# Senior Health Insurance



## lisnyogi (May 20, 2017)

I'm new to the forum and overwhelmed with the options of pet insurance and was hoping for some experiences with the various insurance companies. 

I've had Pet Plan insurance for the life of my 9 year old and they've been great - although my only claim was bloat with torsion when he was two. Talk about very scary and very major surgery! But he did well and has been healthy for the 7 years since  In any case, Pet Plan apparently changed underwriters and my premium (already pricey) is tripling! I have priced a number of plans and all are less expensive. I understand that pre-existing conditions will not be covered and many do not cover hip dysplasia, but I'd like to find a high deductible policy that I could have in the event of cancer, heart disease, something along those lines. 

There are alot of choices and alot of review sites with alot of different opinions. I've done a search on this forum, but most of the posts that I found are more than a couple years old and I'd like some more recent feedback, if possible. Does anyone have any 'real life' experiences or thoughts on the various companies? Thanks in advance!


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

Most of those posts were from me. The only thing that has changed is Pet Plan is now a major rip off. The bad VPI is not called Nationwide.

Healthy paws or Truepanion are the ones to get. I am switching mine to Healthy paws. Keep away from nationwide.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

So glad you are back to posting about this topic, kr16!!!

OP, there probably dozen threads from the past 2 years with RL experiences with Healthy Paws (a lot of people on the forum seem to have it), and a few with Trupanion. You need to understand how Healthypaws calculates benefit payments (it's a little non-intuitive, but it's fully disclosed). As I've mentioned on other threads, if you decide you are interested in HP, PM me if you want a discount code and referral link that I'm allowed to share for a German Shepherd rescue's adopters, friends, and supporters that gets you 10% off their premium for life, and generates a small donation from HP for the rescue. 

As I say in every thread, READ THE POLICY DOCUMENT of any policy BEFORE you buy it. Not just the reviews (some of the pet insurance review sites are veiled marketing pages for one company or another)...Not just the marketing web pages (which may or may not even be accurate). I mean read the actual fine print of the policy contract -- if it's not posted, they'll send you a copy upon request. Yes, it's dry and boring, but it's absolutely necessary.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I have mostly been looking at another one, Embrace, as well but have not made a decision. My goal is simply high deductible insurance with high limits but only for major issues.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

thanks Magwart


Truepanion has a cool thing that no one else has. If your vet is on the approved list they can pre approve and you can walk away without paying much since they will pay the vet directly. You can see if your vet is on the list or show the link below to them and get them to get on board. This benefits vets as well as people who do not have the money to lay out.

Embrace is one I liked the last time I did this. I would have to go back and rip that contract apart. I also need to see the pricing. Pricing is done on most of these through zip code so it is different everywhere. I have until July to get a new one. One dog I have to leave on Pet Plan.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

My Sting is 11. He has been insured through VPI (now Nationwide) from the time he was 5 years-old. The premium only went up $5/month when he turned 11. I pay $60/month. The policy has a $500 deductible for major medical and also the opitonal wellness benefit which has no deductible and pays a portion of the vaccines, check-ups, heartguard and routine tests like bloodwork. I have been pleased with them though since my gsd has been healthy I have only used them for the wellness benefit. Their claim forms are easy to fill out and payment is prompt. I just submitted the wellness claim 2 weeks ago and the payment with the direct deposit will come tomorrow.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

If you have a claim with VPI. Not sure how it is now but about 10 years ago the payment was about 50% of the actual charges. They used a schedule they paid on and not a percent of actual charges.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

Mary Beth said:


> My Sting is 11. He has been insured through VPI (now Nationwide) from the time he was 5 years-old. The premium only went up $5/month when he turned 11. I pay $60/month. The policy has a $500 deductible for major medical and also the opitonal wellness benefit which has no deductible and pays a portion of the vaccines, check-ups, heartguard and routine tests like bloodwork. I have been pleased with them though since my gsd has been healthy I have only used them for the wellness benefit. Their claim forms are easy to fill out and payment is prompt. I just submitted the wellness claim 2 weeks ago and the payment with the direct deposit will come tomorrow.



VPI was 50 % if you were lucky. Its zero dollars on some situations. VPI/Nationwide has a schedule of benefits that is really bad god forbid something happens. This is very deceptive and tricky for someone not in the business. 

If you are going to have this company you really need to read and learn this

Use this and see if its a before or after 2015 policy, use the charts. 

https://www.petinsurance.com/forms

Here is a sample of the schedule

https://www.petinsurance.com/images/VSSimages/media/pdf/Major_Medical_Plan_Policy Pkt_NCC.pdf

Take out your policy/contract and see if the schedule is included. I hope they have changed and its not. They make this really hard to find on the Nationwide buy a plan page.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

That Nationwide schedule is interesting. I pay a rescue's vet bills, so I see ALL the bills (regular vet, specialists, emergency)--that gives me a good comparison metric for lots of things. Some of their allowances on the schedule posted for my state are *less than half* what I pay (and I'm paying discounted rescue rates). 

HP for me costs less than $50/mo., with a $200 deductible, 80% coverage of actual fees (minus the exam fee), with no limit. I'd much rather cover my own routine annual stuff out of pocket for wellness (less than $200/year), and get the big scary stuff paid for by insurance. They recently covered Adequan injections for my dog ($500 loading dose!) after a carpal injury, and paid without any glitches--I expected them to hemm-and-haw over it, since it's not a common treatment after joint injuries, but they didn't fuss at all.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

Magwart said:


> That Nationwide schedule is interesting. I pay a rescue's vet bills, so I see ALL the bills (regular vet, specialists, emergency)--that gives me a good comparison metric for lots of things. Some of their allowances on the schedule posted for my state are *less than half* what I pay (and I'm paying discounted rescue rates).
> 
> HP for me costs less than $50/mo., with a $200 deductible, 80% coverage of actual fees (minus the exam fee), with no limit. I'd much rather cover my own routine annual stuff out of pocket for wellness (less than $200/year), and get the big scary stuff paid for by insurance. They recently covered Adequan injections for my dog ($500 loading dose!) after a carpal injury, and paid without any glitches--I expected them to hemm-and-haw over it, since it's not a common treatment after joint injuries, but they didn't fuss at all.



The scary thing is they pay nothing on a lot of things. Its also hard to figure out. They also have chemo limits. 

In the health insurance world this would be considered an indemnity policy and they are terrible. You would be amazed how many people think they know better and buy these plans to avoid the high cost of Obamacare.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

@Mary Beth I am with you. They have been good for us. But I will say, where you live has an effect on rates etc. I found Nationwide to be the best.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

gsdluvr said:


> @Mary Beth I am with you. They have been good for us. But I will say, where you live has an effect on rates etc. I found Nationwide to be the best.



Read your policy so you do not get blindsided by the schedule of benefits if you were not aware of them.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

My experience with VPI was a claim for a broken canine. They paid 50% for the root canal. They would not pay for a crown and I was on my own for the anesthesia because the dental vet wanted to use sevofluorane instead of isofluourane for the anesthesia. (For long durations she said the sevo was safer)

I don't need a wellness benefit. My goal is something with a high deductible, high limits, low coinsurance after deductible. IOW Cancer, Injury, Torsion, broken canines, etc. not routine stuff. You can easliy go to $5000 or more at the doggie ER.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

kr16 said:


> Read your policy so you do not get blindsided by the schedule of benefits if you were not aware of them.


I know their policy and it's details very well. I have been with them through 3 dogs. They have worked well for me. Not every company is well represented here.


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