Pet insurance?

[vemureaux]

Originally Posted by mimosa

ASPCA now has pet insurance that is similar to what i have myself. You pay first $100 per year and they pay 80%. I think they will pay preexisting if it's been over 6 mos since last bill. Under 10 years old primary plan is only $16 per mos. Co vers up to $1500 each occurance.

I recently acquired a pup and considered pet insurance. Of the various brochures I looked at, I liked ASPCA the best bacuse you can use any vet (don't have to choose from a list) and after a $100 annual deductible, they reimburse 80% of the remaining allowable charges. The cheapest plan (Safety plan starts at $9) only covers accidents (accidental ingestions, cuts and bites, bone fractures, falls, motor vehicle accidents) whereas the Primary plan (starts at $17) covers accidents as well as as illness treatment costs (prescription meds, diagnostic and lab procedures, surgery, hospitalization, etc). But, additional premiums may apply depending on breed, region, and age. There are more expensive plans that cover more things as well but cost $30-80 per month.

But when you do the math...
Basically, with the two cheaper/more affordable plans, I'd have to shell out $200-300 a year (deductible+monthly cost) before I get anything back, and that's only if it's an allowable charge that's covered in the plan.

As others have suggested, I decided to open a savings account for pet expenses and make sure to put money into it every month instead. Even $50 a month will add up to $600 over a year and help cover pet costs during pet emergencies, bad economy, or any other rainy day occurance. And hopefully it'll be a while and I'll have a bit saved up before anything big happens (knock on wood).

[mimosa]

I used ASPCA and after enrolling found out my little one had lymphoma, They didnt pay 80% because they felt the charges were excessive, but they did pay 80% of customary and it really helped me with the large bills, ultra sound, office visits, tests, cancer doctor, etc. It was worth it to me as I had just joined a few months before.

[Dashdog]

If considering insurance be careful as often they do not cover cancer without adding an expensive cancer rider to them .

Dash has nasal cancer and has had palliative IMRT Radiation, he also had his nose scoped for a biopsy, Xrays and had a Cat scan. People say to me I bet you wish you had per insurance? Not really as when I sat down and figured what it would have cost me over the past 10 years and if I had added a cancer rider a few years ago ( he was 1 when I got him) X 2 dogs verses what they have cost me in vet bills over the years which is very little as they have been very healthy until this. I really think I would have spent almost as much .At least this way my money was earning money all these years. So I too support the bank account method, mine is from my own" emergency" account not just a pet account.
I also do not have someone telling me what I can or can not have done like I do not know if the insurance would have been willing to cover the extra cost of his palliative radiation being done with IMRT since it is not a common thing ....yet! To me the extra cost of IMRT was worth it as he has not had bad side effects.

I am so fed up with human insurance not just health but homowners making you pay extra for flood and or earthquake etc and health insurance having way too much say in what procedures you can or can not have that there is no way I want to pay one more company to rule the care of my dogs. Nope I will pay those bills myself.. thank you.