Pet Insurance

[Busderpuddle]

With the new puppy coming soon, we are thinking about getting pet insurance. We have been so lucky with Ruby, as we did not buy it, and she has not had anything major happen. Now I feel she is too old.

Can you please share what kind you have, what it covers, and the pros and cons of it ? Would you purchase it again ? Thank you

[NeylasMom]

I would search the H&M and EEG forums for old threads. THere is so much info already out there that you will likely find useful.

 

My two cents again - I have Healthy Paws and LOVE THEM. They had options in terms of deductible and % reimbursed so I could keep my premium low, they process my claims typically within one day, I often receive email responses to my inquiries to CS almost immediately, they have an app so you can just take a photo of your invoice and submit your claim through the app (that is literally all you have to do, take the photo, click on submit), and one big draw for me with them over Trupanion was the annual deductible rather than the per incident.

 

I got it for the girls with the intent to not cover their medical costs (I have a separate savings account for that), but so that I wouldn't have to make treatment decisions based on finances. Veterinary costs are SO high these days, especially at specialty clinics, which I prefer when there is something more serious going on like cancer, etc. One incident can wipe out your savings in a heartbeat. So with that thinking, I went with a $250 ded and 80% reimbursement. I think in retrospect, I might have chosen a higher ded and 90% reimbursement, but this has worked out well for me. Violet has had plenty of emergencies plus her ongoing PT so it has more than paid for itself. Honestly, her PT would be a hardship even without it. She gets weekly acupuncture and massage therapy (2 separate appts) for her likely disc issue to the tune of $153/week. Instead of paying over $600/month for that I pay a little over a hundred. It's the difference between cost prohibitive and doable.

 

Since I know you're asking for your puppy who is a mixed breed, Skye, my mutt is younger and of course healthier. Have I paid out more in premiums for her, probably. But there have been years where I have met her deductible and got money back and she is now on Apoquel, which isn't super cheap. But again, I have it in case something serious happens.

 

I think you saw 2 days ago that I wasn't sure who ate the chocolate cookies so I ended up taking both to the e-vet. Our vet visit ended up being almost $400. Wasn't even a factor in my decision making because I knew much of that would be covered (though HP does not cover exam fees so $150 of that being emergency consult fees is a bummer, oh well).

 

Anyway, it's a personal decision based on your own finances whether you get it, but if you do, I highly recommend HP. If you PM me, I can give you a referral code to sign up that I believe gets you a discount.

 

ETA: I almost forgot to say, they have never given me a hard time about reimbursing for anything. I try to ask in advance about anything I'm unsure about, but I've never had an issue. I wasn't sure what would be covered with her neck treatments, but they told me as long as they were under the guidance of a vet, they would be paid out. This includes the massage therapist who comes to our home. We switched to her from going to the specialty facility because it was cheaper and I like her so much better and I was really worried she wouldn't be covered because she has her own body work practice, but she is.

Edited August 2, 2017 by NeylasMom

[JohnF]

Pet Plan. But its one of their expensive whole life policies. It's come in good for Peggy's tail injury, knee injury, and this current bout of Gastro Enteritis or whatever it is.

 

Though over 8 years they will have made a tidy profit. It's just that can anyone be sure that they can reliably ring-fence their vet money?

[MP_the4pack]

Another Healthy Paws here. Love them.

When I didn't have insurance, I had a $15,000 vet bill covering the months from Dec 1999 to July 2000. Losing my 5 yr old saving my 6 yr old.

 

I've had insurance since. Sometimes the insurance company made out sometimes I did. My Pearl drained the insurance company dry with her heart disease and hypertension diagnosed at age 6, she died of cancer age 12.

[Rickiesmom]

Unfortunately, Healthy Paws is not available in Canada.

[jenners]

I used VPI which became Nationwide, since they were the only plan to cover exotics (hedgehogs) and was very happy with them. They have exclusions, such as routine spays, etc., and never reimbursed 100% of anything, but with every hedgehog covered. I always ended up getting reimbursed more than my annual fee, so it was always a win. This *might* be because all exotic care is very pricey; maybe the reimbursement wouldn't work out as well if the claims were smaller. But I was glad to have it!

 

Jennie

[Beachbum1]

From one of my earlier posts:

 

I have had Embrace for both dogs for 4 years.

Premiums run a little under $500.00 a year for each dog.

That worked out to $1.37 a day for his insurance.

Last year, Embrace paid out $10,000.00 (80%) for Taylor's care for Osteosarcoma.

I pay the vet. Submit the claim form with the invoice. Have a check in my hands within 10-12 days.

Dozens and dozens of claims.

Always approved.

Always paid.

The $400.00, 500.00, 600.00 you don't spend annually on premiums, and "set aside", will be used up in an overnight stay or two at the vet.

Chest x-rays and an exam run around $400.00.

It will take you around 4-5 years of "saving that premium money" to pay for chemo.

[Walliered]

I have Healthy Paws for both Galgos. I am just fine with them, but have had Trupanion for three Greyhounds and were equally fine with them...except when they said DaVid had allergies and my vet said it was definitely IBD. They would not listen to my vet (and she wrote them a letter)..kind of pissed me off.

[Busderpuddle]

Thank you everyone. I will check into all of these mentioned.

Neylasmom, I tried to PM you but it said you couldn't receive PM's ????

[seeh2o]

Another happy Healthy Paws customer. I've had all my greyhounds covered by them. They have paid close to (if not over) $10,000 for Bowie's diagnosis, amputation, chemo (she was diagnosed with osteo in February), acupuncture and chiropractic. They are great. I know this sounds insane, but after Bowie's amputation I received an email from the president of the company. I was seriously dubious, thinking it was a standard form email...so I responded. He wrote me back, we corresponded back and forth for a bit. Unreal and a truly pleasant surprise.

 

They also paid for Carl's 5 day hospitalization after he was bitten on the head and messed up further by an incompetent ER vet (I was out of town when it went down) and Doodles 8 day hospitalization in the neurology dept after she had her FCE, they paid for all of their portion of her cold laser and acupuncture with no hassle.

 

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

Edited August 3, 2017 by seeh2o

[4My2Greys]

Add me to the list of happy Healthy Paws customers.

[tbhounds]

Healthypaws reimbursed me $20,000 this year-enough said??? ;-)

[racindog]

Add me to the list of not so happy w/ Healthy Paws which I have had for many years-since they started. I think they only give out a very few of those large payouts at strategic times so they can use them for marketing as they have been pretty tight and stringent with my claims-so much so that even though I may go over a year without filing one I still have been just paying all my vet stuff this last year out of pocket and not even bothering to file. I figure what's the use they won't pay it anyway and it might make them jack up the rates. So even though it iis a rarity for me to file a claim-and even though I have NEVER had a large one-they really have not been that helpful to me at all in all these years. Gilly Boy is 9 years old and I just go and pay for ALL his treatments he needs for his back-I have not even bothered to file a single one in the last 2 years- because I know Healthy Paws would deny it and I don't want to be frustrated and I'm not going to fight with them over it to obtain services that they claim are covered. So for me they really are just catastrophic insurance I HOPE. I really don't have a lot of confidence in that they would pay a large bill for my dogs even though it would be technically covered-perhaps so if it occurs at a time they can use it for advertising. I am frankly shocked to read the above posters who say that HP paid for what they did when they are stingy with me over what should be routine injury/illness claims. Like I said though I have just reached the point I ocnsider them catatropic insurance only(maybe) and have quit even filing claims. Saves on frustrations.

Edited August 3, 2017 by racindog

[seeh2o]

I'm shocked to read this. They've never denied any of my claims going back 3 dogs and to 2010, I think. For that matter, lots of my greyhound and non-Greyhound pet owner friends have HP and we now have it at work. I haven't heard of anyone having a denial without a good reason (they don't cover supplements or preexisting conditions). What reasons have they given you for denials?

[NeylasMom]

Yeah, I'm really curious what you have been denied for. Perhaps things that weren't meant to be covered if you read the fine print? It's also tough to criticize them on the assumption that they won't reimburse you when you habent submitted the claims. I don't know, maybe you are the exception, but it seems strange.

[racindog]

I'm shocked to read this. They've never denied any of my claims going back 3 dogs and to 2010, I think. For that matter, lots of my greyhound and non-Greyhound pet owner friends have HP and we now have it at work. I haven't heard of anyone having a denial without a good reason (they don't cover supplements or preexisting conditions). What reasons have they given you for denials?

Wow! That's amazing!!! Like I said I myself was shocked to read the above reports of them paying with no problems. Of course I would never expect them to pay for things that were not supposed to be covered. Just count yourself lucky if they have been good to you. They treat me like they think I am trying to get away with something which frankly pisses me off. First I am one of the few who is honest and wouldn't do that. 2nd-they have had COMPLETE vet records on my dogs-even the handwritten vet notes which they DEMANDED and INSISTED on- for all these years! from day 1 when I got them so they know very well there is nothing wrong or pre-existing with my dogs and 3rd I have not really been reimbursed hardly anything over the years and 4th-I have not even reported or made a claim on most if any of my latest vet stuff like Gilly's back. So its not like I'm trying to hit them up or get paid for stuff not covered or necessary which is the way they treat me. Back before I got frustrated and gave up they really did not provide me a reason for denials they just simply said we won't cover it period. And like I said, to me the small amount it would have been anyway was not worth fighting over. I figure $50 - 100 etc(what few claims I did make were small) is not worth the trouble of fighting over- perhaps they know that and act on it, I honestly don't know. They have made A LOT of money on me all these years-not the other way around- and yet they treat me like I am trying to swindle them if I even attempt to make a small claim. Thats the bottom line for my HP experience. I just hope they will honor the policy if I ever have a large vet bill but its kind of hard to have confidence in that when they treated me like they did when I would try to make even a small claim.

[seeh2o]

I'm sorry you're having such a poor experience with them. When they denied a supplement,

 

I admit I was ignorant and didn't realize they didn't cover supplements at the time, I still called them to find out why, even though it was only $11. When Doodles was in the hospital for 8 days, they did deny her Solixine pills because her hypothyroidism, but it was a was a pre-existing condition, so I expected that. Those were the most expensive 8 Soloxine pills ever!

 

They always ask for past medical records on a new dog they are going to cover and, if the dog is over a certain age, (I can't remember the age) they require a physical exam within a short period of time.

 

I don't think you're one of the few honest people, the are still lots of us left out here.

Edited August 3, 2017 by seeh2o

[racindog]

Yeah, I'm really curious what you have been denied for. Perhaps things that weren't meant to be covered if you read the fine print? It's also tough to criticize them on the assumption that they won't reimburse you when you habent submitted the claims. I don't know, maybe you are the exception, but it seems strange.

No, nothing like that. As a degreed chemist I am more than fluid in understanding medical exclusions etc and reading fine print. I am familiar with their exclusions for e.g. the office visit etc and have no problem with them. I have no idea why they would be accommodating and nice to one person and then fall short and wrongly treat another like they are a swindler. Something about me or my dogs must just piss them off hehe. But yes you are right about not being able to criticize if I didn't submit the claims but that is because they had already shown me from previous submissions that it was a waste of time for us. Maybe if I get bored I'll decide to take up the fight and try again someday

[Walliered]

I do know that Healthy Paws will insure a super senior. Across the board it is about $45.00 premium a month, but it is a $750 deductible with only 60% coverage. I just checked this out a couple of weeks ago. The Healthy Paws lady on the phone said it did not make any difference on what breed they were or if they were a mutt.

[NeylasMom]

What is your deductible? Any chance they weren't paying out because you hadn't met it yet?

 

I just really don't get it. Any CS question or complaint I've had I've received a clear response explaining or addressing things within 24 hours and thr one time I had a legitimate big beef with them the CEO called me personally.

[racindog]

What is your deductible? Any chance they weren't paying out because you hadn't met it yet?

 

I just really don't get it. Any CS question or complaint I've had I've received a clear response explaining or addressing things within 24 hours and thr one time I had a legitimate big beef with them the CEO called me personally.

$250 deductible and 90% coverage on Gilly and 80% on Reba. Deductible had been met-no question about it-very easy to look at all your stuff on their web site to confirm. I figure they are prolly the best of the insurers(based on what others say) which is why I still have them. Just saying that because they have been wonderful to you don't mean they are to everybody. Count your blessings hehe.

Edited August 4, 2017 by racindog

[cgs]

I'm looking into pet insurance now and will probably go with Healthy Paws due to the (mostly) good reviews here and elsewhere. But I'm curious if anyone has Pets Best. You can do $1000 deductible there and 70, 80, or 90% coverage, so it's cheaper. I could get a plan for only about $22/mo for 90% coverage and $1000 deductible, so it would really be for catastrophic coverage or a lot of stuff in one year. A Pets Best plan with same coverage as Health Paws (90% and $500 deductible) it would be $12 cheaper per month.

 

Their reviews aren't universally great. Some people love them, but it sounds like they deny or try to deny a lot of stuff and try to claim things are preexisting conditions. But with a 3 year-old dog, not much can be preexisting. HP would be $51/month.

 

I'm also considering the wellness plan through my vet, which would be about $600 year. I feel like I can't walk in the place without dropping $250 and that's after I turn down blood work and maybe a vaccine if I'm not boarding the dog. But Pets Best has a wellness add-on that doesn't cover a lot, but it does cover some of the vaccine and other costs. And covers a little on heartworm and flea/tick treatments. And for a few dollars more/month, they'll cover the exam for an accident or illness. So for about $60/month, I could get accident/illness coverage, including the exam for that, plus about $250 of wellness stuff that I would definitely use. But I'd still be paying a lot for well checks, vaccines, etc.

 

It's complicated! I have a 10 year old shih-poo and we've never had any kind of insurance or wellness plan for her, but every time I go to the vet, I walk out mad. I took Percy today and it was $185 and that was with skipping flu and bordatella vaccines. If I get the vet's wellness plan by tomorrow, they'll reimburse me for that. My head is spinning.

Edited March 8, 2018 by cgs

[Houndtime]

I always thought if you put some money away in an account reserved for your dog's vet and health costs (Frontline, vitamins, supplements, and heart worm meds) was a smart idea. We have been doing that for a quite a few years and it has worked. Until...now. Shine's surgery, for her broken ankle, wiped the account out. Totally. How much would have insurance paid? I have no idea. Did I actually save money over the years maintaining this account? I think so.

 

Insurance companies aren't in business to lose money. You have to realize that most people never use as much insurance as their premiums cost. For catastrophic instances, it does pay.

 

Just my opinion. Whatever it is worth.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Houndtime

[Beachbum1]

My $500.00 annual premium with Embrace paid out $10,000.00 for Taylor's first year of care for Osteo.

Every single claim was paid out at 80% of my cost.

Second year, same premium, paid out around $6500.00.

 

It would have taken me 4 years of not paying those premiums JUST to pay for the chemo drug.

[Houndtime]

My $500.00 annual premium with Embrace paid out $10,000.00 for Taylor's first year of care for Osteo.

Every single claim was paid out at 80% of my cost.

Second year, same premium, paid out around $6500.00.

 

It would have taken me 4 years of not paying those premiums JUST to pay for the chemo drug.

 

There you go. For catastrophic occurrences, it does pay. I guess people hope they won't have a catastrophic occurrence, or a severe ankle break with surgery.