Health insurance for cats

[carolina]

Carolina,
You said it pays up to a total of $10,000 per incident and that Bugsy has had IBD for years...have you hit that limit? Or will you? I don't know enough about IBD to know what all kinds of diagnostics and what kind of continual check ups and screenings it may require, but maybe...? It seems like over the 20+ year lifespan of some cats, it would be pretty easy to hit a $10,000 limit for the same incident if they developed that problem at a young age.

No, I have not... and now that he is on raw, and doing WONDERFUL, :cross: he won't - I am pretty comfortable that he will be just fine with that limmit for his IBD :nod:
IBD can be a drag.... and very expensive for sure, goodness knows! But Bugsy is fine now - he is completely symptom free sinse I changed his diet.
He is still a complicated cat...... So things can hit anytime.... Trust me, I am not changing his insurance and he will remain with a high limit.
But $10,000 is plenty in I would say the great, great majority of cases, when you are talking per incident.
Basic insurance starts at $2,500 per incident, most of animals fall in this category - as they get older, the start moving up, getting more expensive.
I switched all of mine because of Bugsy, for safety.... :nod:

 

[ritz]

I second what Carolina and everyone has said. Regardless how well you take care of your cat, stuff happens:  unexpected adventures, URIs, UTIs, cancer.

I feed Ritz raw, and she goes for yearly wellness exams.  While raw food is fantastic it doesn't cure everything--Ritz' UTI's are stress-induced.

I bought PetPlan USA insurance within the first year after I adopted Ritz and have been pleased; the first year, the premiums paid for themselves.  By that I mean, she had two UTIs, fairly close in time to one another, and the vet bills were over $500, insurance premium less than that.    PetPlan paid for items I didn't think they'd pay for, like PillPockets and specially formulated liquid medicine (flavored drugs).

Most insurance plans do not cover pre-existing illnesses, or do but only after your pet has been symptom free for a specific period of time.  As with any legal contract, read the fine print.

Also, some insurance companies (and state/counties) require rabies shots and the Calicivirus shot, so if your cat has a bad reaction to those shots, you need to contact the insurance company and ask for a waiver.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

As good as Pets Best is for Carolina and Feralvr, I am concerned about the lack of dental coverage. That one is important to me because Wilbur needed 4 extractions and Patricia needed 3 extractions and, in January, Patricia will have another dental cleaning. I paid for Wilbur's second dental cleaning. While being fostered he had 2 teeth extracted. So naturally dental cleaning coverage is one reason for me to buy health insurance for my next kitten. Without dental coverage, I would be forced to wait until my cat already has gingivitis to get his/her teeth cleaned and obviously I don't want to do that again. I will look for a company that covers that if a raw diet can't prevent dental problems.

 

[ritz]

Interesting you mentioned gingivitis:  Ritz was diagnosed with gingivitis when she was around 18 months old (pre-raw); insurance did not cover the cost of a dental cleaning.  But the insurance would have paid for extractions.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

Interesting you mentioned gingivitis:  Ritz was diagnosed with gingivitis when she was around 18 months old (pre-raw); insurance did not cover the cost of a dental cleaning.  But the insurance would have paid for extractions.

Did the switch to raw cure her gingivits?

 

[emilymaywilcha]

I went to the Pets Best website and bookmarked it. They offer a Wellness plan that covers dental cleanings, vaccines, tests, and exams as an add-on for $22 per month. That is a must-have for me if I don't choose a company that includes everything without an add-on wellness plan. It also is the only way to save money on spay and neuter surgeries, which surprised me. Patricia does not need insurance, but I filled in her info just to get a quote. Then I pretended I already have a domestic shorthair kitten at least 7 weeks old with no pre-existing conditions just to look at the price for that. As expected, it is different.

 

[carolina]

I went to the Pets Best website and bookmarked it. They offer a Wellness plan that covers dental cleanings, vaccines, tests, and exams as an add-on for $22 per month. That is a must-have for me if I don't choose a company that includes everything without an add-on wellness plan. It also is the only way to save money on spay and neuter surgeries, which surprised me. Patricia does not need insurance, but I filled in her info just to get a quote. Then I pretended I already have a domestic shorthair kitten at least 7 weeks old with no pre-existing conditions just to look at the price for that. As expected, it is different.

Patricia is older, so it is going to be more expensive. Pets Best's price doesn't increase as some other companies do, when they become seniors - it increase a little bit every year, so the older they get the more expensive it is - it doesn't have a huge jump from one life-stage to another though.
Keep in mind, spays, neuters and annual visits are once per lifetime, or once a yr expenses, so you will not get your money's worth IMHO..... which is why a lot of us don't get it - it doesn't pay off :nod:

For dentals sure, if you have a cat with dental issues, such as gingivitis, stomatitis, resorptive lesions, etc, you might need to have dentals more often...
Bugsy needs it every year.....
But how many times has Patricia had a dental?
You have to think about these things before spending your money, IMHO.

That's where putting $$$ aside would work better, IMHO, as insurance, even if they cover dental, won't cover everything.... Do be careful with these expenses that can be planned - IMHO, and my experience, that's wher e pet insurance and insurance for people differ the most.
We as humans have the habit of using insurance for everything and paying just $20-30 for co-payment at the dr's office.... Pet insurance is not like that. You have a higher deductible, and a higher co-pay.
I do use for all illnesses, but that is where it pays off - illnesses and emergencies.
It doesn't pay off for regular visits - do the math - your premium will be more than what you you would pay the vet on your own.
Trust me, I did the math carefully.
If I were you, I would too before getting it. Put that extra $22 aside every month and you will be fine.