Pet insurance for the first time, when I have a senior cat?

[cmshap]

First of all, I have to say I haven't done any research yet. I might be able to find some of these answers on my own but I am posting here first because this forum is the best at pointing people to resources.

I never had pet insurance ever, but as my cat is approaching 10, I am thinking about possible health issues moving forward. He is healthy other than a recurring respiratory infection he's had his whole life, since I rescued him from outside around age 1. Thankfully, his treatment has always been medication. About once a year, I give him a course of zeniquin to stop his respiratory symptoms.

I'm not going to be able to afford serious treatment if a serious illness arises, and I have adequate experience with dogs growing up to know when it is in an animal's best interest to be put down, if they are suffering with pain, etc.

But I am wondering about increasing costs for my cat for future health issues that may be expensive, but not terminal or serious enough to cause pain.

Is this something I can pursue at this point, with a 10-year-old cat? And even if I can, is it advisable?

 

[maggie101]

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

Veterinary care for your cat can be very expensive, with bills running in the hundreds and sometimes even the thousands of dollars. Owners are usually prepared for the predictable annual costs of routine checkups and vaccinations, but what do you do when your cat has a medical emergency or comes...

thecatsite.com

Do a search. You will find many posts about people asking about pet insurance. One way to possibly prevent problems is canned food. Expensive but less than taking your cat to the vet

 

[meowmixing]

I got insurance for my cat at 7 or 8 which is a bit younger who had no pre-existing conditions. I got the highest deductible from trupanion which is $1000 to make it more affordable. He is now 12 and has hit the deductible for respiratory issues and (what seems like) IBD. I got it for big ticket emergencies or serious conditions and am glad I did because I do not need to worry about costs once expenses for a condition go past $1000. I would compare quotes from companies and see if its affordable.

 

[Margot Lane]

It is worth it definitely if you can do it…I was too late getting some for mine, older than yours, but a kind veterinarian’s assistant offered me some temporary insurance, I don’t know if that was a wink wink nod nod thing there or they just liked my cat, but it sure helped at the time. Can’t recall the name of it it, but yes, there are many threads here about pet insurance.

 

[fionasmom]

Here is my cautionary tale about not getting pet insurance for an older pet, although the pet was a German Shepherd and not a cat. My 5 cats are insured, btw.

When I insured one of the cats a few years ago, I asked for a quote for the dog. He was already 10 and had Cushings Disease, which would have been an immediate and unrevokable exclusion, and low thyroid, also an exclusion. They wanted $100 per month. I felt that was ridiculous and did not insure him. A few months later he was diagnosed with melanoma and had an amputation and immunotherapy. Now, this dog had never had so much as a skin rash or pimple, so it would have been covered to the extent of whatever limits I would have chosen. I should add that he lived to be 16 and had other problems come up later...for which I also did not have insurance.

Search Results for Query: pet insurance

 

[daftcat75]

Is this something I can pursue at this point, with a 10-year-old cat? And even if I can, is it advisable?

Yes and yes.

I got Krista signed up for insurance about two weeks before her 13th birthday. That was the cut-off for Trupanion. They would not take any new clients after their 13th birthday. Right away, she had two pre-existing conditions on her file: her teeth and vomiting. Insurance companies have a one year look-back and a two week waiting period where anything that goes into your cat's file in that time is fair game for making inferences about your cat's pre-existing conditions. My current cat, Betty, I adopted her on a Tuesday, got her seen by the vet on a Friday and insured the following Monday. We managed to make it the two weeks without any vet visits. And then a few days after her waiting period ended, she ended up at the ER vet with vomiting. I guess I had mentioned that she had done this once before (during the insurance policy's waiting period) and the insurance adjuster made a note that her vomiting occurred before the new policy waiting period was up and thus Betty also has vomiting as a pre-existing condition. Despite these rather broad exclusions, both Krista and Betty managed to rack up reimbursable (and reimbursed) bills that have more than paid for the insurance premiums going. Several times over! The one difference between Krista and Betty was that I shopped around with Betty and got a much better deal with Embrace over Trupanion.

My recommendations are:
a. Go with the highest deductible you can afford to lower the premium. Insurance isn't about making the routine care affordable. It's about protecting yourself and your furkids against the catastrophic bills. It's being able to say, "yes, proceed with the MRI. She has insurance", rather than being forced into difficult decisions.
b. If you can afford it, go with the annual payment option. Pay once and be done with it. Don't give it another thought until renewal.
c. Premiums raise with age. Expect insurance to cost more next year and the year after and count your blessings for having the opportunity to pay those higher premiums. That's why I recommend the annual option. You'll grumble less about the annual increases if you take your lumps once a year.

This isn't all of the providers. But this is the research I did for a five year old cat in one of the more expensive regions of the country (San Francisco Bay Area.)

Rate	Annual	Company	Deductible	Reinbursement	Limits
$16.18	$194.16	Healthy Paws	$1,000.00	80%	none
$18.14	$217.68	Embrace	$1,000.00	90%	$30,000/year
217.62/year	$217.62	Embrace	$1,000.00	90%	$30,000/year
$27.82	$333.84	Wagmo	$1,000.00	100%	$10,000/incident, $100,000/lifetime
$25.45	$305.40	Wagmo	$1,000.00	90%	$10,000/incident, $100,000/lifetime
$29.29	$351.48	Prudent Pet	$1,000.00	90%	$10,000/year
$23.65	$283.80	Prudent Pet	$1,000.00	80%	$10,000/year
$38.59	$463.08	Fetch	$500.00	90%	$15,000/year
$46.45	$557.40	Fetch	$500.00	80%	$15,000/year
$28.44	$341.28	Pumpkin	$500.00	80%	$7,000/year
$39.49	$473.88	Pumpkin	$500.00	90%	$15,000/year
$34.36	$412.32	Trupanion	$1,000.00	90%	none
$45.59	$547.08	Trupanion	$700.00	90%	none
$79.49	$953.88	Trupanion	$200.00	90%	none

I ended up going with Embrace because they had the best balance of reimbursement, limits, and an annual payment option. I renewed her policy this year and it was higher. How much higher? I can't remember because I paid it once and forgot about it. I get another year of peace of mind that if Betty needs to go to the vet, she's covered for just about everything---except vomiting.

Krista is no longer with me. But her reimbursed health bills were many times more than I paid in. I have only had Betty insured a year and she's also been reimbursed many times over her first two premiums.

 

[catdad61]

I recently got our 2yo female cat, Lunar, pet insurance through Pets Best. I got $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement and no caps for $15.71 per month. It doesn't include routine care but I can afford that on my own. She is the first pet I have insured but I figure as I'm rapidly approaching retirement age I'd rather pay a little each month and have the ability to recoup a large portion of a vet bill instead of not being able to recover any.

 

[fionasmom]

Just going to add here that in almost all cases, you pay the vet upfront and then are reimbursed from the company. While this will certainly vary from vet to vet, that is how it is usually done. My cat vet will bill Trupanion, but that is the only one. I don't have insurance with them, so not trying to sway you...just an FYI

 

[Alldara]

Many places in Canada will not insure after the age of 10. You'll have to check based on where you live. Your options may be limited based on age is all.

What I did was to ensure to keep a certain amount of money aside.

My friend kept a line of credit.

Some people use things like PetCard.

Petcard - Canada's Veterinary Financing Company

 

[artiemom]

When you insure an oder cat, it is a crap shoot. Upon first claim, you have to submit ALL previous vet records. They go way back to the initial rescue vet exam, to see if anything at all, will be considered
pre-existing, or associated with a pre-existing condition.

I had my last guy, whom I adopted at age 8. I was a fairly new cat guardian, and took him to the vet, before the insurance came into play, for not eating and a bit of vomiting during the first week I had him. While they did cover an endoscopic biopsy, once the diagnosis came back as IBD, they reviewed ALL his records--- and found that the INITIAL vomiting was really IBD related--- from DAY ONE.
They denied all future claims for IBD. and vomiting, inappetence--- even if from a cold.

He was also discovered to have a mild heart murmur, upon initial Vet exam--- so all cardiac, and symptom related illnesses were not covered.

Needless to say, I dropped the insurance.
~
Now, I have a different cat.. I made sure I reviewed and got a copy of his Initial rescue vet exam. I also got a different insurance company for him. I did have to send in all his Vet records, after he was diagnosed with IBD/SCL a few years later. He had had vomiting since I adopted him. The Initial, Rescue Vet's exam-- reports, were instrumental in this new insurance company not refusing to cover exams for SCL....
~~
I wish you luck..

 

[Alldara]

artiemom I'm so sorry for your insurance experience!

With Magnus's insurance, anything discovered after the date of insurance is fine. So his heart murmur is congenital but covered. It wasn't discovered by the rescue or out first vet visit.

 

[fionasmom]

It is like any insurance in which you have to investigate and sometimes you end up learning the hard way that something is not covered.

At least in the US, pet insurance is considered like any other insurance and is under the jurisdiction of the state insurance board. A complaint can be filed in the event of a problem.

 

[Bettyboophume]

First of all, I have to say I haven't done any research yet. I might be able to find some of these answers on my own but I am posting here first because this forum is the best at pointing people to resources.

I never had pet insurance ever, but as my cat is approaching 10, I am thinking about possible health issues moving forward. He is healthy other than a recurring respiratory infection he's had his whole life, since I rescued him from outside around age 1. Thankfully, his treatment has always been medication. About once a year, I give him a course of zeniquin to stop his respiratory symptoms.

I'm not going to be able to afford serious treatment if a serious illness arises, and I have adequate experience with dogs growing up to know when it is in an animal's best interest to be put down, if they are suffering with pain, etc.

But I am wondering about increasing costs for my cat for future health issues that may be expensive, but not terminal or serious enough to cause pain.

Is this something I can pursue at this point, with a 10-year-old cat? And even if I can, is it advisable?

I had a cat years ago t hat we adopted from kittenhood to old age (about 20,we think). At t he time, there was no cat insurance. I have just adopted a 13 year old neutered male cat in good general health (hx of URI). I am contemplating health insurance for my pet. Any good options? Is it worthwhile. I would like to help him reach a healthy comfortable old life.

 

[Alldara]

I had a cat years ago t hat we adopted from kittenhood to old age (about 20,we think). At t he time, there was no cat insurance. I have just adopted a 13 year old neutered male cat in good general health (hx of URI). I am contemplating health insurance for my pet. Any good options? Is it worthwhile. I would like to help him reach a healthy comfortable old life.

It is worthwhile for a young pet (but really read how each works, some give you an exclusion after a condition develops).

Most places won't insure a cat over the age of 10.

Also, all insurances will take the vet records and make exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Some insurances have a one year policy (if no symptoms or reoccurrence it will be covered again after 1 year).

 

[Bettyboophume]

Thanks for the info. Still deciding. The cost of vet care in my area, Boston, is quite high. The cost of 1 year would just about cover 2 or 3 visits if he got sick. That's only the visit, not testing. My quandry is how much insurance I should get and from who.

 

[daftcat75]

Thanks for the info. Still deciding. The cost of vet care in my area, Boston, is quite high. The cost of 1 year would just about cover 2 or 3 visits if he got sick. That's only the visit, not testing. My quandry is how much insurance I should get and from who.

You don't get insurance for the routine visits. You get insurance to protect you and your cat from the extreme costs of accidental, emergency, and catastrophic care. My last cat, Krista (the one in my avatar), fell off the bed in the middle of the night, threw up, and staggered around like she couldn't get to her feet or stay on her feet. Insurance meant there was never a hesitation in taking her down to the ER at 3am, letting her stay over so she could see the neurologist in the morning, and consenting to both the $2000 MRI and the $6000 surgery to drain her severely infected middle ear.

When shopping for insurance, I recommend you get as much as you can afford for as high a deductible as you can afford to bring the premium as low as you can get it. The deductible is how much you pay before insurance kicks in. It's likely not going to be made up of routine visits. So think about that one ER visit and how much you might have to throw on a credit card. But once that's met, every eligible expense (not routine care) will be covered at the reimbursement percentage up to their annual or lifetime maximum if the insurance has one. At the end of all your considerations, you can figure that premiums will steadily rise for the rest of his life. Any shopping around for a new policy can potentially create new "pre-existing condition" exclusions depending on what he has seen a vet for in the past year. In other words, you'll want a premium you can grow with. If that means you either sacrifice some coverage or you go with a higher deductible, it's going to end up saving you money to keep him insured than to let his policy lapse after a few premium increases. To that effect, I also recommend insurance that has an annual payment option. You'll be far less likely to grumble about the cost of his insurance if you feel the pain only once a year than if you get a monthly reminder that it's costing more this year than last.

I put a bunch of companies and numbers together for a five year old cat in San Jose, CA. Your prices will differ. But it might give you a good idea of how to build your own comparisons and pick the one best for you.
Pet insurance for the first time, when I have a senior cat?


Side note: There are plans that cover routine visits. These are called wellness plans, and are usually more like a prepaid plan than insurance. They price them based on a basket of annual services that they assume you would get each year. Then they take a small discount off that. It works out if you intended to buy all those services in a year. But most people who are looking for help with routine care would not be buying the full basket of services to make these wellness plans worth it. It would be far better to track your actual routine care over a year, and determine a monthly budget for that. Pay yourself into a wellness account that can be used for these routine visits. Do this on top of rather than in place of accidental insurance. Because as my earlier example shows, one accident or catastrophic event can cost years (!!!) worth of premiums. In other words, Krista's insurance paid off on that one event more than I would ever pay in. That's what you get insurance for--those expenses you couldn't possibly save for yourself.

 

[Alldara]

Thanks for the info. Still deciding. The cost of vet care in my area, Boston, is quite high. The cost of 1 year would just about cover 2 or 3 visits if he got sick. That's only the visit, not testing. My quandry is how much insurance I should get and from who.

First you have to see how old your pet is and who will cover.

Then, just go to websites and get many quotes. You don't have to sign up, just because you get a quote.

You want to balance between a premium you can pay each month and how much you need it to cover.

There's a deductible, that's usually either per year or per illness. That's a cost you have to factor in.

Usually, it doesn't pay for routine visits but does pay for the exam regarding an illness. For example mine doesn't pay for the yearly wellness exam but did pay the 90% for the exam when Calcifer was vomiting.

You'll also need to ask what vets they work with, and if they pay directly, most don't. So you still need to have the $ up front. Then, if they work with only specific vets, you'll need to ask that vet for general prices to see if they are charging more than others in your area to begin with.

It's sometimes an excellent idea to ask vets in your area what insurance companies they recommend. It's a great starting point.