Pet Insurance

[FireGoddess]

I see that alot of the PS furbabies are not feeling well, or dealing with health issues. I was wondering whether any of you have pet insurance, who you get it from, etc. When I got Chloe 10 years ago it didn't exist as far as I know. Now she's technically a 'senior' so the rates can be fairly high. I'm still thinking of getting some for her. Wondering what your experiences have been, and who you have used?

ETA: VPI seems good but is expensive, whereas the insurance from ASPCA.com is cheaper BUT...they only cover a 'condition' for remainder of your coverage year and then you're uninsurable. ie. If your cat gets cancer 8 months into your yearly coverage, you get the cancer coverage for 4 months and then they won't insure you for the next year because you have a 'preexisting condition.'

 

[neatfreak]

HI Firegoddess,

We have considered it, but haven't made the jump yet. What was helpful was seeing this chart with it all laid out for us. I don't know if I can attach it but I will try.

Lets see if that works...

ETA: Ohhh it worked. You can download it below! Yay!

 

[chrono]

Date: 3/6/2007 2:27:43 PM
Author: neatfreak
HI Firegoddess,

We have considered it, but haven''t made the jump yet. What was helpful was seeing this chart with it all laid out for us. I don''t know if I can attach it but I will try.

Lets see if that works...

ETA: Ohhh it worked. You can download it below! Yay!

I''d love to see the chart but it isn''t there.

 

[belle]

it''s there chrono, you have to download it by clicking on the attachment under the post.
it has a little paperclip attached to it, it is called ''petinsurancepdf''

 

[chrono]

Thanks Belle. I didn''t know you can attach such files. I learn something new here everyday.

 

[belle]

Date: 3/6/2007 2:44:20 PM
Author: Chrono
Thanks Belle. I didn''t know you can attach such files. I learn something new here everyday.

you''re welcome chrono! i learn something new here everyday too. i love ps!

hope you get your answers fg.

 

[FireGoddess]

Thanks for that great table! I am going to check it out.

 

[Mara]

i considered it but it doesn''t cover pre-existing conditions and i think also many types don''t cover things that are specific to your breed, aka they have restrictions. my friend has it and it doesn''t cover 1/2 of what her dog actually has needed in the past...and it''s like $40 a month so she was like save your cash and don''t bother. but as the pet gets older it might be a good idea if there aren''t too many pre-existing conditions since it can help offset the cost of expensive surgeries that may come as the pet gets older and older. but for now we are sans pet insurance.

 

[sumbride]

I thought about it a lot, and with Max, who was four when I got him, it would have cost me $600 a year for insurance, and it didn''t cover 100% of visits, didn''t cover any routine visits or vaccinations, and I had to pay up front and get reimbursed. I figured out that if I put that $600 aside each year, I could pay for his vet visits as needed and not worry about what was covered. That has mostly worked out to be true. If we ever get a kitten or puppy though, I''ll definitely consider it more. With older animals it just seems cost prohibitive.

 

[moremoremore]

Fire- We had VPI for Scotty. I think they gave us back half maybe? Which is better than nothing...the only thing that ticked me off was when he needed his teeth removed due to his AIDS/gum disease, they refused to cover. Huh? Like it was osmetic? LOL

 

[divergrrl]

I looked into it as well when I got my shepherd puppy. It''s more expensive to insure an old pet than a young one, so while you may not need it when they are young, its more expensive when they are old.

I''m going to say something that might not be popular, but I''m just being honest. After killing myself trying to keep 2 dogs and my diabetic cat alive when they were old, my DH and I decided that if one of our babies ever got "that sick" again, we''d just do the hard thing and put them down. The diabetes was the worst. The insulin shots every day, never knowing if she was in pain or not. (thats what makes me the saddest). My poor babies. I got to a point where I felt like trying was worse than letting go.

it''s the part I hate the most about loving/owning pets.

Other than that between annual visits, shots, and random illnesses, I probably spend less than $400/year, so insurance isn''t a big deal yet.

Jeannine

 

[mrssalvo]

no way my hubby would go for it for our dog so i didn''t research them very much. We do however have Zoe on a wellness plan that gives us free office visits, 2 comprehensive exams a year, all her vaccines and rabies tags for for $15 a month. I signed her up as a puppy and it''s be great and been a huge savings for the yearly things. You get a discount on services if you need them. They have different plans based on the age of your pet and Zoe will be 7 this year so I guess I need to be looking into the plan that covers more of what she''ll need as she ages. I''ve been very happy with it.

 

[monarch64]

No, we do not have pet insurance, never have had even after looking into it briefly. Honestly I''ve of the mind that if one of my pets gets so ill that his/her quality of life is really compromised I would rather euthanize than prolong any possible agony. I know people will disagree with me, but I have been through enough experiences and worries over trying to keep a dying pet alive that it would take extraordinary circumstances for me to reconsider my position on this issue.

 

[moremoremore]

No doubt diver....It''s about keeping the pet happy and healthy...and knowing when to let go...For me, it''s never about me...
I WISH I had the insurance for Vinny. Yesterday came to $2000 and the surery will be $3000 for a fairly simple procedure that will grealy increase his quality of life... Meow!

 

[FireGoddess]

MMM that''s the kind of situation I fear...where the cost is really high BUT it will benefit the pet, as opposed to a situation where the pet won''t have a lot of ''good'' time left but the owner can''t let go. I couldn''t live with making a decision strictly for financial reasons.

 

[goldenstar]

Pet insurance is the BEST decision I have ever made!

I have VPI for my 4 year old dog and he's had the policy since he was about 3 months old. I pay about $30 per month for their Superior plan (with coverage for vaccinations), though the regular plan is only about $19/month. Routine care is not covered well, but thats okay by me because what I really need is coverage in a catastrophe.

When the little guy was about 6 months old, he got into the kitchen trash can and swallowed a pork chop bone whole! The next day he vomited all day long. I rushed him to the vet where they took x-rays and found that the big ol' bone was stuck in his tiny stomach and would not pass through his intestine. They sent me to a specialist to see if they could remove the bone non-surgically. They couldn't. His vet ended up opening up his stomach. The bill for all of this was about $1300. My share was a litte less than $300 I think, although I did have to pay up front and wait for a reimbursement. You pay a $50 deductible per incident and the Superior plan covers a whopping 90% of the total cost, up to their published limits.

Had I not had insurance, I don't know what I would have done. I was fresh out of college with no savings. I probably would have borrowed money from my family or kept that balance on a credit card. The insurance was a lifesaver.

My dog is very healthy but he's a hyperactive, naughty little boy. I need the insurance in case he ever gets into trouble again. He hasn't had any incidents since the big one, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I think insurance makes the most sense as a cushion against accidents, not as much for senior care. Like others, if my dog were in a lot of pain I wouldn't want him to continue to suffer.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I am kicking myself for not having pet insurance. When my previous dog was old and arthritic, I swore I was going to get pet insurance for the next pet. Now I have a 2 year old lab mix who just had TPLO surgery which cost $1800 and there is a very good possibility he will need to have the other leg done.
I think it is just like any other insurance, it''s nice to have but you hope you won''t really have to use it. And when you don''t have it is when it would have come in handy. Even if the insurance had only paid HALF of the surgery, I would still be ahead at this point.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[moremoremore]

I know it Fire. It really is hard a decision at times. I think I will reinstate vinny's insurance as a matter of fact...it's too late for the ear...but you never know....

Monarch- I agree with you...but that's not really what we're talking about here...THere are plenty of conditions and problems that arise where treatment causes very little suffering....Take my Vinny's ear for example....He need to have his ear canal removed which sounds horrible, but it will actually relieve his suffering forever..he's a young, healthy (hopefully) cat with just that problem...Problem is- treatment is expensive!

 

[monarch64]

MMM, just saying for us it is not the best choice. And you''re right, I should stick to the issue being discussed. Thanks.

 

[moremoremore]

LOL- oh gosh, I would never tell you that! I thought your reason for not getting insurance is that you wouldn''t put your pet through any type of expensive procedure to begin with...and I was saying that some expensive procedures are not "life" and "death" situations where you can have the procedure but not have the pet suffer.... It''s all good! Head bonks!

 

[omieluv]

I took the basic VPI plan for Omie (cat) 2 years ago (she is 3 now).

I read an article that said that it may be a good idea to take out basic pet insurance policy to assist with emergencies only. The article explained that taking out a larger plan to cover routine visits/shots ends up costing more in the end. A better alternative, is to put money aside each month into an interest earning account and use it as needed & I believe some of you are already doing so.

Eventhough she is younger, I feel better knowing that I would receive assistance in the event of an emergency. My plan costs 9.95/month, but I expect that to go up as she gets older. My bf''s benefits includes a discount on pet insurance, so I will take advantage of that the next time he has open enrollment.

 

[E B]

Sally's under 2 insurance policies.

We have one from PetCare Pet Insurance: 100% coverage for $35 a month we purchased the month we adopted her (I think this policy's price is now something like $60 a month?) and one from petSmart's Banfield program, which is $20 a month, I think.

The PetCare policy is for the big stuff (cancer, accidents, etc.) and thankfully, we haven't had to use it yet. I shopped around a LOT before choosing PetCare, and I chose it because their coverage was the most comprehensive.

Her Banfield policy pays for all of her vet appointments, her vaccinations, her teeth cleanings (1 yearly) and paid for her spay. THAT plan has saved us something like $1000 (your bills keep track), especially during her puppy stage. After her teeth cleaning in a couple of weeks, we're going to cancel it. Great for puppies, but she doesn't need it so much anymore.