# Pet Insurance



## zooeysmom

I pay a little over $45/month for Maizie and I think it's a great deal. I have Petplan Bronze ($200 deduct/100% reimburse.). They recently reimbursed me $2,575 for Maizie's toy swallowing gastrotomy.


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## shantikeyz

They make profit too like any business. You often still end up with vet bills. I find its best to put that money away in an account just for vet care. 

Sent from my XT1055 using Tapatalk


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## MiniPoo

Pet insurance is better than it used to be. I have had 2 dogs with Addison's and one poodle with epilepsy. They cost me thousands of dollars. If I had had pet insurance it would have cost hundreds instead. I now have pet insurance on my 2 younger dogs, and it gives me great peace of mind.


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## Tiny Poodles

I have had Petplan for 2-3 poodles for 3 1/2 years and in that time I would estimate that they have paid me 15-20 thousand dollars more than I have paid them.
Cost is based upon where you live as well as the breed and age so you really cannot compare with folks from other places.
When I was deciding I went to the various websites and read each policy with a fine tooth comb. Petplan was the one that stood out to me as having virtually no loopholes, and I have been very happy that I picked them - I have had to make so many claims over these years, and each and every time they did what they promised and made no effort to wriggle out of paying.
My girls have the Gold Plan, $200 deductible, 100% reimbursement. I just love knowing that once I have spent $200 I am home free, every everything else they need is free.


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## Tanya712

I have Trupanion for my 12 month old Toy Poodle and I am so grateful! My cost is $34.00 per month. He has been sick since September. Lots of testing and they have covered all they said they would. Last week his Vet finally sent us to a GAstrointestinal Vet. More very expensive testing (Ultrasound, blood work sent to Texas A&M) and then surgery! I can't tell you how many times I have said how thankful I was for the insurance. I didn't have to factor cost into any of my decisions, no financial worrying. Whatever he needed, he got it. Now he is heAling nicely and we know he has Irritable Bowel Disease and can start treating him properly. Total costs so far around $4000, all covered but my $250 deductible(per condition) and my 10% copay. You can choose no copay, put premium is higher


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## Tiny Poodles

Tanya712 said:


> I have Trupanion for my 12 month old Toy Poodle and I am so grateful! My cost is $34.00 per month. He has been sick since September. Lots of testing and they have covered all they said they would. Last week his Vet finally sent us to a GAstrointestinal Vet. More very expensive testing (Ultrasound, blood work sent to Texas A&M) and then surgery! I can't tell you how many times I have said how thankful I was for the insurance. I didn't have to factor cost into any of my decisions, no financial worrying. Whatever he needed, he got it. Now he is heAling nicely and we know he has Irritable Bowel Disease and can start treating him properly. Total costs so far around $4000, all covered but my $250 deductible(per condition) and my 10% copay. You can choose no copay, put premium is higher



Trupanion does not cover the vet exam fees, correct?


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## Luce

I chose Petplan also. Unfortunately I was on the fence too long! Luce dislocated her hip, needed surgery and then another surgery. I put her on insurance even before the first surgery "just in case". Of course they didn't pay for the first 2 surgeries on the same hip or the physical therapy - out of pocket was about $2800 - OUCH!! Well, 5 months later she dislocated her other hip and needed surgery. They paid for it minus the $200 deductible and because she went to a specialist they covered 80%, and 80% of the physical therapy. I was very happy with it.

I chose them because they do have a 100% reimbursement choice, and choice of deductible of $50, $100 or $200. I think most of us on the forum have chosen the $200 deductible and 100% reimbursement.

They are available 24/7 if you need to talk to someone about your plan, bill etc., they may not have an answer for you at 1am about your bill, but you can call and even ask about coverage, paperwork needed and even to sign up!

You do have to pay up front and then submit your claim to get reimbursed, but they are very quick - less then 2 weeks from the time the get it.


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## Tanya712

Tiny Poodles said:


> Trupanion does not cover the vet exam fees, correct?


That is correct, they do not cover the exams. My vet has been very good about not charging for follow up visits but I'm sure if they did it would add up quickly. I was so thrilled to have all of the testing and surgery covered I didn't mind the exam fees. Pet plan sounds great, unfortunately we now have a pre existing condition


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## Tiny Poodles

Tanya712 said:


> That is correct, they do not cover the exams. My vet has been very good about not charging for follow up visits but I'm sure if they did it would add up quickly. I was so thrilled to have all of the testing and surgery covered I didn't mind the exam fees. Pet plan sounds great, unfortunately we now have a pre existing condition



Trupanion was my second runner up, so I am sure you will be fine with them. The two things that swayed me with Petplan was having the Vet exam fee's covered, and that they offer 100% reimbursement after the deductible. It makes the math so simple - if I spend $10,000 on an illness for one of my girls, I am getting $9,800 back! I didn't want to be paying all of those premiums and still have to worry about potentially coming up with an extra 1-2 thousand dollars as well (10 percent, plus all of the exam fees).


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## Arya's Toys

So.... I think I am going with _PETS BEST_ for insurance. $45.26 monthly for both doggies. 

$100 deductible ~ 90% reimbursement ~ Maximum benefits of $5,000 yearly

It covers Accidents, Illnesses, Cancer, Hereditary Conditions, Emergency Visits, Surgeries & Rx Meds

But not Accident & Illness Exam Fees
Rehabilitative, Acupuncture & Chiropractic Coverage

If anybody else has had this insurance can you chime in on the pro's and cons?


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## MiniPoo

I have not used Pets Best. So I cannot give you any direct feedback. Part of the information involved in my choosing PetPlan was (1) it was highly recommended on this forum and (2) my vet's office said it was one of the ones a lot of people had and they had had no problems filing claims with PetPlan.

I did an Internet search for reviews on Pets Best and there are very good reviews on the website for the insurance itself.

If found this comparison chart:

Pet Insurance Comparison of Providers - Trupanion

$45.26/month for both doggies sounds a really good price. $5000 coverage a year might a little low. If you are looking for just a little extra insurance for not much cost Pets Best may be a good choice for you.


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## Tiny Poodles

When I told my Vet about how pleased I was with Petplan, she said that and Pet's Best were the two that she recommends. 
I looked at their website, and their rate actually ran higher than Petplan. 
I am sure that you would be relieved to have any decent coverage, but for me, I really like that Petplan offers 100 percent coverage, and covers Vet exam fees. If I am going to shell out the premiums every month, I prefer to know that I have zero risk of having to come up with any major amount of money for a Vet bill - once I have paid my girl's $200 premium, any Vet care for an illness will cost me ZERO - up to $22,000 a policy year!
I agree that $5,000 is a little low - I have spent more than that in a year on Vet bills several times.


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## Tiny Poodles

So you got me curious, and I just checked pets Best again, and what I did not like is that they have a list of medications that they cover, anything not on that list would not be covered be it prescription or over the counter.
And they would not cover it is a dog swallowed a foreign object or toxic food twice within 18 months. There are certainly people with dogs who have those issues who despite their best efforts have had that happen more than once in 18 months!
And there is a scary statement that they don't cover "preventable illness" - to me that is one giant loophole that I would not trust!


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## Tiny Poodles

And I just did a price quote for Timi and Teaka - for less coverage ($200 deductible, 90% reimbursement, and $10,000 a year max coverage vs Petplan's $200 deductible, 100% reimbursement, and $22,000 a year coverage with no max lifetime benefit), Pets Best would cost $1,500 per year more than Petplan for my girls.
Still happy that I picked Petplan!


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## seminolewind

I just chose the petplan silver. It came to $27.XX a month. Gosh I didn't even get the puppy yet!


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## Tiny Poodles

seminolewind said:


> I just chose the petplan silver. It came to $27.XX a month. Gosh I didn't even get the puppy yet!



That's the way to do it - get them covered from day one and in two weeks you are home free!


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## Arya's Toys

So..... After reading many of these replies to my post, I decided to check on petplan. $63.11 monthly, Bronze plan, $100 deductible & 90% reimbursement. I can always change to higher limits later if needed.

Thank you, to all who replied!


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## Tiny Poodles

Arya's Toys said:


> So..... After reading many of these replies to my post, I decided to check on petplan. $63.11 monthly, Bronze plan, $100 deductible & 90% reimbursement. I can always change to higher limits later if needed.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you, to all who replied!



You may want to consider a $200 deductible - I have found that increasing that greatly reduces the price of the premium.
You only pay the deductible once a year on a diagnosis and anything related to that original diagnosis, and isn't the reason that you get the insurance to protect against the huge bills in the thousands of dollars rather than the small $100- $200 expenses? In fact I am fairly sure that a plan with a $200 deductible and 100% reimbursement would cost less than having a $100 deductible with 90% reimbursement!


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## Carolinek

You have to decide what works best for you. I'm in the camp that I'd rather put the money aside or access other funds to pay for vet bills. 

A few years ago, I ordered insurance through Pet Plan. I had it for a year at approx $30-35 dollars a dog. That seemed reasonable to me. Well, after one year they raised my rates to almost $200 a month for three dogs. That was almost double what I was a paying. At that time, my oldest dog was 5. None of them had chronic conditions, and I hadn't used the insurance. 

I called and asked why it went up so much and was told it was because I live in NY. Well, I live in upstate NY where cost of living is relatively low, as are wages. My vet doesn't charge that much and he is great- Columbia/Cornell grad with many years experience. Vet charges are probably higher here than some areas, but we are nowhere near rates charged in NYC. To me, it made no sense to keep that insurance, especially if rates were going to go up every year like that. 

I've probably spent close to $3000 during the last six years on issues that might have been covered by insurance. THe fact that I'm not paying $2400 or more every year on insurance means I've already saved money. I may be sorry later on- but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

There's no right or wrong- you have to figure out what works best for you. If they hadn't raised my rates so much, I'd probably still have insurance.

However, in the bigger picture, I worry that all these private pet insurance companies are going to drive vet care costs way up. We will then have a similar mess to the problems we have now in the US with private human insurance and health care. Very costly and care that leaves a lot to be desired. Time will tell on that.


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## Tiny Poodles

Carolinek said:


> You have to decide what works best for you. I'm in the camp that I'd rather put the money aside or access other funds to pay for vet bills.
> 
> A few years ago, I ordered insurance through Pet Plan. I had it for a year at approx $30-35 dollars a dog. That seemed reasonable to me. Well, after one year they raised my rates to almost $200 a month for three dogs. That was almost double what I was a paying. At that time, my oldest dog was 5. None of them had chronic conditions, and I hadn't used the insurance.
> 
> I called and asked why it went up so much and was told it was because I live in NY. Well, I live in upstate NY where cost of living is relatively low, as are wages. My vet doesn't charge that much and he is great- Columbia/Cornell grad with many years experience. Vet charges are probably higher here than some areas, but we are nowhere near rates charged in NYC. To me, it made no sense to keep that insurance, especially if rates were going to go up every year like that.
> 
> I've probably spent close to $3000 during the last six years on issues that might have been covered by insurance. THe fact that I'm not paying $2400 or more every year on insurance means I've already saved money. I may be sorry later on- but that's a risk I'm willing to take.
> 
> There's no right or wrong- you have to figure out what works best for you. If they hadn't raised my rates so much, I'd probably still have insurance.
> 
> However, in the bigger picture, I worry that all these private pet insurance companies are going to drive vet care costs way up. We will then have a similar mess to the problems we have now in the US with private human insurance and health care. Very costly and care that leaves a lot to be desired. Time will tell on that.



I agree with you that there are no rights or wrongs, whatever you are comfortable is best.
Me, having spent around $15,000 in the last 9 months of my eldest's life, and having two ten year olds, it was a no-brainer when I signed them up, and it paid off big time former.
The rates do go up for sure, and I am sure that I am paying one of the highest rates living in Manhattan (I checked once and it was lower just in Queens vs Manhattan, so I am sure that your rates were not as high as if you were in NYC.
To give you an idea how much rates go up - almost 14 y/o Teaka pays slightly more than 3 times what 2 y/o Timi pays. But 80-90 percent of her premium is returned to me on her twice a year cardiology check-ups alone, so really I am paying almost nothing to have her covered against the hundreds of other major things that could come up!


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## Carolinek

TP- I know- I think it works well for many people. I guess I've always been lucky with my animals- high bills here and there, but overall pretty healthy. But I heard pet insurance was getting better and with the rates cancer and auto immune diseases rising, it seemed the right thing to do. I think they might not have the costs accurately figured for this area. So, hopefully, I won't be sorry in five years!


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## Tiny Poodles

Carolinek said:


> TP- I know- I think it works well for many people. I guess I've always been lucky with my animals- high bills here and there, but overall pretty healthy. But I heard pet insurance was getting better and with the rates cancer and auto immune diseases rising, it seemed the right thing to do. I think they might not have the costs accurately figured for this area. So, hopefully, I won't be sorry in five years!



I can actually see taking a chance up until a dog is maybe 9 years old (I really only signed Timi up because I wanted to give something back to Petplan, never dreamed that I would also wind up a couple of grand ahead on her), but to date I have never had a dog who did not cost me huge amounts in their final years, so I am extremely relieved to have them for my seniors.
You might want to take another look at Petplan - it sounds like you may have been a customer when they first began, you might find it better, more smoothed out now...


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## seminolewind

I did Petplan. Had a good write up and their website was easy to understand.


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## Tiny Poodles

seminolewind said:


> I did Petplan. Had a good write up and their website was easy to understand.



Hope you never have to make a claim, but if you ever do, I know you will be pleased - have not had an Internet or real life friend who had to make a claim who was displeased yet!


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## seminolewind

That's great, Tiny Poodles. We just put our 12 year old Boston Terrier down. We lived 11 years with seizures and I am so afraid to go thru that again. Don't think I can. That was from a "backyard" breeder.


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## Tiny Poodles

seminolewind said:


> That's great, Tiny Poodles. We just put our 12 year old Boston Terrier down. We lived 11 years with seizures and I am so afraid to go thru that again. Don't think I can. That was from a "backyard" breeder.



I am sorry that you had to go through that ? But I will tell you, in all of my years of owning dogs, I am always terrified of having the same health issue play out a second time, but it never ever does. Right after I lost Tangee at age 13 to heart disease (a heart murmur turned to heart failure in less than two years), my next oldest Teaka was diagnosed with a murmur, and I thought "oh no, not again", but no, it isn't the same thing at all! I keep bringing her to the cardiologist to check, but her murmur is entirely stable, has not progressed even one bit, and at almost 14 years old she is on no medications and is still running and playing like a puppy every day!
But yes you are doing the right thing insuring your puppy - the first 2 years, when crazy puppy mishaps can happen, and any unfortunate innate health issue will make itself known, and the senior years, after age ten in toys are I believe the most critical times for being hit with huge Vet bills.


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## seminolewind

Now I wonder which vet to go with. The one down the road who is good, probably better prices, is nearby, or a vet who's further away who is good, nice clean office, and has been seeing my chickens since 2010 , the only one who treats chickens. Hard decision.


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## Tiny Poodles

seminolewind said:


> Now I wonder which vet to go with. The one down the road who is good, probably better prices, is nearby, or a vet who's further away who is good, nice clean office, and has been seeing my chickens since 2010 , the only one who treats chickens. Hard decision.



I envy you having two vets that you like to decide between! I have yet to find one that I completely like.
If both Vets are equal, I would suggest that you consider the practice - who has the most extensive equipment, better support staff, do they have overnight care for hospitalized patients, do they do dental care including dental X-rays, are they available after hours for an emergency....


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## Mfmst

Tiny, you have sold another policy for Petplan! Buck has no pre-existing conditions, and even though I have enough means to handle a crisis and beyond, I've been thinking of all the money I've spent on collars, leads, training and grooming and a quarterly premium for one young dog is not that much. One professional groom, in fact. I have been on the fence about elective gastropexy and this is my final solution. I'm not going to do it!


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## seminolewind

Yup , for the price of a large elk antler a month!


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## Tiny Poodles

Mfmst said:


> Tiny, you have sold another policy for Petplan! Buck has no pre-existing conditions, and even though I have enough means to handle a crisis and beyond, I've been thinking of all the money I've spent on collars, leads, training and grooming and a quarterly premium for one young dog is not that much. One professional groom, in fact. I have been on the fence about elective gastropexy and this is my final solution. I'm not going to do it!



Aww, it makes me feel really good to hear that another loving poodle mom won't even have to think about money if a health crisis should occur!
And you are correct - we really do "waste" so much money on things for them that they could live perfectly happily without (let's be honest, most of it is for our own enjoyment as much, or more than theirs) - but their health is priceless!


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## katbrat

I would also recommend using Google to see if there are any type of discounts available. I Google for discount on almost everything I shop for. I went with Pet Plan and have a $200 deductible, with 80% reimbursement. They offered an online discount as well as a military discount that I was able to take advantage of. It's $30 and change a month.


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## Arya's Toys

Just a quick update: I decided on PetPlan. I paid my 1st 2 months on 3/28, so accident coverage began on 3/29 and illness coverage will begin on 4/11. It's about $500 a year premium on both puppies with a $100 deductible & 100% reimbursement. After having to take Versace in 4 days after getting him for Coccidia, and $156 bill, I wasn't about to take any chances. That could have been $100 bill and any remaining, future visits for that condition would have been taken care of. I'm satisfied with my choice.


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## FireStorm

Just wanted to say thank you to Poodleforum, and especially Tiny. I've just signed Hans up for Petplan as well. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but he's been healthy so I've been putting it off. A friend just had a $7000 bill for surgery because his Dobe ate a bunch of socks, and that was the last push I needed! I got the Bronze plan, $200 deductible, and 100% reimbursement.


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## JudyD

I had a bit of a shock with PetPlan this week. Jazz's policy comes due in March, Blue's in June. My credit card expiration date changed in May of 2015. I got a notice from PetPlan that they needed to update my card to maintain Blue's coverage, so I called, updated the card, and I thought all was good. Not so. I got a notice this week that Jazz's info needed to be updated to continue her coverage (apparently updating the card info doesn't transfer to another dog), so I called to do that, and in the course of the conversation mentioned that Blue was covered, too. The rep said, "Oh, no, his coverage was cancelled last June." What??!?? When she checked the records, it was clear I'd called, updated his info, and a week later, they cancelled his coverage, due to some glitch in their system. The rep checked with her supervisor and corrected the mistake, but I wonder what would have happened if I'd filed a claim in the interim. From what I've read about them on this forum, I think they've have made it good, but it was still a shock.


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## FireStorm

JudyD said:


> I had a bit of a shock with PetPlan this week. Jazz's policy comes due in March, Blue's in June. My credit card expiration date changed in May of 2015. I got a notice from PetPlan that they needed to update my card to maintain Blue's coverage, so I called, updated the card, and I thought all was good. Not so. I got a notice this week that Jazz's info needed to be updated to continue her coverage (apparently updating the card info doesn't transfer to another dog), so I called to do that, and in the course of the conversation mentioned that Blue was covered, too. The rep said, "Oh, no, his coverage was cancelled last June." What??!?? When she checked the records, it was clear I'd called, updated his info, and a week later, they cancelled his coverage, due to some glitch in their system. The rep checked with her supervisor and corrected the mistake, but I wonder what would have happened if I'd filed a claim in the interim. From what I've read about them on this forum, I think they've have made it good, but it was still a shock.


You know, we had almost this exact thing happen with our human health insurance....it got cancelled due to some computer glitch (fortunately I caught it quickly). Thank goodness you happened to mention Blue when you called about Jazz!


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## Tiny Poodles

Petplan did some kind of software change a while back that in some of their systems put Teaka and Timi in separate accounts, so I have learned to check that kind of thing. I even get two copies of their magazine, an annoying waste of paper, but I gave up trying to get them to fix it long ago. If that is their biggest failing, I will take it lol!


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## Tiny Poodles

Arya's Toys said:


> Just a quick update: I decided on PetPlan. I paid my 1st 2 months on 3/28, so accident coverage began on 3/29 and illness coverage will begin on 4/11. It's about $500 a year premium on both puppies with a $100 deductible & 100% reimbursement. After having to take Versace in 4 days after getting him for Coccidia, and $156 bill, I wasn't about to take any chances. That could have been $100 bill and any remaining, future visits for that condition would have been taken care of. I'm satisfied with my choice.



Stop making me jealous! 2 y/o Timi alone costs more than you are paying for 2, with a $200 deductible, and you don't want to know what I pay for Teaka lol!


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## poodlecrazy#1

Dang!! Tiny Poodles you really need to make a copy of this thread and send it to PetPlan! I'm sure they would love to know how many people you have gotten to sign up with them. They are just so worth it! 
I actually had a bit of an issue claiming Killa's recent skin surgery with them. They denied her claim for the surgery in less than 24 hours! I don't even think they had time to look through her medical file fully it was so quick. I called them up and they said just have the doctor send a letter stating it was for her skin issues and not her previous Enucleation and they will review the claim again. Well I had to wait a week to do so because her doctor was out of town for that week. But once he got the letter sent in the next day I got a call from petplan saying they were sending me the check for the surgery. Thank goodness! So even though I had an issue it was taken care if quickly and fairly. Again thanks so much for recommending them Tiny Poodles!


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## Tiny Poodles

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Dang!! Tiny Poodles you really need to make a copy of this thread and send it to PetPlan! I'm sure they would love to know how many people you have gotten to sign up with them. They are just so worth it!
> I actually had a bit of an issue claiming Killa's recent skin surgery with them. They denied her claim for the surgery in less than 24 hours! I don't even think they had time to look through her medical file fully it was so quick. I called them up and they said just have the doctor send a letter stating it was for her skin issues and not her previous Enucleation and they will review the claim again. Well I had to wait a week to do so because her doctor was out of town for that week. But once he got the letter sent in the next day I got a call from petplan saying they were sending me the check for the surgery. Thank goodness! So even though I had an issue it was taken care if quickly and fairly. Again thanks so much for recommending them Tiny Poodles!



? Just like I have always said - they are a very fair and reasonable company to deal with - unlike most insurance companies who use any excuse not to pay, they are the total opposite - they ask you to help them to find a way so that they CAN pay you!


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## Mfmst

Yes, you really should get a referral discount Tiny. Saved me comparing plans and I got some very useful tips on the claims process. I am guessing that my girlfriend's trip to the Orlando specialty hospital cost at least $2500 and that was just for diagnostic tests. Can't imagine what that ear surgery would have cost. Anyway, I would rather write small checks than 4 or 6 figure ones


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## Tiny Poodles

Mfmst said:


> Yes, you really should get a referral discount Tiny. Saved me comparing plans and I got some very useful tips on the claims process. I am guessing that my girlfriend's trip to the Orlando specialty hospital cost at least $2500 and that was just for diagnostic tests. Can't imagine what that ear surgery would have cost. Anyway, I would rather write small checks than 4 or 6 figure ones



They actually do have a $25 referral gift card that they give, but I can't get it because NYS doesn't allow it! That's OK though, just their usual benefits is plenty gift for me!
And besides, it makes my recommendation of them so much purer doesn't it - I would hate for even one person to suspect that I had ulterior motives, and not sign up their baby and miss out on this great coverage because of it!
But hey, you know you guys should be trading gift cards amongst one another - 1st one signed up get the gift card for the second one, second one gets the gift card for the third one, and so on!


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## TrixieTreasure

JudyD said:


> I had a bit of a shock with PetPlan this week. Jazz's policy comes due in March, Blue's in June. My credit card expiration date changed in May of 2015. I got a notice from PetPlan that they needed to update my card to maintain Blue's coverage, so I called, updated the card, and I thought all was good. Not so. I got a notice this week that Jazz's info needed to be updated to continue her coverage (apparently updating the card info doesn't transfer to another dog), so I called to do that, and in the course of the conversation mentioned that Blue was covered, too. The rep said, "Oh, no, his coverage was cancelled last June." What??!?? When she checked the records, it was clear I'd called, updated his info, and a week later, they cancelled his coverage, due to some glitch in their system. The rep checked with her supervisor and corrected the mistake, but I wonder what would have happened if I'd filed a claim in the interim. From what I've read about them on this forum, I think they've have made it good, but it was still a shock.



I was referred to Petplan 3 yrs ago by someone from my past. I was shocked to hear from the person because of some problems she had with me. I thought, great, she's put the past behind her, and is genuine in wanting to help me. And she was so nice to me. I was almost ready to sign my cats up, but I did want to check out other companies first, just to make sure I was getting the right plan at the best possible rate. I wanted to take my time and do the research before I committed myself to any insurance company. I was not going to sit on the fence for long, but all I wanted was a chance to check out other options, and talk it over with my husband, before we decided to go ahead. 

What really turned me off to Petplan was how aggressive they were in trying to get me to sign up with them. Now, I'm not saying anything bad about how they treat their customers, and by everything I've read here, I know they're a well respected company, and they get fantastic reviews. I'm glad that people here are happy with them. It's just that I got so turned off by their insistence in email. I was getting 3 emails a day, asking me what plan I wanted, and how they could help me to get signed up, etc. It was only email thank goodness, but I honestly felt like I was in a car lot, with the salesman doing everything he could to get me to buy a certain car. I'm just one of those people who don't like sale tactics, no matter what it is. So instead of Petplan, I thought of going with Trupanion instead, but then decided not to go with any company. We've just decided to stick with our pet savings account, which has worked well for us. To each his own, really.


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## lulupoopkins

You should really do thorough research, don’t just settle for any pet insurance plan and assume all will be fine and dandy whenever your dog gets sick or hurt. Make sure to read all the fine print written on what they cover and what they don't. Some policies are nearly worthless because of all the exclusions and there are a just a few that are reliable and reputable and more importantly worth the investment. From what I can tell based on my homework so far, Healthy paws, embrace, petplan and trupanion are among the best insurance companies for full, major coverage against sickness and accidents. They all offer similar coverage but also their coverage varies on reimbursements, limits, benefits, coverage limits, etc. Pet insurance was a no-brainer for me for the simple reason I can’t afford to treat any serious health problems without it and for less than $50 a month I get great coverage, low deductibles, and if sh** hit the fan, I would get 90 percent of a $5k-25k+ vet bill (but I’d still have to pay upfront and wait to be paid back). My vet gave me some resources to review and also helped me decide based on Lulu’s existing health issues and her breed. I’ll include them, maybe they can help you as well and I’m here if you want to ask me anything.



Standard Poodle Dogs | Standard Poodle Dog Breed Info & Pictures | petMD

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-insurance.aspx

https://www.petinsuranceu.com/poodle-pet-insurance/


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## Tiny Poodles

lulupoopkins said:


> You should really do thorough research, don’t just settle for any pet insurance plan and assume all will be fine and dandy whenever your dog gets sick or hurt. Make sure to read all the fine print written on what they cover and what they don't. Some policies are nearly worthless because of all the exclusions and there are a just a few that are reliable and reputable and more importantly worth the investment. From what I can tell based on my homework so far, Healthy paws, embrace, petplan and trupanion are among the best insurance companies for full, major coverage against sickness and accidents. They all offer similar coverage but also their coverage varies on reimbursements, limits, benefits, coverage limits, etc. Pet insurance was a no-brainer for me for the simple reason I can’t afford to treat any serious health problems without it and for less than $50 a month I get great coverage, low deductibles, and if sh** hit the fan, I would get 90 percent of a $5k-25k+ vet bill (but I’d still have to pay upfront and wait to be paid back). My vet gave me some resources to review and also helped me decide based on Lulu’s existing health issues and her breed. I’ll include them, maybe they can help you as well and I’m here if you want to ask me anything.
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> Standard Poodle Dogs | Standard Poodle Dog Breed Info & Pictures | petMD
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> https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-insurance.aspx
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> https://www.petinsuranceu.com/poodle-pet-insurance/



Yup - That is exactly what I did when I was deciding - read the policy of every single company cover to cover, and when 
I got down to my top three, I took some previous vet bills that I had and decided, according to what I read in the policies, figured how much I would have been paid if my dog had been covered, and in every case Petplan came out ahead, so that is who I chose, and at least 40 claims later, they have never disappointed me! 
Providing a good policy is one thing, but their approach to processing claims - never trying to wriggle out of paying with loopholes, always interpreting the policy in the fairest way to the customer - in fact on several occasions they have spontaneously made the effort to pay me even more than I thought they should, that is something that you will never know until you have signed on with a company, and that is why I feel that I should keep on sharing my experience with my poodle peeps! Maybe there are other companies that treat their customers just as well, I don't know, but I can tell you that it just couldn't get any better than Petplan!


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## Myleen

Tiny Poodles said:


> When I told my Vet about how pleased I was with Petplan, she said that and Pet's Best were the two that she recommends.
> I looked at their website, and their rate actually ran higher than Petplan.
> I am sure that you would be relieved to have any decent coverage, but for me, I really like that Petplan offers 100 percent coverage, and covers Vet exam fees. If I am going to shell out the premiums every month, I prefer to know that I have zero risk of having to come up with any major amount of money for a Vet bill - once I have paid my girl's $200 premium, any Vet care for an illness will cost me ZERO - up to $22,000 a policy year!
> I agree that $5,000 is a little low - I have spent more than that in a year on Vet bills several times.


As of 12:01 tonight...Toby will be protected with Pet Plan. I love this forum!!!!!


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## Tiny Poodles

Myleen said:


> As of 12:01 tonight...Toby will be protected with Pet Plan. I love this forum!!!!!



Congratulations - I am glad to hear that one more poodle parent will never have to worry about costs if a health crisis should occur! 
Here's hoping that Petplan makes lots of money off of you and that you never have to make a claim, but if you unfortunately do have to make one, I know that they will not disappoint - I have never heard anything but praise from anyone who has had to file a claim yet!


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## Kassie

Tiny Poodles said:


> When I told my Vet about how pleased I was with Petplan, she said that and Pet's Best were the two that she recommends.
> I looked at their website, and their rate actually ran higher than Petplan.
> I am sure that you would be relieved to have any decent coverage, but for me, I really like that Petplan offers 100 percent coverage, and covers Vet exam fees. If I am going to shell out the premiums every month, I prefer to know that I have zero risk of having to come up with any major amount of money for a Vet bill - once I have paid my girl's $200 premium, any Vet care for an illness will cost me ZERO - up to $22,000 a policy year!
> I agree that $5,000 is a little low - I have spent more than that in a year on Vet bills several times.


here I am chasing Fenton around, scared he will swallow something, break something..my previous toy poodle broke his leg as a pup. $3,500 later.... so, i am going with pet plan. Tiny Poodles, your research, and knowledge sold me! Going with the Gold! 

are premiums higher for older animals? I think so....?


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## Tiny Poodles

Kassie said:


> here I am chasing Fenton around, scared he will swallow something, break something..my previous toy poodle broke his leg as a pup. $3,500 later.... so, i am going with pet plan. Tiny Poodles, your research, and knowledge sold me! Going with the Gold!
> 
> 
> 
> are premiums higher for older animals? I think so....?



Yes, just to give you an idea, 14 year old Teaka's policy is roughly 3 times what 2 year old Timi's policy is.
You are wise to sign him up right away - the first year can be a crazy time. One Facebook friend had her toy break a front leg, and as soon as rehab was finished broke the other one. Another Facebook friend, her baby needed bilateral knee repairs and is currently getting rehab. And both of them are mighty glad that they took my advice about Petplan!


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## Kassie

Tiny Poodles said:


> Yes, just to give you an idea, 14 year old Teaka's policy is roughly 3 times what 2 year old Timi's policy is.
> You are wise to sign him up right away - the first year can be a crazy time. One Facebook friend had her toy break a front leg, and as soon as rehab was finished broke the other one. Another Facebook friend, her baby needed bilateral knee repairs and is currently getting rehab. And both of them are mighty glad that they took my advice about Petplan!


Done! Now protection starts at midnight, I think it said.

As the animals age, do the premiums go up or do they stay as they are, benefit of signing up young? I signed up my maine **** kitten as well. His premium is much lower, I guess because he is a cat. However, Maine ****'s have health issues, so I am surprised.


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## Tiny Poodles

Kassie said:


> Done! Now protection starts at midnight, I think it said.
> 
> 
> 
> As the animals age, do the premiums go up or do they stay as they are, benefit of signing up young? I signed up my maine **** kitten as well. His premium is much lower, I guess because he is a cat. However, Maine ****'s have health issues, so I am surprised.



Accident coverage starts in 24 hours, illness coverage begins in two weeks.
And before that two weeks is up, you want to take him to the vet to have them document that his hips and knees are without defect so they will be covered right away and not subject to a waiting period!
And yes the premiums do go up every year, and I won't lie to you, 14 y/o Teaka's is pricey, but still I think that the cost is held down somewhat by already being a member, as last I checked and did the price calculator on the website for a poodle with her demographics, it came to more than double what I actually pay.


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