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Permalink Reply by Beverly Butler Redford & Tucker on April 30, 2012 at 8:37pm

There's a really good article on msn money about pet insurance.  If you google "pet insurance" you should find it.  That article and some of the other articles that will come up should help you figure out if it is right for you.

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Permalink Reply by Gabi Walker on May 1, 2012 at 1:20pm

I found another, extremely informative article today, it compares pet insurance with human healthcare insurance. I think I've said this before on this forum, but I don't really need pet insurance (bec. I work at a vet's office) but I would recommend getting a vet discount program, like United PEt Care or something similar (personally I use Pet Assure).

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Permalink Reply by rae on May 1, 2012 at 1:41pm

We have VPI, they are OK sometimes. Be prepared to pay more for your monthly contribution than you ever get back from them. In theory, pet insurance really is only beneficial if something (god forbid) catastrophic happens to your pet.  Even then everything comes from you first, out of pocket.

EVERY pet insurance place works like that, at least every I've ever heard of and the two that I've personally used before, including VPI.

The nice thing about VPI is you can submit claims via email now. It does take a while to process, expect 3-4 weeks turnaround minimum.  Be aware of your coverage and deductible.  We've turned in $400-$600 on claims before and only got a $100 payment back. It's kind of a bummer, but better than nothing, I guess?

We also have care credit, for emergencies. Which is great because the pet ER out here takes it.  Regular vets generally don't, but I wouldn't advise using care credit for general wellness expenses.

To get ANY benefit from pet insurance (and I've tried more than one company) you have to pretty much get the premium coverage that includes EVERYTHING. Most don't cover basic wellness (like vaccinations and such).  

Examples of what we have now:

Diagnosis Code	Description	Submitted Expense	Eligible Amount	Deductible	Reimbursement Amount	Reason Code	Explanation
725	CareGuardSMCoverage WASTE DISPOSAL	$5.50	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	Z175	This expense is denied because one or more of the following are not eligible for coverage: medical waste, tax, special diets or pet foods, over the counter accessories, record or copying fees, shipping or handling and publications. Please refer to the "What We Do Not Cover: Exclusions" section of your policy.
115	MICROCHIP (OTHER)	$56.00	$20.00	$0.00	$20.00
40	FECAL TEST	$35.00	$15.00	$0.00	$15.00
16	FELINE VACCINATION-FVRCP	$35.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	Z161	All or a portion of this expense is denied because the total annual benefits have been paid for this routine care product or service on this claim or in a previous claim within the same term. Please refer to the CareGuard Premier Rider for a list of the available products and services and their annual reimbursement amounts. Please refer to your Declarations Page for your policy's effective/expiration dates.
1	PHYSICAL EXAM	$59.00	$30.00	$0.00	$30.00
14	VACCINATION-RABIES	$35.00	$35.00	$0.00	$35.00

This is the for a basic annual exam.  With comprehensive coverage.

The total amount submitted was $225 and we were repaid $100.

Later that week, our other cat had to go to the ER.

Out of $431 in charges, we were repaid $110.70.

For one line item, we were eligible for $90 repayment yet only paid $70 for no reason.

This is the least crappy pet insurance we've had, but they're still kind of crappy.  For our first year with a puppy, we're considering keeping it.  But we're also opening a separate "pet only" bank account and putting savings in that.  Eventually, I may just scrap the insurance and take the monthly charge to the bank.

Hope this helps.

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