Has anyone here ever purchased pet insurance?

[C.Ann]

For medical reasons? If so, how expensive is it and what does it cover and not cover? Just trying to gain some info on the subject for a friend I was talking to earlier today..

Thanks!

 

[dvcgirl]

I looked into it and found that for us, it wasn't a good deal. When I first started reading the policy and it said that it covered annual check-ups, vaccines and vet visits I thought..."oh great"! Because we spend a fortune on our three dogs each year. But when I called to question them I found that there were limits on every single item. For example, they'll pay $7 for the rabies vaccine when my vet charges $30 (or whatever...I don't remember what my vet charges). Most of the items only covered 25% of the cost. And even on serious illnesses, there are limits as to how much they will cover. And so we passed. Regular check-ups, vet visits and grooming are already built into our budget. As my older two get close to double digits we'll probably beef up the emergency fund a bit in anticipation of larger vet bills.

Here's the company I looked into...

http://www.petinsurance.com/

 

[teacherforhi]

I've looked into it and can't remember the exact prices. I do remember thinking that the limitations didn't make it worth it.

If you go to a regular vet though, you might ask about adding money to your account there. It's not exactly the same thing, but it would be there in case of emergency.

My cat, Emelia, has feline leukemia and I live in fear of what the next treatment might cost if/when she relapses. Because of that, I decided to put $50/month in my account. The vet will refund my money at any point if I decided I don't want to keep up the account.

 

[castleview]

My neighbor had it for their dog and I'm thinking it was @ $325.00 a year. It was the same price I paid for my dog's operation that year. Does that help?

 

[Karel]

My friend had it with their new puppy and I think it was $25 a month. They were pleased with it but I'm not sure how much it actually covered.

 

[Lezah]

We got it when we got our black lab puppy because my best friend who worked at an emergency vet clinic at the time told us that that was the breed who was in the clinic the most for emergencies!!! I knew that we could not afford last minute expensive emergencies so I figured that an insurance plan was a smart expense and it was a smart investment at first, but has also been a lot of aggravation too and now has begun to nickel and dime us as we have needed to use it in the last year. Once we used it a lot last year (none at all in the three previous years and he is only almost 5) they reduced our coverage from 80% covered to 50% coverage because he needs a surgery this year that will be $1500!! So now we are having trouble affording it even with the insurance! So be careful! JMHO. Hope it helps.

 

[ericamanda01]

When we got our boston puppy, he still needed most of his shots and we wanted to get him fixed. We got the insurance and love it. All of his shots and office visits, as well as his "fixing" are covered. For the nuter they put him out and even gave him a dental exam. We have taken him a couple of times when he was sick and it was all covered. I we paid $95 once and $19 a month for one year. It comes to just over $300 for the year but we have already seen savings. After one year we still continue to only pay $20 a month. However can only go to Banfield Pet clinics. But that works for us as there are so many around.

 

[disneynutt1225]

We purchased insurance through VPI for Toby around 5 months ago. We had taken him to a dog park and he was attacked by a nasty dog that was there and wound up needing surgery (the dog tore through the muscle on his chest and he needed 14 stitches on his chest and 2 in his side).

Anyway, just in case something like that ever happened again (we have since stopped going to the dog park) we purchased the insurance. Haven't had to use it yet, but it's providing peace of mind just in case. I think I pay around $30 a month for it.

I recently noticed that AAA offers pet insurance, so I might look into getting it with them if it's worth it.

 

[zippeedee]

I pay about $470 per year to insure my 10 year old chihuahua/min-pin mix through VPI. I had coverage through another company (can't remember the name) and they stopped offering it. I got the cancellation notice two days after he threw his back out trying to chase a squirrel (while on a leash). Back problems are now excluded as a pre-existing condition. It is such good peace of mind though in case anything really serious happens.

 

[Caropooh]

We have the Optimum Wellness Plan from Banfield.(the pet hospitals in PetsMarts) I think it is very comprhensive.
http://www.banfield.net/health/owp.asp

 

[Free4Life11]

Pet insurance?? Now I've seen it all....good grief!

 

[puggymom]

I pay about $250 per year per dog. I have PetCare. For Namath, the one with the tongue sticking out, I only was reimbursed 210.00 last year. However for Rocky ( on the far left), I was reimbursed over $800.00. For me it's worth it. Namath is on track this year to make me money, as we have a few hundred in reimbursable charges already. I'm sorry I didn't get it sooner as certain things can't be covered now as they are pre-existing conditions.

Now, if we can only get the gov't to recognize these medical expenses as pre tax.

 

[Mimi Q]

Sorry to hijack this thread for a moment C. Ann, but Puggymom did you get a new pug? I only remember seeing two pugs in your signature previously. My 4 yo DD saw your new pic this week and LOVED it. (I do , too.)

 

[lisajl]

Pet insurance?? Now I've seen it all....good grief!

Hey, I work for a vet. If you only knew how expensive it is, you would be saying, "What took pet insurance so long to get here?"

Where I work my boss tries to keep the cost down for emergency surgeries, etc. So, pet insurance is a good thing, if you can find one that covers annual check ups too!
Lisa

 

[disneynutt1225]

Pet insurance?? Now I've seen it all....good grief!

If it's a matter of spending $400 per year to save literally THOUSANDS if my pet ever gets seriously ill, I'd say it's absolutely worth it. For nothing else, it's worth the piece of mind.

 

[Crankyshank]

I have it for both beagles. I pay roughly $300/yr for each dog. Last year when Peabody needed emergency surgery to remove an abscess from his throat all but about $90 of the expensive surgery was covered.
It's something that I'm very glad I have and hope I'm throwing money away on because I don't use it.

 

[luvwinnie]

We have the VPI Gold Plan (includes cancer) and we've been happy with it. We got it after spending $900 for a hospitalization for hemorrhagic gastritis.

 

[Crankyshank]

We have the VPI Gold Plan (includes cancer) and we've been happy with it. We got it after spending $900 for a hospitalization for hemorrhagic gastritis.

That's the exact reason why I got the insurance. Only my vet bill was a few hundred higher

 

[Honeibee]

We have it on the horses but somehow I don't think thats what you were looking for.

 

[puggymom]

Sorry to hijack this thread for a moment C. Ann, but Puggymom did you get a new pug? I only remember seeing two pugs in your signature previously. My 4 yo DD saw your new pic this week and LOVED it. (I do , too.)

While I consider him mine, the one in the middle is my Mom's or as I call him, my little brother. He is sitting right next me as I type, I'm babysitting him for the weekend