# Pet Insurance - can't decide between two top reviewed



## Spot210 (Nov 7, 2015)

I can't decide between Healthy Paws and Pet Plan for my new little pup, Bowie!! 
I know I won't be returning to VPI. I read several posts about insurance here, and it seems that Pet Plan is highly favored by many posters. I hope I am not raising a question that has been discussed and discussed here, but if anyone wants to give me some advice, I would really appreciate it. Thanks !


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

There are several people on here who favor Petplan. I'm sure they will chime in as soon as they see this thread.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I'm not familiar with the first brand, but I love Petplan! I have not had to file any claims with Petplan so far, but I know people who have and were extremely pleased! My poor friend had a 1 year old dog that got a very rare cancer, and thank Dog was already insured with Petplan. They covered all of the testing, CT scans, MRI's, drugs, surgeries, and even a Lot of all the different holistic supplements she had her on. 

Pet plan does not cover for routine procedures though such as preventative exams, vaccines, spay/neuter, heartworm meds, etc. Pretty much everything else though!


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## Spot210 (Nov 7, 2015)

bigpoodleperson said:


> I'm not familiar with the first brand, but I love Petplan! I have not had to file any claims with Petplan so far, but I know people who have and were extremely pleased! My poor friend had a 1 year old dog that got a very rare cancer, and thank Dog was already insured with Petplan. They covered all of the testing, CT scans, MRI's, drugs, surgeries, and even a Lot of all the different holistic supplements she had her on.
> 
> Pet plan does not cover for routine procedures though such as preventative exams, vaccines, spay/neuter, heartworm meds, etc. Pretty much everything else though!


Thanks for the response. I also wanted to say that I love your dog's name!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

If you do a search, you will find a discussion about Healthy Paws vs Pet Plan. Here is one link:

http://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/163697-healthy-paws-pet-plan.html

Tiny Poodles is the Pet Plan "expert" on this forum although a lot of people do use that pet insurance, myself included.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> If you do a search, you will find a discussion about Healthy Paws vs Pet Plan. Here is one link:
> 
> http://www.poodleforum.com/29-poodle-health/163697-healthy-paws-pet-plan.html
> 
> Tiny Poodles is the Pet Plan "expert" on this forum although a lot of people do use that pet insurance, myself included.



Haha, only an "expert" because I must have filed 30-40 claims with them in the 3 1/2 years since my girls have been insured.
Here is the most important point I think - Petplan has a great policy offering wonderful coverage. So do several other companies out there. But with Petplan you have the benefit of knowing from me, from a number of friends that I have sent to them, and from a number of folks on this forum that Petplan truly gives their customers what they promise, and then some - in each and every case (as long as there isn't a pre-existing condition) they actually apply their policy in the most favorable way to the consumer. If you read the search for Petplan in the forum you will find me and others giving actual examples of this so I won't repeat myself, but you know that not every insurance company operates like that - many will fight you tooth and nail, trying use every loophole imaginable to get out of paying, so when you have the benefit of having multiple pet owners report that Petplan never does that, I really don't know why you would take a chance on another company!
Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have after reading the searches !


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Here's a post from a breeder on this topic.

Pet Insurance - Anutta Blog


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

What concerns me about pet insurance is, what if nothing catastrophic happens to your pet during it's lifetime? Just the normal yearly wellness checks and unusual extras that come up, like teeth cleaning( and anything that goes along with that)? I mean, we all hope and pray that nothing catastrophic happens, and if it doesn't, then we have paid a lot of money to an insurance company that we never even needed to use. 

Now, if you have a pet that is prone to accidents, and/or other serious health issues, I would agree that it's important to have. But I just can't see giving money to an insurance company every month, when I can be putting the same amount of that money away into a savings account in my bank or credit union every month. Being a pet owner for 39 years, and nothing ever catastrophic happening to any of them, I just can't see how it would be good for us to have it. We have enough in our pet savings account now that if something DID happen, we would be okay. And if not, then we would be able to get a loan from the credit union.

With that said, if we had gone through many emergencies, or something that WAS catastrophic in those 39 years, then yes, I would be on board with the rest of you. It really is all about peace of mind, and if you have a pet who could be prone to a lot of problems.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

TrixieTreasure said:


> What concerns me about pet insurance is, what if nothing catastrophic happens to your pet during it's lifetime? Just the normal yearly wellness checks and unusual extras that come up, like teeth cleaning( and anything that goes along with that)? I mean, we all hope and pray that nothing catastrophic happens, and if it doesn't, then we have paid a lot of money to an insurance company that we never even needed to use.
> 
> Now, if you have a pet that is prone to accidents, and/or other serious health issues, I would agree that it's important to have. But I just can't see giving money to an insurance company every month, when I can be putting the same amount of that money away into a savings account in my bank or credit union every month. Being a pet owner for 39 years, and nothing ever catastrophic happening to any of them, I just can't see how it would be good for us to have it. We have enough in our pet savings account now that if something DID happen, we would be okay. And if not, then we would be able to get a loan from the credit union.
> 
> With that said, if we had gone through many emergencies, or something that WAS catastrophic in those 39 years, then yes, I would be on board with the rest of you. It really is all about peace of mind, and if you have a pet who could be prone to a lot of problems.


I just took out pet insurance on Lexi a few months ago. I went back and forth on it, she just turned five this week. What sealed it for me was reading on another forum of someone who had a standard and had a medical emergency come up that they simply did not have the money for. It was either the dog was treated or it would need to be put down. She ended up surrendering her dog to a rescue and the dog got the treatment it needed. It was a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved. I look at pet insurance as a catastrophic policy for something major. In a perfect world, vets would let you make payments for those large, unexpected bills and people would always pay them. It's kind of like my home or auto insurance, I hope I never have to use them, but when I have had to, I was very thankful I had it.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

katbrat said:


> I just took out pet insurance on Lexi a few months ago. I went back and forth on it, she just turned five this week. What sealed it for me was reading on another forum of someone who had a standard and had a medical emergency come up that they simply did not have the money for. It was either the dog was treated or it would need to be put down. She ended up surrendering her dog to a rescue and the dog got the treatment it needed. It was a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved. I look at pet insurance as a catastrophic policy for something major. In a perfect world, vets would let you make payments for those large, unexpected bills and people would always pay them. It's kind of like my home or auto insurance, I hope I never have to use them, but when I have had to, I was very thankful I had it.



Exactly! You wouldn't regret your car insurance because you never had an accident, nor would you feel you didn't get your money's worth out of your home insurance because your house didn't burn down.
Pet health insurance is precisely the same idea!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I did not have insurance for my previous poodle who had epilepsy and I did not have insurance on my PWD who developed Addisons. Both diseases were very expensive and I think I would have asked for a specialist to look at my poodle if I had had insurance. I do not want my healthcare decisions to be based on lack of money.

I asked my vet receptionist about pet insurance. She is the one who submits the claims. She told me of a client who paid for the insurance for years and did not submit a claim. So he dropped it. A month later his dog had a very serious and expensive medical emergency.

So I believe I will keep Petplan policies on Neeka and Dakota. I can afford hundreds a year for insurance but thousands for a medical problem would be difficult.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> I did not have insurance for my previous poodle who had epilepsy and I did not have insurance on my PWD who developed Addisons. Both diseases were very expensive and I think I would have asked for a specialist to look at my poodle if I had had insurance. I do not want my healthcare decisions to be based on lack of money.
> 
> I asked my vet receptionist about pet insurance. She is the one who submits the claims. She told me of a client who paid for the insurance for years and did not submit a claim. So he dropped it. A month later his dog had a very serious and expensive medical emergency.
> 
> So I believe I will keep Petplan policies on Neeka and Dakota. I can afford hundreds a year for insurance but thousands for a medical problem would be difficult.



I submit my own claims. I like to review the medical records for any mix-ups that might slow down the claim (trust me, 
I have found and had the vet correct them before even submitting) Plus you save a ton of time when you don't first have to wait for Petplan to request the records, and then wait for it to be faxed. They say they faxed it, Petplan says they didn't receive, back and forth. I bought a copier with a fax just for my Petplan claims, but now they have an app - just take photos of the bills and records, upload, and bam - a couple of minutes after getting home from the Vet yesterday, the claim was submitted. 
Teaka had her cardiologist visit yesterday, and believe me it was a delight to say "doesn't matter" when they brought me the cost estimate! 
And by the way, something you may not realize, when your dog has a chronic condition such as a heart murmur, you have basically eliminated paying for well visits - visits to her regular vet, bloodwork etc just gets covered under the heart murmur.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

katbrat said:


> I just took out pet insurance on Lexi a few months ago. I went back and forth on it, she just turned five this week. What sealed it for me was reading on another forum of someone who had a standard and had a medical emergency come up that they simply did not have the money for. It was either the dog was treated or it would need to be put down. She ended up surrendering her dog to a rescue and the dog got the treatment it needed. It was a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved. I look at pet insurance as a catastrophic policy for something major. In a perfect world, vets would let you make payments for those large, unexpected bills and people would always pay them. It's kind of like my home or auto insurance, I hope I never have to use them, but when I have had to, I was very thankful I had it.




I understand what you're saying, and I agree to parts of it. However, I also believe that when owners think of their dogs as part of their family, they're going to do whatever it takes, to come up with the money, when there is a medical emergency. Borrowing money from a bank or credit union is one way. Most people also have credit cards. Or if nothing else, make arrangements with the vet to pay a certain amount up front and then make payments. Our vet allowed us to make payments to them monthly early on in our dog ownership, when we were struggling financially. If the owner is a long time client of that vet, I truly believe that payments would be approved. At least for a period of time.

All I'm saying is, when there's a will, there's a way. If people put the $200 
( or whatever the amount is that they pay the pet insurance every month) away into the bank or credit union every month, that will draw a little bit of interest, and by the end of the year ( and if they were faithful about putting $200 in every month), that's going to bring them a good chunk of money, for when there IS a medical emergency. If there's no medical emergency, then they can continue putting money into that special savings account, and the money will keep adding up.

Of course I'm only talking about if a very unusual event takes place. If the dog is having a lifetime of health issues, or is prone to have a lot of problems, then I can totally agree and understand why pet insurance would be the best way to go. 

I'm just sharing what "I" believe, and what works for my family. Everyone else should do what they believe is best for their own family. If that's purchasing pet insurance, then that's what they should do. 

Just one last note: We started a special savings account years ago that was just for the pets. Not to get into it for everyday use. We would usually put in $25 a month. Sometimes a little more. Anything that had to do with our pets ( yearly exams, whatever), we would dip into that account. As years went on, we were able to put a little more into the account each month. When there WERE emergencies, money was there for us. And then in the event that there was a "catastrophic" emergency, we would get a loan to pay for the rest. It's just something that has really worked well for our family. But it may not work for everyone.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I have Petplan for Wilson. It is the first I have ever purchased pet insurance.I had thought about it for my two previous poodles; both had less than two thousand dollars worth of veterinary costs over their lifetime. The deciding factor was that we had a Rottweiller who had accrued over ten thousand dollars worth of medical costs in six years. No way was I willing to take on that risk again. I chose Petplan after researching the various plans for about a year. Wilson "earned" back his premiums the first year by running through a rose hedge and getting an infection from an embedded thorn.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Charmed said:


> I have Petplan for Wilson. It is the first I have ever purchased pet insurance.I had thought about it for my two previous poodles; both had less than two thousand dollars worth of veterinary costs over their lifetime. The deciding factor was that we had a Rottweiller who had accrued over ten thousand dollars worth of medical costs in six years. No way was I willing to take on that risk again. I chose Petplan after researching the various plans for about a year. Wilson "earned" back his premiums the first year by running through a rose hedge and getting an infection from an embedded thorn.



Yup, Timi has managed to get more than her premiums back two years running - fingers and paws crossed that Petplan will begin to make some money on her next year, but it will still be several more years before they get out of the red with her. 
Petplan lost money big time on Tangee - in two years they must have paid me well over ten grand more than I paid them for her. And Teaka, they lost money on her the first year, the second year she didn't have any claims, the third year, it was close to even, I think they lost a few hundred, and this year, if her heart remains as stable as the Cardiologist expects, Petplan might make $500 on her. But that is just fine with me - at her age I know that something with $10,000 price tag could pop up in the blink of an eye, and the peace of mind is well worth $500 to me!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Wow, Teaka went to the Cardiologist Wednesday, I filled the claim that evening with the app, just checked my account and the checks are already in the mail! Including a check for the fish oil, that I ordered through Amazon (per the cardiologist's recommendations).
I LOVE Petplan❤


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## homemadehitshow (Jul 8, 2015)

First insurance for me last summer.

I was torn but signed up for Healthy Paws, then canceled two days later. It gets the best review but what many do not report is that after age 7 the plan changes, coverage drops considerably and prices go way up. I signed up for Pet Plan and, so far this year, it has paid for itself.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

homemadehitshow said:


> First insurance for me last summer.
> 
> 
> 
> I was torn but signed up for Healthy Paws, then canceled two days later. It gets the best review but what many do not report is that after age 7 the plan changes, coverage drops considerably and prices go way up. I signed up for Pet Plan and, so far this year, it has paid for itself.



Wow, that is a huge, huge short-coming for Healthy Paws!
When I signed Timi up for Petplan, I never expected to use it when she was young, turned out I did a couple of times already, but my reasoning was that I did not mind paying and not getting anything back during her youth, because everyone of her predecessors wound up having huge bills in their senior years, so I figured odds were I would wind up getting what I paid and more back when she was old - but Healthy Paws dropping coverage after age 7 when they need it the most, that would take away what I see as the primary value - so glad that I did not pick them!! Happy for you that you figured out their scheme and switched to Petplan too - they have not let me down with my puppy nor my seniors!!!


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## homemadehitshow (Jul 8, 2015)

They don't completely drop it. If you go get a quote online and put the age as 7 or 8 you can see the difference.

I just did a fake quote and here is what I see


_*For pets 8 and older,
coverage is only available with 
a 70% reimbursement. 

Annual deductible
*For pets 8 and older,
coverage is available with 
a $500 annual deductible._

The monthly fee was not so terrible but the coverage levels drop a lot.

Another difference I forgot to mention is that PetPlan covers the vets visit fee, HP does not. It's not a whole lot but helps you reach your deductible. 


Remember even PetPlan will have very high monthly payments once they are older.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

homemadehitshow said:


> They don't completely drop it. If you go get a quote online and put the age as 7 or 8 you can see the difference.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes, for Petplan Teaka at age 13 pays slightly more than 3 times what Timi does at age 2, but it is still worth it to me as I can rest assured that it is the only significant medical expense that Teaka will have. Having to pay 30 percent of her bills, plus a $500 annual deductible, plus the regular Vet and the Cardiologists exam fees that I would have with Healthy Paws in the end would take more money out of my pocket than Petplan costs! And with Petplan, if God-forbid Teaka has any other major medical issues crop up, then all I have to spend is another $200 deductible, and that is IT - everything else is on Petplan - I just love knowing that I can do whatever she needs with no concern of cost, because I am paying zero percent of it!


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## homemadehitshow (Jul 8, 2015)

I thought Petplan had a "per incident" deductible?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

homemadehitshow said:


> I thought Petplan had a "per incident" deductible?



No, it is per diagnosis, and only once per policy year. So I pay Teaka's $200 deductible for her heart murmur once, and for the rest of the year everything, vet visits, bloodwork, X-rays, egg, ultrasound are all covered under that deductible.
In the 3 1/2 years that I have had it for 2-3 poodles I have never had one of them have two major illnesses that met the level of a second deductible. Once or twice, a $75 bill for a tummy problem or ear infection that was not related, but that is what not I got the insurance for. And if God-forbid Teaka got a second major diagnosis that would cost thousands, I would not lament having a second $200 deductible to pay!

In my view, all of the other companies who don't pay the Vet exam fee like Petplan does are really adding a sneaky per visit deductible, which adds up to way more money than Petplan's deductible.

*you can choose a $50 to $100 deductible with Petplan, but doing so greatly increases the price of the premiums, and since in my experience I have never had to pay the $200 deductible twice in a year, not worth it!


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## homemadehitshow (Jul 8, 2015)

Well I've paid the deductible twice in my first year  Incident/diagnosis is the same thing. So one emergency visit for eating toys and one for problems adjusting to the new home causing dangerous upset stomach has already hit us.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

homemadehitshow said:


> Well I've paid the deductible twice in my first year  Incident/diagnosis is the same thing. So one emergency visit for eating toys and one for problems adjusting to the new home causing dangerous upset stomach has already hit us.



I guess it could happen, but not often. Maybe you just need to word things better - are you sure that tummy upset didn't stem from the previously eaten toys?!
But no, I don't think incident and diagnosis are the same thing. To me incident means a one time thing. But Tangee used to make 6-10 Vet visits, with various tests and procedures a year all covered under one deductible for the one diagnosis.
Note, a secondary diagnosis, such as fainting spell, coughing, weakness, loss of appetite would all be covered under the cardiac diagnosis. Towards the end they were even paying for nutrical and prostora, as it was presumed her lack of appetite and her tummy issues were from her cardiac meds. 
Teaka has so far had two visits this year covered under the one diagnosis, and will have at least two more before her policy year ends.


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## Sanic (Oct 22, 2015)

homemadehitshow said:


> First insurance for me last summer.
> 
> I was torn but signed up for Healthy Paws, then canceled two days later. It gets the best review but what many do not report is that after age 7 the plan changes, coverage drops considerably and prices go way up. I signed up for Pet Plan and, so far this year, it has paid for itself.


I just want to point out that if you have coverage *before* your dogs turns 8 then you keep whatever coverage and deductible you had, it doesn't change.

Email from customer service at Healthy Paws:
"Thank you for your email! I hope your weekend is going well! In response to your question, you don't need to worry about your pet's coverage dropping. While it's true that pets who enroll at age 8 or older are limited to senior pet coverage, coverage that is in effect prior to their 8th birthday will not change just because they have a birthday. Those limitations are only for pets enrolling or changing coverage options after 8!"


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Sanic said:


> I just want to point out that if you have coverage *before* your dogs turns 8 then you keep whatever coverage and deductible you had, it doesn't change.
> 
> Email from customer service at Healthy Paws:
> "Thank you for your email! I hope your weekend is going well! In response to your question, you don't need to worry about your pet's coverage dropping. While it's true that pets who enroll at age 8 or older are limited to senior pet coverage, coverage that is in effect prior to their 8th birthday will not change just because they have a birthday. Those limitations are only for pets enrolling or changing coverage options after 8!"



That's good for someone who has it, but if it were me, I would want to see it in writing. I would hate to think of investing money all those years and then have them change that policy. I feel safer that Petplan won't change because they are one of the few companies that will sign a dog up at any age and give full coverage. Tangee and Teaka were ten when they got Petplan, and fortunately with almost nothing pre-existing.


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## Spot210 (Nov 7, 2015)

Thanks too everyone who submitted input on my post regarding pet insurance! I did go with PetPlan's Bronze plan, choosing the $200 deductible, 90% reimbursement level, $10,000 limit.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I am just reviving this thread because I thought it was a good discussion about pet insurance that might interest some new members to the forum.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

I too thought I would be able to handle a vet bill with a puppy/young dog, after all, what could happen? I was on the fence for over a year about insurance. I was careful, watched what she ate, didn't let her jump on or off the furniture - I would pick her up each time, kept her on leash, all the right things. 
Well at 13 months, about a week or 2 before the 1 year anniversary we had her, she started limping - sometimes. She would play and run, never whimpered or cried. When I brought her to the vet for her annual check up, I mentioned the limp. Vet couldn't feel anything and thought it was a pulled muscle, try anti-inflammatories for a couple of weeks, no change we need to do x-rays.
Couple of weeks later, did the x-rays and she had a dislocated hip!!! She was BORN with a shallow socket! Who would have thought? Now it is a pre-existing condition and not covered. I got insurance anyway because who know what else could happen? She dislocated her other hip and needed surgery on that hip as well! At least I had her insured for that hip.


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

Luce said:


> ... Couple of weeks later, did the x-rays and she had a dislocated hip!!! She was BORN with a shallow socket! Who would have thought? Now it is a pre-existing condition and not covered. I got insurance anyway because who know what else could happen? She dislocated her other hip and needed surgery on that hip as well! At least I had her insured for that hip.


Luce, a couple questions for you - do you have Petplan? And when you say you have "her insured for that hip" how do you mean? Did you have to have the vet confirm when the first x-rays were done that the other hip was okay, or was it covered because it had not shown any problems since the insurance coverage started?

TinyPoodles - 

If you read this - do you know if PetPlan will cover knees or hips down the road if I didn't have them do a specific exam and note at the start of the plan that these things were fine? I feel like I read somewhere they aren't covered if you don't have them confirmed as okay in the first month of coverage (I'm outta luck if that's the case and my pups develop any knee or hip issues!)

Thank you!


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

Brooklyn Bonnie,

Petplan won't cover luxating patellas unless the vet makes a note within the first 30 days of your policy that your dog has normal patellas. everything else they will cover. My vet thought i was strange for bringing in my two dogs just for her to write down that they are both healthy and do not have joint issues, but i know i won't regret it down the road


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

Thanks Coldbrew. I am outta luck if they have problems I guess. I didn't know about that when I got it for Mochi, and when I bought it for Chuui (the day we got her) I received an email a couple days later that mentioned it but I filed it away for "take care of later" since we had already taken her to her first new puppy vet visit and when I remembered, it had been more than 30 days - man those first weeks of a new puppy go so fast! Totally my fault.

I worry though since they are both always jumping off the furniture. I have taught them to use the steps (well, totes) but they are often so excited that they leap before I can remind them or I only manage to grab one of them and set her down so the other has already leapt off.  I am hoping they grow out of the leaping thing with age and repeated lessons/reinforcement of using the steps.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I thought if you did not get a statement from your vet, there was a waiting period of 6 months or such. I am sure that Tiny Poodles addressed this question before. 

I asked my vet about Dakota's knees when I got him and she said he was too young for her to certify his knees were ok. So I thought I would just have a waiting period. He has not had a problem with his knees this first year. So I assumed they would be covered if there was a problem in the future.

I found this PDF file which I think is for Gold coverage of PetPlan:

http://www.gopetplan.com/uploads/media/17/9747.pdf

Here is an excerpt from this document:

V. General Exclusions
The following general exclusions apply to your policy and coverage parts. We will NOT pay costs you incur for your pet in the following categories:

g. Any treatment associated with damage or rupture of cruciate ligaments, luxation of the patellas or other soft tissue disorders of the knee where clinical sign(s) occur during the first six (6) months that the policy is in effect. Except coverage is given if your pet is examined by a vet within the first thirty (30) days of the policy and the medical record specifically notes your pet does not have any pre-existing conditions relating to the knees. 

So my understanding is the initial statement by the vet is just to eliminate the 6-month waiting period. After 6 months of no problems with the knees, you are covered for luxating knees.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> I thought if you did not get a statement from your vet, there was a waiting period of 6 months or such. I am sure that Tiny Poodles addressed this question before.
> 
> I asked my vet about Dakota's knees when I got him and she said he was too young for her to certify his knees were ok. So I thought I would just have a waiting period. He has not had a problem with his knees this first year. So I assumed they would be covered if there was a problem in the future.
> 
> ...



Yes, you are correct Minipoo - having the vet document that the knees do not have any pre-existing conditions just eliminates the waiting period, so that they are covered immediately - they all would be covered after six months without an issue.
And your Vet is correct that a dog should not have their knees evaluated until after they are over a year as it is perfectly normal for a pup's knees to have luxation. When I discussed it with my Vet she said (before even examining her) "I can't document that her knees don't luxate, they will know it is a lie, because all puppy knees luxate", but I countered - but you can document that "her knees are within normal parameters for a puppy of her age, with no defects noted", so that is what she did. *A wonderful example of what kind of company Petplan is, is the fact that when I signed Timi up for her coverage, their rep. reminded me to make sure that the Vet documented about Timi's knees at her first visit so that they would be covered right away! 

As a side note, I get really annoyed when I hear people worrying that their Vet examined a 12 week old puppy and told them that it has patellar luxation when according to common Veterinary Practice (and OFA) that cannot be determined before the dog is over a year old. Not only have they caused likely needless worry to the owner, potentially causing them to lose faith in the breeder, or demand money back, or even send the puppy back, they have documented it as a pre-existing condition, making it uncoverable by insurance should the dog be insured and actually wind up having a problem when it is grown! They have probably even eliminated the dog being covered for a cruciate injury, which can happen during activity even to the most orthopedically sound dog!


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

Thanks MiniPoo and TinyPoodles!

Feel much better with that clearified up! :amen:


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## SammyG (Oct 12, 2016)

I initially insured with HealthyPaws, but then one of my friends recommended another insurance called Figo Pet. It is pretty new company but all reviews I found are quite nice. Plus it's the one that offers 100% coverage (since Petplan no longer offers it). And they cover exam fees that HealthyPaws does not. The monthly payment came out about $15 cheaper than HealthyPaws with better coverage. So to avoid lapse I'm keeping HealthyPaws until the end of October (while waiting for Figo 14 day waiting period) and will cancel it just before first 30 days.


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## hunny518 (Jun 5, 2012)

TrixieTreasure said:


> What concerns me about pet insurance is, what if nothing catastrophic happens to your pet during it's lifetime? Just the normal yearly wellness checks and unusual extras that come up, like teeth cleaning( and anything that goes along with that)? I mean, we all hope and pray that nothing catastrophic happens, and if it doesn't, then we have paid a lot of money to an insurance company that we never even needed to use.
> 
> Now, if you have a pet that is prone to accidents, and/or other serious health issues, I would agree that it's important to have. But I just can't see giving money to an insurance company every month, when I can be putting the same amount of that money away into a savings account in my bank or credit union every month. Being a pet owner for 39 years, and nothing ever catastrophic happening to any of them, I just can't see how it would be good for us to have it. We have enough in our pet savings account now that if something DID happen, we would be okay. And if not, then we would be able to get a loan from the credit union.
> 
> With that said, if we had gone through many emergencies, or something that WAS catastrophic in those 39 years, then yes, I would be on board with the rest of you. It really is all about peace of mind, and if you have a pet who could be prone to a lot of problems.



Pet insurance gives me the peace of mind. Recently my cat, who is not insured, was hit by a car. She was not even suppose to be outside. When we got her to the emergency vet, we were told that it was going to start at 6,000 and could double or even go higher in an attempt to save her. I had to make the choice to euthanize her. 6,000 i could have handed over. Another 6,000-12,000. I could not have. Due to the circumstances, I most likely would have euthanized her even if I did have expendable money like that, due to the fact it would have been a long painful recovery if she made it through the surgeries. However, with Aria having pet insurance, I would not have had to think about whether or not I could afford to drain my bank account to save her. Knowing that it may put a couple bills behind for a week or two, at least I would know that I was going to be reimbursed and only pay a fraction of what I would have paid without it. Most of all, insurance gives me the peace of mind to know that I will never have to make the difficult decision to put my dog to sleep due to not being able to afford treatment. I have a good amount of money set in my bank account specifically for emergencies, but it's nice that it acts like a loan in the case of Arias emergencies


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## TexasPink (Jul 3, 2016)

SammyG said:


> I initially insured with HealthyPaws, but then one of my friends recommended another insurance called Figo Pet. It is pretty new company but all reviews I found are quite nice. Plus it's the one that offers 100% coverage (since Petplan no longer offers it). And they cover exam fees that HealthyPaws does not. The monthly payment came out about $15 cheaper than HealthyPaws with better coverage. So to avoid lapse I'm keeping HealthyPaws until the end of October (while waiting for Figo 14 day waiting period) and will cancel it just before first 30 days.



I am at the same point you were last month, trying to decide between Figo and HealthyPaws. Any initial feedback? I realize it may be too soon since you probably just got it.


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## SammyG (Oct 12, 2016)

TexasPink said:


> I am at the same point you were last month, trying to decide between Figo and HealthyPaws. Any initial feedback? I realize it may be too soon since you probably just got it.


Unfortunately (or fortunately) I have nothing to report since Shane did not (and does not) have any medical issues that would require an insurance to be involved. He is almost 5 months old so I don't expect anything serious at this age. Having an insurance with low deductible and 100% coverage just gives me peace of mind even though I hope not to use it for a long while 

The only concern with Figo is that it's a new company, unlike HealthyPaws, so there are a lot fewer reviews. I took a risk, will see how it will go.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

our insurance expert is not around, but i saw her post at another forum and she seemed to think figo looks good. i think she said she's trying it out with her latest family member. for ny there is a clause about coverage on certain issues being tied to age at spay. not the same for all states. so read policy carefullly.


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