Question of the Week
Anne Millane
Mayville, Wisconsin
24 PetWatch insurance is worth every penny when you need to make tough decisions.
Honi Reisman
Baldwin, New York
I got health insurance for my dog soon after I got her. Since she was only a few months old, the premium was affordable. She just turned seven, and the premium is now close to $1,000 a year. Even though I have the best coverage, it seems they always have small-print exclusions, which is very frustrating. My vet told me to drop the coverage I have and only get catastrophic coverage. Being that my dog is very healthy, I am considering that. I do think it's a rip-off for normal care. I wish I knew which company people are most happy with. I have Nationwide.
Lori Elvera
Colorado
I have had pet insurance for my dogs since 2015. Trupanion has been a delight to work with. Claims are easily made either through my vet or myself. Their response time is very quick! Having pet insurance has given me peace of mind when making life or death decisions.
Two of my dogs were diagnosed with mammary cancer. At the age of eight, Kaelin was diagnosed; she underwent treatment with Palladia (chemo pill) for two years, at $1,200/month, oncologist visits, blood work and ultrasounds every three months. Having Trupanion saved me tens of thousands of dollars! Kaelin passed away from old age at the age of 15.
Mary Jane had a more difficult mammary cancer that metastasized to her front chest/leg area. She was being treated by one of the country's top vets at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After several months of testing, it was determined that the cancer was too aggressive, and amputation of her leg would not provide longevity and quality of life. Those expenses reached thousands of dollars. Trupanion came through!
I would highly recommend anyone thinking of pet insurance to look further into the different companies and their policies to determine what works best for them. It's worth it in the end.
Doug Matson
Wichita, Kansas
I hate dog insurance, and I think it is bad for the sport overall. As a breeder, it is not affordable. I also find that the people who do take out the insurance are much quicker to use it than if they did not have it. Also, the veterinarians must hire additional staff to handle the paperwork. This drives up costs for the vets that are passed on to everyone.
We have breeder friends in the U.K. who have a workable solution: They send a certain amount to their veterinarian each month. If there is extra, the veterinarian accumulates their balance. When they have services and run short, the veterinarian carries them until they catch up. I would think that the vet would be willing to do this for a breeder-customer with multiple dogs.
D'Arcy Downs-Vollbracht
Bullhead City, Arizona
Our dogs are insured through Pets Best. There is a multiple-pet discount, you can set your own deductible and reimbursement rate, which helps in terms of determining your premium cost, and claim review and reimbursement are quick. We have major medical and emergency only, as the routine costs of care aren’t our concern. It is comforting to know that if one of the dogs gets sick or is injured, the potentially high cost of care is not an issue. In addition to insurance, we have a savings account specifically for potential veterinary and breeding-related expenses.
When one of the dogs needed a major surgery, the Pets Best hotline helped find the specialist veterinarian and coordinate care, which impressed me. The total billed amount of the surgery, medication and subsequent visits was approximately $16,000. After the deductible and co-pay, we were responsible for around $1,800. Claims review and reimbursement took three to four weeks. Our rates were not increased as a result of the claims, and overall we are very pleased.
Karen Mull
Lititz, Pennsylvania
I have insurance on all my furry kids. I started out with Purina’s insurance, which was overall the best insurance I have ever come across; unfortunately, they sold out to another company. Now, I am with Embrace, which is great insurance, as long as you start your policies when the pet is young; otherwise, it is very expensive. I spend well over $5,000 a year on insurance, but I still feel it is worth it.