Pet Insurance.. do you have?

Originally Posted by resqchick

One question, does the premium go up every year as the cat ages? I was doing a comparison and Trupanion says everyone elses premium goes up. Trupanion looks good, but they don't offer routine care as an option. (Not that I'd be willing to pay if it was and very expensive) I did like that Petsbest would cover his neuter if I did go with routine care.

Ugh. This is frustrating. I also can not even close to afford the canine insurance now that my dogs are older.

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Mine hasn't gone up, I don't think.... It did because I upgraded them. It will go up when they reach Senior.
I chose not to have routine care as it counts some things annually that you won't have - spay and neuter, for example.... The budget for flea meds is for less than 1 yr also. I guess you need to compare how much you would pay your vet and see if it will be worth it. For me, since all of them are inside and all of them were spayed and neutered, it was not.... But it is a WONDERFUL Company, I recommend them 100%.

Ok folks, I wanted to post my last claim results here.... I filed through my computer on the evening of the 18th, so they got it on 07/19. It was processed today, and the $$$ will be in my checking account midnight tonight. As you can see, they process it very fast - today is the 27th, and we had a weekend in the middle.

Attachment 15658

This is a follow up visit to the chronic diarrhea issue, so I pay no deductible as shown.
It shows in there a date of 11/08, as that is the date his diarrhea was first diagnosed a chronic - basically, all follow ups refer to that one claim.
Anyways, it is not a mountain of money, but with Bugsy, it adds up.
I just wanted to show how fast they work - ALL the time. I can always count on those folks.

that's awesome. thanks for sharing, Carolina! Gives us a better idea of what to expect too

What exactly counts as pre-existing? I have 3 kitties. Ginnie had a uti over a year ago, Jayden is has never had any health issues, and June had a kidney infection 3weeks ago. I understand they wouldn't be able to help with any of June's medical bills right now.. but what if she had a kidney problem in 5 years? Would they STILL not cover it? Would they cover Ginnie for UTI since it has been over a year since her infection? I don't know how this stuff works and want to get as educated as possible while finding the right pet insurance for my little ones. I would really like to go with petsbest.... but I need to know their pre existing policy.

Originally Posted by catwoman87

What exactly counts as pre-existing? I have 3 kitties. Ginnie had a uti over a year ago, Jayden is has never had any health issues, and June had a kidney infection 3weeks ago. I understand they wouldn't be able to help with any of June's medical bills right now.. but what if she had a kidney problem in 5 years? Would they STILL not cover it? Would they cover Ginnie for UTI since it has been over a year since her infection? I don't know how this stuff works and want to get as educated as possible while finding the right pet insurance for my little ones. I would really like to go with petsbest.... but I need to know their pre existing policy.

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An issue that is deemed cured, is not a pre-existing issue. Ginnie's UTI for example. She is fine. If you insure June right now, all issues related to this episode will not be covered. Call them and ask when and how this issue will be deemed cured - they have a really fantastic customer service. Jayden evidently is a non issue.

Thanks so much! I will definitely be giving them a call within the next month. One more question.... do they cover hereditary conditions? What DONT they cover? I also have a Doberman (Riley) and I would hate for them not to cover their hereditary illnesses.

Originally Posted by catwoman87

Thanks so much! I will definitely be giving them a call within the next month. One more question.... do they cover hereditary conditions? What DONT they cover? I also have a Doberman (Riley) and I would hate for them not to cover their hereditary illnesses.

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what is it that he has? They have a list of hereditary conditions for dogs that they don't cover....
Let me check

She doesn't have anything... but if something were to happen down the road, I would hate for them not to cover it. Dobermans are prone to wobblers, bloat, heart conditions, and more.. but those are the main ones.

If you insure your Doberman before 2yrs old, they do cover hereditary conditions, with the following limitations:
Included Limited Coverage

All plans include the following coverage with the maximum benefits shown.
\t \tPets Basic \tPets First \tPets Premier
Hereditary Conditions \tWhen enrolled before age 2 \t$500 \t$1,000 \t$2,500


If your dog is older than 2 at the time of insuring, they will not cover:


Hereditary Limitations – All Breeds

As applied to the Pets First, Pets Basic and Pets Premier policies of Pets Best Insurance.

1. Factor I, II, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII Deficiencies
2. Von Willebrand Disease
3. Hip Dysplasia
4. Elbow Dysplasia
5. Osteochondritis Dissecans
6. Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
7. Cataracts in pets less than 6 years old – excluding secondary to trauma or DM
8. Progressive Retinal Atrophy

All congenital defects are considered pre-existing, as they have been present since birth, and are thereby limited to pre-existing coverage.
http://www.petsbest.com/plans/limitations.aspx

http://www.petsbest.com/plans/limitations.aspx

that page tells what's considered heredity. It's limited, and you'd have to enroll before the pet's 2nd birthday for it to be implemented

Originally Posted by catwoman87

She doesn't have anything... but if something were to happen down the road, I would hate for them not to cover it. Dobermans are prone to wobblers, bloat, heart conditions, and more.. but those are the main ones.

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Those are not listed - see on my post what is not covered

Originally Posted by Carolina

Those are not listed - see on my post what is not covered

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Originally Posted by catwoman87

She doesn't have anything... but if something were to happen down the road, I would hate for them not to cover it. Dobermans are prone to wobblers, bloat, heart conditions, and more.. but those are the main ones.

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Unless Wobblers is #5?? Do you know??? Also, I see

1. Von Willebrand Disease

is quite common in Dobbies, even though it is a blood disease, not heart

Ok, wobblers is not listed. That means they cover it? Also, Riley turns 2 on Aug 7th. I should sign her up tomorrow... Should I wait to sign June up until after her kidney infection is completely treated or is it better to sign them all up at once? She is still on antibiotics and will be for another month.

Ok, just got off the phone with them. I have to wait 14 days to after the enrollment period for the insurance to be active which means anything hereditary with Riley would NOT be covered she turns 2 in 11 days.. so I am going to see what my options are for another insurance company and see if their policy will hereditary.

As for June, since it is not a chronic condition they said they would cover her!
I will definitely be enrolling soon... I just need to figure out this hereditary stuff first. If anyone has info, let me know. Thanks!

Ok.. just looked into petplan. They are more expensive BUT they cover

Comprehensive coverage, for total peace of mind.
Whichever level of plan you choose, all Petplan policies provide coverage for congenital, hereditary and chronic conditions* as standard, with no hidden limits or exclusions. Petplan policies provide coverage for all treatments recommended by veterinarians, including*:
Hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions
Prescription medications
Diagnostic testing
Veterinary exams, including specialized exams
MRI, CAT scan and ultrasound imaging
Non-routine dental treatment
Alternative and holistic therapies
Surgery
Hydrotherapy
Specialist treatment, including cancer treatments and more


http://www.pet-insurance-university....insurance.html

I think I am going with Petplan.

Originally Posted by catwoman87

Ok.. just looked into petplan. They are more expensive BUT they cover

Comprehensive coverage, for total peace of mind.
Whichever level of plan you choose, all Petplan policies provide coverage for congenital, hereditary and chronic conditions* as standard, with no hidden limits or exclusions. Petplan policies provide coverage for all treatments recommended by veterinarians, including*:
Hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions
Prescription medications
Diagnostic testing
Veterinary exams, including specialized exams
MRI, CAT scan and ultrasound imaging
Non-routine dental treatment
Alternative and holistic therapies
Surgery
Hydrotherapy
Specialist treatment, including cancer treatments and more


http://www.pet-insurance-university....insurance.html

I think I am going with Petplan.

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I would call because of this:

**See actual policy or call PetPlan for complete description of their Chronic Conditions Policy.

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As far as PetsBest goes, yep, any Company will wait until covering - aside from emergencies, which starts from 24hrs. They do this to prevent you from enrolling your pet when it is sick.

This might put you in trouble with your UTI kitty - it is fishy IMHO (in regards to pre-existing conditions:

These conditions may be covered in the future if cured, however, this is at the discretion of PetPlan

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Call them to discuss alllllll these things ;-)

I will be calling them tomorrow or Friday and I will let you know. Thanks for your help!

Maybe I will do petsbest for the kitties and petplan for Riley.......

Whatever you do, make sure to call the Company and discuss all these questions before...
What I like a LOT about PetsBest, is that their plan is very black and white- there is not "at their discretion" - so there are no surprises when you file a claim.... It is all in there, when you sign up for if, on the paper, for you to read.
I don't like anything at anyone's discretion... Be careful with the fine prints, read the whole thing and enroll them young.
If you have any questions about your specific case, don't wonder - Call. Otherwise you might end up signing up for a plan only to find out later that you paid all that time and in the end, your baby is not insured. No matter what the Company is.

Originally Posted by catwoman87

Ok, just got off the phone with them. I have to wait 14 days to after the enrollment period for the insurance to be active which means anything hereditary with Riley would NOT be covered

she turns 2 in 11 days.. so I am going to see what my options are for another insurance company and see if their policy will hereditary.

As for June, since it is not a chronic condition they said they would cover her!
I will definitely be enrolling soon... I just need to figure out this hereditary stuff first. If anyone has info, let me know. Thanks!

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Catwoman87 - I wanted to write to you before I go out of town... If their limited coverage is satisfactory to you, I would call again.... I think there is a confusion here.... This 14 day wait period is simply to insure that you are not enrolling a currently sick cat - a lot of pet parents do that They don't have how to pay the bill and look for an insurance.... So, to guarantee that this is not the case, insurances do that - HOWEVER: You are STILL enrolling him before he is 2 years old!!.
He needs to be 2 years old on the day of enrollment (not 14 days later). The only thing is, any illness will only be covered 14 days after you enroll him - that is what those 14 days mean. Emergencies are covered after 24 hours.
What I would check is the budget they are giving you (for those listed hereditary conditions) - it depends on the plan.... is the budget per condition, per the life of the plan?
Good luck!! I hope you find a plan that works for you, but check before he turns 2!!