Do You Have Pet Insurance ,if So Which One? Or If You Don't, Do You Wish You Had It.

[stryami]

So in the past 3 months, i've spent about $450 in vet bills. These were for non serious conditions. First one was that my cat got swollen paw from an abrasion from going outside. 2nd time she got rodent ulcers from an allergic reaction(vet can't say from what). Although, she was playing with a black frog before this happened which i suspect was the cause. Now she has two cuts on her paw even though we hadn't let her gone outside the house after the first incident. I was thinking of getting insurance of my cat. For most companies , I would be $50 away from reaching my deductible and annual premium and some where I would have reached it already. The thing is there are so many companies and many negative reviews of each of these companies. I was wondering those that have insurance could share their experience. And those that are long time cat owners, what expenses were like for your cat and if insurance helped you out or if you wish you had insurance for a particular incident.

 

[Blakeney Green]

I don't have pet insurance, for several reasons. Pre-existing conditions typically aren't covered, most plans require you to pay upfront and be reimbursed only if your claim is approved, routine preventative care is not covered, and many (not all) plans have a limit-per-condition on what they will pay out, so if you have a single expensive condition instead of multiple minor issues you may find very little is actually covered if you didn't read the fine print. For that reason, I find it best to put money aside in savings for emergency expenses and keep a low-interest credit card available rather than paying a premium I may not get back in benefits.

Just as a note on your particular situation: Allergies are now likely to be considered pre-existing for your cat, especially since the source was not definitively identified. You can talk with a rep for the insurance you're considering to confirm that, but in general they're pretty strict about what counts, so if you're worried about further allergy issues the insurance likely won't be of help.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Most policies don't cover anything that even remotely resembles holistic care, too.
Read the policy with a magnifying glass. Know what you're paying for and what you can expect to get.
I'm sorry I can't help as we don't have pet insurance, but we have stashed away cash designated for pet emergencies only.
$5-$10 (if possible) stuffed into an envelope every week or two can build quickly and prove to be a welcome down payment should the unthinkable happen.
If you've spent almost $500 at one vets office, and paid the bill in a timely fashion, and are loyal to them you might be shocked to learn that some vets will work with clients in the face of something costly (emergency.)
Our last trip included an estimate for hospitalization and had a notation that required a 50% down payment. We signed the estimate, went to the front to pay a deposit, and they shooed us away and said they knew we were good for it....sometimes loyalty pays off.

 

[MeganLLB]

I had insurance at one point but the deductible was applied per condition and I would never meet the deductible to get anything covered. Even with a yearly deductible without including routine care, I would never meet the deductible to get any coverage. And thats assuming they even do approve things to count towards your deductible. They will try anything to claim its a preexisting condition.

 

[DreamerRose]

Denying claims is what insurance companies call "loss prevention." Isn't that maddening?

Here's a site that reviews pet insurance.

Compare Cat Insurance | Pet Insurance Review