# Frustrated with Pet Insurance



## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

Alright, I had my two maltese enrolled in pet insurance for quite a while until my husband started nagging me to cancel it. He complained that the premiums were too high for insurance that we never used. We had some really decent fights about it. I have told him, if the dogs have some major injury I will get them treatment, I will pay the money for it... and that without insurance we were going to have to cough all that up ourselves. He still didn't want the insurance. And still kept hounding me until I cancelled.

A month after we cancelled one of my maltese was diagnosed with a Salivary Mucocele. He had the surgery for it yesterday and the bill was about $1300 for everything, I have reminded my husband that the insurance would have covered all but our deductible. He wasn't moved.

I told him that I had discussed with the vet tech about insurance and the various things that could come up and the cost of these things, like a broken limb, Addison eating something she shouldn't-and all of those emergencies can be 5k or more... and my he says to me 'That's too much'

:shock: Excuse me? 

Since we have no insurance we would paid it. We argued until I told him that yes we would pay it and it would happen even if it meant us splitting up. That kind of ended the argument.

So now, I have two maltese with pre exisiting conditions-or hints of certain conditions that I don't know if it would even benefit covering them at this point-and Addison. I started the search for insurance for Addison...

Firstly, insurance rates have sky rocketed since I had my boys covered-which was not that long ago. Everything that I see considered as decent insurance is giving me a quote of 40-50 a month. That is ridiculous-and many of them only cover up to 5k annually? What!?

The one I did like was 29 a month-but you had to pay an enrollment fee and first and last months payments up front? What? I'm not moving into the place for crying out loud! There was also talk on their facebook page that they are changing from an annual deductible to a per incident deductible...

I mean seriously, 50 a month into a savings account may very well be a better option. I am so frustrated right now with my husband and with insurance options. I'm starting to think that in the future, keeping a one dog household is the way to go, because my pets are my kids and I will not have one put down for something like a $5k emergency vet bill.

Sorry for the long rant.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Maizie is my only dog covered by insurance at the moment with Petplan, which is clearly one of the best companies. I pay $43/month for $10,000 coverage and a $200 deductible. I feel the cost is well worth it. I wouldn't be able to easily pay a $10,000 vet bill if it occurred. Not too many of us are! As you may recall, I was reimbursed over $2,500 when she swallowed the toy and had to have surgery. For $600/yr. I have peace of mind for her care. 

Considering adding the other dogs on as well.


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

I just signed NJ up for Healthy Paws at 31.44 a month and 250 ded unlimited


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

Pamela said:


> I just signed NJ up for Healthy Paws at 31.44 a month and 250 ded unlimited


sorry - unlimited coverage at 80%


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I have both of my boys in Petplan insurance. Luke I signed up when he was a puppy, but Draco not until he was 4. Because of that, I am very limited with what Draco is covered for. I am pretty upset at what they will not cover with him because of what he had done in the past. I had a routine dental done (no extractions), and a routine chiropractor visit done. Now he is not covered for any dental emergencies or spinal problems in the future! Ears either because of one infection. Also, because of our specialist consult for his acid problems he isn't covered for Any gastrointestinal issues in the future. Also, the doctor listed possible diagnoses on the paper because it is still open. Well, now All of those aren't covered either (which includes All autoimmune diseases, any muscle disease). What is the point with having Draco covered anymore unless he eats a foreign body or breaks a leg? 

My co-worker has https://figopetinsurance.com/pet-insurance for her dog and really likes it. I am currently looking into it for my dogs as well.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Hans has petplan....the premiums are $30 something a month for him. I signed him up when a friend had a $7000 vet bill for emergency surgery for his Dobe. I mainly got it because I worry about him getting hurt. He runs and jumps like crazy and he could easily break a leg, and now I know we can make decisions based on what's best for him and not just on what we can afford. I was pretty surprised that my fiancé didn't argue about the insurance, but when he found out how much surgery costs he was all for it.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

shell said:


> I mean seriously, 50 a month into a savings account may very well be a better option.


That's what the experts say... 



shell said:


> Sorry for the long rant.


One of the best I've seen. Well done... four thumbs up. 

I don't have insurance for Tonka. But only 'cos he's already been gastropexied. The risk of an un-stitched Standard falling victim to bloat is high, IMO. And $2000 divided by $40 or $50 a month is ... ummmm.... lots!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I don't have insurance for my girls but a do have a pet fund. I started a while ago but started saving in earnest when Beatrice got diagnosed with bilateral luxating patellas, her first knee cost 3k. Flower's eye troubles have cost roughly $1800 and Walter's severe bout of constipation cost $1200, this doesn't include monthly meds for Grace and Flower or Walter's prescription diet food. 
To me this is the cost of pet ownership, and I will always find a way for my pets to get treated and pay for it. Start that fund when they are babes and don't touch it. I put away $100 a month.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

Just an update, I researched and got a quote from Figo insurance for the boys. Each dog will be about $15 less a month than Petplan is for the exact same coverage. Both companies look very similar to their policies and everything. The coverage is the same for a regular vet and a specialist with Figo, where Petplan will have less coverage for a specialist. I will be switching both dogs over to Figo insurance.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

If you can easily find the high cost of treatment, then insurance will be the more expensive option in most cases. If you live from one payday to the next and run a sensible budget, then insurance is essential. Many insurance companies are famous for not paying on pet plans. The cheapest insurance may well not turn out to be cheap, when you have a $2,000 bill they refuse to pay. I have seen too many damn good dogs put down because the owners can not or will not pay thousands of dollars for treatment. One local older man here had a collie with a broken leg, she carried. She was getting on fine and was a "good girl" but blind Freddie could have seen the pain she experienced from her condition. Her owner could not afford the treatment and could not bear to be separated from her. I spoke very nicely to my vet, who said treatment should cost about $1500 because of the time interval. I said I would pay half if he would, as a pro bono gesture. This was done and the vet after meeting the owner waived the fees entirely. He says I owe him one. I'm not sure what "one" is but I guess I'll pay. Conclusion: If you love your pets and you can't find thousands of dollars for care, INSURE!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

When Lily and Peeves were puppies we asked our vet about insuring them. His thinking was that if I could make a dedicated emergency fund we would be better off since the biggest potential issues for both of them (and now Javelin) are hip dysplasia and bloat, and that for insurance companies that were perhaps less than great we might well be denied for those problems.

I did check on premiums at that time and found that it would have cost me $100/monthly for the two of them. I opted for self insuring. I have a well funded reserve fund as cash and I also can take advantage of a number of other financial resources if I need to.

I will not insure Javelin either.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

Anybody wondering whether they should insure their puppy should see my recent thread about Ari's leg (there's also a cost breakdown of the savings insurance can bring). The best time to buy insurance for your dog is the day you bring them home because buying insurance later is much more expensive, as the OP is seeing.

I pay $30 a month for a $200 deductible and 90% coverage from Petplan and I bought the insurance the day Ari came home.

It's fine to self-insure as long as one has done the math to understand the kind of costs you could have to cover and you've thought about your financial limits and what you would do if those were reached while your dog still needed further care (as I am sure Lily has done).

Shell, I'm sorry this happened to you and that your husband is continuing to be unreasonable when it comes to the cost of your dogs healthcare. I don't know if I could handle that situation with the patience it sounds like you have.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

sophie anne I don't disagree with you at all. If I were not in a very well settled employment position (tenured and in my 29th year at my institution) I would have a very different perspective. But even many years ago where my income was much lower I did incur a large vet bill for knee surgery on a cat. I was able to pay off the charge on my credit card by substituting for people during the semester when she hurt herself(something I normally don't do much of).


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

What companies are you looking at? I have Embrace for a Great Dane at under $30/month. I wouldn't have a Dane without it - giant dogs = giant bills. And I think I'll probably insure other dogs that I get in the future unless I have a large savings account set aside for them. If you already have a pre-existing condition for your dog or the vet has documented that your dog has Addison's or symptoms, then it might be better to just save since that would likely be a pre-existing condition.


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I had Pet Plan for a year. Didn't use it during that time period and the dogs were all young at that time. I think the oldest was 4. When it came time to renew, they'd almost doubled my premium. I called, and they said it was because vet bills are so high in NY.

I live in upstate NY, and vet bills are higher than other areas of the country, but they are nowhere near NYC prices- and wages are not high here either. We would have been spending almost $2000 a year for insurance on 3 young healthy dogs....and they probably would have just kept raising it every year. So I canceled. 

My dogs have had a few health problems, nothing major, and I am way ahead financially by banking those premiums. I can't predict what is to come, but I'll deal with it if, or when it happens.

On another note, there's a lot written about how the private insurance companies have contributed to high human health care costs in this country, and our lousy health outcomes. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to see the writing on the wall for pet care as well. i won't go to a corporate owned vet practice, fortunately, there are still choices in this area. 

So that's my soap box. However, I think everyone's situation is different and if having pet insurance gives you peace of mind and provides a safety net, then go for it.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Carolinek your comparison of human and veterinary health care is so very true at many levels.

We have better and better technology for diagnosis and better and better therapies, yet all of it is less and less accessible as business modeling takes over both human medical and veterinary health systems.

My vet also is private and has done lots to build the practice above and beyond where it was when I first started going to him about 25 years ago. He is not one of the most expensive vets around, but has clearly done well in all that he has done personally and professionally. It is so nice to go there not feeling like I was going to be ripped off.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Carolinek you comparison of human and veterinary health care is so very true at many levels.
> 
> We have better and better technology for diagnosis and better and better therapies, yet all of it is less and less accessible as business modeling takes over both human medical and veterinary health systems.
> 
> My vet also is private and has done lots to build the practice above and beyond where it was when I first started going to him about 25 years ago. He is not one of the most expensive vets around, but has clearly done well in all that he has done personally and professionally. It is so nice to go there not feeling like I was going to be ripped off.


I finally found a mythical scammer vet a couple weeks ago when Ari had itchy ears so I took her to the closest clinic to my school (walking distance) during lunch for an appointment. The bill came out to $300 and change for an ear smear/stain and some antibiotic!! I was so angry I could barely speak at the checkout, but on the bright side the amount over $200 was covered by Ari's insurance... We will not go back there!

But I see the role the insurance could play there in making customers more willing to overpay for services. The big difference with dog insurance is that you have to pay up front, so there is some limit to how out-of-control prices could possibly get before customers simply could not pay their bill.

The specialist I'm taking Ari to for the broken leg charges reasonable prices for what you get, I think. There is a tech assigned to each dog that checks them every 10 minutes and a dedicated staff member that watches the crates with the animals full time. The prices are marginally lower than the overpriced vet near my school, shockingly enough.

I thought the emergency care in NY was not too expensive, considering the fact that it was an on-call visit and not a 24-hour emergency clinic. In fact, the vet had a wedding reception an hour after we came in so Ari was treated by the best dressed and made up team I have ever seen! :lol: If Herkimer Veterinary Associates is near any of you I can't recommend them enough!

I'm turning into a veterinarian tourist...


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## Wyatt Riley (Sep 21, 2016)

Please see my posts for healthy paws pet insurance. My dachshund had back and knee surgery and they were awesome! It's under medical.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

oshagcj914 since it was about 7 1/2 years ago that I took that quote for Lily and Peeves I don't remember who the company was.

sophie anne that vet near campus does sound like a very expensive vet indeed. When I was at my vet for Javelin twice in the past two weeks to be able to split his immunizations apart and have his annual exam I was charged once for the exam fee, for each of the immunizations (plus NYS mandated medical waste disposal fees) and that's it. Both times I was there he checked and cleaned his ears for me. That is what brought me to doing NutriScan. His ears had already produced an obvious amount of wax in one week. I know the vet clinic could have given me the material to do the NutriScan with an add on for their cost, but he just gave me the brochure and told me to order it myself. The first week, he suggested I scale some tartar off his teeth, so I got a set of instruments. I cleaned his canines no problem, but felt I hadn't made much progress on his 4th molars. I had brought the instruments to the appointment with me so the Dr. showed me how to do it and made a good deal of progress on one molar for nothing. He also has never charged me for doing nails if I ask for it and when I take the three of them together or get the maintenance meds (flea, tick, heartworm) we get a multi-pet discount and although I am not there yet, he gives a discount to seniors.


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## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

Thanks everyone, for both points of view. We have talked further on the issue and are building a savings account for medical emergencies for the pups. We have decided that in the future we will likely just keep one dog at a time and when we reach that point we may look again at insurance.

I think there were a few misunderstandings from my original post. Addison is my spoos name, none of them have or show symptoms of Addison's disease. Addison still gets the puppy rate as she is only 9 months old and rates typically start with a range of 8 weeks to 1 year so the high rates are not due to an advanced age  

I did try petplan, they are the ones who wanted first and last months payment and an enrollment fee up front-and they are the ones that I read were changing their deductible from per year to per incident. This makes them far less appealing then they were at first glance for about $30 a month.

Some of the other insurances mentioned I had not heard of but after looking through as many as I have, I'm done with it for the time being.


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

I don't have insurance for the kiddos. That said, I do know someone who works for Trupanion and I believe they'll even pay the vet directly in an emergency (vs your waiting to be reimbursed).


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

twyla said:


> I don't have insurance for my girls but a do have a pet fund. I started a while ago but started saving in earnest when Beatrice got diagnosed with bilateral luxating patellas, her first knee cost 3k. Flower's eye troubles have cost roughly $1800 and Walter's severe bout of constipation cost $1200, this doesn't include monthly meds for Grace and Flower or Walter's prescription diet food.
> To me this is the cost of pet ownership, and I will always find a way for my pets to get treated and pay for it. Start that fund when they are babes and don't touch it. I put away $100 a month.


Good for you Twyla! I wish I could put a $100 a month into our pet savings. We started out in 1998, with $25 a month, and then sometimes a little more. Now ( and this works out really well for us), my Social Security money goes directly into our credit union account, and they automatically transfer $50 each month and put that into our pet savings account. That way I don't miss the money.

I like having a pet fund in the bank better than taking out pet insurance because that way, the money is always there for us, and it also accumulates Interest. Instead of having to pay premiums every month, put that money into a savings account. And yes, one has to be very careful not to touch that money for anything else. Otherwise that defeats the purpose.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

sophie anne said:


> Anybody wondering whether they should insure their puppy should see my recent thread about Ari's leg (there's also a cost breakdown of the savings insurance can bring). The best time to buy insurance for your dog is the day you bring them home because buying insurance later is much more expensive, as the OP is seeing.
> 
> 
> It's fine to self-insure as long as one has done the math to understand the kind of costs you could have to cover and you've thought about your financial limits and what you would do if those were reached while your dog still needed further care (as I am sure Lily has done).
> ...



I totally agree. It's important that all pet owners fully understand how much money it will cost to take care of a dog ( or any pet actually), throughout its lifetime, and then figure out if they can financially do it.


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