Pet Insurance

[Ron.C]

Iron Glove, this is what I know:

1. Does the policy exclude the initial examination?

Yes, but in my case because my puppy is 4 months, they will contact the vet and get her health and vaccination records that will cover the initial exam

2. Are taxes included or excluded?
Taxes are included in the amounts paid back to you under all Pets Plus Us coverage.

All benefit maximums are per policy year and apply to after-tax amounts.

3. Are dog "fights" excluded?

Injuries from Organized Dog Fighting are excluded

4. Are Vet specified foods covered? If your dog suffers from renal degradation and you have to use special foods, that'll be covered. Note that some plans will not pay for the cost of Raw diets.

No, foods are excluded

5. Is the Limit an annual limit or a "condition" limit?

Annual Limit

[Iron Glove]

Ron, sounds like a good overall package.
My query about the initial exam was for the Vet's exam each time you bring the dog in as a result of an "incident" - some policies exclude that charge.
My policy excludes injuries arising from "fights" in general, not limited to "organized fights" but also the normal two dogs in a melee thing. Our dog was jumped one time by another dog, he didn't fight but the Insurers said "we don't cover fights." I said it wasn't a fight - it was an assault by another dog. The hemmed and hawed but in any event the minor injury was below the deductible.
Our Trupanion Policy doesn't cover taxes but will cover prescribed foods - just an example of how all policies are different and need to be read.
Have fun with your pup.

[mastercaster]

I've been paying my $55 per month ($700 deductible) Trupanion Ins. for 18 months now so basically a grand. My dog has only been to the vet for her annual shots and to be spayed so of course I'm wondering now if I should have just put $55 per month in a jar. That being said, she is a Hard driving dog with a second hunting season quickly approaching so you never know what could happen the way she leaps over barb wire fences and full speed ahead charges through the fields making retrieves, not to mention full out running with other dogs in the off leash area of the park we go to.

I guess there's always a chances of never seeing a financial return on what you've put into pet insurance and that's obviously a good thing for your dog!

[Iron Glove]

I guess there's always a chances of never seeing a financial return on what you've put into pet insurance and that's obviously a good thing for your dog!

So true, I would have gladly paid the premiums over the years on our old gal but not had to claim.

[Ron.C]

Iron Glove

Some further clarification on your questions above:
-Deductible is only paid once per year on the first claim.
-Initial exam is covered for every vet visit for injury or illness
-Coverage is a yearly amount . If treatment of an illness or injury spans more than one year, you can use each your insurance max value for both years to treat the same illness.

I took your advice and got a quote for $15000 covering 90% with a $300 deductible.

$77.24/month

[Iron Glove]

Sounds like a decent overall deal Ron.
I'm a retired Insurance Executive, after almost 50 years in the business, so I take a keen interest in Insurance matters.
My advice to everyone, be it regarding Pets, Cars, Houses, Boats, whatever is to read your policy and ask questions before a claim arises.

[deltawaterfowler]

Thought I'd pass this on... we recently added Pets Plus insurance for our lab puppy. Here are the different pricing options:

Below you will see the options for your little vacuum... I mean Lab puppy! ��

Co-Insurance	Deductible	$7,500	15,000
90	100	91.83	110.46
90	200	85.02	102.49
90	300	78.1	94.39
80	100	83.06	99.05
80	200	77.00	91.97
80	300	70.86	84.78
70	100	74.29	87.65
70	200	68.99	81.45
70	300	63.96	75.16

*above are monthly premiums, valid for 30days

Our coverage is there to protect you from the unexpected costs of vet visits and pet parenthood often see us encounter.

Below you’ll find some highlights about what makes us different from other companies!

• Exam fees and sales taxes are eligible for coverage – this can wind up saving you hundreds, especially on the big bills!
• There is no need for additional riders for alternative therapies or access to vet hotline services – those are just part of our coverage and Blue Ribbon Benefits
• Our deductibles are yearly and not per condition – meaning if you have a visit with more that one condition diagnosed you don’t have to satisfy that deductible out of pocket for every different thing.
• In efforts of being transparent, we underwrite your policy upfront, this way you know exactly what your coverage will be like
• We offer pay practice direct (pay directly to the vet) for claims over $1000 and handle claims within 3-10 days
• We are proudly 100% Canadian
• Our premiums don’t increase based on age – or claims history!

What I can say is that this insurance plan is fantastic. Worth its weight in gold. Our pup Molly cut her paw wide open several weeks back and required surgery and 10 stitches to her paw. Not only did the insurance cover the initial surgery, but all of the follow up related to it. I had my coverage in effect for less than 3 months and had to call in a claim. Absolutely no problem and super friendly and helpful service over the phone. Can't say enough about it. So glad that our little family member is covered in case of accident or illness.

For what it's worth, I did the 80%, 300 dollar deductible with $15,000 annual coverage.

[ajr5406]

Im in the process of deciphering through all the various insurance plans and companies to work out what is best for us: we have a 4 month of GSP.

This thread has been very helpful and certainly led me to think: what about self insurance??? What if instead of signing up for a plan, I put aside $50-$70 per month into a savings account? With most plans costing this much or more (the average seems to be around $80 with $5000-$15,000 max, 80% coverage and $300 deductible).

I know that overall, the population will generally spend more money on insurance than they will get back.

Is this something any of you guys do?

[Iron Glove]

Im in the process of deciphering through all the various insurance plans and companies to work out what is best for us: we have a 4 month of GSP.

This thread has been very helpful and certainly led me to think: what about self insurance??? What if instead of signing up for a plan, I put aside $50-$70 per month into a savings account? With most plans costing this much or more (the average seems to be around $80 with $5000-$15,000 max, 80% coverage and $300 deductible).

I know that overall, the population will generally spend more money on insurance than they will get back.

Is this something any of you guys do?

I know a few Breeders who "self insure" but realistically their situation is different - lots of dogs for short terms.
If you can be disciplined enough to put aside a reasonable amount and if you don't have an incident early on or a catastrophic one at any time, you'll be OK.
If however you are hit with a $20,000 incident early on, can you afford to pay for the Vet Services? Will you have to make a decision on your Dog's life based on finances or can you make the decision ( with Insurance) based on what will be best for your Dog's life?
Some of the more expensive plans are "all inclusive" and expensive, others are more intended for more serious, expensive incidents. Do you really need the "full meal deal" plan which is basically a maintenance plan?
Personally I'd suggest that if you are in a reasonably solid financial situation, buy a more limited ( in coverage, not in amount ) Insurance Plan with a higher deductible ( $1,000 or higher ) which will produce a very reasonable monthly premium but provide coverage in a catastrophic incident.
I've said it earlier but we would've paid out of our pockets for our Girl's cancer surgery and treatments but having the Insurance made the decision to go ahead with it easy.
On our newest dog we have a $1,000 deductible, no $$ limits on each incident or per year, and 90% coinsurance. It does not include exam fees, taxes or "maintenance". It's about $50 a month.

[ajr5406]

Good points Iron Glove! Certainly something I’ll keep in mind.

Are you with Trupanion?