Affordable Pet Insurance Suggestions

[Guest Almondine88]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to find a comprehensive yet affordable insurance company to put my nearly 6yr old greyhound on, and was hoping you might have some suggestions/experiences to share. Almondine is in great health with no preexisting conditions now (knock on wood - I'm a tad superstitious!), but I'm hoping to find insurance that would totally cover unexpected emergencies and be able to help if she develops any illnesses as she ages. It would also be great if it covered dental care, but that seems hard to find. Thanks so much in advance from me and Almondine!

 

Edited July 8, 2014 by Almondine88

[seeh2o]

I'm very happy with Healthy Paws, they pay very fast and have never questioned a claim.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I'm sure people will make recommendations. I'll just issue a caution: Avoid plans that pay a percentage of a defined "allowable cost." You want one that pays a percentage of your actual expenses.

 

If an insurer defines the maximum "allowable cost" for treating a particular ailment, what are you going to do when/if you hit that maximum? Stop treating the dog? And if their "allowable" is less than what it actually costs to treat your dog, you have to decide whether to shell out that money. You're getting insurance so you can concentrate on what's best for your dog without having to worry about your wallet; it makes no sense to have a policy that puts the $$$ back in your decision.

 

When I got insurance for one of mine, the "allowable cost" was a standard arrangement with one of the largest pet insurers. But she developed an immune system disorder, and the company's maximum wasn't enough to pay for diagnosing the problem, let alone treating it. In the end, they repaid me about $.25 on every dollar I spent at the ER (and repaid me considerably less than I'd spent on premiums). (I'm not naming the company. They may have changed their plans in the years since this happened, or at least may offer different kinds of plans now. I just want to caution you to consider what kind of plan you get.)

Also, look into obtaining a Care Credit card (Google them). Care Credit charges very high interest rates, but if you pay the card quickly, there's no interest. (And there's no annual fee.) This gives you a way to pay the vet or ER, then get reimbursed by your insurer before the Care Credit bill comes due--very helpful if you're close to your credit limit on other credit cards. Most insurers only repay you--they don't pay your vet--and Care Credit gives you a way to pay the bill right away. But be advised that not all vets accept Care Credit. (My vet doesn't, but the ER does.)

[MP_the4pack]

When I researched moving my two to new insurance companies I narrowed it down to Healthy Paws, Trupanion and Embrace. Lots of options and pricing. I did not take my 10 yr old off of VPI because of her age.

 

But I did have a chance to compare apples to apples last year. Opal (VPI) and Tanzi(Healthy Paws) both got into the same trouble. Both went to the ER just 3 hrs apart. Their crates were side by side. Same hospital, same doctors, same meds, same treatment, same diagnosis.......same time discharged.

 

I hadn't used Healthy Paws yet so still had the deductible. They don't pay the office visit (which I knew that exact amount). And they pay 90% (my chosen option) of the bill.

I had used VPI already so had met the yearly deductible. They give me a percent of what THEY think is the right price. I got back from Healthy Paws $300 more than I got back from VPI.

 

VPI was good way back when it was one of the only insurers. But they stink now. I love Healthy Paws.

[ILoveJulep]

Affordable is relative, but I love Healthy Paws!

I have Julep covered with a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement (no pre-ex and no dental) and it just went up at renewal this month from $41 to $44 a month (Julep is 7 1/2)

[vjgrey]

I've also been really happy with Healthy Paws. Diamond was diagnosed with Osteo in May, and they've paid almost $10k in claims with no issues.

[Guest DeniseL]

I'm not sure 'affordable' is the right word for it, but I like Trupanion. So far they have played fair with us. I pay $178 a month for all three of my babies. I have a policy with all the extras, though.

[a_daerr]

I've also been really happy with Healthy Paws. Diamond was diagnosed with Osteo in May, and they've paid almost $10k in claims with no issues.

Same here. Not only did they pay all the claims without incident, they emailed periodically to see how Henry was doing. I sent them photos, and they wrote back to say how much the whole office appreciated it. I was very pleased with everything. For $40 a month, it's been incredible. They've paid way more than I could have saved month-to-month on my own.

[Sambuca]

I've been happy with Embrace. I pay yearly and can't remember how much it is at the moment.

[Acadianarose]

We have Healthy Paws. I can't comment on their claim processing, etc. because we have not had to use them yet (knock on wood), but I pay about $79 a month for two greyhounds. They are both 4 years old.

[msjpk]

I use Petfirst. For 17.00 a month. It is bear bones but Lou is 12. They just reimbursed me 200.00 for Vet visit and medicine for bee bite.

Give them a call. They have other plans also.

[Riverhound]

I have Trupanion, a friend has Healthy Paws. We're both happy. I might do Healthy Paws next time, as they have an annual deductible vs. per incident, but I can't complain at all about Trupanion. They just send checks!