Pet Insurance Decision

[phall]

I've decided to try an insurance policy on our newest, and youngest, greyhound. I've been doing some research on the available plans and after visiting websites and reading information, I've narrowed it down to a choice between two plans - the ASPCA plan and the Pets Best plan. They are very similar in coverages and costs, so I'm having a hard time making the final decision. Has anyone got any experience with or comments/thoughts/recommendations on either organization's plan?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Pat

[Guest lizmego]

You'll hear positives and negatives about pet insurance. We take the money that we would pay per month and place it in an interest bearing account, seems that the first time you claim an injury or such, your rates could go up or your coverage cancelled. We figured we might as well keep the money in our account instead of the insurance company's.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Guest Flint]

I looked at both of these companies before renewing with VPI and made my decision based on the exclusions. It looks like the Pets Best plan has limited coverage for behavioral treatments and hereditary conditions, both of which are excluded from ASPCA plans. But, (from their website):

 

"Q: I heard that Pets Best doesn't cover parasite treatments or illnesses caused by parasites. Is that true?

 

Yes. We cover thousands of medical conditions but unfortunately can't cover everything. We do try to make our limitations and exclusions as obvious as possible so that you know exactly what to expect when you purchase your policy"

 

So, if your greyhound is diagnosed with a tick born disease (not terribly uncommon), it looks like any testing and treatment would be excluded.

 

And from the ASPCA site:

"Also excluded are treatments without agreed-upon standards in the veterinary community for practices and costs. Exclusions of this type include acupuncture, chiropractic or rehabilitative therapies, treatments for behavioral problems, and holistic, homeopathic, and herbal supplies and treatments."

 

This would not be a good plan if you have a holistic vet.

 

I stuck with VPI even though I haven't been thrilled with them. They will cover chiro and rehabilitative therapies as long as it's for a covered condition. Also check on the cancellation policy for each, just in case you find something in the fine print after you've enrolled.

[Guest bonniesbullet]

We've personally had VPI since we adopted Bullet 5 years ago. He is now nine. We've had to use it quite frequently, but we have found that it has been definitely worth the money. As you know, little things add up --and we have always gotten 90% from our claim with no problem whatsoever. This is just our personal experience. I do not know about the other companies.

[zimsmom]

Pat,

I purchased & paid in full the ASPCA one last summer. It took them over 6 weeks to get the policy out. I called multiple times to get the policy sent to me so I could review it. Finally I gave up & requested a full refund. Had to call several times to get my card reimbursed. I finally got the 2 polices AFTER I cancelled the contract. If that's how they handled a new customer I figured trying to file a claim would be impossible. Hope this helps.

Patty

[phall]

Thanks, everyone. It is so helpful to hear of your experiences. Patty - your experience with ASPCA is good to know as I research all this.

 

Pat