Pet Insurance

Do any of you have pet insurance.  I've looked at a couple but they seem like a rip off.  A lot of stuff is excluded from coverage and after the deductible and what they don't cover, it seems like what little they do pay is not as much as the premiums.

[AnnieBrooke]

Pet insurance excludes almost everything I've ever had to pay a vet for, in years of owning cats and dogs.  It's not worth the money to me.

[Jade59]

I'm so glad you brought this up, Nancy and I appreciate your input Annie since I've struggled with getting pet ins, but after examining several policies, thought the same thing - it's a rip off.  I would love to hear from anyone who has a positive experience to share where the insurance ended up worth their while...or worth their money.  I would suppose if you've got a lot of money to spare, the gamble is worth it, but we don't, so...

[Cassandrajane]

I live in England so I dont know if it different or not.. BUT When I had my tortoise insured well... with the insurance it would cover like £4000 worth of vet bills... BUT when I had to get him chipped (Which was included in the Insurance) they then said it didnt cover it. Sooo... I havent got him insured anymore but I should cause he will be going outside soon, and he could get stoled!

My insurance hasnt come through for my cats yet!
Because they were just confusing and ARGH!~

x

[opus88]

Well I can give you both sides of this dilemma. When Opus was young I got insurance for him and for Bailey a female himalayan I also had at the time...(1990's). that was PETCARE.
When Bailey developed inoperable cancer the ins. was only good for her to get a specialist diagnosis, so I paid $240. plus for 10 yrs (abt $2400.) and maybe the insurance coverage was around the $300 mark.
BUT for my Opus same amount of coverage. When he developed high b/p and heart problems....he was back and forth to the city Vet college sometimes once a month, than later on every 3-4 months for 3 YEARS...he saw up to 3 specialists at a time. Later had surgery to remove his eye...all related to the disease.
He was on the insurance for probably 13 yrs for a total cost of over $3000..........however his Vet bills for the last 3 years of his life would have been well over $10,000.
So the insurance allowed me to keep him alive and healthy for as long as possible without having to worry about the costs....big plus.
there was never any haggling with PETCARE ever.

Now the insurance costs are higher than they were at that time, and like Nancy said alot of stuff isn't covered and the deductibles are higher....IMO like most insurances even our own, its a gamble.
IF a pet should get one of the covered illnesses its well worth the money, otherwise not.
Pets are living so much longer than they used to and they are developing more and more illnesses, many of which are treatable but at a very high cost.
Even injuries like a broken leg can run up a Vet bill into hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

And of course they will NOT cover any pre existing conditions....
I took out a policy on my boys 2 yrs ago. at a new co. PETSECURE because they had dental coverage and paid for a yearly cleaning.
He had a cleaning the year previous to me buying the policy...just a routine cleaning.
So the following year, again a cleaning and xrays and 2 extractions this time. sent in the bill ZERO coverage because he had a previous history of cleaning............ROUTINE CLEANING...
That led to one huge fight over the phone, that I did NOT win and the cancellation of my policy.

I've read somewhere that an owner is further ahead to put the $25 plus dollars a month into a bank account esp. for Vet care usage....if nothing serious develops you have plenty in that account to cover routine care....thats the route I'm trying to take now. JMO
♥

[Cassandrajane]

With my tortoise (I know its not a cat) we paid £40 a week...annd it didnt cover ANYTHING....we got RIPPED OFF!


But then everything/where is different!

x

[nancyjac]

I think that is an excellent idea to just put aside whatever the premiums would be.  Sort of like these health care savings accounts that some employers offer now.  

And that BS about a routine teeth cleaning being a "previous condition" is totally absurd!

My vet is pretty reasonable for office visits.  It's the stuff like lab work and meds that he charges an arm and a leg for.  I only get meds from him if I can't get them anywhere else and the insurances I've looked at don't pay very much towards diagnostic stuff like lab work, xrays, etc.

[Jade59]

Putting money aside (secretly he-he) is exactly how I've paid for Jade's high dollar care such as her ear surgery, so Opus, that's a great idea putting a little away each month for kitty instead of paying premiums for ins, then hope and pray something is covered after the deductable.  I didn't start off stashing money for that reason, it just worked out that way.  

[Maddie6]

I have Veterinary Pet Insurance, and I've been pleased with the coverage.  There are different levels of coverage.  It covered some of my kitty's dental and her insulin  and syringes and tests.  It's a nationwide program if you want to check it out!  My kitty is 11 years old, so it does go up with her age.  Her diabetes was diagnosed after I had been enrolled for over a year, so I was covered, but no coverage for pre-existing conditions.    I agree with the others, too, that if you're able to put aside money every month it's great.

www.petinsurance.com

[spirit3]

i've wondered about this as well as we have serious $$ issues and can't afford health insurance for my fiance and i'm worried if something happens to one of my babies-more so my female who's 12 now. was curious if our situation improved if it was worth looking into, i was very interested in everyone's input!!

[29sillygirl]

This topic has been on my mind since I did decide to try VPI, Superior Plan.  Not sure I'll keep, as I like to keep my life simple, and dealing with an insurance company is so not that!  Hate dealing with apt., car, health deals for myself....still....

I probably wouldn't have considered it, but my vet endorses VPI.  I chose a  plan, basically for catastrophic stuff.  My guy is excluded for eye and upper respiratory problems associated with feline herpes.  

When I spoke to a  rep, we agreed that any pet owner plans to stay current with shots, routine visits, pest treatments, etc.   The insurance is to prevent having to make a choice between putting your pet down or getting treatment.

Costs: 50.00 deductible each illness...that will cover all visits/treatment..a big plus. 179.66 annually, 16.83 plus 2.00 processing fee deducted checking account monthly.

The way we look at being pet owners has changed so much from the 50s or earlier when you never took a cat to the vet....maybe a dog....or a horse.   Now our pets, especially for an older person like me who lives alone, are much more intimately involved in our lives.

Thanks to all for the input.  I'm saving for a new laptop, may start a Shadow fund as well.
As I said, I really hate dealing with insurance companies...the rulers of our universe!