Pet Health Insurance - Page 2

katekev04 · 06-27-2008, 07:32 AM

I had pet insurance when we first brought Teddy home. It seemed like a good idea but then we took Teddy in for x-rays which showed he had Wobblers. I thought we'd get some money for the x-rays but because the diagnoses was something they didn't cover I was outta luck. I think in some cases it could come in handy. It was about $425 dollars a year. Pro's and con's in everything!!! P.S. Faber, I can't stress this enough, you better start doing your research! LOL.

Lexxsmom · 06-27-2008, 08:28 AM

I have pet insurance for lexx and so far I've really loved it. I'm on the same page as berkshire, I didn't want to risk something happening to lexx before I'd saved enough to help him. Since i'm a student on a low income, it was important to me to have the BEST care available to my dog at all times.

I also found that insurance has helped me to make decisions easier, for instance I had full rear end xrays done on him to look further into his strange gait. They came up clean, and now i KNOW that his hips look alright so far. I may not have taken this pay hit if i hadn't had the insurance.

my only negative is that my coverage has already been taken from 80% to 70% in one year, something about me using it too much? I don't think thats possible since the xrays has really been the only thing... anyways, im still all for it.

**voodoolizard** · 06-27-2008, 08:42 AM

I have insurance and im glad i have.

i have an excess of £50 so the bill needs to be more than that to claim.

zeus had a soar on hs chin, it just wont go away.. we have had a long long lot of tablets. all i have had to pay is 50 quid.. the total so far is about £200.

i have no savings.. work hard but spend all i earn on living.

i pay about £25 a month for 2 dogs.

i dont think i would ever be with out it.

zeus hurt his leg bounding put the door.. if we had needed an xray it would of been hundreds.

cos of the insurance i take them for anything to the vets.

if i didnt have it i would be a lot more cautious and might leave something to "wait and see" and it would be terrible, but as i have insurance its off to the vets we go !!

Scoob · 06-27-2008, 09:04 AM

Go here and compare different companies. I had VPI, dumped them because they were taking advantage of me. Now I am with Embrace Pet Insurance. I pay about $30 per month.

Pet Insurance Review

Scoob

Baruch · 06-27-2008, 10:53 AM

It is something I just thought about and need to do alot of research on. I can afford the well vet visits and the $20 ear postings, but am worried someday something unusual might happen - obstruction, broken bone, etc. What if it cost thousands? Could I afford to make the right decisions for my dogs? Thanks for the posts and if anyone has anymore advice on the subject, keep me posted.

Murreydobe · 06-27-2008, 12:21 PM

[quote=Santa;197656]Most people can afford to care for their pets in everyday circumstances, but what you are really suggesting is that only those who have a good few thousand lying around spare should have pets. I think you'd find that means most of us would have to give up our pets. Life simply doesn't work that way.
QUOTE]

While this is true, it doesn't seem to me like pet insurance really is going to help in emergency situations, since they only reimburse owners AFTER the fact. That means the owner is still going to have to be able to come up with a way to pay on the spot for emergency treatment..that could be thousands for something like bloat, for example.

For that reason, I always maintained a credit card that was used only for animal emergencies. I never wanted to be frantically casting around for the cash to pay a vet in a worst case scenario when every second counts.

katekev04 · 06-27-2008, 12:51 PM

I bring at least $500 dollars to the vet everytime I go. Last month, Teddy got his thyroid blood test, heartworm meds, flea control and his glucosamine pills-all for the value of $384.00. Then four days later had a dermatologist visit and just walking into that office alone is $150.00. But I'm really glad I did. The vet totally missed a skin infection that I asked him about. Now, if I'm right, pet insurance wouldn't cover the dermatologist because it's a cosmetic/genetic condition right? (he's got thin hair down his back)

Santa · 06-27-2008, 12:53 PM

[quote=Murreydobe;197835]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Santa

Most people can afford to care for their pets in everyday circumstances, but what you are really suggesting is that only those who have a good few thousand lying around spare should have pets. I think you'd find that means most of us would have to give up our pets. Life simply doesn't work that way.
QUOTE]

While this is true, it doesn't seem to me like pet insurance really is going to help in emergency situations, since they only reimburse owners AFTER the fact. That means the owner is still going to have to be able to come up with a way to pay on the spot for emergency treatment..that could be thousands for something like bloat, for example.

For that reason, I always maintained a credit card that was used only for animal emergencies. I never wanted to be frantically casting around for the cash to pay a vet in a worst case scenario when every second counts.

Quite true but I'm not particularly worried about that one - because I don't know if my vet is unusually helpful or if this is standard but he accommodates that kind of thing by billing and then waiting for the payout for payment if necessary. He even adds a fake €40 to the bill when I claim to cover my excess so I'm never out of pocket at all! Probably I'm particularly lucky with him. One of the reasons I knew it was a good time to get a dog was because I knew that I could stump up the money at times of need in a way I haven't always been able, but not everyone can. That alone doesn't mean they can't care for a dog or shouldn't have one.
My insurance costs €196 per year and is worth every cent. But the main bonus is not financial in itself, it's the peace of mind in knowing that none of the medical decisions I make on behalf of my baby will be dictated by my financial circumstances in a lean month, for example.

Murreydobe · 06-27-2008, 01:07 PM

[quote=Santa;197860
Quite true but I'm not particularly worried about that one - because I don't know if my vet is unusually helpful or if this is standard but he accommodates that kind of thing by billing and then waiting for the payout for payment if necessary. .[/QUOTE]

That's pretty unusual, in this area at least. 99 times out of 100, it's "payment due at time of service". And I don't blame vets for this policy in the least, the collection rate on emergency services is TERRIBLE..people will promise the moon, but generally aren't too fast to live up to their promises when the time comes.

I just don't think it's up to the vet to cover people who have never developed a plan for how to deal with emergency situations. That IS part of the responsibility of being a pet owner-realizing that emergencies happen and creating a contingency plan to deal with them.

berkdogg · 06-27-2008, 01:27 PM

Everyone knows orshould know by now that the insurance business is definitely a scam that profits off of taking individuals money, then giving them as little service in return as possible. I suggest all here watch SICKO.
Another thing that I find myself having to do is to separate my traditional view of what a veterinarian is (someone who truly cares for your dog, and even give you a free treatment if you couldn't afford it), from what they actually are today (most seemingly being vaccinating, uncaring, money hungry, S.O.Bs). $65 just to walk into the vet is a rip off in every since of the word. $150 to get the dog's skin looked at- please do you want to turn me upside down before or after the visit. These vets know that we love our pets and truly consider them part of the family. The guy who has his dog tied to the backyard tree is not even going to show himself at the vets office. We are being exploited here because we will pay whatever they say. Where else will we take our dog for treatments? If indeed pet insurance becomes the norm vet prices will as others have said shoot through the roof. If they have increased prices this much, what do you think they will do to the insurance company? The $65 visit to walk in the door will go to $90, because the insurance company can pay what the patient can't.

I know there are people here who just want their dog to be protected. I think responsible, caring dog owners have gotten along just fine without getting involved in an insurance company. I mean by their very nature and admission, their goal is to do as little for the patient as possible, while charging the most. And that last sentence was for HUMAN health insurance. What do you think they will do when it comes to dogs. The more prevalent this pet insurance becomes, the less effective and honest it will be, because they will have the ability to piss a whole lot more people off without it affecting the number of subscribers.
This is frakkin nuts. Pretty soon to take your dog to the vet, you will have to show proof of insurance. What the hell. How could anyone think this is a good idea for pets and owners?