Need some help selecting an insurance plan!

delitebrite

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Hello!

Some background:

I'm only 20 and because I've never owned a car and get free healthcare, I have absolutely no experience with comparing insurance policies. For the past few months, I've been living with my boyfriend temporarily while I looked for a new apartment, so my little kitty, Gandalf, has been an outdoor cat for that time. We move into our new place in December, so he has a couple more weeks of roughing it before he returns to a life of luxury. Please, no criticism for this. I understand the risks of letting your cat outdoors (and have suffered them personally with previous cats), and Gandalf will resume being an indoor only cat once we move. We didn't really have a choice for this due to a housing emergency, so we've done the best we can. I do think that our environment is relatively safe, and Gandalf is very well-equipped, so I've taken all the precautions to make it as low-risk as possible. We live in the Puget Sound, so it gets very cold and rains a lot here, especially now that we are approaching the winter months. For that reason, we made him a warm, cozy little shelter. However, it got VERY cold last night (below freezing) and this morning he seems like he's not feeling very well. He seems a little lethargic and his nose looks a little runny, so I'm worried he's caught a kitty cold. Which got me thinking that he's never really been to a vet before (he was chipped, neutered and immunized at our humane society through a low-income program), and I have no idea how much that generally costs, but I'm sure it's something that we would consider expensive on our budget. Gandalf is really healthy otherwise, and he's on a raw diet so I'm not very worried about kidney issues or diabetes or anything of that nature, but I was thinking that getting him some pet insurance might be a good idea that way he can have routine check-ups, he can be seen when he gets infections (like this, presumably) and in case of the random accidents you hope never happen (like what happened with my last cat). He is only about 18 months right now, and I know it's a lot cheaper to enroll them when they are young.

Anyway, so I've been looking into this a little bit today, but I'm confused about the options. A lot of them seem identical but have really different premiums? What's the best way to compare plans? For the record, I'm trying to find something that will cover visits to the vet and routine check-ups, not just illness and accident coverage. I'm a broke college kid with limited savings, so I'm aiming for a deductible between $100 and $200, and hopefully 90% reimbursement which has already eliminated a few companies for me. Right now, I'm comparing PetPlan, PetsBest and Embrace. I am interested in looking at ASPCA's plan, but I can't get the quote estimator to work!

PetPlan:

$16 monthly premium and $200 deductible, with 100% reimbursement.

That's awesome and really affordable, but PetPlan doesn't have any "wellness care" options, so routine visits wouldn't be covered.

PetsBest:

$17 monthly premium and $100 deductible, with 90% reimbursement OR $15 premium and $200 deductible, with 90% reimbursement.

They have a wellness plan, although I am not sure how much extra it is. They also cover behavioral issues, which is a big plus for me because Gandalf has had erratic behavior before, and it something I wanted to consult with someone about (I will note that we haven't had any issues since he was neutered, but he has also been outside so who knows if it will come up again since the issues we had weren't directly tied to him being fixed or not). 

Embrace:

$30 monthly premium and $200 deductible, with 90% reimbursement.

They claim to have a lot more coverage than other companies, and they have a wellness plan. However, they have a plan comparison tool and comparing claim allowances, their numbers are nearly identical to PetsBest. Their wellness plan is very comprehensive, although they only cover $200 a year for an extra $15 per month, or $400 a year for an extra $29 per month. Neither of these make very much sense, because the first plan would put my monthly premium at $45 a month, and yet the wellness plan would only save $20 a year if I used all $200 worth. The more expensive option would save $50 a year if I used all $400, but I'm not going to pay $60 a month for insurance to save $50 that I might not even have to use. I'm not even sure how much of a difference $200 would make in routine care costs per year? Does the cost of routine care count towards my deductible? Because if it does, that makes the wellness plan extremely redundant.

ASPCA:

Interested in this plan but I have no clue what it covers or how much it costs. They have a wellness plan, also, but again, not sure of the cost.

QUESTIONS!

1) Is it even worth it to get a wellness plan? I do not know what it costs to see a vet for a check-up, but I live in Seattle, so I'm sure it's pricey enough. Gandalf has already been neutered, microchipped and immunized (I'm not too keen on excessive immunizations, either), so his "routine care" would consist mostly of check-ups and preventive care.

2) Would the cost of routine care count towards my deductible requirement? Or do I only satisfy the deductible by paying for care that the insurance covers?

3) Is it better to pay a higher premium, or have a higher deductible? Does it balance out? Looking at the PetsBest plan, I only have to pay $24 extra per year to have a deductible that is a $100 lower, which saves me $75. BUT, that's if I have to use the insurance and file a claim, right? I like the idea of having to pay less myself (since money is usually tight and I don't often have hundreds of extra dollars lying around), but is the higher premium worth it if Gandalf doesn't need to go to the vet very often and is low-risk for developing a costly illness?

4) What companies have you done business with and what has your experience been? Are any of these companies ones that you would recommend or caution against?

Thank you SO MUCH for any help or information. It is greatly appreciated!
 
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delitebrite

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Oh, and Gandalf isn't a purebred cat. He's a domestic shorthair, as far as I can tell. I adopted from a woman whose cat "accidentally" got pregnant and was giving the kittens away for free. Since I don't know his health lineage, he may be predisposed to genetic illnesses and I have no idea, or the fact that he's not a purebred may mean he's less likely to develop certain hereditary illnesses. I'm sure the reality of it lies somewhere in between, but either way, anything he's genetically predisposed for is mostly out of my hands, but I'd like to think he's well-guarded against anything he would contract from a bad diet or lifestyle.
 

abby2932

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In general, if you need help paying for wellness and routine care costs the wellness packages that most insurance companies offer are not worth it. However I do have the wellness package with Embrace. I pay $299 annually and they give me $400 to use towards wellness exams, flea and heartworm medication, dental procedures, vaccinations, etc. I do use all $400 annually so basically they give me a free $101 that I use toward my annual premium.

Keep in mind that your monthly premium with ANY insurance company will increase about 10%-20% annually so after a couple of years, the $17 a month will be a bit higher.

You also mentioned that you don't usually have a few hundred dollars lying around but in the event of an emergency, you will have to pay the entire bill upfront and wait for the insurance company to reimburse you.

However...to answer your questions:

1- The Wellness Package rider is worth it only if they pay out an equal amount or greater than how much you pay for it. (Such as in my situation I pay $299 and receive $400 of wellness credit)

2- I'm not sure about other insurance companies but with Embrace, the wellness portion is completely seperate from the insurance portion in the sense that there is no deductible to meet before they pay you back for "wellness related costs" AND the cost of the Wellness rider does not increase annually as the insurance premium does.

3- You want to get a plan with the highest deductible that you can reasonably come up with in an emergency to keep your premiums as low as possible.

I feel like a total Embrace pusher because I've talked about them so much on this forum. I've actually never had to file a claim except for my wellness claims that they paid dutifully and without hassle.

I would also strongly recommend looking up Pet Assure. It is similar to pet insurance but for a cat it only costs $7.95 a month and if there is an emergency, you will get 25% off of any medical services, including preexisting condidtions. The only catch is you have to go to a "participating vet". It is worth looking into to see if any vet in your area works with this program.
 
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delitebrite

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In general, if you need help paying for wellness and routine care costs the wellness packages that most insurance companies offer are not worth it. However I do have the wellness package with Embrace. I pay $299 annually and they give me $400 to use towards wellness exams, flea and heartworm medication, dental procedures, vaccinations, etc. I do use all $400 annually so basically they give me a free $101 that I use toward my annual premium.

Keep in mind that your monthly premium with ANY insurance company will increase about 10%-20% annually so after a couple of years, the $17 a month will be a bit higher.

You also mentioned that you don't usually have a few hundred dollars lying around but in the event of an emergency, you will have to pay the entire bill upfront and wait for the insurance company to reimburse you.

However...to answer your questions:

1- The Wellness Package rider is worth it only if they pay out an equal amount or greater than how much you pay for it. (Such as in my situation I pay $299 and receive $400 of wellness credit)

2- I'm not sure about other insurance companies but with Embrace, the wellness portion is completely seperate from the insurance portion in the sense that there is no deductible to meet before they pay you back for "wellness related costs" AND the cost of the Wellness rider does not increase annually as the insurance premium does.

3- You want to get a plan with the highest deductible that you can reasonably come up with in an emergency to keep your premiums as low as possible.

I feel like a total Embrace pusher because I've talked about them so much on this forum. I've actually never had to file a claim except for my wellness claims that they paid dutifully and without hassle.

I would also strongly recommend looking up Pet Assure. It is similar to pet insurance but for a cat it only costs $7.95 a month and if there is an emergency, you will get 25% off of any medical services, including preexisting condidtions. The only catch is you have to go to a "participating vet". It is worth looking into to see if any vet in your area works with this program.
Thanks!

I guess my second question wasn't clear enough. If I don't have a wellness plan, just regular insurance, and I pay for "routine care" that is not covered by the insurance, does the amount I pay go toward meeting my deductible? Or is only payments made for services that my insurance covers that count towards the deductible?

Thank you for the tip on deductibles vs premiums, though! I will take that into account. I'll also be sure to check out Pet Assure! That sounds awesome.

I understand that insurance pays via reimbursement, but from my understanding, you are usually reimbursed in about 2-4 weeks. Paying out of pocket means I don't get that money back. So if I have to pay, but get the money back in a few weeks, I can finance it on my credit card and then use the reimbursement to pay off the charge, vs not having the money to pay at all or putting it on my card and not being able to pay it back.

I am okay with rising premiums. I am hoping and assuming I'll have a more generous budget in a few years. (:
 

abby2932

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If you only have Accident & Illness insurance then no, any costs that you pay for routine care (such as checkups, vaccinations, elective procedures, parasites prevention, etc) do not count toward your deductible. Only items that are approved claims through the insurace will go toward the deductible and continued coverage.

And yep, you're right on the money about your reimbursement time period. If you have a credit card to put the bill on until you get reimbursed, your golden!
 

philovance

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I've had both Embrace and Petplan, as well as Quickcare/Sheltercare. I've been most satisfied with Petplan. It's one of the few that pays 100% after the deductible is met and with prices being what they are in New York I'd never get my money's worth from a wellness option. Petplan is very good about paying but you must be very careful with your paperwork and follow up. Premiums for senior pets are dramatically higher than for youngsters but worth it since specialist care can easily exceed the few hundred dollars for the premium. Also there is always an additional 20% co-pay for specialist care. Still worth it to me.

Also with Petplan the deductible is applied by incident rather than yearly so your vet needs to understand that the diagnosis needs to be consistent or you will pay an additional deductible. Petplan also charges the deductible for each year you make a claim against the same incident; it's my least favorite thing about them. It may be that Embrace is better for your particular situation but Embrace and Petplan are the only two I'd consider. Check out oetinsurancereview.com.

All that said I no longer insure my cats because with several cats and policies I never got my money's worth the way I have with the dogs.
 
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