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Old 05-03-2012, 09:30 AM
 
316 posts, read 939,738 times
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I did a lot of research and went with Healthy Paws pet insurance, which covers pretty much everything (genetic issues, etc) as long as it is not a pre-existing condition.
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Old 05-03-2012, 09:32 AM
 
Location: Lakewood, NJ
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Trupanion and Pet Plan do not have pre-existing conditions like other companies. The only rider one of them has (I think it's Trupanion) is an extra fee to cover hip dysplasia for large breed dogs. I'd have to check when I go into work but I'm pretty sure if the animal has a disease/condition and it causes no problems for one year they are then covered for it. Those are the 2 we recommend at my hospital and we met with and researched all of them. They are pretty good at reimbursing our clients with very little headache. VPI used to be the staple insurance company but they are horrible and decline a lot based on nothing and have very low coverage limits. They are good for exotics though and are currently the only company that covers them (rabbits, ferrets, birds, etc). Moral of the story: Get the insurance when your pets are young and you don't have to deal with pre-existing conditions. Both of them do not discriminate against breed related (genetic) conditions either. Embrace also has a good reputation but I'm not as familiar with it. I have never heard of Healthy Paws and as a vet, if I've never heard of it and never had a client use it I'm skeptical. Research how long companies have been around - there are new ones popping up all the time but stay away from them. Many go under and you are left with nothing.

IMO the wellness plans are not worth it - they do not pay enough to justify the cost but for an emergency they are absolutely worth it, especially if you have a large breed dog. I can't tell you how many pets I've had to euthanize because the owners could not afford the surgery needed in an emergency and did not qualify for other payment options. A GDV surgery (bloat) can cost around $5,000 with all the intensive care and hospitalization involved and there is no guarantee the dog will even survive. A torn cruciate can run about $3500. It is worth it to have the emergency plans because lets face it, are you really going to put that $50/month in an account for your pet? Probably not and then you are going to be faced with some very tough decisions if emergency situations arise.
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Old 05-03-2012, 09:40 AM
 
316 posts, read 939,738 times
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Thanks. Yes, Pet Plan and Embrace are also highly rated by customers, along with Healthy Paws. Trupanion is up there too, just slightly behind the others (according to petinsurancereview.com). In the end I decided to go with Healthy Paws for a few reasons: slightly lower monthly premiums, annual deductible (as opposed to per incident deductible), and no lifetime or annual maxiumums. None of them cover pre-existing conditions.
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Old 05-03-2012, 09:44 AM
 
1,787 posts, read 5,725,593 times
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Originally Posted by GoYanks34 View Post
...I can't tell you how many pets I've had to euthanize because the owners could not afford the surgery needed in an emergency and did not qualify for other payment options....
The last time my dog had major surgery, I never asked how much it would cost. I didn't want that to be the reason my pet lived or died.

I'll have to look into the insurance you posted. I do put money away every week for my pets' medical needs and I'll have to compare it against the insurance to see if it's worth it. Thanks for the post.
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Old 05-03-2012, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Northern NJ
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We've had good results with Pet Plan. Every dog we've ever had needed cruciate ligament surgery. They get chasing things and eventually blow them out, and it needs to be surgically repaired to the tune of about $3,000.

Consumer Reports advises never to buy it but we chose to do so.

Rhys
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Old 05-03-2012, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Lakewood, NJ
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Originally Posted by timneh5 View Post
The last time my dog had major surgery, I never asked how much it would cost. I didn't want that to be the reason my pet lived or died.
I'm the same way (my rabbit had a CT scan and major surgery at AMC in the city many years ago that cost thousands of dollars and I would have sold my car to pay for it if I had to) but unfortunately many people don't have the money, have horrible credit and no family who can help them in times of emergency. My personal favorite are the clients who bring in pure bred puppies they just spent thousands of dollars on but can't afford the vaccines they need because they spent all of their money on the dog.

Quote:
I'll have to look into the insurance you posted. I do put money away every week for my pets' medical needs and I'll have to compare it against the insurance to see if it's worth it. Thanks for the post.
I'm off until Sat but I'll get the info for the plans we recommend and post the major differences then.
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Old 05-03-2012, 10:56 AM
 
316 posts, read 939,738 times
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Here is some more info from the research I did. All of these cover the major, most important things - genetic issues, chronic issues, cancer, etc.

Healthy Paws - No annual maximums or per incident maximums, unlimited lifetime maximum as well. The deductible is annual, which I like.

Embrace - Also an annual deductible. They do have annual maximums though. They offer dental and wellness / preventative too, but at additional fees. $50,000 lifetime max too. overall more expensive premiums.

Pet Plan - good premium prices. But no annual deductible - their deductible is per incident. Not sure I like the sound of that unless you go with a zero or very low deductible, but those have higher premiums. Also has a $12,000 annual max. It does include exams though which is nice.

Trupanion - similar to Pet plan in terms of the per incident deductible. Does not include exams. Does not cover hip displasia in base policy.
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Old 05-03-2012, 11:11 AM
 
1,787 posts, read 5,725,593 times
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Originally Posted by mikieguns View Post
Here is some more info from the research I did. All of these cover the major, most important things - genetic issues, chronic issues, cancer, etc.

Healthy Paws - No annual maximums or per incident maximums, unlimited lifetime maximum as well. The deductible is annual, which I like.

Embrace - Also an annual deductible. They do have annual maximums though. They offer dental and wellness / preventative too, but at additional fees. $50,000 lifetime max too. overall more expensive premiums.

Pet Plan - good premium prices. But no annual deductible - their deductible is per incident. Not sure I like the sound of that unless you go with a zero or very low deductible, but those have higher premiums. Also has a $12,000 annual max. It does include exams though which is nice.

Trupanion - similar to Pet plan in terms of the per incident deductible. Does not include exams. Does not cover hip displasia in base policy.
I forgot about dental. That is one expensive vet visit!!
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Old 05-03-2012, 12:09 PM
 
Location: Lakewood, NJ
1,171 posts, read 2,672,162 times
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Originally Posted by timneh5 View Post
I forgot about dental. That is one expensive vet visit!!
Which is why I tell every single client to brush your pet's teeth! It will save you thousands over their lifetime - especially the little dogs. Just a finger-brush is more than enough to make a difference, don't even need to get to a toothbrush (and most dogs don't tolerate them well anyway). I know immediately when a client has been brushing the teeth the minute I look at them on an older small dog. The difference is remarkable.

*If you start this never use human toothpaste - the fluoride can be toxic to them and can make them vomit*
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Old 05-03-2012, 12:16 PM
 
1,787 posts, read 5,725,593 times
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Originally Posted by GoYanks34 View Post
Which is why I tell every single client to brush your pet's teeth! It will save you thousands over their lifetime - especially the little dogs. Just a finger-brush is more than enough to make a difference, don't even need to get to a toothbrush (and most dogs don't tolerate them well anyway). I know immediately when a client has been brushing the teeth the minute I look at them on an older small dog. The difference is remarkable.

*If you start this never use human toothpaste - the fluoride can be toxic to them and can make them vomit*
I have a retired breeder and a mill rescue and brushing isn't going to save most of their teeth now. It's important to brush when the dogs are young.
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