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Pet Insurance


Guest CountryGreys

PET INSURANCE  

165 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you purchase pet medical insurance?

    • Yes, currently
      50
    • No
      104
    • Have in the past, but don't currently
      11
  2. 2. If you do or have purchased in the past, are/were you pleased wth the coverage?

    • Yes
      34
    • No
      4
    • Undecided
      21
    • n/a
      106
  3. 3. If you have it, what is your monthly premium for one pup?

    • $10 to $15
      9
    • $15+ to $20
      5
    • $20+ to $25
      13
    • $25+ to $30
      11
    • More than $30
      18
    • n/a
      109


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Guest CountryGreys

DH and I have been looking into coverage for our 5-year old pup and are undecided on whether the monthly premiums (we received a quote of $25-35 monthly) would be a good investment - or, if we should just put that amount aside each month into a contingency fund. Wanted to get input from those who have the coverage or have had it in the past.

 

We're aware that many insurance companies (human) look for ways to NOT cover a procedure and we're curious to know if each claim processing will be a hassle.

 

Thanks!

Edited by CountryGreys
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I've had VPI for Lilah for about 4 years. Getting the claims processed isn't too much of a hassle - my vet really tries to word each diagnosis so that it will be covered, which is nice. However, they do seem to take a long time to send the reimbursement check. They aslo do not cover any pre-existing conditions (ie. they don't cover Lilah's allergy meds or thyroid checks as those were diagnosed prior to signing up).

 

That being said, I like the idea of having it as a financial safety net. Lilah has been a bit accident prone in the past. She was attacked once by a Jack Russell (30 stitches) and VPI covered quite a bit of that (can't remember the exact % after deductible, but I think it was around 75-80%).

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We considered it after Sissy got sick with cancer, but after looking at it critically, it really wasn't a good value. They don't pay enough for the stuff that will drive you into the poorhouse, and there are far too many restrictions for chronic conditions. I chose to set aside a "disaster fund" as a separate savings account (mine happens to be a money market fund that you can withdraw from without penalty) and use that as our "insurance." Anything I would spend to pay premiums to an insurance company, I can just put into the fund to gather interest until it is needed.

Edited by HooversMom
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Guest BooMooandDoo

We also have VPI and for three dogs, with Tuck having an additional cancer rider (he's 8) it costs us a little less that $100 a month. It's been worth it for us. They covered most of Truman's extractions, and we get preventative, even though it's not much. . .

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I looked into it and for what it would cost vs what it would pay it just didn't make any sense. I can sock money away for vet bills and if it isn't enough my vet allows me to charge or I have credit cards. Just seemed like throwing money away to me.

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Guest Shermanator

After $600 in vet bills after one month, we bought VPI for both boys. Patton had a corn that needed to be removed- $300 surgery, and the same week, Sherman happened to slice the webbing in between his toes, which was another $300 bucks. That was enough for me to buy it. Of course, since I have had it, there have been no need to take them to the vet. Becuase I am paying for insurance, Murphy's law states I'll never need it! :D

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Guest CountryGreys

Shermanator-

 

Do you mind me asking how much of the $600 in vet bills was covered by the pet insurance? And, which company are you using? Thanks much!

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Guest FullMetalFrank

I have VPI on Frankie; it is fairly inexpensive, and he has no pre-existing conditions; but like Sheila said it might be better to sock money away. I am not good at stashing money like that, so the VPI makes me feel more secure and for me the peace of mind is worth what I am paying.

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Since the pet insurance industry is not federally regulated like people insurance, you never know what they will and won't cover. DH and I simply put $25 a month into a bank account so the money is there when we need it. If you pick an on-line account such as ING Direct you'll actually see your money grow since their current interest rate is 3.80%. :)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

--- Margaret Mead

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We have VPI on all three Greys. I also have the cancer coverage. I like the feeling knowing that whatever the medical expense would be that most of it would be covered. With just going through a sickness with Gracie, 2 surgeries, many blood test, ultra sound, and two biopsy reports,a total of 27 days at the vets, then starting Chemo treatments. Yes, I am glad that I have it. VPI does take about 20 days to process the claim and there is a

50.00 deductable, but I found it was well worth it. It was nice not to have to worry where the money was coming.

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I suspect that it might all work very differently over here in the UK but I answered the poll anyway. We have insurance for all our dogs and the monthly premium varies depending on age but as an example, our older dogs (including the greyhounds) cost about £12 - £15 (pounds stirling) per month BEFORE we take into consideration the multi pet discounts we get.

 

We don't have kids and we don't go out for lots of meals and we don't go on lots of holidays etc so I'd rather spend the money on the animals insurance and have some degree of 'cushioning' from large vet bills.

 

Recently Sally was treated for a cancerous mammary tumour. All in all, the bill was about £300 and I paid the £70 excess on her policy, plus 15% of the remainder (making a total of £104.50). If she needs further treatment for this same condition or anything related to it, within this policy year, I'll have nothing at all else to pay. If she needs further treatment for anything related to it once we move into the next policy year (Sept 06) then I'll have to pay the £70 again (plus 15% which is because of her age - she's going to be 12 this year).

 

Maddison's cancer diagnosis/palliative treatments cost almost £2000 and all I had to pay was £70. Nothing in the world could have saved Maddison but with insurance, I was able to throw every possible comfort treatment at his condition without giving a moments thought to how I was going to pay for it. Before he was diagnosed, I could throw every type of x-ray and biopsy at it and not concern myself with anything other than what the tests would show.

 

There is no question in my mind that insurance is a must for our family and I would urge anyone else to consider it for theirs.

 

If I put away the monthly premiums each month and saved them for use on vets bills, that would be all well and good until I got one massive problem with a dog, which was on-going for a number of months or years. I would very soon have spent what I'd saved and then still need to find all the money for future treatments for that condition, PLUS any further illness or injury which may occur in that dog.

Edited by Bevd

Deerhounds Darcy, Duffy, Grace & Wellington, Mutts Sprout & Buddy, Lurchers Ned & Jake plus Ella the Westie + cats. Remembering Del, Jessie, Maddison, Flo, Sally, Stanley, Wallace, Radar, Mokka, Oki cat, Tetley, Poppy & Striker.

 

Please visit our web store at http://www.dogsndubs.com for our own range of Greyhound related clothing for humans!

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Guest GreyGhost

I have an emergency line of credit for my animals. When I ran the numbers on insurance, I think the premiums are too much for the amount of coverage. My horse has been somewhat accident prone, but she still hasn't cost me as much as the insurance would have been.

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I had VPI for the cats, and at first it was reasonable, but I never needed it :rolleyes: I added Sugar when I got her, still not too bad, but it didn't cover any of her allergy testing. When I went to add Fletcher, I really looked at what it was costing, now that I had three senior cats and one senior dog, and decided I would be better off going the savings account route, especially since they wouldn't cover Fletcher's IBD (pre-existing). MY mother recently asked if it would have covered Ethel's evet bills. Maybe it would have, but I still think the account is better for me. Plus, I have a credit card :)

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Guest belloricky

I had PetCare Pet Insurance for Ricky. (It comes free for a month as "Shelter Care" for rescued pets). His premium was only $25-26 a month. It covered 70% of each accident/illness up to $3,000. We only had a year and three months with Ricky before he went to the bridge from osteo. They always reimbursed us before our credit card bill came due. (Usually 3 weeks or so).

I checked on premiums for our new guys and they are much higher now.

This is why I haven't signed them up yet. VPI pays out more per illness/injury and covers some routine things and has the extended cancer coverage. But I've read a few people say on GreyTalk that it takes them awhile to pay you back. We can't really "cover" thousand dollar bills anymore while we wait to be reimbursed. So I'm leaning toward PetCare again. They were so easy to work with. But, I could get more back with VPI so it seems dumb not to go with them.

I got Ricky's insurance hoping I'd never have to use it. It was a blessing to have it.

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Guest IndysDad
Since the pet insurance industry is not federally regulated like people insurance, you never know what they will and won't cover. DH and I simply put $25 a month into a bank account so the money is there when we need it. If you pick an on-line account such as ING Direct you'll actually see your money grow since their current interest rate is 3.80%. :)

 

Same thing here..one thing to consider though, as your dog ages, the premiums will rise..we've had better luck with Beltanes method,,besides the premiums on senior dogs can be pretty hefty as well as decreasing coverage as your senior ages...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently bought it for Cody... VPI Superior w/ extra cancer, no routine care... $35/mo

 

Arguements can be made for and against insurance. I went with it for piece of mind. I could easily cover most vet bills but after seeing a few dogs in our group rack up $3-5k vet bills in a short period of time, it would be nice to be able to recoup some of that if possible and I'd prefer not to have it on a credit card with some obscene interest rate.

 

Everything is a gamble, when you buy a new car you get a choice of a warranty, and I know many people that use the savings method for that (put what they would of paid for the warranty in an interest bearing acct) and go on with their lives. But with a new car you are covered for at least 3 years... with a hound if you start saving today and something happens tomorrow you're outta a ton of cash. And even if you've been saving for a while and something happens, you gotta start from scratch again.

 

There are so many choices and pros and cons to each. I think if it's affordable a minimal insurance policy plus saving is the probably the best coverage.

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I do not have medical insurance for my dogs, but might look into Pet Healthcare Insurance through AAA that a friend was telling me about:

 

Pet Protect® continually strives to provide the very best Pet Insurance for you and your pets. Pet Protect® features: No pre-determined Veterinary fee schedule, No increase of premiums based on your pet's breed or claims filed. Easy to understand Pet Healthcare Policies, with comprehensive veterinary medical insurance benefits and low rates.

 

It can happen all too quickly-one minute your pet is happy and healthy, then a sudden illness or accident occurs. The days of saying it doesn't cost much to keep a pet are over. In today's high tech medical world with x-rays, special medical procedures and prescription drugs, the bills for your pet's healthcare could easily run into hundreds of dollars. Pet Protect® can offer valuable insurance coverage for these bills at a low cost to you.

 

No matter how independent your pet may be, it still relies on you to take care of its health. The cost of veterinary treatment can be alarmingly high when something such as an illness or accident occurs-and cost can not be predicted. Pet Protect® provides you with financial peace of mind for those veterinary bills and ensures your pet receives the care it deserves.

 

Pet Protect's staff of animal lovers cares for you and your best friends. When your pet requires medical care for an accident, illness or disease, you are guaranteed a simple claims procedure to help pay for Veterinary services. Your pets can have a better quality of life thanks to our affordable healthcare cover and 'we care' attitude.

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Guest JoyceJ

I had pet insurance for over a year on both of our hounds. I took the $75 deductible so I only paid $52 a month total. No preventative things were covered, no meds were covered.....and most of the vet visits (for stitches) were less than $100. So I decided to sock away that $$ each month. But like most of you I also have a separate credit card for the BIG things that could happen...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest PDogs_Mom

I have a VPI policy on Tabby and Pharaoh that I took out in Nov. I opted to pay for the full year all at once because I got a better discount. I have the Standard Plan plus the cancer rider. It cost $323. I have yet to submit a claim. So far we have only had an ear infection and VPI indicated I should hold onto my claims until I meet the deductible.

 

The VPI Standard Plan provides coverage only up to $2,500 per accident or illness and a maximum benefit of $9,000 per policy term. There is a $50.00 deductible and the plan pays up to 90% of the Benefit Schedule.

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Guest troiblue

My first dog was insured for the six years that I had her, all the time with the same company. When she was suddenly taken ill with kidney failure I was really pleased that I was insured, until after she died when I tried to claim. I was told that because I had only just renewed the policy i would have to pay the whole years premiums if I wanted to claim. The premiums were high because she was an elderly dog (13). No point in being insured in my case I ended up well out of pocket and with no dog either.

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  • 1 year later...
Guest bambiscuit
I recently bought it for Cody... VPI Superior w/ extra cancer, no routine care... $35/mo

 

Arguements can be made for and against insurance. I went with it for piece of mind. I could easily cover most vet bills but after seeing a few dogs in our group rack up $3-5k vet bills in a short period of time, it would be nice to be able to recoup some of that if possible and I'd prefer not to have it on a credit card with some obscene interest rate.

 

Everything is a gamble, when you buy a new car you get a choice of a warranty, and I know many people that use the savings method for that (put what they would of paid for the warranty in an interest bearing acct) and go on with their lives. But with a new car you are covered for at least 3 years... with a hound if you start saving today and something happens tomorrow you're outta a ton of cash. And even if you've been saving for a while and something happens, you gotta start from scratch again.

 

There are so many choices and pros and cons to each. I think if it's affordable a minimal insurance policy plus saving is the probably the best coverage.

 

 

my sentiments exactly. DH and i got it for bambi, strictly for peace of mind.

she came to us with bad teeth, and on her initial exam our vet found a very minimal heart murmer, so unfortunately VPI won't cover us for those things (the whole preexisting conditions clause that others have mentioned). But if something catastrophic were to occur, we just wanted to know that we COULD do whatever it takes to heal our baby.

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Voted no. If you read all the fine print, it covers nothing.

You are better off putting the money you would pay monthly into an account for vet bills. IMHO.

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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