I'm not sure where I should post this, so if it's in the wrong place, please feel free to move it.
I've been thinking about purchasing pet insurance for my cats, especially now that Maverick & Gabriel are getting older and need more medical care, and also b/c of Geronimo & Winchester's treatment for their FIP related issues. The office visits & treatment add up fast - especially having 10 cats!
But I'm not so sure if it's really worth it. I got a few estimates from different websites, and it's really expensive if I want to include all the cats - especially the older ones. I received this from a PetPlace newsletter:
Any advice would be appreciated.
I've been thinking about purchasing pet insurance for my cats, especially now that Maverick & Gabriel are getting older and need more medical care, and also b/c of Geronimo & Winchester's treatment for their FIP related issues. The office visits & treatment add up fast - especially having 10 cats!
Does anyone here have pet insurance, and if you do, is it worth it? How much are you having to pay, and what are the detuctibles?I don't know about you but I find insurance companies very confusing. Which company is best, which deductible, what does the company cover, which do they not cover, what are the hidden costs or problems. Is their customer service good? How quickly do they pay claims?
And let me tell you - I've recently revisited the offerings from pet insurance companies, and this industry may be the most confusing of all. I've had clients, friends and neighbors all ask me about pet insurance. Is it worth it? Is it good? What is the best company?
First, I am a big believer in pet insurance. I've seen it really allow a pet owner to do the best they can for their pets without the worry about the costs.
Second, I've been researching all the different companies, what is covered, what is not covered, what the costs are, deductibles. It sounds like it would be straightforward but it is not. I've tried to compare what is covered and premiums in different states with different types of pets of different ages.
What I found is that it is often hard to compare and tell what you are getting.
For example -
Companies have different deductibles - some are per visit and others are per year.
Most companies do NOT cover hereditary conditions.
For example, under many policies if a pet acquires a problem such as hip dysplasia, it may be excluded as a hereditary condition.
Most companies do NOT cover behavioral problems; think separation anxiety or thunderstorm phobias.
Some companies have benefits schedules (limiting how much they pay for certain conditions or treatments).
Some companies have age limits - they won't cover senior cats.
There are policies that are for accidents and illness and additional policies or endorsements that cover preventive health treatments.
Some companies have caps for different conditions - for example they may have a cap of $300.00 for the treatment of ear infections. Once that cap is met, no more payments may be available for that condition under the policy.
Here is a big one - some companies' policies may exclude a covered illness when the policy term expires even if it is immediately renewed. For example - if your cat is receiving treatment for diabetes under the current policy, following policy renewal the insurance coverage for the treatment may be excluded.
Any advice would be appreciated.