 Pet Insurance ?
#124851 - 01/15/2007 10:32 PM |
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Recently I was looking into getting pet insurance for both of my gsd's. I was wondering if anyone has pet insurance for their dogs and which company is recommended. There are so many out there now that it seems to get a bit confusing on which plans actually are the best to get. Any rec's will be appreciated. Thanks 
Kimberly
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 Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Kimberly Bunk ]
#124859 - 01/15/2007 11:15 PM |
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Reg: 08-29-2006
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VIP pet insurance seems to be the company most of our clients go with. I haven't heard any specific complaints about it and it seems pretty easy to use. You bring a form into the vet and get his/her signature and a copy of the invoice and send it in for reimbursement.
Pre-existing conditions apply to pets just as they do with humans so it's usually a good idea to get the insurance when your dogs are young. Some companies cover annual exams and vaccines and others don't. Most people want the insurance for something major like surgery or illness but it is a good idea to read the fine print before you sign on.
True
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#124894 - 01/16/2007 10:42 AM |
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Have you thought about maybe just putting the monthly payment into a savings account instead? The value of insurance is IF something happens early on. Once you've been paying into the program for a while, you've paid more than enough to cover what you'd need in the event of an accident.
Keep in mind that the LOWEST cost plans often don't cover much, and once you get up to paying $30 to $40 per dog... Well, that could be like putting $800 to $1000 into a savings account PER YEAR! And then of course once you have like $5000 in the account, just have it sit there. Now you have emergency fund if need be, and you aren't paying into a program.
I suppose insurance is one of those things, if you HAVE it, you'll never use it, but if you don't have it, one day you are likely to need it, eh? I opt for the savings plan instead, because I found that once I was covering my pets for all that I wanted them covered for, the insurance was coming to almost $200/month (3 dogs, 2 cats). At that rate, it just didn't make sense.
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Jennifer Ruzsa ]
#124909 - 01/16/2007 12:19 PM |
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Reg: 01-23-2006
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There are now several carriers offering pet insurance. VPI was the first. I took out a policy on my previous dog & after a few years cancelled it as I was not happy with the way a claim was settled. Unfortunately after I cancelled it my dog suffered broken discs (which would have been covered), a hip replacement (covered) & later on cancer (which would have been covered). I am jsut very lucky I had the means to pay for his incredibly expensive care!! My advise is to obtain copies of the policy "guts" from each carrier, & read all the fine print. You need to know what the "caps" & "exclusions" are. Only after you have carefully read each policy can you make an informed decision. Do Not rely on something an insurance agent tells you, instead do the work yourself.
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Jennifer Ruzsa ]
#124913 - 01/16/2007 12:24 PM |
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Jen,
I was hoping to get one that covers yearly exams and such, that way I might be able to get reimbursed for like $300 of my yearly expenses for the dog. It will then come out to about $500 a year for the insurance after being reimbursed, which isn't that bad if something should happen. This past summer I had to get a cat's eye removed after a confrontation between 2 other cats and my older gsd. His vet bill came out to $2500 after a $1000 was deducted off with a education grant.
I was thinking of putting aside money at first, but after those vet bills it had me pretty worried about the possibilities of an emergency. I was only thinking of covering the pup for now since she is a bit of a clutz and my older gsd has lyme disease and they may try to tie anything that happens to her to that disease and it will not be reimbursable.
Kimberly
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Kimberly Bunk ]
#124926 - 01/16/2007 01:24 PM |
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Kim,
Sounds like you're making a decision that's best for you in your situation. I agree, if your pets tend to need care then it might be worthwhile. I did carry a FULL policy on a dog I was working regularly, and while I never needed it, it would have covered things like broken tooth (has happened to dogs during bitework) and injuries that could have resulted from her training 3x per week on debris piles. I basically had assessed that she was VERY likely to need care before I would have put the equivalent money into the policy. Ended up she was hardy and lucky, but the peace of mind was worth it.
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Kimberly Bunk ]
#124928 - 01/16/2007 01:30 PM |
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Reg: 01-23-2006
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Loc: Cali & Wash State
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If I were to purchase pet insurance again it would only be to cover catastrophic illness/injury & I would also be sure to include the endsorsement that increases coverage for cancer from $5,000 to $100,000. If you want to take advantage of the endorsement adding vaccinations, teeth cleaning, etc., be sure to note the max payment allowed for those items & remember you will still be responsible for the deductible. I can't stress enough how important it is to compare the various policies offered by the different carriers. The worst thing is to think something is covered only to find out at the time of need you are SOL because of something in the fine print. Look what happens to people in every major disaster (flood, earthquake, fire, etc.).
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Kimberly Bunk ]
#124966 - 01/16/2007 05:40 PM |
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For what it is worth, I use Pet Assure. It is fairly inexpensive, about $100/year for 1 dog, and not much more for several pets in one family. It gives a flat 25% deduction in all fees from participating vets (includes mine, of course). The dog gets an ID for its collar with the account number. No forms to fill out, no claims to file, no limit on pre-existing conditions, or on surgery, cancer treatments, etc. So for someone like me who loses every piece of paper I am given, it is definately the best way to go. I also get a slight discount through my employer, so it was only 85 for one dog this year. I am sure I have saved that much already.
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Re: Pet Insurance ?
[Re: Polly Gregor ]
#124998 - 01/16/2007 11:49 PM |
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i've used VPI for several years now and have had very good experience with them. they are quick to reimburse and it has significantly helped reduce vet expenses.
i decided to get the insurance when doing an annual budget. i had budgeted X amount for dog health emergencies, and when i did the math i realized it would be more cost effective to use that money to buy the insurance.
VPI is the best rated of the various programs out there.
working Mastiff |
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