# Advice Needed: Petplan is Raising Premiums Drastically, No Explanation



## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

I had heard they were the best. Is there something in the contract that allows them to raise the rates just because one of the dogs has had claims? That doesn't sound right.
Maybe calling them directly would be better - its harder to ignore a phone call than an e-mail. I have Pets Best and haven't had that problem although Callie hasn't had that many claims, and they were for minor tummy upsets.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think most insurance companies do this - if you have claimed on a policy, the risk is considered higher and the premium increases. And they have you caught, as anything already diagnosed or suspected would count as a pre-existing condition. My premiums for the two dogs - for whom I had never made a claim - were over £800/$1200 in the last year before I decided it made more sense to put the money into a savings account.

Have you looked into reducing some parts of the cover - for loss or accidental death, for example - and concentrating on vet bill cover only? Or increasing the excess/co-pay? Talking to them about ways to maintain adequate cover without increasing the premiums may be more productive than just asking why the premiums have gone up.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Yup they are doing the exact same thing to me with Killa. She is on a gold plan with $100 deductible and 100% coverage. I called to downgrade her to the bronze plan because I realized the gold was way to much and she would never use it all. Well he told me it would be around $10 less per month, I was happy about that. A few days later he called me up and left a message saying his quoting machine malfunctioned and it would actually be $525 a year which equals out to about $10 more per month!!!! Keep in mind this is all to downgrade to a lesser plan. So basically I will be paying like $50 more to downgrade her plan which makes no sense at all. I still haven't called back which I really should, but I am very unhappy about this turn of events. ?


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Yup they are doing the exact same thing to me with Killa. She is on a gold plan with $100 deductible and 100% coverage. I called to downgrade her to the bronze plan because I realized the gold was way to much and she would never use it all. Well he told me it would be around $10 less per month, I was happy about that. A few days later he called me up and left a message saying his quoting machine malfunctioned and it would actually be $525 a year which equals out to about $10 more per month!!!! Keep in mind this is all to downgrade to a lesser plan. So basically I will be paying like $50 more to downgrade her plan which makes no sense at all. I still haven't called back which I really should, but I am very unhappy about this turn of events. ?


Huh. That's PetPlan too?


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Fjm--yes, this is the second year that I'm forced to downgrade the plan. Next year I won't have much to downgrade from.

Are you generally happy with your decision to ditch the insurance altogether? I'm seriously considering that as well.

If they keep it up, in a few years I'll be paying as much as I am for my own insurance, which is absurd.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Yup, it's Petplan


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

This is why we don't have insurance. I have a dedicated animal emergency savings line. I made this decision on the recommendation of our vet. I have only had minor expenses for Lily and Peeves, but have money in case I need it out of pocket. I didn't have insurance when I had cats either and since I was younger and didn't have such a huge financial buffer to have dedicated a cat emergency fund I paid by earning some extra money substituting for people.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think insurance is a very good idea for the first few years - pups may have latent problems that don't manifest until they are mature, are more prone to accidents, and insurance premiums tend to be lower for young dogs. Meanwhile you can be building a fund for future expenses. The real question is whether a major emergency or procedure would leave you questioning whether you could afford to pay - I never want to have to be in the position of having to opt for euthanasia because I cannot pay the bill for treatment. I kept up the insurance until I was certain I could cover vet bills myself if necessary.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I hope I don't regret doing this, but I didn't get pet insurance. It makes sense to me, from a business standpoint, that they would raise rates as your dog gets older or if you have a lot of claims. Veterinary care has gotten so much more sophisticated and expensive. That was a driving force behind spending money upfront for a healthy puppy. I'll let you know how being self-insured works out...


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

the op said rates were being raised for one dog and not the other. i think insurance companies tend to raise rates for higher risk policy holders, just as auto insurers tend to raise your rate if you have any serious claims, though a time may come when the insurer feels that its own overall finances dictate raising rates across the board. people have to decide how much they can afford down the road, including payment of premiums and how well they personally handle taking the risk of not being able to afford treatment for something serious. it can be a tough decision, depending on one's personal circumstances.


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I had Pet Plan for one year. We never made a claim on it, and when it came time to renew, they raised the rates by about 20%. My dogs are healthy and all between the ages of 3 and 5. 

When I called them, they said it was because I lived in NY and the vet bills are higher here. I cancelled, and will just bite the bullet if something happens.

I felt this was an exorbitant hike for a pretty lame reason- rates in NY could not possibly have changed that much in one year, and my dogs are still relatively young. I never had any other pet insurance, that was my only experience with it.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

I waited too long to get pet insurance  Luce was over a year and had already dislocated her hip and needed surgery. Of course it was a preexisting condition when I did sign up, if I had the insurance a few months earlier, I would have paid $200 instead of $2865 for 2 surgeries and 5 physical therapy sessions. I used 2 credit cards and a check for the first surgery of $1800, when the next surgery came along a couple of months later, I had inherited some money when my Mom passed and used that.

I 'm not sure what I'll do in the coming months - keep it or dump it.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Petplan in the USA? (There is also an unrelated Petplan in the UK)
I am 100 percent certain that they don't raise rates based upon claims. Tangee and Teaka are 6 months apart in age, and are in their third policy, and have always been the same rate (they were around $75 a month when they started at age ten, and now are just under $100 a month, but I can't complain as they have paid me at least $10,000 more than I have paid them. But the majority of my claims have been for Tangee, and again her rate is exactly the same as Teaka's.
I would suggest calling them, and if you don't get any satisfaction, try their Facebook page as they are very responsive there. They will vehemently tell you that they do not base rates upon the number of claims - the three factors upon which rates are based are breed, age, and where you live, and I am certain that they will find where the error is!


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

We researched insurance pretty heavily last year after getting Desi. His breeders paid for his health testing since we have him as a guardianship only, but adding another dog to two very senior ones just seemed like a tipping point that might make insurance a needed thing.

However, when we actually did the math - as well as factoring in the added hassle of dealing with claims - it just never seemed like a real savings for us. And we've experienced the gamut of pet emergencies in the past so we were able to compare what we spent on those situations with what we would have saved. 

Even factoring in emergencies and chronic illnesses (though excluding the year of cancer treatments for Jules), our biggest total expenses are actually just the normal wellness visits and teeth cleaning, etc. 

There's actually a clinic in Louisville that is extremely popular and whose prices are usually 1/10th of what other vets charge, so going there would have a much bigger impact on cost than insurance, but having a vet that's only 10 minutes away and will come in after hours for an emergency has been too valuable to us so I just tell myself the extra cost for wellness visits is to support having that access and peace of mind.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Yup they are doing the exact same thing to me with Killa. She is on a gold plan with $100 deductible and 100% coverage. I called to downgrade her to the bronze plan because I realized the gold was way to much and she would never use it all. Well he told me it would be around $10 less per month, I was happy about that. A few days later he called me up and left a message saying his quoting machine malfunctioned and it would actually be $525 a year which equals out to about $10 more per month!!!! Keep in mind this is all to downgrade to a lesser plan. So basically I will be paying like $50 more to downgrade her plan which makes no sense at all. I still haven't called back which I really should, but I am very unhappy about this turn of events. ?



What you need to do is change the deductible to $200 (remember you only pay it once a year on a condition) - THAT is the thing that dramatically changes the price. Switching silver, gold or bronze is such a minor difference that I kept it at gold, even for Timi who is highly unlikely to spend that much (at NYC prices, it is quite possible that elderly Tangge and Teaka could) but a $50 deductible would have just about doubled my premiums, so I figured that I would risk having to pay an extra $150 if a second issue comes up because I have the coverage to take care of the huge bills in the thousands that might come up, not a $150 tummy ache!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Ciscley said:


> We researched insurance pretty heavily last year after getting Desi. His breeders paid for his health testing since we have him as a guardianship only, but adding another dog to two very senior ones just seemed like a tipping point that might make insurance a needed thing.
> 
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> ...



You just never know with dogs - I have had ones that did not cost me a dime above routine care until their final year, and then I gave had ones that cost me many thousands a year (allergies, skin biopsies, etc). But one thing I have learned is that each and every one cost me heart stopping amounts in their last year or two, so I was incredibly grateful to find Petplan when Tangee and Teaka were 10 years old - and like I said, they have paid me at least $10,000 more than I have paid them. I signed up puppy Timi, not thinking that she needed it, but because I thought it was only fair to them to have at least one dog of mine that they could make a little profit on, but it was not to be - I am already about a grand ahead of them on Timi's policy too!
Oh, and really not telling you what to do - you should do whatever you are comfortable with, but I do have to point out that you really should not leave out of your calculations a year of cancer treatments for one of your dogs - if they had all been covered, that year of cancer treatments being paid for may have made it all worthwhile. I have paid them a little more on Teaka's policy than she has had claims for, but the huge amount of claims that I have been paid on Tangee more than makes up for that!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

This discussion got me curious about how much veterinary care has increased.
Has The Cost Of Veterinary Care Skyrocketed? | Web DVM


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Mfmst said:


> I hope I don't regret doing this, but I didn't get pet insurance. It makes sense to me, from a business standpoint, that they would raise rates as your dog gets older or if you have a lot of claims. Veterinary care has gotten so much more sophisticated and expensive. That was a driving force behind spending money upfront for a healthy puppy. I'll let you know how being self-insured works out...


I'm with you on that, but also see good sense in fjm's option for insurance on young dog while also building a vet fund for when the premiums go through the roof.


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## all that jazz (Feb 6, 2011)

I had Embrace insurance for two years on Jazz. I hardly used it. Then Zoe came and the cost of insuring both became prohibitive. I believe it would have been about 6-700/yr. I decided to drop the insurances. I figure the money I am saving/year will help to defray costs if they ever need common surgery. If there was something more serious like cancer, G-d forbid, I would not put them through chemo anyway. Just my opinion.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Mfmst said:


> This discussion got me curious about how much veterinary care has increased.
> Has The Cost Of Veterinary Care Skyrocketed? | Web DVM


Thanks for this link,_ very_ interesting read!


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Someone from PetPlan got back to me saying that they do not raise premiums based on the amount of claims, but rather on the location and age.

That can't be true. My dogs are the same age. They obviously live in the same place. And yet they keep raising the premiums for the sickly one.


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

And yes, making the deductible $200 makes sense to me. You gotta pay upfront anyway. It's the major expenses that seem terrifying.

Interestingly, the insurance I had for my hedgehogs never, ever raised premiums! Even as they got very old. And exotic vet care is as expensive as it gets, mind you.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

We decided to get pet insurance with Penny. It's the first time we've had it. Our first Spoo, Roxy, was practically bullet proof. 14 years and nothing but the annual vet checkups. Beau made up for that. We figure he was in the 10K range for a bowl resection from a stuck sock and two cancer surgeries and a bout of Ehrlichia, which, I understand is a southern version of Lyme disease. So yeah this time we're going with pet insurance. Hopefully we won't need it. And if they jerk us around then we'll drop them and go it on our own.

Rick


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

all that jazz said:


> I had Embrace insurance for two years on Jazz. I hardly used it. Then Zoe came and the cost of insuring both became prohibitive. I believe it would have been about 6-700/yr. I decided to drop the insurances. I figure the money I am saving/year will help to defray costs if they ever need common surgery. If there was something more serious like cancer, G-d forbid, I would not put them through chemo anyway. Just my opinion.



You know I always used to say that I would never put my dogs through any torturous medical treatment, but it just so happened that when they got older, each and every time they did NOT have a terminal illness - every time they had something potentially treatable with a return to a reasonably good quality of life. I only got the "save" one time, the rest not, but still I felt that my hands were tied, and I had to try....around $15,000 worth in Taylee's final year...
Tangee on the other hand, I know that when her heart disease gets bad enough there won't be a save - yet still the last two years have costed several thousands a year in testing and meds to keep her doing very well so the insurance is still a blessing!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

fracturedcircle said:


> Hi everyone!
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Hey, I just called Petplan to ask them a question about one of my claims, and I thought I would ask them about your issue, and they said that 100 percent their rates are not based upon the number of claims -two dogs of the same age, same breed, and living in the same household would pay exactly the same rate. She did say that if they are different sizes (say a toy and a Standard), or if they had different levels of coverage or different deductibles, that might give them slightly different rates. She suggested that perhaps there is a mistake in one of their birthdays, or breed that they are listed as, and you should call them and they will fix it! She also said that their general email is for claims documents only, so if you wrote to them there it would not be read - only if you had some individual's email would it be read, so call them!


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Oh, and really not telling you what to do - you should do whatever you are comfortable with, but I do have to point out that you really should not leave out of your calculations a year of cancer treatments for one of your dogs - if they had all been covered, that year of cancer treatments being paid for may have made it all worthwhile.





all that jazz said:


> If there was something more serious like cancer, G-d forbid, I would not put them through chemo anyway. Just my opinion.


That's honestly why we left out the cancer payments. It was over 10K and while we had Jules for another year and he was extremely happy up until the last 48hrs, I just can't imagine having to deal with the risks and side effects of having a dog on chemo again. 

I had no idea before going into that their urine becomes toxic after treatments. So no kiddos playing in the yard and no other dogs going in the same area. That's not to mention all the other dangerous meds, many of which we had to wear gloves when giving him.

But I used to work in human insurance and the point of it is to give you peace of mind. So if it gives you that, it's worth it. We just are at a place where putting the premiums into savings is more effective for our peace of mind since the insurance plans don't cover wellness and preventative costs.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Ciscley said:


> That's honestly why we left out the cancer payments. It was over 10K and while we had Jules for another year and he was extremely happy up until the last 48hrs, I just can't imagine having to deal with the risks and side effects of having a dog on chemo again.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



One thing that I have noticed in my years of owning dogs, it is just never the same thing twice - each one writes their own story, and you cannot plan ahead what you will do. From the time that she was a puppy, I knew that Taylee was an extremely pain sensitive dog, and swore I would never put her through any major treatments for anything. Then when she was twelve years old, she was just feeling a little off, bloodwork was slightly off, but nothing to hang your hat on. So there were more tests, try this compounded calcium, try this infusion, let's do an unltrasound, let's try this special medicine, a bad day that landed her in the hospital, let's do another ultrasound, a terrible lie, a surgery, three more days of suffering, and she was gone, leaving a $$15,000 Vet bill. The only thing that I would have done differently was ask to see the second ultrasound report (my Vet's lie about it led to the unnecessary surgery, but he did not charge me for the surgery anyhow). So for a dog that I swore I would never put through any major treatment, I wound up spending $15,000 in her final months, and other than what I said, there was not a thing that I regret - I would do it all over again!
Yes, Petplan has given me peace of mind, but in the past two years they have also given me at least 10 grand I would have without a doubt spent with or without them!


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> One thing that I have noticed in my years of owning dogs, it is just never the same thing twice - each one writes their own story, and you cannot plan ahead what you will do. From the time that she was a puppy, I knew that Taylee was an extremely pain sensitive dog, and swore I would never put her through any major treatments for anything. Then when she was twelve years old, she was just feeling a little off, bloodwork was slightly off, but nothing to hang your hat on. So there were more tests, try this compounded calcium, try this infusion, let's do an unltrasound, let's try this special medicine, a bad day that landed her in the hospital, let's do another ultrasound, a terrible lie, a surgery, three more days of suffering, and she was gone, leaving a $$15,000 Vet bill. The only thing that I would have done differently was ask to see the second ultrasound report (my Vet's lie about it led to the unnecessary surgery, but he did not charge me for the surgery anyhow). So for a dog that I swore I would never put through any major treatment, I wound up spending $15,000 in her final months, and other than what I said, there was not a thing that I regret - I would do it all over again!
> Yes, Petplan has given me peace of mind, but in the past two years they have also given me at least 10 grand I would have without a doubt spent with or without them!



I totally agree. I really don't know how far I will go on either of my three with medical care, but I know I would try my hardest as long as they are not suffering and Petplan makes it possible for me to not have to worry about how I would do that. The monthly fee is definitely worth the peace of mind it gives.


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Right, so they say that it's because one of my dogs has their multiple pet discount.

The problem with the $200 deductible is that we'd almost always fall short of it. When we take Llama in for an ear infection, allergies, etc, the bill is usually about $190. As I understand it, we'll hardly ever meet their deductible if we are to set it to $200.

If PetPlan is raising the premium by $200 each year, we'll have to drop it anyway next year.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

fracturedcircle said:


> Right, so they say that it's because one of my dogs has their multiple pet discount.
> 
> The problem with the $200 deductible is that we'd almost always fall short of it. When we take Llama in for an ear infection, allergies, etc, the bill is usually about $190. As I understand it, we'll hardly ever meet their deductible if we are to set it to $200.
> 
> If PetPlan is raising the premium by $200 each year, we'll have to drop it anyway next year.



Yes, but the $200 deductible is only once a year, for the rest of the year, with 100 percent reimbursement, all of the care would be free! And if your Vet will document that the ear infection is secondary to the allergies, it would all be covered under one deductible for the year!


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Yes, but the $200 deductible is only once a year, for the rest of the year, with 100 percent reimbursement, all of the care would be free! And if your Vet will document that the ear infection is secondary to the allergies, it would all be covered under one deductible for the year!


Right, but what if ALL of our bills for, say, ear infection, are just under $200? We'd never reach it, right? Or am I missing something?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

fracturedcircle said:


> Right, but what if ALL of our bills for, say, ear infection, are just under $200? We'd never reach it, right? Or am I missing something?



You are correct, there have been times that we did not meet the deductible for a small thing, but that's OK I did not get it because I was worried about the small things, but the huge bills in the thousands.
And when they do have a second issue, 90 percent of the time I can make a winning argument that it is connected to an earlier condition.
For example, last year Tangee had an episode of ataxia. The bill was just around $200, and the Vet did not find anything wrong. A month or two later, she went for a check-up with the cardiologist, and they found that her condition had gotten worse. Petplan tried to apply a second deductible for what was her first cardiologist visit of the year, but I had my Vet write a letter stating that it was her opinion that the earlier episode of Ataxia was likely due to her cardiac condition, and Petplan accepted that it was the same diagnosis, and did not charge a second deductible for the cardiologists visit.

I was very impressed when Tangee's heart condition was first being evaluated - I brought her in for a cough, and not only did they pay for chest X-rays, ultrasound, and a full blood panel, they even paid for a heartworm test because it was diagnostic, not routine!
And now, pretty much anything that she goes in for is covered under that one deductible, because almost anything could be a side effect of the medication that she is taking. Hardly a month goes by that I don't get a check from Petplan for Tangee...


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