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Is pet insurance any good? I've always avoided it on the assumption that it works like most insurance, where you hand over money for the safety net of being told that the safety net does not apply to the things you want it to. But vet bills suck. Is pet insurance worth it? Any experiences? Are there specific companies or policies to look for or avoid?
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Feb 17, 2022 07:04
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 20:56 |
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I got nationwide for my 75 lb lab back when he was 4. He's 12 now, healthy except for really bad arthritis that we're managing best we can. If I were actually diligent about filing claims I could have probably saved a few thousand by now for his arthritis medication (galliprant) and possibly his hydrotherapy too. Instead I've probably put more in than I got out. That's on me, they actually cover his medication and the few claims I've filed paid out, I was just horribly bad about keeping up with the paperwork. We got it originally just in case he broke a leg or something that required surgery, catastrophic insurance. If he didn't have arthritis I don't know if we'd ever have used it. I think getting it depends on if you need a backup source of funding in case your pet needs a sudden $5k surgery or something. If you don't, then I'd say skip it. If you do, and you don't feel like begging friends or family on GoFundMe and you actually want your pet to get care, then it's a decent security blanket. I can't speak to providers too much. I've only used nationwide and it's been...fine? Only weird thing is you send emails where you attach screenshots of receipts for claims, which is more unwieldly than you'd think.
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Feb 17, 2022 17:35
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I also have Nationwide for my 2.5 yr old dog and 2 cats (one is 3 and one just turned 5). There are a few levels of coverage but I have the one that covers 90% of costs after hitting the $200 annual deductible. For me, this is offered as a discount through my job and it costs about $30 per month, per pet. It comes out of my paycheck like my own insurance, and I don't think about it. The pros: - The 90% coverage kicks in after one or two vet visits. If your pets have any prescriptions or need vaccines, this covers a lot. There's a caveat about this in the Cons, though... - If you have an emergency, this is REALLY good. In the spring, my dog's kneecap slipped its groove and would've meant a permanent limp without surgery. Because we had coverage, we could get her a simple operation that would've normally run over $1000. After recovery, she's completely back to normal. - There's no "network", at least that I've found. Because you're the one filing the claims, you just have to use a legit, licensed vet. The cons: - I can't speak to other companies, but Nationwide is a bitch about "pre-existing conditions". My dog also takes a prescription allergy med but because she started taking it before I got the insurance, it's one of the few things Nationwide won't cover. - As the previous posted mentioned, filing the paperwork *does* fall to you. Our vet doesn't automatically "take insurance" but they'll e-mail a pdf of our invoice. Then I have to file a claim with Nationwide and wait for them to process it and send a check. So any vet bills still have to be paid by me up front, but I get the insurance check in a few weeks if I'm diligent. Nationwide is also pedantic about the paperwork you file. If the invoice doesn't have your pet's name and the date and specific procedure on it, they'll send it right back to you (although I assume this is true for all insurance). There are probably more pros and cons, but those are the big ones I can think of. Personally, this is the first time I've had it, and it's been a big help. My wife and I have gone through 3 cats before our current pets, and their vet bills were significant, especially as they entered the "elderly and needs a lot of special treatment" phase of their lives.
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Aug 3, 2022 21:33
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I use PetPlan (now called Fetch) for my Puli. When I adopted her from a shelter 10 years ago, she came with three months of free PetPlan insurance. I stuck with it because I didn't want to get trapped by pre-existing conditions if I jumped to another insurance. I find it to be a mixed bag. Petplan was better before it was bought up by the DoDo sometime in 2019. I have the plan that reimburses 80% of costs after hitting what was initially a $200 annual deductible PER CONDITION. After it was bought, the deductible leaped to $350, and the annual premium went up substantially. Note "reimburse" - I need to have the money up front to pay the vet bills, then file a claim. Claims need to be filed within 90 days of the vet visit. This includes submitting the invoice and medical records. The first year, when she was recovering from neglect (her previous owners left her in a cage to die), she was seeing the vet frequently, and on medication, it was worth it. The payout was higher than the premium. Afterwards, some years she only saw the once or twice a year for routine checkups and vaccinations, and I didn't meet the deductible requirements. Some years I paid more for the premium then the vet! Then there was year she has a urinary tract infection caused by bladder crystals, and I did receive reimbursements. The amount I got back was less than what I paid for the premium that year. (The premium increases each year, as the pet gets older and more prone to needing medical care.) One year I received a check for less than a dollar! The next year I received a couple hundred back. The year of the huge deductible increase, I got no payout at all because a)the deductible was now so high and b)her problems were classified as two different conditions. ARGH! This year, the premium was a little over a thousand, and I have spent over 2000 in the past month for surgery. The claims are currently being processed. If the verdict doesn't screw me over, the reimbursement should make it worth it. So, was PetPlan worth it? Over 10 years, I definitely paid more into it than I got out of it. However, if my little girl needed constant meds and procedures, I probably would have gotten more out of it. Having insurance made me more comfortable with paying for diagnostics and preventative care, since I could potentially get something back. To me, the biggest caveat is that I need to pay upfront - I have to be able to afford the vet bills to begin with.
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Aug 7, 2022 14:08
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A follow up to my previous response, since Petplan/Fetch finished processing my claim from July 25: This year's premium (for approx 12 yr old dog): ~1000 Deductible: $350 per condition This year's condition 1: Skin growths. Vet costs: 1800 as of Aug 2. Deductible met. Am receiving 956 back so far, and I submitted another claim for her medication today. That will prob be a $25 reimbursement. Any further treatments for her skin will be reimbursed through Jan 2023. This year's condition 2: Dental. Cost 320. Still have not met deductible. Not getting reimbursement. If I spend more than 30 bucks on dental treatments, I would receive money back going forward through Jan 2023.
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Aug 10, 2022 21:30
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