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Acampingwewillg's avatar
Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
Aug 31, 2017

Pet Insurance.....again???

OK...so after a very recent trip in which we incurred 2,000.00 in Vet Bill's, we are again thinking about Pet Insurance. The Pet hospital(very modern facility in Yuba, Calif) suggested NationWide Pet Insurance. There rates seem competitive with many extra's included. For those who have Pet insurance, what have you got and what do you think of it?

On a side note, we lost one of our Cavalier's(13yo) due to Liver Cancer that emerged quickly, very unexpected on this trip. Hence one expense, added to taking my two younger ones in to the Vet hospital because they got into my brother's dog heart pills, (Vetmedin). One or both of my younger "kid's ate all of the chewable pills, a total of roughly 50+ pills. They had to me watched overnite to be sure there were no problem's. They're wasn't and in a way, I question the potency of that particular heart med.

I'm sure it comes as no great surprise as to how much a Emergency Vet hospital cost but they are a welcoming site when things go wrong. Anyways, back to Pet insurance...we have three kid's, two of which are younger rescue's, I wouldn't think of trying to insure our 14yo Cavalier(would if a could, for sure).
  • corgi-traveler's avatar
    corgi-traveler
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2017
    I went the self-insured route for years. Always thought it was the "smart" thing to do. Until my "heart" dog became catastrophically ill. In one afternoon my entire pet savings account, intended to cover three dogs' care, was wiped out and then some. The day after he passed to the Bridge, I began researching policies on my remaining two dogs. I finally decided on a policy with a moderate deductible, but rather high annual limits. In other words, an "ah *#(#(@!!!!" policy, not one to cover every sniffle. The premium was about the same amount that I was putting in the savings account every month, but has that added coverage for if something goes horribly wrong that my pocketbook couldn't otherwise handle.

    I found the best deal for my situation in a company called Embrace. The deductible is per year, as opposed to per condition, which is how some of the lower-priced plans get you. It also comes with optional Wellness coverage that is quite affordable.
  • Acampingwewillg's avatar
    Acampingwewillg
    Explorer II
    Aug 31, 2017
    DownTheAvenue wrote:
    Never insure anything you can afford to pay for yourself. That includes your pets. If you look at those pet policies, you will find they have significant exclusions. I have run the numbers, and have found I can self-insure cheaper, including the rare high dollar expense. Always read the actual policy, not the sales brochure.


    All I can say is this, the wife and I have had multiple dogs during the last 40 years(proud to admit, all have been rescue's)....the only time I think about insurance is when something like this happens. Never have pulled the trigger though so if my past indicates anything, I won't be getting it this time either but thought I'd ask to see if anyone had a plan that actually made sense! I do like the idea of the Wellness portion of some plans.....as in the NationWide Plan....it covers many visits that others don't which "MIGHT" take the sting out of certain visits to the Vet.
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Aug 31, 2017
    my daughter has three show labs, and has insurance ,says best thing she ever did was buy a policy. were in ohio maybe that has some thing to do with it, but she says shes saved thousands.
  • ksg5000's avatar
    ksg5000
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    Pet insurance is kinda expensive and often only pays part of a big bill - rather than pay someone else how about setting aside a certain monthly amt dedicated for pet emergencies?
  • DownTheAvenue's avatar
    DownTheAvenue
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    Never insure anything you can afford to pay for yourself. That includes your pets. If you look at those pet policies, you will find they have significant exclusions. I have run the numbers, and have found I can self-insure cheaper, including the rare high dollar expense. Always read the actual policy, not the sales brochure.
  • Steve_83406's avatar
    Steve_83406
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    On Facebook, I participate in a couple of border collie groups. A gentleman in Great Britain had a dog that got cancer in its jaw. The dog survived, but the bills totaled over $11,000 US. So, I went shopping for insurance for my Roger. I asked my vet which companies they had good experiences with. They recommended ASPCA, and I found them to have the "best value" insurance plans to choose from (best value meaning lowest cost for lowest deductible and highest limits). I also bought a wellness plan which helps pay for flea/tick and heartworm meds. My dog even gets a dental checkup each year. In the end, the wellness plan doesn't save me much, but hey, I worry about my border collie more than myself. So far my experience with ASPCA had been very good.

    Best-
    Steve
  • doc_brown's avatar
    doc_brown
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    bob213 wrote:
    From what we have seen after age 10 the price gets pretty high. Don't have a recommendation for carrier but make sure you are aware of the "maximums" the policy will pay. just had a neighbor who had to have hip surgery for their dog that cost $3400. Max payment was $1000.


    My dog had two stomach surgeries to remove tennis ball fragments. The cost $2,500 for each. I was reimbursed about $800 for each. Our dog lived 15 years and the cost of insurance over his lifetime was approximately $5,000.
  • Pawz4me's avatar
    Pawz4me
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    Pet insurance is very much a "buyer beware" thing. Make sure you understand everything about the policy, especially any exclusions for hereditary conditions, caps on premium increases and plan payment maximums. In short, read all the fine print with a magnifying glass. Also be aware that some vets, and particularly the corporate/chain places like Banfield, offer wellness plans. Those aren't the same as insurance.
  • bob213's avatar
    bob213
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2017
    From what we have seen after age 10 the price gets pretty high. Don't have a recommendation for carrier but make sure you are aware of the "maximums" the policy will pay. just had a neighbor who had to have hip surgery for their dog that cost $3400. Max payment was $1000.

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