I have been looking into some insurance for my dogs (hy hubby will flip, it is hard enough to find insurance for us and the kids…but), and I was wondering what you guys think of them. I don't know what company is "better" than others or if they are all about the same. Is it worth it? Would you recommend it?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Petra
I never got insurance because I had too many B's… and if you don't have it when they are young they are not covered when they are elders, which is when most of the costly procedures happen.... However, I know people that do have it.. and it has saved them money in the long run sometimes.
That is what I was thinking too. Now we hopefully won't need it but when they get older, definitely. It is very costly over time, but so is an emergency…
The April 2009 Whole Dog Journal has a review of Pet Health Insurance plans. Consumer Reports online does too.
Ask and you shall receive…thanks for that info I will check into it.
Petra
Just looked on the Consumer Reports website and this is what we have on Pet Insurance… I don't see any specific ratings on different types of Pet Insurance... maybe its not part of the online subscription.
Why pet insurance is usually a dog
If the recent pet-food scare is tempting you to buy insurance for Fifi or Fido, hold on. Even though many policies cover tainted food, most exclude pre-existing conditions. And hereditary or congenital problems. And ailments that strike during the first month of coverage. And oh, yes, some insurers restrict coverage for older pets.
But such limits didn?t stop the pet-insurance industry from selling an estimated $230 million in policies in 2006, a figure projected to grow by 24 percent this year, according to Packaged Facts, a market-research company.
There are at least a dozen brands of pet insurance in the U.S., selling several levels of coverage. Accident insurance, usually with a provision for tainted food, is typically part of a policy. Cover age for checkups, shots, and certain breeds costs extra.
Most insurer Web sites give you price quotes instantly, but whether the price is worth paying is harder to gauge. If you buy PetCare?s QuickCare Gold policy for, say, a bearded collie puppy, you?ll pay $49 a month. If the pup needs $3,000 toward treating a spinal problem the next year, you?ll be glad you bought insurance: You?ll owe a $100 deductible, after which the company pays 100 percent, up to $3,000. Not a bad deal, because you will have paid about $600 in premiums. But if the problem occurs after the dog turns 8, the plan pays only 80 percent, and you?ll be out more than $4,000 in premiums paid during those eight years.
CR?s take. Checkup costs alone don?t justify insurance. Instead, factor them into your budget. Annual surgical vet visits cost, on average, $453 per dog and $363 per cat, says the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. If your pet is older and more likely to need extra treatment, and you can find an accident-and-illness policy that costs less than those amounts, consider it. If not, put the amount you?d pay in premiums into an interest-bearing fund.
If we had the discipline to put aside money every month of the dogs life, we would have a nice 'nest egg' for unexpected events. If the dog is healthy, you are money ahead, if not, while it may not pay all, it would pay part. $30/month tucked away is $3600 in 10 years, and unlike insurance, if you don't need it, it rolls over for YOU.
If we had the discipline to put aside money every month of the dogs life, we would have a nice 'nest egg' for unexpected events. If the dog is healthy, you are money ahead, if not, while it may not pay all, it would pay part. $30/month tucked away is $3600 in 10 years, and unlike insurance, if you don't need it, it rolls over for YOU.
I agree… and really unless you run into big problems, you will usually not get back the money you put into health insurance. My friend Jeff had insurance on his boy, when it was disovered that he had throat cancer after the first surgery, he was cancelled....
Macpack, I think you might have the idea right. This is the plan I am signing up with.
Tanza, I can't belive that happened to your friend. So how good did all his money going in each month to that plan do…nothing. It makes me sad to hear. We are trying to do "the right thing" and plan ahead and bang, you get dropped right as you dog and you need the coverage the most, pathetic.
Petra
When our Older Akita got Cancer they will only pay so much and they will not pay for some test's if they find that they do not beleive it will help. They really do not like and in some cases will not pay for blood for your dog. I am not sure I care for animal insurance.
Rita Jean
