more and that cost would be pushing it financially.

We want to make sure that our Newfs are able to have the best care possible, without worrying about our finances.

Yes, you can set up an emergency fund....and put aside $25 a month. In 24 months, that equates to $600. That isn't going to cover a whole lot. Even $50 a month wouldn't cover much, with costs being what they are these days.

Our Embrace policy, per Newf, is $24.11 per month. I have $10,000 per YEAR coverage (per dog), with a $200 deductible, and a 20% co-pay. As I said, that can vary depending upon YOUR plan (how YOU build it).

So.....IMO.......it's worth it. This is who I dealt with when structuring the policy for our needs. He's great!

Chris Hagesfeld
Customer Care Embracer
Embrace Pet Insurance
Cleveland, Ohio (800) 511-9172

www.embracepetinsurance.com

 

[Liisa]

I can't even imagine making a health decision that results in life or death because of money. It wouldn't happen... If I couldn't / didn't have the money, I'd be selling stuff or asking family to borrow it. I know that isn't possible for everybody. We do not carry pet insurance on our guys, but we have the funds for things that come up. Thankfully.

For those people that couldn't come up with thousands for an illness (and yes, as said before it can be thousands - my Yeti's last stay in the ICU of an emergency care clinic for a week ran us almost $4,000 - and he didn't make it through the illness) then I would absolutely encourage pet insurance. I just wouldn't take the chance with their life.

Sorry for the soap box... but this issue is near and dear to my heart. I had relatives (not close ones) who told me over the course of Yeti's life that I was nuts to spend that kind of money on a DOG. :grrr: They just don't understand that my "dogs" are the same to me as their kids are to them.

I know.... preaching to the choir!