pet insurance

[Catmom1234567890]

Hi there,
Is pet insurance worth the hassle? Lots of mixed reviews. My kitty had a partial intestinal blockage and her vet bill was around 9k....The cost of kitty healthcare is astronomically high. Does anyone here have pet insurance?

 

[verna davies]

I have mine insured and it's well worth it. The company was started by a group of people that were fed up with paying high prices for pet insurance. There are so many companies out there offering all different types, do plenty of research and find one that fits your needs best.

 

[daftcat75]

Sadly, the cost of care doesn't scale with the size of the patient.

I had my Krista in the hospital for ten days. Those bills add up quickly. The final bill was close to $10,000. Thankfully, I had Trupanion which pays 90% after the deductible. I didn't have to worry about cutting her care short or bankrupting myself in the process. Eighteen months later she had a severe neurological event: she rolled off the bed in the middle of the night, threw up, and stumbled around on her hocks (forearms) like she was too weak or too dizzy to get to her feet. To the emergency room at 3am! They couldn't find anything in initial bloodwork and recommended she be kept overnight to see a neurologist in the morning. The neurologist recommended an MRI. That's $2200 just to know what we were dealing with. If I didn't have insurance, I might have stopped there. The MRI revealed a severe middle ear infection that called for a $4000 surgery to relieve it. It was that or intentionally rupture her eardrum to relieve the pressure. Thankfully, with insurance, I didn't have to make that decision and got her the surgery she needed. The whole bill including the MRI was again close to $10k. Having received two $7000+ reimbursements (90% remaining after $1000 deductible) in less than two years, I can tell you that Trupanion paid out more than I paid in.

Insurance is a product you pay for and hope you never use. But if you do, you'll be glad to have it. It also means you won't have to decline care because you can't afford it. I got Krista insured late in life. Her dental and IBD troubles were considered pre-existing by then. Even still, she managed to get my money's worth. I am planning on insurance for my next cat(s) as just part of the cost of cat guardianship.

 

[Sajast]

I used to but since you have to pay the vet upfront anyway I stopped and just put the “premium” away into a separate savings account (the annual percentage increases were also getting insane). Wouldn’t cover a 10k vet bill when they were a kitten, but I’m not fussed about dropping 1-2k in a week on diagnostics as an adult and have a few more grand left over to cover prescription food. Just depends on what you’re comfortable with.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Sadly, the cost of care doesn't scale with the size of the patient.

I had my Krista in the hospital for ten days. Those bills add up quickly. The final bill was close to $10,000. Thankfully, I had Trupanion which pays 90% after the deductible. I didn't have to worry about cutting her care short or bankrupting myself in the process. Eighteen months later she had a severe neurological event: she rolled off the bed in the middle of the night, threw up, and stumbled around on her hocks (forearms) like she was too weak or too dizzy to get to her feet. To the emergency room at 3am! They couldn't find anything in initial bloodwork and recommended she be kept overnight to see a neurologist in the morning. The neurologist recommended an MRI. That's $2200 just to know what we were dealing with. If I didn't have insurance, I might have stopped there. The MRI revealed a severe middle ear infection that called for a $4000 surgery to relieve it. It was that or intentionally rupture her eardrum to relieve the pressure. Thankfully, with insurance, I didn't have to make that decision and got her the surgery she needed. The whole bill including the MRI was again close to $10k. Having received two $7000+ reimbursements (90% remaining after $1000 deductible) in less than two years, I can tell you that Trupanion paid out more than I paid in.

Insurance is a product you pay for and hope you never use. But if you do, you'll be glad to have it. It also means you won't have to decline care because you can't afford it. I got Krista insured late in life. Her dental and IBD troubles were considered pre-existing by then. Even still, she managed to get my money's worth. I am planning on insurance for my next cat(s) as just part of the cost of cat guardianship.

Sadly, the cost of care doesn't scale with the size of the patient.

I had my Krista in the hospital for ten days. Those bills add up quickly. The final bill was close to $10,000. Thankfully, I had Trupanion which pays 90% after the deductible. I didn't have to worry about cutting her care short or bankrupting myself in the process. Eighteen months later she had a severe neurological event: she rolled off the bed in the middle of the night, threw up, and stumbled around on her hocks (forearms) like she was too weak or too dizzy to get to her feet. To the emergency room at 3am! They couldn't find anything in initial bloodwork and recommended she be kept overnight to see a neurologist in the morning. The neurologist recommended an MRI. That's $2200 just to know what we were dealing with. If I didn't have insurance, I might have stopped there. The MRI revealed a severe middle ear infection that called for a $4000 surgery to relieve it. It was that or intentionally rupture her eardrum to relieve the pressure. Thankfully, with insurance, I didn't have to make that decision and got her the surgery she needed. The whole bill including the MRI was again close to $10k. Having received two $7000+ reimbursements (90% remaining after $1000 deductible) in less than two years, I can tell you that Trupanion paid out more than I paid in.

Insurance is a product you pay for and hope you never use. But if you do, you'll be glad to have it. It also means you won't have to decline care because you can't afford it. I got Krista insured late in life. Her dental and IBD troubles were considered pre-existing by then. Even still, she managed to get my money's worth. I am planning on insurance for my next cat(s) as just part of the cost of cat guardianship.

Which insurance do you have if you don't mind me asking. My employer offers metlife but there is not much reviews out there.

 

[fionasmom]

I have it on my three younger cats. My GSD, poor soul, has been a medical disaster and after the $10K for his melanoma surgery and therapy, I realized I needed it for the cats. Irony is that I called and got quotes for the dog before that incident. There were exclusions of all of his other previous conditions, which you will find with most companies, but given that he had never even been treated for a pimple, the melanoma would have been an entirely new occurrence and thereby covered. His premium at his age and with his conditions would have been high, but it would not have been that much and I would have recouped most of the charges.

Cats insured are 5 and 3 1/2 years old. The five year old already has has ultrasounds and other diagnostics for kidney issues and has been dxed with a heart condition and sees a cardiologist.

There are exclusions, as I said, and you would need to find out if the intestinal issue would be one, along with anything else that your cat has been treated for.

 

[daftcat75]

Which insurance do you have if you don't mind me asking. My employer offers metlife but there is not much reviews out there.

Trupanion.
Trupanion | Medical Insurance for Pets

I had her insured for the last three years of her life. Yes, the premiums went up every year. But then so did her age (years 14 to 16.) I don't know what the premiums or price creep might be for a younger cat.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I have pet insurance for my two. When i got Bandit I stupidly put off adding him to my other cat's insurance. I learned the hard way getting him right cost a fortune. And he didn't need surgery. The bills mount up especially if you need emergency vets and regular vets visits to follow up. Luckily I managed but wouldn't want to be in that situation again. He's now covered but once they have been treated for something it's pre-exsiting. So my advice would be get it before you need it. Patches is 4 I've never had to claim but wouldn't be without it. I just didn't get around to adding Bandit so my own fault.

 

[fionasmom]

I have ASPCA and have been happy with them. They have paid according to schedule. However, I have to disclose that I was so upset at the dog's medical expenses that I did not do a lot of research which I encourage you to do if you want pet insurance. A lot of people are happy with Trupanion.

 

[CindyH66]

I have had 3 cats. bad experience with insurance with Snowball . #1 Bella #2 ... health issues that ran me up tons of bills , so I paid it all with Care Credit cuz I never insured her. She passed this year after a medical emergency. Now I have Peanut #3 . she is healthy, young and I am going to insure her , and hope I never need it. .. my experience with Snowball was this : SB was healthy all her life , for the most part. she lived to 17. at age 10 , I decided to get her insured as I figured she would need it eventually. I applied. Had no reason to be declined. She had been to the vet for her check up. Just before that visit she had jumped off a sink onto toilet , foot slipped and hit her butt on the way down. Was not injured , but limped for a day or 2 . ( she always drank water from sink !) I told the vet that and she was fine. .. when I did the paperwork, put down she had no issues. they checked with vet.. they put " has chronic limp" .. NOT TRUE ..I was declined for " lying " to them , like I was hiding something !!! WHAT ?! I was livid . I drove the vet office ... flipped my lid. DEMANDED her records. informed them of what their actions had resulted in. pulled her as a patient there , and took to another vet practice a mile away, where she went for the next 7 years. ( the first practice tried to withhold her records from me. I fought them on that too! I work in the medical field and know they are rightfully MINE) ..Snowball was fine for the next 4 years. the last 3 years of life battled kidney failure and cancer. I did ok without insurance. The first vet practice has no IDEA how many people I have steered away from them to the other practice by the way. .. and for the record, I did give them a chance to rescind their statement to the insurance co. as it was in error. they refused to change it , and chose to let me look like a liar to save face . that's when I flipped. I started out nice enough, but they were unreasonable, so .....

 

[jamie_02]

i have insurance for quinn, imo it’s definitely worth it, i’m in the uk though so i doubt boughtbymany insurance is available to you if you aren’t from the uk, but if you are then it’s definitely worth it, they pay directly to the vets and they cover so much, we also have a complete care plan with her vets too which is £15 a month and it covers her vaccines and flea and worming prescriptions !!

 

[verna davies]

I'm with them too, a great company.

 

[maggiemay]

Hi there,
Is pet insurance worth the hassle? Lots of mixed reviews. My kitty had a partial intestinal blockage and her vet bill was around 9k....The cost of kitty healthcare is astronomically high. Does anyone here have pet insurance?

I use Petplan, I think they are in the process of changing the name to Fetch. They cover everything, including naturopathic vets, chiropractic treatments, etc, you tailor your policy to your budget. For a ten year old cat, who has been insured for years, I have a $250 deductible (avg. cost of wellness check), a cap of $15,000 per year, and 90% reimbursement. You do have to pay the vet and provide receipt to Petplan. Payment takes about two weeks, paid directly to my bank debit card. Their customer service reps are wonderful. I love this pet insurance. It is coming in handy with a diabetes diagnosis. Pet Insurance by Petplan - Coverage for Dogs & Cats My monthly premium now is $50.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

i have insurance for quinn, imo it’s definitely worth it, i’m in the uk though so i doubt boughtbymany insurance is available to you if you aren’t from the uk, but if you are then it’s definitely worth it, they pay directly to the vets and they cover so much, we also have a complete care plan with her vets too which is £15 a month and it covers her vaccines and flea and worming prescriptions !!

UK pet insurance seems so much better than the States. In the US, we pay the vet out of pocket then submit the claim. From what I read, most of the claim comes back denied. That is why I was reluctant to buy the insurance.

Pet healthcare is very expensive. Office visit alone is about $100, x ray, lab work, will be couple hundred bucks.

my kitty had hairball obstruction and endoscopy procedure with one day hospitalization cost over 7k. It’s ridiculous expensive.

I know most people won’t go for expensive procedure and opt for euthanasia. Very unfortunate.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

UK pet insurance seems so much better than the States. In the US, we pay the vet out of pocket then submit the claim. From what I read, most of the claim comes back denied. That is why I was reluctant to buy the insurance.

Pet healthcare is very expensive. Office visit alone is about $100, x ray, lab work, will be couple hundred bucks.

my kitty had hairball obstruction and endoscopy procedure with one day hospitalization cost over 7k. It’s ridiculous expensive.

I know most people won’t go for expensive procedure and opt for euthanasia. Very unfortunate.

I'm in the UK, and I think it depends on the vet. I was considering changing vets so phoned vets in my area to find out consultant fee's and what they offered. I asked if the vet's would claim directly, my vet you pay upfront. But have been told if it's a big cost surgery or treatment they will get the go ahead from your insurance company. I was also told by one vet they would deal directly with the insurance if you got their recommended insurance company. So it's not always simple in the UK. I think alot of vets have been stung, treating animals and then insurance not paying. Then they have to chase the owners for payment.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

I'm in the UK, and I think it depends on the vet. I was considering changing vets so phoned vets in my area to find out consultant fee's and what they offered. I asked if the vet's would claim directly, my vet you pay upfront. But have been told if it's a big cost surgery or treatment they will get the go ahead from your insurance company. I was also told by one vet they would deal directly with the insurance if you got their recommended insurance company. So it's not always simple in the UK. I think alot of vets have been stung, treating animals and then insurance not paying. Then they have to chase the owners for payment.

That is why in the US, we pay upfront and submit the claims. In the US, healthcare cost is very high for pets and humans. Without insurance, most people won't seek medical care. As for animals, most pet owners not here on this platform, won't treat their pets due to extremely high costs.

I decided to try the pet insurance, nothing to lose maybe few hundred, but if it covers future illness then it's worth it indeed. Unfortunately, even though I bought the insurance, it will not cover post-op care as it is considered pre-existing condition.

Is the pet healthcare expensive in the UK like the States? We are being overcharged.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

That is why in the US, we pay upfront and submit the claims. In the US, healthcare cost is very high for pets and humans. Without insurance, most people won't seek medical care. As for animals, most pet owners not here on this platform, won't treat their pets due to extremely high costs.

I decided to try the pet insurance, nothing to lose maybe few hundred, but if it covers future illness then it's worth it indeed. Unfortunately, even though I bought the insurance, it will not cover post-op care as it is considered pre-existing condition.

Is the pet healthcare expensive in the UK like the States? We are being overcharged.

Yes it can be expensive. I don't know how they justify it sometimes. My vet charges 37pounds just to look at the cat's if they need medicine then it can jump up depending on what's needed. My last visit to the emergency vet was nearly 300 pounds for a antibiotic and antimflamatry injection lasting 24 hours. He was with the vet for about half an hour. I am grateful that we have the NHS here.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Yes it can be expensive. I don't know how they justify it sometimes. My vet charges 37pounds just to look at the cat's if they need medicine then it can jump up depending on what's needed. My last visit to the emergency vet was nearly 300 pounds for a antibiotic and antimflamatry injection lasting 24 hours. He was with the vet for about half an hour. I am grateful that we have the NHS here.

Your vet expenses are more affordable than ours. Here in the US, the average cost of an office visit starts at $80(50-60 pounds) and up. ER visit, injections, meds will be over 1k USD for sure. My last primary visit was around 2k, included barium sturdy, 3 Xrays and an office visit. Endoscopy procedure with 2 hours of anaesthesia at a speciality clinic and one-day hospitalization was around 7k.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Your vet expenses are more affordable than ours. Here in the US, the average cost of an office visit starts at $80(50-60 pounds) and up. ER visit, injections, meds will be over 1k USD for sure. My last primary visit was around 2k, included barium sturdy, 3 Xrays and an office visit. Endoscopy procedure with 2 hours of anaesthesia at a speciality clinic and one-day hospitalization was around 7k.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Your vet expenses are more affordable than ours. Here in the US, the average cost of an office visit starts at $80(50-60 pounds) and up. ER visit, injections, meds will be over 1k USD for sure. My last primary visit was around 2k, included barium sturdy, 3 Xrays and an office visit. Endoscopy procedure with 2 hours of anaesthesia at a speciality clinic and one-day hospitalization was around 7k.

Wow that is such a lot to pay out. And I thought we were being ripped off. I would definitely get insurance. You've just made relize maybe we aren't being taken to the cleaners. No wonder people are struggling getting vet care.