# Petplan and pre-existing conditions



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I am thinking about get Petplan insurance for my 3 yo dog. She will get her teeth cleaned by the vet next month and there is an iffy spot on 2 bacj teeth that might be nothing or could be a crack, or chip. It there is a piece broken off on one or both teeth, and it goes into the pulp (won't know until the cleaning), then I will have to make the decision to extract or go for a root canals. It I got petplan insurance now, she would be covered for either event. However, it states on their website that pre-existing conditions, *whether diagnosed or not*, are not covered. So I cannot make a decision about whether it is worth our while to pay almost $400 for insurance, especially if this turns out to be nothing. My question is "Do you think Petplan would claim broken teeth are a pre-existing condition if the problem was discovered with 3-4 weeks of initiating the policy?" Any feedback would be appreciated. I need to make this decision so if I am going to buy the policy. We have never had pet insurance and just absorbed the costs of our previous dogs getting sick. This dog has not had any problem thus far and is pretty healthy. Just not sure about her teeth.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

From what I know dentals are not covered by petplan at all. As for the cracked/broken tooth I am not sure if they would cover it especially if she was showing signs before your 14 day trial period. If it's not written in her records and the vet doesn't write it down that it happened before that trial period I would think it would be ok if it is something they cover, but I would not expect a refund just incase. A good person to ask would be Tinypoodles. I know she got a dental on one of her girls and petplan refunded her the money. I can't remember why though. I have thought about getting PP for Killa for a while now but every time I am about to hit that pay button I chicken out because I feel like it's just not worth it. Most of her conditions are pre existing and there is no getting around it or hiding it. 


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

They do not cover routine dental procedures like cleaning teeth, but they cover non-routine dental work like extractions and root canals. I, too, started to buy the insurance and backed off.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

So they would cover the extractions but not the cleaning and anesthesia? Or would the entire procedure be covered because of the extractions being non routine? It's so confusing to me, which is one of the reasons I choose not to get Insurance. Plus I am a very untrusting person with things like this, so I would think they would find any little excuse possible to deny a claim. 


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

I'm not sure about petplan over there, but I know that my insurance here covers things like broken teeth - it can be classed as an accidental damage. 

Routine things like teeth cleaning is not covered. 
As for the anesthetic, you can say that the reason she was anesthetized was the broken tooth, and since she was already under, the cleaning was done as an addition.... 

Your best bet is to read the whole contract and the small print too before you get into it


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Both Tangee and Teaka had dentals a couple of months after signing them up with Petplan. The vet had not indicated that they were in need of cleaning prior, so I was not deemed to be at fault for not following Vet recommendations ( even if they had already been covered, if the vet had recommended cleaning, and I had put it off, that may have rendered any dental problems uncovered).
So for Teaka, prior to her signing up, the Vet had noted that three teeth were chipped. Two of those teeth were removed during the procedure, and just the small cost of those two extractions were eliminated from the claim ( the third one was actually an erroneous notation on the vet's part - Teaka still has the tooth, and it is not chipped, so she wrote a letter to Petplan explaining that, so the tooth will be covered in the future if she ever has a problem with it).
Teaka also had two new skin growths and several other teeth removed due to loss of attachment, a fracture below the gum line, and an infection, and Petplan covered every dime - pre-op bloodwork, anesthesia - they even paid for a special fluoride toothpaste! My Vet however did not charge for cleaning the remaining teeth - I don't know if Petplan would have divided the costs of anesthesia and bloodwork if they had, but I doubt it.
Tangee, just a couple of months after signing up with Petplan had to have all but 5 tiny teeth removed - all of her teeth were infected, and frankly I was shocked that Petplan covered every dime - I almost didn't bother to submit the claim, but my Vet's office offered to do it for me, so I said what the heck, go ahead. Who would have ever imagined that they wouldn't say "there is no way that this developed in the past 2 months - it had to have begun before she signed up", but nope, there were no signs or symptoms prior to her signing up, so they covered every dime - we even did pre- op bloodwork, repeated the bloodwork in house on the day of the procedure, and did three view chest x-rays to make sure that her heart and lungs were good for anesthesia, and Petplan did not question the necessity of anything, they just paid!
So what it boils down to is this - it would depend greatly upon what signs and symptoms your Vet has documented - the teeth that they have documented a problem with would not be covered, but after he is covered, if x-rays or anesthetized exam reveal any new new problems, those, and probably the pre-op exam, bloodwork and anesthesia would be covered as well.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> So they would cover the extractions but not the cleaning and anesthesia? Or would the entire procedure be covered because of the extractions being non routine? It's so confusing to me, which is one of the reasons I choose not to get Insurance. Plus I am a very untrusting person with things like this, so I would think they would find any little excuse possible to deny a claim.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



I used to feel the same way, but read my post about Tangee and Teaka below - Petplan seriously does not try to wiggle out of paying - I would not have even argued with them if they had said Tangee and Teaka's dental issues were pre-existing because they could not have developed so quickly - but nope,there were no signs or symptoms prior to them signing up, so they paid me around $3,500 between them for their dentals with no hesitation!
Poor Petplan, between that and Tangee's heart condition they will be paying me more than I ever pay them for years to come!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

My vet has only documented that our dog needs teeth cleaning. If after they clean the teeth, they see she has a crack in any teeth that goes into the pulp, then we would schedule either an extraction for later or we would make an appt with the University of Illinois vet school to discuss root canals. So at this time there is only a record of a scheduled teeth cleaning, which we will pay for ourselves. I would only need insurance if they determine there are cracks in her teeth after cleaning them. After going back and forth, I am leaning towards getting the insurance at least for a year or two.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Get it. It IS worth it just "in case". We just had a horrible ordeal with Ash last month. Long story short, we had PP 3.5 weeks and Ash got sick. Emergency endoscopy and emergency surgery and 4 day hospital stay cost me $5700. I have the $50 deductible and 100% reimbursement. I got all my money back menus the $50 deductible and $75 for the spay I had them do while they did the other surgery. You never know when an accident will happen. Get it!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> My vet has only documented that our dog needs teeth cleaning. If after they clean the teeth, they see she has a crack in any teeth that goes into the pulp, then we would schedule either an extraction for later or we would make an appt with the University of Illinois vet school to discuss root canals. So at this time there is only a record of a scheduled teeth cleaning, which we will pay for ourselves. I would only need insurance if they determine there are cracks in her teeth after cleaning them. After going back and forth, I am leaning towards getting the insurance at least for a year or two.



Does your vet do dental X-rays? Many of the problems that my girls had would not have been seen without x-rays - Teaka even had a fracture that was entirely below the gumline!


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Mmmmm should I switch to PetPlan? 

Is that good? I researched throughly before buying the insurance for my 2 Spoos. HealthyPaws was listed #1 so I went with them.. 
Now I'm wondering if there's something better out there! 

Ps. My 2 have no pre-existing conditions 

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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Does your vet do dental X-rays? Many of the problems that my girls had would not have been seen without x-rays - Teaka even had a fracture that was entirely below the gumline!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I don't know if they do dental x-rays at my vet. They might. I will ask. Might help to confirm or deny if there are cracks affecting the pulp. If the vet does not do teeth x-rays, the U. of I. vet school would do this.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

I just signed up for Petplan 2 days ago. I got the silver plan with a 200 deductible and 100% reimbursement. I think the $330 a year or so is worth it after I've read about the different problems - accidents or just health stuff that comes up and the cost of it. I don't have an extra $5000 to cover an emergency of sorts - heck, I don't have an extra $5000 for me either lol.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Mmmmm should I switch to PetPlan?
> 
> Is that good? I researched throughly before buying the insurance for my 2 Spoos. HealthyPaws was listed #1 so I went with them..
> Now I'm wondering if there's something better out there!
> ...



You know Lou, I think that there are several good companies out there (don't think that Healthy Paws would take my two at age 10, so I did not read much about them) - Petplan was my top pick, and Truepanion and Pet's Best were my runners up.
I don't know if Healthy Paws policy compares or not, but what I do know through experience (now waiting on my 12th claim in less than 2 years), that Petplan actually fulfills it's promise - they don't try to wiggle out of paying, they don't have surprise loopholes in the contract - in fact, having worked in healthcare for many years myself, there were several times when I submitted claims, and thought to myself " oh boy, they are going to use this "loophole" to deny the claim, and I won't have any argument", but I was wrong - they interpreted their contract in my favor without me having to argue and paid me right away!
For example, my girls have a $200 deductible - that is supposed to be once a year for every new diagnosis. When Teaka had her dental and two skin biopsies, I thought "oh no, the two skin biopsies were different diagnosis, and there were many different reasons that teeth were pulled - infection, loss of attachment, bone loss, a fracture below the gumline. If Petplan applies a deductible for each diagnosis, which by their contract they certainly have a right to do, I will wind up owing them money!" But they did not even try that - they simply applied one deductible for skin condition, and one deductible for dental, and sent me a check for around $1,500!
So yes, there are several companies out there with policies that sound good, but with Petplan you are hearing the real, and current experiences of other PF members for whom Petplan has actually fulfilled their contract exactly as we hoped they would - so being that you have never had to use healthy paws, so you don't actually know if they would do what they promise, and your babies have nothing pre-existing, and the cost is comparable, ask yourself, why wouldn't I switch to Petplan?! 


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> You know Lou, I think that there are several good companies out there (don't think that Healthy Paws would take my two at age 10, so I did not read much about them) - Petplan was my top pick, and Truepanion and Pet's Best were my runners up.
> I don't know if Healthy Paws policy compares or not, but what I do know through experience (now waiting on my 12th claim in less than 2 years), that Petplan actually fulfills it's promise - they don't try to wiggle out of paying, they don't have surprise loopholes in the contract - in fact, having worked in healthcare for many years myself, there were several times when I submitted claims, and thought to myself " oh boy, they are going to use this "loophole" to deny the claim, and I won't have any argument", but I was wrong - they interpreted their contract in my favor without me having to argue and paid me right away!
> For example, my girls have a $200 deductible - that is supposed to be once a year for every new diagnosis. When Teaka had her dental and two skin biopsies, I thought "oh no, the two skin biopsies were different diagnosis, and there were many different reasons that teeth were pulled - infection, loss of attachment, bone loss, a fracture below the gumline. If Petplan applies a deductible for each diagnosis, which by their contract they certainly have a right to do, I will wind up owing them money!" But they did not even try that - they simply applied one deductible for skin condition, and one deductible for dental, and sent me a check for around $1,500!
> So yes, there are several companies out there with policies that sound good, but with Petplan you are hearing the real, and current experiences of other PF members for whom Petplan has actually fulfilled their contract exactly as we hoped they would - so being that you have never had to use healthy paws, so you don't actually know if they would do what they promise, and your babies have nothing pre-existing, and the cost is comparable, ask yourself, why wouldn't I switch to Petplan?!
> ...



The reason I went with HealthyPaws 
At the time they were #1 on this list of all pet insurance companies 
And because it's an unlimited benefit, no cap on the $ amount.
And it covers even congenital and genetic diseases too... And they rate 4.5 stars on yelp I think

But I'm going to call PetPlan and find out more... Thank u 




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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Ok, just took a quick look, and here is what I don't like about healthy paws - the Max reimbursement is 90%, but we have 100% with Petplan. Also, they do not cover veterinary exam fees, and around here, that would mean $85 - $200 each time - meaning, you can just add that amount to your uncovered deductible. Plus, it reads like only dental accidents are covered, not dental disease - that is around $3,000 that Petplan paid me, but Pets Best wouldn't have! And, this might be a concern for Spoos - there is a 12 month waiting period for hips. On Petplan, hips and knees are covered right away as long as the Vet documents that they are sound at the first exam.

And worst of all, the thing that really makes me distrust them, is that looking at the page on their website where they compare Petplan to themselves, they erroneously state that Petplan only covers the usual and customary fees for your area, which is completely untrue! That is what VPI does, but NOT Petplan! 
Petplan does have a clause in their contract to protect them from false claims - like, if you put in a claim for $10,000 for a broken toe nail, that is not usual, and they might fight that, but they pay 100% of what my Vet charges, never, ever question the amount, and you couldn't get a higher price than I pay in midtown Manhattan!
So I am just saying that if Healthy Paws is sleezy enough to lie about Petplan's coverage in order to entice customers, what else are they sleezy enough to lie to you about?

Yes, it is nice to have unlimited coverage rather than the $22,000 a year that we have, but it is only nice if they actually pay you! 
Just going by their 90 percentage, and not covering exam fees, compared to Petplan's 100% coverage, and including exam fees, with Pets Best I would probably have to spend $40 - $50 grand on my dog to get the same $22,000 that I could get back by spending $22,000 with my girls on Petplan, so I have to ask myself, what illness could my dog have that would cost me more than $40 - $50 grand, where they would still have a good enough quality of life for me to keep on spending?
Not to mention, that Petplan's $22,000 coverage is per policy year, so if an illness happened 6 months into the policy, I would have $22,000 to spend for 6 months, and then have another $22,000 to spend when the policy renewed. 
You can be sure that Tangee will be getting all of her check-ups, tests, and prescription refills before her policy turns over on September 1st, so we will have the entire $22,000 to work with the next year!



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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you sooooo much for looking into this!!!!!

Office visits here at like $45  and deductible is one time per year and not per diagnoses .... 

I'm still unsure.... Why would HealthyPaws have a 4.5 rating on yelp and PetPlan has 3.5 ?

I know you say they pay every time. 
But it has a limit... 

Aaarrrggghhh such a hard decision  (???????) 

I'm going to print out both sample policies and read throughly and ask my husband to read it too. Another pair of eyes on it.

And is switching complicated? Another "waiting period/bubble wrap the poodles for a while...?" 
Sorry I really did not want to change the direction of this thread, but this is soooooo helpful !!!
Thank u so much ok? 




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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

Lou said:


> And is switching complicated? Another "waiting period/bubble wrap the poodles for a while...?"
> Sorry I really did not want to change the direction of this thread, but this is soooooo helpful !!!
> Thank u so much ok?



if you decide to change, don't cancel your first insurance until you have completed the waiting period for the second.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

patk said:


> if you decide to change, don't cancel your first insurance until you have completed the waiting period for the second.



Genius idea!!!!!  thank u thank u!!! 


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Pet plan has a 2 week waiting period from the time you sign up. 


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Should we make a thread about peoples experiences with their pet insurance companies? ......

Create our own reviews? At least I know they'd be fo real 

Thanks again!! 


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Thank you sooooo much for looking into this!!!!!
> 
> Office visits here at like $45  and deductible is one time per year and not per diagnoses ....
> 
> ...



I thought it was pretty common knowledge that yelp reviews are biased - if you don't advertise with them they will hide most of your positive reviews and leave the negative ones up - companies have even sued them about that!
There is a website just for pet health insurance reviews - check that, and also check each companies Facebook page.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Should we make a thread about peoples experiences with their pet insurance companies? ......
> 
> Create our own reviews? At least I know they'd be fo real
> 
> ...



There are a lot of those threads, have you tried a search?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

PoodlePaws said:


> Pet plan has a 2 week waiting period from the time you sign up.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



2 weeks for illness, 24 hours for accidents.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> There are a lot of those threads, have you tried a search?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



My search feature here on the app is driving me kuh-raaaaayzee!! LOL

IT DON'T WORK RIGHT 

But it's alright, come Tuesday I'm going to go nuts on this, and research and make calls etc 

Thank you again dear, for all the info!! 


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

I chose Petplans silver plan because I didn't think she would have over 14k in medical in a year. I also like the 100% reimbursement the other companies don't offer. I took the $200 deductible because the it kept the premium to about $30 per month, the $100 deductible went up to 40 something per month which would be over $100. I figured since she is young, not destructive (unless there is a tissue on the floor), and is never outside without e on leash, there is a minimal chance she will get hurt or ingest something she shouldn't.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> I used to feel the same way, but read my post about Tangee and Teaka below - Petplan seriously does not try to wiggle out of paying - I would not have even argued with them if they had said Tangee and Teaka's dental issues were pre-existing because they could not have developed so quickly - but nope,there were no signs or symptoms prior to them signing up, so they paid me around $3,500 between them for their dentals with no hesitation!
> Poor Petplan, between that and Tangee's heart condition they will be paying me more than I ever pay them for years to come!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



And you are the reason I will most likely be signing up Killa with them . I just have to decide which plan and the deductible I want. I'll probably go for the silver and a $50-$100 deductible.. 


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Lou said:


> My search feature here on the app is driving me kuh-raaaaayzee!! LOL
> 
> IT DON'T WORK RIGHT
> 
> ...



The search has never worked properly for me. I can type in the exact name of a thread and get totally none related ones in the search. I don't even bother with it anymore. 


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> The search has never worked properly for me. I can type in the exact name of a thread and get totally none related ones in the search. I don't even bother with it anymore.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Bwahahahahahhaha!!! It is NOT funny! It's sad!!! But it made me laugh because I was thinking "yes!! Yes!! Me too!!!!" I type the exact name of the thread and get everything you could imagine except what I typed! LOL 


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

*signed up for petplan today*

Well, I did not chicken out this time. I completed the online application for petplan insurance for my dog Neeka who is 3 yo. Since she is healthy and may or may not have a dental problem which we won't know until next month, we just got the bronze plan with a $10,000 max, 90% reimbursement and $200 deductible (per injury or illness). We can handle most expenses but just wanted an assist for more expensive procedures. Once we had a puppy with a crooked canine that needed canine braces when her permanent teeth were coming in. We could have used that insurance then.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> Well, I did not chicken out this time. I completed the online application for petplan insurance for my dog Neeka who is 3 yo. Since she is healthy and may or may not have a dental problem which we won't know until next month, we just got the bronze plan with a $10,000 max, 90% reimbursement and $200 deductible (per injury or illness). We can handle most expenses but just wanted an assist for more expensive procedures. Once we had a puppy with a crooked canine that needed canine braces when her permanent teeth were coming in. We could have used that insurance then.



Yes, Timi will definitely be covered to the Max when she comes home, after we know that she is healthy, perhaps we will cut back on the coverage for the middle years. 


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I called PetPlan, and now I'm even more confused  They said that if my dog had an ear infection, that it's considered a pre-existing condition!!!!!! And would not be covered for 2 years... That's weird... The guy sounded like a self-righteous "I'm the best" diva!!!! Grrrrr He was so annoying! and I was being super nice, sweet and polite! I Even told him why I was considering switching, because many people have complimented them etc......

Mmmmmmm....... I'm so worried that if I switch I would regret it...

How much do you guys pay? The quote they gave me is affordable but I wonder how much more expensive it will get with each renewal! My 2 are not even 2 years old yet, but they quoted me the cheapest: $30.00 per dog with $200 deductible per diagnoses. 
And the lowest deductible of $50 the premium would be $57.00 per dog 

I'd go with the $50 deductible.. Oh and 100% coverage!

But I don't know how much higher the cost would go as they get older...

Like let's say when they are like 7 years old... How expensive will it be then? Since it goes up every year?

I'm going to call again and speak with a different representative that hopefully is not a #%^*¥£€!?! 



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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou, the rate will vary based upon the dogs breed, age, and where you live.
My girls are 12 years old, and we live in probably the most expensive city in the country, and I pay 90 something dollars a month for them, up around $15 from their first year) but that is a lot less than if I put their vitals into the cost calculator on the website as if I was going to sign up a new dog of their age, so it seems that they are holding the costs down once you are signed on with them).
My girls have the Gold Plan with 100% coverage and the $200 deductible. Getting the lower deductible greatly increased the monthly rate, and I did not think it was worth paying that much more monthly when you only have to pay the deductible once a year on a diagnosis. In my years experience with dogs, I feel like they will tend to have one issue, maybe two that keeps coming back, rather than having multiple issues, and so far that gamble has paid off. Well Teaka has had nothing this year, but so far with Tangee, every problem goes back to her heart issue, so it all goes to that one, $200 deductible. Last year when it started, the first reason that I brought her to the Vet was a cough. Petplan covered that visit, a full blood panel, a heart worm test (because it was diagnostic, not routine screening), the Cardiologist visit, ultrasound and cough medicine all under one $200 deductible. Now under her second policy year, at the beginning of the year Tangee had a collapse, the vet did not really find a reason for it then, the bill was $210, and Petplan paid me $10.00. Then last month, she began to look weak, like she was about to collapse during exercise, I took her to the vet, then the cardiologist, and found that her heart disease had progressed. Petplan decided to apply another $200 deductible, but when my Vet wrote them a letter stating that it was her medical opinion that the prior collapse was due also due to Tangee's heart disease, Petplan rescinded their decision and sent me a check for the second $200 deductible that they had applied. So do you see why I think that the deductible does not come into play that often, so I don't feel that it is worth paying so much extra a month to save $150 when the chance of having to pay a deductible more than once a year is so low?
Also, if you can pay their premium once a year instead of monthly, it will save you some money. I plan to that with Timi, but with Tangee and Teaka's being so high, I would rather do it monthly.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Lou, the rate will vary based upon the dogs breed, age, and where you live.
> My girls are 12 years old, and we live in probably the most expensive city in the country, and I pay 90 something dollars a month for them, up around $15 from their first year) but that is a lot less than if I put their vitals into the cost calculator on the website as if I was going to sign up a new dog of their age, so it seems that they are holding the costs down once you are signed on with them).
> My girls have the Gold Plan with 100% coverage and the $200 deductible. Getting the lower deductible greatly increased the monthly rate, and I did not think it was worth paying that much more monthly when you only have to pay the deductible once a year on a diagnosis. In my years experience with dogs, I feel like they will tend to have one issue, maybe two that keeps coming back, rather than having multiple issues, and so far that gamble has paid off. Well Teaka has had nothing this year, but so far with Tangee, every problem goes back to her heart issue, so it all goes to that one, $200 deductible. Last year when it started, the first reason that I brought her to the Vet was a cough. Petplan covered that visit, a full blood panel, a heart worm test (because it was diagnostic, not routine screening), the Cardiologist visit, ultrasound and cough medicine all under one $200 deductible. Now under her second policy year, at the beginning of the year Tangee had a collapse, the vet did not really find a reason for it then, the bill was $210, and Petplan paid me $10.00. Then last month, she began to look weak, like she was about to collapse during exercise, I took her to the vet, then the cardiologist, and found that her heart disease had progressed. Petplan decided to apply another $200 deductible, but when my Vet wrote them a letter stating that it was her medical opinion that the prior collapse was due also due to Tangee's heart disease, Petplan rescinded their decision and sent me a check for the second $200 deductible that they had applied. So do you see why I think that the deductible does not come into play that often, so I don't feel that it is worth paying so much extra a month to save $150 when the chance of having to pay a deductible more than once a year is so low?
> Also, if you can pay their premium once a year instead of monthly, it will save you some money. I plan to that with Timi, but with Tangee and Teaka's being so high, I would rather do it monthly.
> ...



Awesome!!! Thanks so much!! I talked to a different rep at PetPlan and he was very very nice and covered everything throughly !!! He was very convincing!! And you too Tiny Poodles!!!!! 

But what about the "ear infection being a pre existent condition?" 
And I'm going to research what's the highest amount of money that can be spent in a year on a dog's health and see if $22,000 is enough
Cause HealthyPaws unlimited coverage "sounds" good, but like u said if they only pay 90%...... Etc etc etc.... 


I just need to talk to hubby, but he prolly won't have time to deal with this any time soon, and will just tell me to do whatever I want, which is a good thing BUT I'd feel better if HE AGREED with the decision, just cause he is so smart hehehehe  









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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I just started a thread asking your question Lou. I will be surprised if anyone tops my response, but we will see...


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

lou - i think generally the insurance company will determine something is a preexisting condition if 1) you say it is when you fill out the application or 2) your vet's records show that to be the case. so re ear infection, if it's in your vet's records, it will be generally be considered a pre-existing condition. that being said, ear infections are generally nuisance issues and not life threatening; the cost of treatment is usually pretty small and not enough, imo, to be a deterrent to changing to a different insurer if that's what you decide to do. as it is, your current provider probably doesn't offer much financial support for treating the condition anyway, because it is not a major issue. the one thing you may want to do, if the ear infection is part of your vet's records anyway, is have it checked again to rule out anything major before switching insurers. if it's not part of your vet's records, then it's up to you whether to declare it as pre-existing when you apply for insurance. i think many people don't bother to do so because it's generally considered transitory, like having a sniffle when you go to see your doctor. if applying for personal insurance, you wouldn't report a sniffle as a pre-existing condition.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

patk said:


> lou - i think generally the insurance company will determine something is a preexisting condition if 1) you say it is when you fill out the application or 2) your vet's records show that to be the case. so re ear infection, if it's in your vet's records, it will be generally be considered a pre-existing condition. that being said, ear infections are generally nuisance issues and not life threatening; the cost of treatment is usually pretty small and not enough, imo, to be a deterrent to changing to a different insurer if that's what you decide to do. as it is, your current provider probably doesn't offer much financial support for treating the condition anyway, because it is not a major issue. the one thing you may want to do, if the ear infection is part of your vet's records anyway, is have it checked again to rule out anything major before switching insurers. if it's not part of your vet's records, then it's up to you whether to declare it as pre-existing when you apply for insurance. i think many people don't bother to do so because it's generally considered transitory, like having a sniffle when you go to see your doctor. if applying for personal insurance, you wouldn't report a sniffle as a pre-existing condition.



When you make your first claim, they want to see 2 years of medical records prior to when you first signed up, so they would ask for the Vet records from before she moved as well.
But certain pre-existing things such as ear infections, diarrhea etc, which are considered "curable" are only excluded for a certain period of time, not for the dog's entire life.
But I agree with PatK, the costs of treating a small thing like an ear infection, are not why I have pet insurance anyhow - it is for the big things like Tangee's heart condition!


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

My 2 had 2 ear infections each as little puppies. It has been a year since they've had one. I think it's pretty crappy that if they were to get an ear infection now, it would be considered pre-existing because they had one when they were three and four months old. It's an infection. The infection went away. Crazy. 


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

PoodlePaws said:


> My 2 had 2 ear infections each as little puppies. It has been a year since they've had one. I think it's pretty crappy that if they were to get an ear infection now, it would be considered pre-existing because they had one when they were three and four months old. It's an infection. The infection went away. Crazy.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



They would not consider it pre-existing forever, there is a time frame, I forget how long - check their contract, but after that time frame, curable things such as ear infection or diarrhea are covered.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Well...... Woke up to an email from my current pet insurance letting me know they won't cover Apollo's ear infection and it is now a pre-existing condition and won't ever be covered! I DID NOT EVEN WANT TO FILE A CLAIM, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE INSISTED. 

I'm so mad!!!!! I'm REALLY considering switching to PetPlan now... 

I just wish they had a higher than 22,000/year coverage just cause,.. It would make me feel better....

Lou & Apollo have NO other pre-existing conditions.. So the unlimited "sounds" good , emphasis on the word "sounds"... Not sure I trust them 

 I hate waking up to bad news!!! It ruins my whole day 




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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Well...... Woke up to an email from my current pet insurance letting me know they won't cover Apollo's ear infection and it is now a pre-existing condition and won't ever be covered! I DID NOT EVEN WANT TO FILE A CLAIM, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE INSISTED.
> 
> I'm so mad!!!!! I'm REALLY considering switching to PetPlan now...
> 
> ...



Well, you know how I feel about that Lou, because you put "sounds" in quotes unlimited sounds good, but is not good if all of the deductions allow them to keep them from paying.
Of course an ear infection isn't a costly thing in the scheme of things, but as I have told you, after a period of time, a pre-existing, but curable thing would be covered by Petplan.
And In the thread that I began, I still have not heard one person say that they spent over $22,000 in a single year....


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you Tiny Poodles  you are always very very helpful! I appreciate all of your responses! 


Ps. I would keep the insurance I have now until the 15 day waiting period, to make sure they have insurance the whole time with no lapses 

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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Thank you Tiny Poodles  you are always very very helpful! I appreciate all of your responses!
> 
> 
> Ps. I would keep the insurance I have now until the 15 day waiting period, to make sure they have insurance the whole time with no lapses
> ...



That makes sense Lou! You are a girl after my own heart! At one point I even debated getting them two polices, but then I realized how ridiculously low the odds are of them having a condition that costs more than $22,000 a year, and still having a quality of life that was worth continuing to fight for, and decided against it. But I did THINK about it lol!


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> That makes sense Lou! You are a girl after my own heart! At one point I even debated getting them two polices, but then I realized how ridiculously low the odds are of them having a condition that costs more than $22,000 a year, and still having a quality of life that was worth continuing to fight for, and decided against it. But I did THINK about it lol!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Yes!!! We are made from the same mold  I could get them 2 policies each too, but I thought to myself... people already think I'm crazy no need to prove it!! Hehehehe  Kinda like: "you're better off to sit there and look stoopid, then you are to open your mouth and remove all doubt! " hahahahaha!!! This is one of my favorite quotes! 

But we ARE SMART AND CRAZY FOR OUR BABIES and there ain't nothing wrong with that in mah book!!  


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Lou said:


> Yes!!! We are made from the same mold  I could get them 2 policies each too, but I thought to myself... people already think I'm crazy no need to prove it!! Hehehehe  Kinda like: "you're better off to sit there and look stoopid, then you are to open your mouth and remove all doubt! " hahahahaha!!! This is one of my favorite quotes!
> 
> But we ARE SMART AND CRAZY FOR OUR BABIES and there ain't nothing wrong with that in mah book!!
> 
> ...



Well, if you want to do the two polices, that does not mean that you have to tell anyone about it ( you can tell me privately) lol!
And yup, I agree - there is nothing wrong with that - you are happy, your dogs are happy, and anybody who does not "get it", can take a hike!


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