# Pet insurance vet fees,



## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

I love this board! My GSD Benny is 10 weeks today and has his first appt at the vet tomorrow for the secon set of shots and a check up. It has been nine years since I have done this so can someone give me an estimate of the cost. Do you recommend pet insurance and if so what type?
Benny is doing great I have been able to take him to work every day and he already fetches tennis balls and the house breaking is going well. He sleeps in his crate all night from 9:00 PM until i take him out at 5:30 AM. He is very bonded to me, but like attention from family , co workers and children. The only problem is the ankle and everything else play biting but we are working on it. I am a little worried because i have to go on a business trip for 5 days in a month, but Benny is getting to know my husband who will be caring for him because three of the kids will be gone the same week! I have been leaving him with my husband for a few hours every now and then to get him used to him.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Debbieg Do you recommend pet insurance and if so what type?


its a good thing to look into when they are young. i have PetPlan and am happy with it. 
http://www.gopetplan.com/index.html?engi...CFSQeDQodjis0DQ

another one that looks good if you get it before 1 yr of age and spay/neuter your dog is Trupanion
http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/

other members on the board that have PetPlan seem to be pleased with it as well. they do not cover routine, preventative care, but, IMO that is not why pet insurance is needed. they have very few exclusions on covering anything related to illness/injury and related medications and, unlike many other companies, dont exclude hereditary conditions (which some companies will use as a way to exclude many things). i pay less than $25/month for an $8000/yr plan with a $200 deductible (per incident) then i pay 10% after that. there are no lifetime limits or limits per condition (only a limit per yr, but you can choose higher amounts per yr)


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

I just did a quote for both, the trupanion one doesn't cover hip dysplacia (or it cost about $5 more a month) do you know if petplan does? Are they quick to reimburse? Thanks







I like how the petplan also discounts for microchip.

Here is my results: both are with 200 yearly deductable and cover 90% cost

Trupanion:
GSD, 4 months old = $33.52
PetPlan
GSD, 4 months old, microchiped = $24.85

The only difference is that Trupanion is 20,000 yearly limit and the PetPlan quote is for 8,000 yearly (I would hope I would NEVER need 20,000!!!) Also, Trupanion claims that PetPlan increases as your dogs age and they do not. 

They both look good, is there one that anyone would recommend over the other?


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: StarryNiteI just did a quote for both, the trupanion one doesn't cover hip dysplacia (or it cost about $5 more a month) do you know if petplan does? Are they quick to reimburse? Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> ...


-trupanion will cover hip dysplasia for the extra cost as long as you enroll before the age of 1. (and you dont already know the dog has it)
-petplan covers hip dysplasia as long as you didnt already know the dog had it
-ive only made 2 claims w/ petplan. both checks came within 2 weeks of faxing the claim form.
-PetPlan was upfront with me when i asked and said premiums will probably increase on average 10% per year (due to combination of aging and increased vet fees). i dont know if trupanion would ever be cheaper, since after 1 year you will already have spent $120 more for trupanion. in the second year, another ~85 for trupanion. you will have a deficit for quite a few yrs before the premiums are even, but by them you will be hundreds of dollars in the hole with trupanion vs petplan
**keep in mind, when you look at the comparison chart, Trupanion still says premiums can increase due to "Inflationary cost of veterinary medicine in your area"...just not due to aging
**you will be required to get a clinical exam within 90 days (not so with petplan) if something shows up in that, i dont know if they would cover it
**if you dont spay/neuter by 1 year, there are a few health conditions trupanion wont cover.
**trupanion excludes alternative therapies, but petplan will cover several of them (such as acupuncure and chiropractic)

**petplan only covers at 70% for e-vets, after hours, and things done at vet schools. of course we know stuff happens after hours, so this is a mark against them. they have stated they are going to be changing those scenarios to 80% coverage sometime before this fall.
**as you stated, you are getting $20,000 of coverage with trupanion. personally im comfortable with $8000 per year, but it is within the realm of possibility to need more than $10,000. i suspect that would be an awfully rough year for a dog.

overall, i think trupanion looks pretty comparable to PetPlan. i never considered them because Kimba was over 1 yr old when i got insurance for her, thus anything related to, or perceived to be related to hip displasia would have never been covered.



here is a site that has independent reviews of pet insurance plans:

http://www.petinsurancereview.com/reviewStart.asp


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## JenM66 (Jul 28, 2005)

I have AKC and it has been a life saver. WE incurred 1600 worth of bills for Gracie this winter due to a stomach condition (she's 3 years old now but I've had it since she was 8 weeks). We got a check in the mail last week for 1320!!! It was amazing. It's $600 per year, $125 deductible and they pay 80%. Gracie's first year I got the plan that covered the spay surgery. Each year I've reduced the amount of coverage.

ETA - as for first visit - where I work we always tell folks to plan on $120 -- that's the visit, shots, fecal check, any frontline/heartgard.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

this is important to know about trupanion and i misinterpreted their comparison chart

Co-Pay requirements On all covered claims We pay 90%...You Pay 10% 
Deductibles - We offer a flexible deductible option, depending on your pet's age 
*Per incident Cap - None *
*Annual Cap - None *
*Lifetime Cap - Currently $20,000-*Cap will periodically increase to reflect increase in costs of veterinary medicine 
Genetic and Hereditary Conditions - Covered 
Age related rate increases - None 
Pre-existing conditions - Not Covered

so, while they claim no benefit limit per incident, illness, condition or year *there is a lifetime benefit limit.* so, *in effect $20,000 is the limit for anything since that is all the benefit you can ever get for the life of the policy*. i could see a dog with a fair amount of problems reaching that maximum benefit over a few years period. i suppose in a majority of cases that benefit amount wont be reached, but for me a lifetime max limit would be a deal killer.

petplan simply renews your chosen benefit amount each year ($8k, $12k, or $20k) with no maximum lifetime benefit.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

wow, great info on both posts, thanx roxy, I didn't see that, I think we are going to go with the PetPlan for sure! I'm so glad Debbi started this thread because we have been talking about pet insurance for Lulu but hadn't taken it any further, we are going to buy a plan right away now!


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

We went with Petplan, and I have to say, not that this is THAT big of a deal to some but it kinda is to me, their customer service seems great.

I had a question about our policy and called the 1-800 number, got to a real person right away (as in phone rang, real person answered) and he happily answered all my questions. Her policy rate is locked in until her 3rd birthday, then they'll send me the new rate and I can go from there. 

The CSR was very nice and knowledgeable. Customer sevice is hard to come by, so that impressed me and my stupid question.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

For me, Aubie, CS is one of THE most important things in any company, especially nowadays with electronic phone systems and offshore cust. support where you can't understand them and you usually know more about your problem and product they they do and have to rant and rave and call back 10 times to get to even ONE person who not only speaks english but has more knowledge than you on the product (lol, sorry, that's my rant, done  ) 

I am SO impressed with good customer service now. I will plug one company igourmet.com who has WONDERFUL cheese and meats, etc. When I sent my sister a very expensive (100 +) basket of cheese and they had that awful storm in Portland last Christmas and the basket sat at the ups site (even though it was overnight with the freezer pack) for a week, I called them and told them the situation, they immediately had it sent right back to them and a new one sent out overnight, and they ate the whole cost. 

I guess my whole point that many companies don't realize is that if I find a company with CS like that, I will tell everyone (like now) about them and be a faithful customer. 

Thanks for that info, makes me feel good about the decision, we are going to get our Petplan for Lulu this week!


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

I have another question, they are asking if she is on meds, she is on metronidazole for loose stools due to spirochaetes (bacteria in stool due to something she "got into" as he put it) not serious at all but if I put that down will they not cover her or never cover her for diarreah related issues?


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

It's just to diagnose and pre-existing conditions...like say she was on a long-term medicine like something for arthritis, then they wouldn't cover that since it's pre-existing. 

But when in doubt, call PetPlan and ask them. I think it's just more of getting the medical history.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Okay, thanks. I guess I am paranoid having worked for an insurance company for years, they do try to find any way out of claims, trust me! I just don't want them to say in the future "oh, she had diarreah when she was 4 months old so "so and so" is not covered because diarreah is a pre-existing condition"


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

They'll cover her, but they want to make sure you don't try to claim something that was existing before the policy. Plus, part of the policy, once you receive it, is a form for your vet to send in a complete medical history to PetPlan, so I'd let them know so any problems don't arrise. Honesty is always the best policy!


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Yeah, I am deff. going to be honest on the app. It's my nature! I am just wondering if a symptom is considered a pre existing condition I guess is my question.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

BTW, thanks for all your help, I appreciate it! I have never aquired pet insurance before but I want to make sure that if anything serious does happen to Lulu in the future we can take care of it quickly. I am lucky to have a wonderful vet where I live that I am sure would treat her even if we couldn't pay right away but I do want them to get paid asap if something should happen.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Nah, but you can always ask your concerns to a petplan CSR.

No problem! This was my first time buying as well! Make sure you tell your vet about the insurance and ask them if something does happen, if they'd be fine with holding the bill until the check from the insurance comes in, that way you're never actually out any money. They just wait a week or so, you get the check then pay them directly. Mine has agreed to this, so I don't have to worry about out of pocket expenses and being reimbursed--I'd just pay my copay and then basically sign the insurance check over to them.


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## Blacryan (Feb 11, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: aubieThey'll cover her, but they want to make sure you don't try to claim something that was existing before the policy. Plus, part of the policy, once you receive it, is a form for your vet to send in a complete medical history to PetPlan, so I'd let them know so any problems don't arrise. Honesty is always the best policy!


Hmmm...

Are you sure about this? I signed up for pet plan a long while ago right after I got rocky he was about 9 weeks old. I never got any packet for my vet to fill out and send in? Maybe I should contact them and get something sent out to me?


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

This was recently given to me:

http://www.petinsurancereview.com/dog.asp



> Quote:
> About Us
> 
> PetInsuranceReview's goal is to assist pet owners who are shopping for pet insurance. We believe that by providing information on benefits, pricing and customer reviews, we can help pet owners make the appropriate decision for themselves and their pets.
> ...


All the major insurers are there, and Canadians can look up their insurers too. 

I've used a couple companies and the info looked accurate. I was chatting with other dog owners at a conference last weekend, and they felt it was rather accurate too. At least, it's another tool for us. 


BTW, Trupanion recently sent me an email a while ago that they're accepting dogs over 1 yr old. I didn't investigate it because I already have the coverage I need (except on my senior dog, but she has so many conditions, no one will cover her).


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## pawstoupdate (May 18, 2009)

Just to throw in my .02 cents - we have Pets Best, and its been great for us. Easy to use, easy to get money back.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Just an update, I got Lou on PetPlan last week so she is now covered







thanks for all your help here with the advice, etc. My plan is 8,000 a year max with 90% coverage and $200 deductible so I can breathe easier now knowing we will be able to afford any major med. bill


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Hey Blac...it was a PDF document sent via email with all her coverage info, limitations, policy number, etc. There's a one page document that your vet fills out and faxes back in. I'd call them and have them resend it.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Hmm, aubie, I didn't get that form either... They sent a bunch of PDF docs but they said I don't need to do anything with them, just keep them for my records...


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

It's somewhere in there, I have it on my work computer, I'll see what it's under in the morning and post it.


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## mastercave (May 2, 2009)

I'm looking to get Pet Plan for Dudley. I'm thinking of getting him into a program with a holistic vet in the neighborhood and Pet Plan covers alternative medicine. But what does it mean with the deductible and %?


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Okay, looking in the PDFs they sent there's one titled "Medical Record Request Form". It just asks for your vet to fax the animals' record to them, and a place for your to sign.

Dudley~~ there are different levels of deductibles and percentages covered. This varies how much you pay monthly. Say, we have a $200 deductible and 100% coverage, so if something happens we are only out $200. 

To lessen your payments, you can lower the coverage amount to 90% meaning I would have to pay $200 and the remaining 10% due. 

They let you select these levels on the site.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: c20 and DudleyI'm looking to get Pet Plan for Dudley. I'm thinking of getting him into a program with a holistic vet in the neighborhood and Pet Plan covers alternative medicine. But what does it mean with the deductible and %?


id call them to verify as to whether traditional treatment options would be required before they would accept claims for alternative methods. i know a holistic vet will also use traditional medicine in many cases anyway.


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## Smith3 (May 12, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: c20 and DudleyI'm looking to get Pet Plan for Dudley. I'm thinking of getting him into a program with a holistic vet in the neighborhood and Pet Plan covers alternative medicine. But what does it mean with the deductible and %?


Say you have the $100/90% plan.

If you had a $200 vet bill, you would pay your $100 then you would pay 10% of the remaining, so $110 in total. 

If you had a $90 bill, you would pay the $90 and file no claim.

If you had a $2000 bill, you would pay $100 + $190 for the 10%

100% would mean you just pay the deductable.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Smith3
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: c20 and DudleyI'm looking to get Pet Plan for Dudley. I'm thinking of getting him into a program with a holistic vet in the neighborhood and Pet Plan covers alternative medicine. But what does it mean with the deductible and %?
> ...


pet plan is a little tricky in the way they do it. they take the copay from the total, then factor in the deductible. in the case above with the $2000 bill, they multiply their 90% times the total, which would equal $1800, then they subtract the copay to get $1700 as their responsibility, leaving you with $300 as opposed to $290 under the more traditional method of subtracting the deductible then applying the copay.

as you can see, on a bill that large, the difference is negligible, but with smaller bills, the advantage they get by using this method is more noticeable. i raised bloddy **** when i found out their non traditional method and was told by one of their reps they are looking into going the route of applying the deductible first.


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