Your Pet Insurance Guide

Claims Analysis Reveals Top 10 Reasons Pets Visited Veterinarians in 2013

Petplan pet insurance company released a list of the top 10 conditions for which claims were filed in 2013 for both dogs and cats: Vomiting and Diarrhea Cancer Lameness Skin infections Allergies Periodontal Disease Ear Infections Cruciate injuries Urinary Tract Infections Foreign Body Ingestion Most of the conditions in this list could summarize the cases I see almost everyday in practice. Skin infections, allergies, and ear infections are often related and can start at a relatively early age and tend to be chronic conditions. Therefore, getting insurance for your pet early in life would make sure these condtions are covered.... Read more →

Why I Investigated Pet Insurance Again

I've invited Sara, a reader of my blog, to share a guest post with you today. She will share her story about why she decided to research pet insurance companies again after having a policy with the same company for 14 years. The insights she shares are valuable whether you are considering pet insurance for the first time or considering switching companies. Some of you may have looked at pet insurance for your pet several years ago, but like Sara, you aren't aware of all the various companies and options available today. I hope after reading her story, you'll have... Read more →

Halloween Treats That Are Toxic To Your Pet And Other Precautions

Dr. Jules Benson of Petplan pet insurance offers excellent advice about Halloween treats that can be toxic to your pets and how to prevent a potentially expensive visit to the vet during this holiday. You can also listen to the podcast interview I had with Dr. Benson about Petplan and their policies. Read more →

24 Petwatch Rolls Out New Pet Insurance Policies

Recently, 24 Petwatch introduced their new policies that should ease some of the angst of former PurniaCare policyholders since Pethealth bought PurinaCare's pet insurance business this past summer. The policies more closely resemble PurinaCare's policies and they are a major improvement to the policies that 24 Petwatch has offered in the past. The policies have an 80% coinsurance (20% copay). Choices for annual maximums are $5,000, $10,000, and $20,000. Choices for annual deductibles are $100, $250, $500, and $1,000. Existing PurinaCare policyholders can convert over to one of these new policies at their renewal time. Readers of the blog as... Read more →

Pets Best Expands Coverage of Hereditary and Congenital Conditions

Pets Best pet insurance company recently announced that it's Best Benefit policies now cover hereditary and congenital conditions up to the full annual maximum. Previously, coverage was limited for hereditary conditions and congenital conditions were not covered. The changes may not yet be approved and available in all 50 states. You can check coverage in your state here. There are 7 conditions that have a 1-year waiting period - cruciate ligament injury, porto-systemic shunt, cardiovascular defect, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and osteochrititis dissecans (OCD). You can have this waiting period reduced to the normal 3 days for accidents... Read more →

Don't Overlook This Reason That Pet Insurance Claims Are Denied

So, you purchase pet insurance, visit your vet and pay your bill, file a claim for a covered expense with the pet insurance company, but reimbursement for the claim is denied. The reason - you didn't file the claim within the alloted time frame specified in the policy. Most pet insurance policies require you to file a claim within 90 or 180 days, and if you fail to do so, technically they can deny reimbursement - even for a covered expense. I've read about instances where this has happened. I've also heard from at least one pet owner whose company... Read more →

5 Key Points To Consider When Purchasing Pet Insurance

This article highlights several key points when considering the purchase of pet insurance: 1) Buy early before your pet is diagnosed with conditions that will be considered pre-existing. 2) Be diligent doing research on all the companies before you buy so you won't later regret your choice of company and/or policy to insure your pet. 3) Unexpected veterinary bills can sometimes be expensive, but $46,000 is the highest I've heard of to date. 4) Reading reviews is an important part of doing your research, but isn't the only thing you need to do before purchasing a policy. I outline 5... Read more →

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance: Examples of Claims Paid

A recent theme of my blog posts has been examples of claims paid by various pet insurance companies in the Unitied States. I found a page on the Healthy Paws blog that gives many examples of claims they have paid. Notice that most of the claims were for acute, unexpected illnesses or injuries. This is why people consider the purchase of pet insurance - the unexpected problem that potentially costs more than they can pay out-of-pocket. Ask yourself, "If this happened to my pet, could I afford to pay for the treatment?" If not, consider looking into the purchase of... Read more →

Is Pet Insurance Worth Purchasing For Your Pet?

Following up on the theme of the last post, I found an article where someone had "crunched" the numbers and decided that pet insurance would be a bad deal for him and his pets. Of course, he was doing a "hindsight" evaluation. If some of you did a similar evaluation, you might reach the same conclusion that Bob did. That is, you would have paid more in insurance premiums than you would have been reimbursed by the insurance company. But some of you, after doing a similar evaluation, could say "I would have come out way ahead if I'd had... Read more →

What Is Pet Insurance?

I came across an article in a newspaper with the same title and my first thought was "This person gets it!" You'll see why I say that after reading this post. Here are a few excerpts and my comments: Consumers take out insurance to transfer the risk of something happening to the insurer. For a fee, the insurer then agrees to pay the cost of certain events, giving the consumer peace of mind. Pet insurance, as the name suggests, is simply another form of consumer insurance, which pet owners take out to protect their animals. Listen to this conversation I... Read more →

Nestle Purina Sells PurinaCare Pet Insurance To Pethealth, Inc.

Pethealth has acquired PurinaCare's pet insurance business with an official closing date of May 1, 2013. In the United States, Pethealth offers pet insurance through 24PetWatch and ShelterCare. Although the news of this merger came out in a press release about 3 weeks ago, virtually no details were offered about how it would affect current PurinaCare policyholders. The following details were obtained from a representative of PurinaCare pet insurance. All current PurinaCare policies will remain in force until the expiration date of the current policy term. PurinaCare policies that are within 60 days of renewal at closing (those that renew... Read more →

Pets Best Pet Insurance: Claims Paid

The Pets Best Insurance Blog recently did a series of articles on common toxins that affect pets. It's worth the read if only to make you aware of potential toxins that you probably have in and around your home so you can take steps to make sure your pet doesn't have access to them. Otherwise, you could face a rather expensive trip to your veterinarian or an emergency clinic for treatment of a preventable and potentially life-threatening condition. At the end of each article, several examples of actual claims that Pets Best paid for the treatment of that particular toxicity... Read more →

Trupanion Pet Insurance: Claims Paid

Trupanion has a page on their blog entitled "Claim of the Week" and it appears like there are over a hundred examples of claims they have paid. Their policies have a 10% copay. Pet owners can choose a deductible between $0 and $1000. This allows you to manipulate the deductible to get a premium within your budget, but since Trupanion doesn't pay for examination fees and the deductible is per-incident, most pet owners try to keep the deductible as low as they can. As you peruse these claims, notice how these factors affect the reimbursement the pet owners received. We... Read more →

Embrace Pet Insurance: Claim Examples

A few days ago I had a post about claim examples from Petplan. Just today I found a page on Embrace's website where they have many examples of claims they have paid. Embrace allows pet owners to select among several annual maximums, deductibles and copays. This allows you to custom design your own policy to get a premium you can afford. However, remember these guidelines when designing your policy. Notice as you look at these claim examples how the annual maximum, deductible and copay that was chosen affects the reimbursement the pet owner received. I think it is instructional to... Read more →

Petplan Pet Insurance Company: Examples Of Claims Paid

I get a newsletter from Petplan monthly called "Fetch." It always has an example of a claim that they've paid. I decided to visit their Pinterest page and found they had pinned a bunch of examples of claims they have paid. Looking at these claims is insightful. It gives examples of real life events that happened to pets that resulted in a significant expense. It emphasizes that you never know what will happen or when it will happen as well as the potential expense involved in diagnosing and treating some of these injuries and illnesses. This can help you decide... Read more →

Celebrating The Human Animal Bond - Relationship With An Amazing Dog

A colleague sent this to me a couple of days ago. It really is celebrating an amazing relationship between a cowboy and his dog. This video is well worth watching. Read more →

Petplan Pet Insurance Company: Founders Talk About How It All Began And Their Vision For The Future

I came across this fascinating article today about Chris and Natasha Ashton, the founders of Petplan North America. Although the company had humble beginnings and initial progress was slow, it is growing rapidly and the future looks bright. It's definitely worth the read. Petplan website Read more →

Trupanion's Pet Insurance Policy Just Got Better

Trupanion now covers hip dysplasia in their core policy and not as an optional add-on rider. This means that the company now covers all hereditary conditions that aren't pre-existing. They do still have an Additional Care Package rider that can be added to their core policy that includes some therapies that are often excluded in other pet insurance policies. These therapies are acupuncture, behavioral modification, bone marrow transplants, stem cell therapy, chiropractic, colloidal silver treatments, gold seed therapy, herbal therapy, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, kidney transplants, naturopathy, physical/rehabilitative therapy, platelet rich plasma injections, polyethylene glycol medication, and shock-wave therapy.... Read more →

Guidelines For Custom Designing Your Pet Insurance Policy

Most of the pet insurance companies now allow you to customize your policy by selecting among several different annual maximums, deductibles and copays. When you go to a companies quote page, they will often show you about 3 options including their most popular option. The also offer you the ability to customize your coverage. Here is an example from Embrace: Here's an example from Healthy Paws: You'll need to click on the "Customize Rate" link to see other options: Some pet insurance companies also offer optional coverages e.g. exam fees or alternative therapy (rehab, acupuncture, laser therapy, hydrotherapy, etc.), or... Read more →

What Dog Breed Would Be Best For Me?

My son emailed me yesterday because his in-laws are thinking about getting a Great Pyranees puppy. They want my input as a veterinarian. I mentioned a couple of things in my reply, but also sent them to Embrace Pet Insurance company's Pet Health Center. It is an amazing resource for reading about the characteristics of many breeds of dogs and cats as well as various medical and behavioral conditions, etc. So, if you're trying to decide which breed dog or cat to get or just want some advice about various medical or behavioral conditions, check out this resourse. Another good... Read more →

Pets Best Offers Cancer Only Pet Insurance Policy

Here's an article announcing new cancer-only policies by Pets Best. Most people would be better served buying more comprehensive accident and illness coverages that also includes coverage for cancer. However when I interviewed Pets Best Founder and President Dr. Jack Stephens for a podcast episode, he alluded to their research that some pet owners were more concerned about cancer than any other illness their dog or cat might experience, so that's the reason for the cancer only policy. They are in the process of getting several new policies including the cancer-only policy approved in all 50 states, so all of... Read more →

Cancer Treatment Often Successful And Expensive: Pet Insurance Can Help

Cancer is a common problem not only in people, but in our pets as well. If diagnosed early, treatment can either cure or achieve remission giving the pet a longer and good quality of life. The mainstays of treatment aren't much different from those recommended for people - surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. While the costs of such treatments are nowhere near the cost in human medicine, it can still run into the thousands of dollars. Most pet insurance companies cover cancer treatments as long as the condition wasn't pre-existing. Some pet owners have reservations about treating their pets for... Read more →

The Dilemma: Should I Purchase Pet Insurance?

I came across an article describing one family's journey when deciding whether or not to purchase pet insurance for their pets. One reason I think it is worth reading is that it talks about many of the objections that some people have to pet insurance. First of all, rather than purchasing pet insurance, they decided to open a savings account to pay for their pet's healthcare expenses. They quickly learned that while this strategy works great if your pet remains relatively healthy, it has serious shortcomings if your pet experiences one or more serious accidents and illnesses. Because they had... Read more →

Be Cautious With Candy and Pets On Halloween

I just wanted to write a quick reminder about making sure you keep candy and candy wrappers out of your pet's reach during the Halloween season. This also means making sure your children are well aware that some candies are toxic to pets and can be fatal if ingested. Most people know about chocolate, but raisins, grapes, some nuts, and the sweetener xylitol found in sugar free gums and candies can cause severe and even life-threatening problems if ingested by your pet. A couple of articles highlighting specific dangers all pet owners should be aware of are found on the... Read more →

Pets Best Offers "My Vet Knows Best" Discount

Pets Best is offering a 10% discount on any pet insurance policy upon enrollment and every year thereafter that a pet remains insured with the company. Known as the "My Vet Knows Best" program, it is offered by Pets Best's new underwriter American Independence Insurance Company. While it is available in many states already, it has to be approved state by state. Depending on the policy you select as well as your pet's breed and how long your pet is insured with a Pets Best policy, the savings could be $500 to $800 over the life of your pet. The... Read more →

Embrace Introduces The Healthy Pet Deductible

Perhaps you've heard of automobile insurance companies offering a "diminishing deductible" or a similarly named plan. In other words, for every year you go accident-free and don't file a claim, your deductible decreases. Embrace pet insurance company has added this feature to all of it's accident and illness policies. For every year you don't file a claim that results in a reimbursement, your deductible will decrease $50. If you recieve a Wellness Rewards reimbursement, it doesn't affect your deductible, since it's separate coverage from your accident and illness policy. Some folks get pet insurance and don't file a claim very... Read more →

The Human - Animal Bond

Perhaps you saw this story recently about a man's love for his dog that illustrates the strong bond that forms between a person and his or her pet. I just love such heartwarming stories and wanted to share it with you. Read more →

Why You Should Consider Pet Insurance For Your Pet

Two pet owners tell the story of their pet's illness in these videos. Listen closely to the reasons they give for having pet insurance. Interestingly, one of them didn't have pet insurance when her dog required two surgeries to save her life, but because of the expense of these procedures, she is a strong advocate of pet insurance now. Since one of these problems is considered by many pet insurance companies to be a congenital/hereditary problem, it's important go get a policy that covers these conditions. These videos are sponsored by a Canadian pet insurance company. As the readers of... Read more →

Deaf Pet Awareness Week

I got an email from Trupanion Pet Insurance Company today letting me know about Deaf Pet Awareness Week. They have a page on their website that gives pet owners a lot of good information about living with a deaf pet and also how to prevent hearing loss in your pet. Read more →

5 Pets Who Benefited From Pet Insurance

I've always maintained that a good pet insurance policy chosen wisely is a win - win - win proposition. I believe that the pet owner, their beloved pet, and yes, even veterinarians can benefit from pet insurance. Pet's lives are saved. Pet owners don't have to face that hard decision when their pet is seriously injured or ill and they don't have the money to pay for the necessary treatment. And yes, it does often allow veterinarians to offer and provide the best options for diagnosis, treatment and recovery. I came across this article that tells the stories of 5... Read more →

PetFirst Offers New Pet Insurance Policies

PetFirst Healthcare if offering new policies to prospective and current policyholders. The biggest change is offering policies that cover chronic and hereditary conditions for the lifetime of the pet without having to purchase this coverage as an extra benefit. This should make PetFirst more competitive with some of the newer companies. In an upcoming podcast episode I interviewed the President of PetFirst, Katie Grant, where she explains the details of the new policies. Click on the Streampad player below to listen to a short clip from the interview: Clip - PetFirst To listen to the full interview, you can go... Read more →

A Touching Pet Insurance Story You Should See And Hear

I came across a great story told in this short video by the owner of Beau and Bella. I think every pet owner should watch it. It drives home a couple of messages for me as a veterinarian: The special bond that develops between many pet owners and their pets and how pet insurance can help protect that bond. Pet insurance comes in handy for expensive acute and chronic illnesses. **This is not necessarily an endorsement of the pet insurance company sponsoring the video. Read more →

Pet Insurance For Adopted Rescue Pets

Today’s article is a guest post by Donna Baker, the Education and Community Awareness Manager for the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue (DVGRR). She is a subscriber to my blog and has adopted several older Golden Retrievers who were surrendered to their organization. She shares why she ultimately decided to purchase pet insurance and why she enthusiastically recommends pet insurance to all the new owners of pets adopted from DVGRR. With the continued economic downturn, DVGRR (like many other rescue groups) has seen an increase in dogs surrendered because they developed an expensive medical problem that their original families couldn’t... Read more →

Recommended Website For All Pet Owners

I just found a new website last week that is a great resource for all pet owners. It was started by Dr. Jason Nicholas whose professional interest is in emergency and critical care. This website is called The Preventative Vet and was born out of an idea similar to the one I had when I wrote The Wise Pet Owner. This website could end up saving you a lot of money if you heed Dr. Nicholas' advice and, more importantly, save your pet's life. Spend some time browsing the website, but be sure and read Dr. Nicholas' bio on the... Read more →

Another Reason Why Pet Insurance Premiums Rise

I received an email recently from Dr. Jules Benson at Petplan in response to a question I’d asked him. Included in the email was a bit of information that I’d certainly not thought of before and perhaps you haven’t either. We normally think of pet insurance premiums increasing due to several factors e.g. changing underwriters, a pet’s age, adjustments due to actuarial data and “veterinary inflation.” Veterinary inflation is generally defined as the amount a practice raises it’s fees from one year to the next to cover increases in overhead whether that be the cost of drugs, staff salaries, equipment,... Read more →

If You Have Pet Insurance - You Should Be Conducting An Annual Pet Insurance Checkup

Pet insurance companies frequently make changes to their existing policies or even decide to offer new policies. They usually do so because they change underwriters, in response to surveys of existing policyholders, or simply in an effort to keep up with their competition. There is also an emerging trend allowing pet owners to customize their policies by choosing from a range of deductibles and coinsurance options. Your pet insurance premium can also change when a company changes underwriters. Premiums will go up as the costs of providing veterinary care rises. Companies may also adjust their premiums periodically based on their... Read more →

Celebrating the Human - Animal Bond

A few days ago, I posted the interview I did with Rene Agredano on the Tripawds Blog Talk Radio show. Rene and her husband Jim had a dog named Jerry who developed bone cancer and had to have a front leg amputated. Their story is featured in this video starting at the 15:00 mark and then again toward the end. I know this video is about 50 minutes long, but if you have pets and/or are a pet lover, I promise you that you'll absolutely love this video. Let me know what you think about the video and your relationship... Read more →

Interview on Tripawds Radio Show

I was recently interviewed about pet insurance on the Tripawds Radio Show. This show and their website is dedicated to helping pet owners with pets who've had a limb amputated. The host of the show, Rene Agredano and her husband Jim, lost "Jerry" to bone cancer several years ago and it literally changed their lives. I'll have more about that in the next post. I hope you enjoy the interview. Rene asked some great questions. Listen to internet radio with tripawds on Blog Talk Radio Read more →

Young Pets Need Pet Insurance Too!

Many young people don't think they need health insurance because they are healthy. I've seen the same reasoning applied to young pets. However, young people and pets do get sick with illnesses and probably the most common cause of hospital visits for younger people and pets is accidents. To illustrate this point, I am going to post a testimonial about Trupanion pet insurance, however, this isn't an endorsement of Trupanion. If you read this blog, you know I don't recommend one pet insuance company over any others, but my focus is to provide information to help you make informed and... Read more →

Be The Best Advocate For Your Own Pet

I came across this article that really appears to be an excerpt from Dr. Nancy Kay's book, "Speaking For Spot." There is also an interview (audio) on this same page that is worth listening to. Pet insurance is mentioned because of the increased used of technology in the diagnosis and treatment that our pets receive these days and the subsequent costs involved. But, that isn't the main focus of the conversation. Every pet owner should read this article and listen to the NPR audio because sooner or later, you'll be faced with major decisions about the treatment of your pet... Read more →

Top Dog Breeds In The U.S.

This is interesting to me as a veterinarian and I'm sure to dog owners also. The AKC recently released the top breeds in the United States in 2011 with a comparison to previous years. Interestingly, they also have a list of the top breeds in the major metropolitian areas. Before going to the website, try and guess the top 5 breeds. How close were you? Read more →

How Pet Insurance Statistics Can Help You Prevent Accidentally Poisoning Your Pet

How many of the things in the list below were you aware of before reading this article that can either poison your pet or make your pet sick so that you might have to visit your veterinarian or emergency clinic? Deadly Dark Chocolate Contributes to 100,000 Cases of Pet Poisoning in the U.S. According to Embrace Pet Insurance NEW YORK, Mar 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Can a little table-side reward really hurt your dog? Embrace Pet Insurance has opened up their database to reveal the human foods that poison the most pets the company insures, ahead of Poison Prevention... Read more →

ASPCA Pet Insurance Offers New Policies

***** ASPCA has come out with brand new polices since this blog post was written. I refer you to this post. ASPCA pet insurance company recently unveiled their new policies. There are several improvements that allow pet owners more control over their coverages and therefore the premium they pay. Here is an overview of policies: 1) There isn't an annual maximum, only a per-incident maximum, therefore, there is no limit to the number of injury/illness claims you can file and receive reimbursement for during a policy term. However, remember that low per-incident maximums can increase your out-of-pocket expense. The company... Read more →

Pet Insurance Coverage for Behavioral Problems

I just came across this article written by the Laura Bennett, the CEO and Co-Founder of Embrace pet insurance company. Not all pet insurance companies cover behavioral issues. Some offer partial coverage while others offer coverage just like any other condition. As a veterinarian, I see behavioral problems not too infrequently. Many times we have to run a battery of tests to rule out medical problems. For example, if a cat is urinating outside the litterbox, we may have to run blood tests, urinalysis, urine culture, xrays or ultrasound before concluding that the problem is behavioral rather than medical. As... Read more →

Trupanion Announces Expanded Coverages

Trupanion recently announced expanded optional coverages to their base policy. You can see how much each of these options costs when you get a quote for your pet. Read more →

Most Expensive Cat Breeds

As I've stated before, data compiled from pet insurance companies based on claims they've paid provide pet owners with some interesting statistics. Trupanion recently revealed in an article the 5 most expensive cat breeds to own based on claims filed during the past decade. Read more →

More Cold Weather Tips For Your Pet

Dr. Larry McDaniel followed up Dr. Bill Craig's post with more excellent cold weather tips. It's good information especially for pets in very cold and/or snowy environments. Read more →

Winter Pet Health Tips

Dr. Bill Craig at PurinaCare pet insurance company wrote an excellent blog post about protecting your pets during the winter months that could save you an unexpected, and potentially expensive visit to the vet if you heed these tips. Read more →

How To Evaluate A Pet Insurance Policy

Hi, everyone. I just uploaded my latest video to my YouTube channel. Although a Pets Best policy is used in this video, the principles can be applied to any pet insurance company's policy. In every pet insurance policy regardless of the company, you'll find several things that you'll want to call the company for further explanation. Read more →

Pet Insurance Can Make Financial Decisions Easier In Pets With A Serious Illness Or Injury

I ran across this article about several cases where pet insurance did or would have made a difference in either these pet's lives and/or their owners pocketbook. As the article mentions, there have been a number of new companies enter the market in the past seven years and many of the objections that pet owners had for not getting pet insurance for their pet no longer apply. Many of the companies now cover chronic and hereditary conditions, and as you can see from the article, the reimbursements can be significant. I wrote a blog post recently about the best way... Read more →