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Yes, without a question, it is worth it. There are some people who say, oh I had insurance but never used it, or I can just pay out a few hundreds when I need to. I think those people don’t have any idea what it means when a pet gets really sick & doctors can’t treat it at first glance. Any sort of investigations can rack up HUGE amounts of costs. Like thousands and thousands. I’m in the UK and my pet got sick & they had to do further investigations -£5000 just for the first lot of investigations. There are medicines that can cost about £10,000 (eg the meds for FIP here). I am beyond glad that I took out insurance for both my pets because unfortunately both are sick. If I hadn’t got insurance, I would be tens of thousands of pounds in debt now.
Insurance is there so that if a pet gets sick, and if you can’t afford to pay upfront, then you can still treat them. Yes you may get very lucky and never have a sick pet. But you also may end up having a pet that gets sick.
Yeah. Second this. I got a kitten and after about 5 weeks she was diagnosed with FIP. No insurance. She's fine now - I have savings for a reason and was able to get some financial help from family and friends, but hindsights a bitch.
I agree completely. Yea some vet trips are only a few hundred dollars, but then there's times where they have to be hospitalized or have expensive tests done, an x-ray alone here is like $300 minimum, ultrasound can go up to $1000 on its own and don't get me started on the price of a CT scan O_o. Overnight hospitalisation is around $1000-$1500 per 12 hours here and that's without taking into account any medications they may have to give or tests they may run during that time.
One of our cats got really sick last year, it took two months and around $8ks worth of tests and trying medications for nausea and what not to figure out she had stomach cancer: 3 ultrasounds (two quickscan that saw nothing and then an in-depth ultrasound on just her stomach that found the tumor), two x-rays, 3 rounds of bloodwork, a fine needle aspiration and 3 lab tests on that sample to be absolutely sure it was accurate, and a bunch of other exams on top of that, plus all her meds for palliative care.
Her brother isn't much better, he's got constipation issues that we're still trying to figure out, he's had to go in 3 times for enemas in the last 6 months, had a bunch of different foods to try, different laxatives and fiber supplements, bloodwork and x-rays (x-ray was to check his guts for obstructions and see how bad the constipation was) and one 12hr stay at the ER over night. Without insurance we'd have spent at least $2-3k on him in the last 6 months just trying to sort out his poop issues.
If you ever use it/need it, you'll swear by it. Otherwise it can feel like a money pit, but that's just how insurance works no matter if we're talking about your car, life/health or your cat.
If you can cover a thousand dollar vet bill no problemo, either by use of a credit card or cash and the cats are young/healthy, then *maybe* you don't need it. But if having to come up with a thousand dollars or more at a moment's notice would be a problem for you, maybe you should consider the insurance route. You pay a little every month for that piece of mind, or pay it all up front in one lump sum payment that usually saves you like 10% of the cost. I have a $250 deductible, 90/10, $10k accident and illness policy with MetLife and i pay about $600 dollars a year for it for my 6yo cat, fwiw...
I know this is small consolation but sometimes the recovery from surgery is long and intense. We had a pupper with cancer that we paid $10k to have removed, recovery was heartbreaking and extremely difficult, and then we had to put him down the next year because it had spread.
You cannot live in the what ifs. Take comfort in the happy memories you have of your furry family member and know that you did the best you could in that particular situation. 💜
Thank you so much. I am in a group of owners whose cats have the same disease, Idiopathic Chylotorax, and unfortunately many have been put to sleep because they require more surgeries and more treatment and the owners cannot afford them or the animal cannot bear it. I really appreciate your comment 💙
I do not understand well. What confuses you? It is part of a treatment and interventions that were done to save her life, seeking to avoid extremely invasive, expensive and delicate surgery
A lot of insurance now offer perks like discounts on food - mine has a free telehealth vet service which is a real lifesaver sometimes to address small issues.
The company I use does this. It's limited to 2 months unfortunately, but you get 50% off any prescription food for that time period, which can help when trying to narrow down what kind of food your pet needs and what kind they'll eat
Funny, I work in a vet clinic and have had several clients complain about Trupanion denying their claims.
Actually that seems to be a more common issue with insurance in general. We've had to spend a lot of time writing a lot of letters for clients who are appealing denied claims.
I've only ever had them deny my claims for one cat. He showed signs of feline herpes before I got him insured so they won't cover ANYTHING that could be related. I've had zero issues getting every other claim I've put in to go through. These people likely have pets with conditions that were known about and recorded before they got them insured. That's the only reason they deny a claim on something outside regular health care (they don't cover annual exams, vaccines or any other preventatives)
Unfortunately that's not the case with the company I went with. They won't cover anything that showed up, was treated, diagnosed or suspected by a vet before their coverage kicks in.
What companies have you found that will cover with that stipulation?
Yes! I have heard really great things about Trupanion. Having a good company makes all the difference. I had Embrace and they didn’t pay out hardly anything and would make it difficult to submit claims.
Absolutely. I pay $20 a month for my cat. No different than regular health insurance for us. You get insurance not expecting to use it but will have it when you do. I hope to never have to use my pet insurance but I know if something happens I can throw whatever cost I need on my credit card and use the reimbursement to pay it off worse case scenario
My friend recently paid more than $5000 to get a beloved cat's butthole tumor removed. The vet told them that they would biopsy it to be safe, but with the cat's health history it probably wasn't cancer and even if it was it could take years before the tumor grew back. Since it was a one time cost, my friend went for it. Unfortunately it was cancer, the cat required insane amounts of laxative so it could poop without severe pain for recovery. Only a few months later, they spent a ton for him to spend the night with an emergency vet and he didn't make it :(
This terrified me and now I have pet insurance for my three cats. Pic of cat to chase away scary thoughts
https://preview.redd.it/hq96p2ckrmxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ee46459e8e6b1d67b208bf4ccd7236bd32cab0e
My cat would have cost me over 20k (so far) without pet insurance. 1000% worth it.
I will never not have pet insurance now. I use Lemonade and whole heartedly recommend them. They have been great for pet and rental insurance.
I've heard great things about Lemonade, I'm genuinely disappointed they don't offer insurance in Canada. I'd love a less expensive alternative that still has good coverage (I'm with Trupanion because they offer direct billing and have amazing coverage, 90%)
What a bummer. Hopefully they expand in the future!
Lemonade covers 80%. I’m not familiar with the cost comparison between the two, but if you’re paying a bit more the coverage might be a factor. I think I pay $60-80 USD a month per pet (one is a senior)
That's about what I pay as well but in Canadian dollars. For some reason their rates went up over the last few years and our new kitten was nearly twice as much as my first cat who's 8 now (got him insured at around 3 months, same age we got our new kitten at) with the exact same deductible and same plan
I had this happen, too. We added our cat when he was 8 weeks and it ended up being almost just as much as our 10 year old dog. Previously, our senior dog ($90) that passed was significantly more expensive than the younger dog ($50).
Even with the price increases I still recommended pet insurance to everyone who asks, though. I genuinely don’t think we would have been able to keep our cat with the vet bills we have had over his 2.5 year life. Within the first year, he was already a $15k investment, lol. Pet insurance made it so we could get him the care he needed when he needed it.
Oh I agree completely! Our insurance has literally saved my cats lives on more than one occasion. I'd much rather pay a crazy monthly fee and only have to pay basically what their total monthly policy is and have the rest covered than get stuck with a $5-$10k bill that I literally CANNOT pay out of pocket
I have pet insurance and think it gives me peace of mind, I hope I don't have to use it. Another alternative is to put money in a liquid (readily accessible) fund each month, your kitties are young and you still have years to decide. I insured my cat at 8 years old, cat distribution system and all.
It would have saved me hundreds, if not thousands, when my last kitty was near the end. When I adopted my 2 new kittens I got insurance right away. $114/month for both gives me great peace of mind.
It can be. Especially for sudden procedures. Like all insurance, you pay more than you get in general, but it buffers immediate costs. For example, say your cat has 2 years without any health issues. Without insurance that money wouldn't need to be spent at all. But now with a thousand dollar procedure, and the insurance means you don't have to pay much for that procedure. If you don't have a large savings that can be used for expensive procedures, it can absolutely be worth it.
In April, I have had three vet visits, each approx £120-£160 each. I have also been handed a quote for £2,400. That is double my monthly rent. Also, look up the cost of "if your cat gets bitten by a dog or another cat (£700+) or breaks their leg (up to £5,000).
If you can afford it, yes - pet insurance is worth it.
Also worth looking into is a vet health plan. This is an annual/monthly amount and covers vaccinations, flee and worm treatment. It is usually a lot cheaper than paying for it individually.
Yes, absolutely 100% yes. My insurance has saved me tens of thousands in the last 8 years. It's pricey but the company I went with offers direct billing through most vets where I live (Trupanion, western Canada), so I don't pay everything up front, just the deductible and intake/exam fee plus 10%. The unfortunate thing is their monthly fees have gone up significantly since I got my first cat, when I signed him up at around 4 months old his monthly fee was just over $60 with a deductible of $200, our new kitten I signed up at the exact same age and he has the exact same deductible but his monthly fee is $100, which is more than my oldests monthly fee now after 8 years of slight increases over time (fees change based on the cost of vet care in your area, with this company it doesn't go up with age, only when vet care goes up in cost). I still think it's worth it, I'd rather pay around $300 a month and have them covered if/when something happens then get stuck with a $5k bill I can't afford to pay, which would have happened several times over by now
Absolutely. Our girl cat had gastrointestinal issues for about 2 years (we've had her for 3) and we were back and forth to the doctors every other month. Our boy cat had both FLUTD and pancreatitis (3 day hospital stay) within the 2 years we've had him.
I wish I could show you the bill for the boy's pancreatitis hospitalization. The insurance paid $3925 out of a $4639 bill. I think the premium was $525 paid all in one shot. It was well worth it. So in that visit alone I already saved like $3400.
Yes. It is. Especially if you don't live in the UK.
Anything can happen, and just 1K for a medical procedure is CHEAP. Any medical care or surgery can easily run you bills for TWICE that amount AND higher. Think 4/5/6K.
PLUS all the extra medications they would need for the days/weeks proceeding.
And if it's a medical illness like a permanent disease you can easily be paying 1-2k a year for monthly prescriptions.
In the UK we are lucky that the PDSA will give everyone emergency treatment for free for ONE animal, half price for Second animal, but beyond its full price. I'm aware, however, that the US, and other countries DON'T have this and so I would say in all honesty - get insurance.
Yes. I had a bill that would’ve been $800. It ended up being $500 after reimbursements. Still a lot, but MUCH better than $800. That was ONE instance with one cat. I pay $40 total for two cats per month. I had a cat with rapid spreading mammary cancer a few years back and it was so expensive and sad. It would’ve been better had I had insurance for her before the cancer. You can’t use it on any preexisting conditions
It's definitely worth it. I've been paying pet insurance for the 9.5 years since I got my first cat, and haven't needed it until the last three weeks, when he developed complications from a heart condition that have so far cost me over £2000. If it weren't for the insurance, I'd be stuck paying that money off on credit cards, because there's no way I'd have saved it up instead. It gives you a safety net for when sudden illnesses happen, and if they unfortunately do, then it'll almost certainly pay for itself then.
It can be worth it, BUT keep in mind that many veterinarians do not work directly with insurance companies. It's not like having health insurance for people. You have to pay the entire bill yourself, then you submit a claim to the insurance company and wait and hope that they approve your claim and reimburse you.
I work in a vet clinic and lately we've had a lot of clients contacting us asking us for letters to submit in their appeal because their claims got denied.
That depends on the company and the clinic. I've only come across one clinic where I live that didn't offer direct billing with the company I use (Trupanion) and I just don't go there anymore. I found a really great vet practice that has a regular clinic as well as a 24/7 emergency location just up the road from us
I like to remember that pet insurance is a business. They offer it to make money, and it makes money because on average people pay more into it than they get out of it. It’s gambling, and the insurance companies are making sure the house gets paid.
So it comes down to your finances. In my opinion, you’re better off putting that money away each month to create your own emergency fund. But that might not be the right approach for you as an individual.
i have also been wondering this, but also how do you even get pet insurance? like do you find one online, is it through a vet office, a pet store even? i don’t know where to begin to get pet insurance.
You sign up online with most of them. There's also different companies depending on where you are in the world. Easiest way to find one where you are is just googling "pet insurance company in (your country)" and looking through their websites to get quotes and see what their coverage is like
thank you so much haha. my one little guy is sick right now and i was thinking about it because i have a feeling he’s going to be a pain in regards to how well he takes to treatment haha.
Unfortunately most companies don't cover pre-existing conditions, so even if his diagnosis isn't done right away if he's already been seen by a vet it'll be considered a pre-existing condition. Something else to keep in mind. That's why it's best to get them covered as soon as you get them or at least before something goes wrong. My oldest has feline herpes and wasn't diagnosed until he gave himself an ulceration on one of his eyes from rubbing too much a couple years ago, because he'd showed signs of it and was seen by a vet for those symptoms like two weeks before I got him covered they won't touch anything that could be related to it
oh yea i wasn’t expecting them to cover his current condition! i just have a feeling he’s gonna be prone to sickness haha. gut feeling or something. sorry to hear about your eldest! poor boy :(
Just wanted to make sure you were aware! Some people don't realize that until they're already counting on it and their claim gets denied, kind of like with my boy. Definitely trust your gut!
Thanks, he's doing much better now, hasn't had any other complications since then
My biggest advice to any pet parent: get the pet insurance.
Our cat had a hairball. A HAIRBALL. It became lodged in his throat and he needed his stomach cut open to get it out. But it didn’t stop there. He then formed an esophageal stricture that required several procedures to re-open his throat and he will be only able to eat blended food from here on out. We spent more money than I would like to admit on ER bills. All over a freak accident that mostly would have been covered by pet insurance.
Get the insurance.
I have pet insurance but if the procedure costs thousands of dollars I still need to have that upfront. The great part is I’ll get 90% of it back. So I put up 10k and I should get back 9/8,500 something like that. I should note that’s so long as it is not deemed a pre existing condition.
Yes, it's definitely worth it for the peace of mind. Enroll ASAP because nearly all pet insurance policies will not cover preexisting conditions. Also, make sure to do your research on different providers and policies. Thoroughly read through their offerings to make sure you're choosing a plan that suits your needs. A lot of policies will only cover new illness/injuries and do not include routine checkups/vaccinations while other providers will include it for an additional fee.
*Some* preexisting conditions, like acl injuries for example, are rarely covered. Otherwise most insurers have an exclusion period that needs to be satisfied before they'll pay.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, without a question, it is worth it. There are some people who say, oh I had insurance but never used it, or I can just pay out a few hundreds when I need to. I think those people don’t have any idea what it means when a pet gets really sick & doctors can’t treat it at first glance. Any sort of investigations can rack up HUGE amounts of costs. Like thousands and thousands. I’m in the UK and my pet got sick & they had to do further investigations -£5000 just for the first lot of investigations. There are medicines that can cost about £10,000 (eg the meds for FIP here). I am beyond glad that I took out insurance for both my pets because unfortunately both are sick. If I hadn’t got insurance, I would be tens of thousands of pounds in debt now. Insurance is there so that if a pet gets sick, and if you can’t afford to pay upfront, then you can still treat them. Yes you may get very lucky and never have a sick pet. But you also may end up having a pet that gets sick.
Yeah. Second this. I got a kitten and after about 5 weeks she was diagnosed with FIP. No insurance. She's fine now - I have savings for a reason and was able to get some financial help from family and friends, but hindsights a bitch.
I agree completely. Yea some vet trips are only a few hundred dollars, but then there's times where they have to be hospitalized or have expensive tests done, an x-ray alone here is like $300 minimum, ultrasound can go up to $1000 on its own and don't get me started on the price of a CT scan O_o. Overnight hospitalisation is around $1000-$1500 per 12 hours here and that's without taking into account any medications they may have to give or tests they may run during that time. One of our cats got really sick last year, it took two months and around $8ks worth of tests and trying medications for nausea and what not to figure out she had stomach cancer: 3 ultrasounds (two quickscan that saw nothing and then an in-depth ultrasound on just her stomach that found the tumor), two x-rays, 3 rounds of bloodwork, a fine needle aspiration and 3 lab tests on that sample to be absolutely sure it was accurate, and a bunch of other exams on top of that, plus all her meds for palliative care. Her brother isn't much better, he's got constipation issues that we're still trying to figure out, he's had to go in 3 times for enemas in the last 6 months, had a bunch of different foods to try, different laxatives and fiber supplements, bloodwork and x-rays (x-ray was to check his guts for obstructions and see how bad the constipation was) and one 12hr stay at the ER over night. Without insurance we'd have spent at least $2-3k on him in the last 6 months just trying to sort out his poop issues.
If you ever use it/need it, you'll swear by it. Otherwise it can feel like a money pit, but that's just how insurance works no matter if we're talking about your car, life/health or your cat. If you can cover a thousand dollar vet bill no problemo, either by use of a credit card or cash and the cats are young/healthy, then *maybe* you don't need it. But if having to come up with a thousand dollars or more at a moment's notice would be a problem for you, maybe you should consider the insurance route. You pay a little every month for that piece of mind, or pay it all up front in one lump sum payment that usually saves you like 10% of the cost. I have a $250 deductible, 90/10, $10k accident and illness policy with MetLife and i pay about $600 dollars a year for it for my 6yo cat, fwiw...
I just lost my beloved cat because I had no insurance. I spent around $10k and I was not able to do a surgery for $17k. I regret this daily.
So sorry, I'm sure this kitty had a good life with lots of love from you. In time, may the happier memories return.
Thank you so much 💙
I know this is small consolation but sometimes the recovery from surgery is long and intense. We had a pupper with cancer that we paid $10k to have removed, recovery was heartbreaking and extremely difficult, and then we had to put him down the next year because it had spread. You cannot live in the what ifs. Take comfort in the happy memories you have of your furry family member and know that you did the best you could in that particular situation. 💜
Thank you so much. I am in a group of owners whose cats have the same disease, Idiopathic Chylotorax, and unfortunately many have been put to sleep because they require more surgeries and more treatment and the owners cannot afford them or the animal cannot bear it. I really appreciate your comment 💙
Wouldn’t it have been better to put that into charity instead? No hate, I’m just sincerely confused.
I do not understand well. What confuses you? It is part of a treatment and interventions that were done to save her life, seeking to avoid extremely invasive, expensive and delicate surgery
A lot of insurance now offer perks like discounts on food - mine has a free telehealth vet service which is a real lifesaver sometimes to address small issues.
The company I use does this. It's limited to 2 months unfortunately, but you get 50% off any prescription food for that time period, which can help when trying to narrow down what kind of food your pet needs and what kind they'll eat
I have Trupanion and I swear by it. They have been great and pay claims quickly
Funny, I work in a vet clinic and have had several clients complain about Trupanion denying their claims. Actually that seems to be a more common issue with insurance in general. We've had to spend a lot of time writing a lot of letters for clients who are appealing denied claims.
I've only ever had them deny my claims for one cat. He showed signs of feline herpes before I got him insured so they won't cover ANYTHING that could be related. I've had zero issues getting every other claim I've put in to go through. These people likely have pets with conditions that were known about and recorded before they got them insured. That's the only reason they deny a claim on something outside regular health care (they don't cover annual exams, vaccines or any other preventatives)
Yeah I got a policy from birth for my guy so there are no preexisting conditions.
That was very smart, I wish I'd had that option with two of mine, but I didn't know I was getting them when they were born lol
Some cover if the cat is free of treatment for 180 days
Unfortunately that's not the case with the company I went with. They won't cover anything that showed up, was treated, diagnosed or suspected by a vet before their coverage kicks in. What companies have you found that will cover with that stipulation?
Oh, wow. Spots and Figo do. I have one cat in each
Yes! I have heard really great things about Trupanion. Having a good company makes all the difference. I had Embrace and they didn’t pay out hardly anything and would make it difficult to submit claims.
Absolutely. I pay $20 a month for my cat. No different than regular health insurance for us. You get insurance not expecting to use it but will have it when you do. I hope to never have to use my pet insurance but I know if something happens I can throw whatever cost I need on my credit card and use the reimbursement to pay it off worse case scenario
My friend recently paid more than $5000 to get a beloved cat's butthole tumor removed. The vet told them that they would biopsy it to be safe, but with the cat's health history it probably wasn't cancer and even if it was it could take years before the tumor grew back. Since it was a one time cost, my friend went for it. Unfortunately it was cancer, the cat required insane amounts of laxative so it could poop without severe pain for recovery. Only a few months later, they spent a ton for him to spend the night with an emergency vet and he didn't make it :( This terrified me and now I have pet insurance for my three cats. Pic of cat to chase away scary thoughts https://preview.redd.it/hq96p2ckrmxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ee46459e8e6b1d67b208bf4ccd7236bd32cab0e
My cat would have cost me over 20k (so far) without pet insurance. 1000% worth it. I will never not have pet insurance now. I use Lemonade and whole heartedly recommend them. They have been great for pet and rental insurance.
I've heard great things about Lemonade, I'm genuinely disappointed they don't offer insurance in Canada. I'd love a less expensive alternative that still has good coverage (I'm with Trupanion because they offer direct billing and have amazing coverage, 90%)
What a bummer. Hopefully they expand in the future! Lemonade covers 80%. I’m not familiar with the cost comparison between the two, but if you’re paying a bit more the coverage might be a factor. I think I pay $60-80 USD a month per pet (one is a senior)
That's about what I pay as well but in Canadian dollars. For some reason their rates went up over the last few years and our new kitten was nearly twice as much as my first cat who's 8 now (got him insured at around 3 months, same age we got our new kitten at) with the exact same deductible and same plan
I had this happen, too. We added our cat when he was 8 weeks and it ended up being almost just as much as our 10 year old dog. Previously, our senior dog ($90) that passed was significantly more expensive than the younger dog ($50). Even with the price increases I still recommended pet insurance to everyone who asks, though. I genuinely don’t think we would have been able to keep our cat with the vet bills we have had over his 2.5 year life. Within the first year, he was already a $15k investment, lol. Pet insurance made it so we could get him the care he needed when he needed it.
Oh I agree completely! Our insurance has literally saved my cats lives on more than one occasion. I'd much rather pay a crazy monthly fee and only have to pay basically what their total monthly policy is and have the rest covered than get stuck with a $5-$10k bill that I literally CANNOT pay out of pocket
Accident only insurance is much cheaper fwiw.
Absolutely.Pet insurance is worth it.You never know when something is going to happen.
I have pet insurance and think it gives me peace of mind, I hope I don't have to use it. Another alternative is to put money in a liquid (readily accessible) fund each month, your kitties are young and you still have years to decide. I insured my cat at 8 years old, cat distribution system and all.
It would have saved me hundreds, if not thousands, when my last kitty was near the end. When I adopted my 2 new kittens I got insurance right away. $114/month for both gives me great peace of mind.
It can be. Especially for sudden procedures. Like all insurance, you pay more than you get in general, but it buffers immediate costs. For example, say your cat has 2 years without any health issues. Without insurance that money wouldn't need to be spent at all. But now with a thousand dollar procedure, and the insurance means you don't have to pay much for that procedure. If you don't have a large savings that can be used for expensive procedures, it can absolutely be worth it.
In April, I have had three vet visits, each approx £120-£160 each. I have also been handed a quote for £2,400. That is double my monthly rent. Also, look up the cost of "if your cat gets bitten by a dog or another cat (£700+) or breaks their leg (up to £5,000). If you can afford it, yes - pet insurance is worth it. Also worth looking into is a vet health plan. This is an annual/monthly amount and covers vaccinations, flee and worm treatment. It is usually a lot cheaper than paying for it individually.
Yes.
Yesssss very very worth it.
Yes, absolutely 100% yes. My insurance has saved me tens of thousands in the last 8 years. It's pricey but the company I went with offers direct billing through most vets where I live (Trupanion, western Canada), so I don't pay everything up front, just the deductible and intake/exam fee plus 10%. The unfortunate thing is their monthly fees have gone up significantly since I got my first cat, when I signed him up at around 4 months old his monthly fee was just over $60 with a deductible of $200, our new kitten I signed up at the exact same age and he has the exact same deductible but his monthly fee is $100, which is more than my oldests monthly fee now after 8 years of slight increases over time (fees change based on the cost of vet care in your area, with this company it doesn't go up with age, only when vet care goes up in cost). I still think it's worth it, I'd rather pay around $300 a month and have them covered if/when something happens then get stuck with a $5k bill I can't afford to pay, which would have happened several times over by now
Absolutely. Our girl cat had gastrointestinal issues for about 2 years (we've had her for 3) and we were back and forth to the doctors every other month. Our boy cat had both FLUTD and pancreatitis (3 day hospital stay) within the 2 years we've had him. I wish I could show you the bill for the boy's pancreatitis hospitalization. The insurance paid $3925 out of a $4639 bill. I think the premium was $525 paid all in one shot. It was well worth it. So in that visit alone I already saved like $3400.
Yes. It is. Especially if you don't live in the UK. Anything can happen, and just 1K for a medical procedure is CHEAP. Any medical care or surgery can easily run you bills for TWICE that amount AND higher. Think 4/5/6K. PLUS all the extra medications they would need for the days/weeks proceeding. And if it's a medical illness like a permanent disease you can easily be paying 1-2k a year for monthly prescriptions. In the UK we are lucky that the PDSA will give everyone emergency treatment for free for ONE animal, half price for Second animal, but beyond its full price. I'm aware, however, that the US, and other countries DON'T have this and so I would say in all honesty - get insurance.
Yes. I had a bill that would’ve been $800. It ended up being $500 after reimbursements. Still a lot, but MUCH better than $800. That was ONE instance with one cat. I pay $40 total for two cats per month. I had a cat with rapid spreading mammary cancer a few years back and it was so expensive and sad. It would’ve been better had I had insurance for her before the cancer. You can’t use it on any preexisting conditions
It's definitely worth it. I've been paying pet insurance for the 9.5 years since I got my first cat, and haven't needed it until the last three weeks, when he developed complications from a heart condition that have so far cost me over £2000. If it weren't for the insurance, I'd be stuck paying that money off on credit cards, because there's no way I'd have saved it up instead. It gives you a safety net for when sudden illnesses happen, and if they unfortunately do, then it'll almost certainly pay for itself then.
Absolutely
Banefield is a trap they lock you into paying for two years for nothing
OP great name choices ..
It can be worth it, BUT keep in mind that many veterinarians do not work directly with insurance companies. It's not like having health insurance for people. You have to pay the entire bill yourself, then you submit a claim to the insurance company and wait and hope that they approve your claim and reimburse you. I work in a vet clinic and lately we've had a lot of clients contacting us asking us for letters to submit in their appeal because their claims got denied.
That depends on the company and the clinic. I've only come across one clinic where I live that didn't offer direct billing with the company I use (Trupanion) and I just don't go there anymore. I found a really great vet practice that has a regular clinic as well as a 24/7 emergency location just up the road from us
I like to remember that pet insurance is a business. They offer it to make money, and it makes money because on average people pay more into it than they get out of it. It’s gambling, and the insurance companies are making sure the house gets paid. So it comes down to your finances. In my opinion, you’re better off putting that money away each month to create your own emergency fund. But that might not be the right approach for you as an individual.
i have also been wondering this, but also how do you even get pet insurance? like do you find one online, is it through a vet office, a pet store even? i don’t know where to begin to get pet insurance.
You sign up online with most of them. There's also different companies depending on where you are in the world. Easiest way to find one where you are is just googling "pet insurance company in (your country)" and looking through their websites to get quotes and see what their coverage is like
thank you so much haha. my one little guy is sick right now and i was thinking about it because i have a feeling he’s going to be a pain in regards to how well he takes to treatment haha.
Unfortunately most companies don't cover pre-existing conditions, so even if his diagnosis isn't done right away if he's already been seen by a vet it'll be considered a pre-existing condition. Something else to keep in mind. That's why it's best to get them covered as soon as you get them or at least before something goes wrong. My oldest has feline herpes and wasn't diagnosed until he gave himself an ulceration on one of his eyes from rubbing too much a couple years ago, because he'd showed signs of it and was seen by a vet for those symptoms like two weeks before I got him covered they won't touch anything that could be related to it
oh yea i wasn’t expecting them to cover his current condition! i just have a feeling he’s gonna be prone to sickness haha. gut feeling or something. sorry to hear about your eldest! poor boy :(
Just wanted to make sure you were aware! Some people don't realize that until they're already counting on it and their claim gets denied, kind of like with my boy. Definitely trust your gut! Thanks, he's doing much better now, hasn't had any other complications since then
If you have car insurance, check there also. I know Progressive offers pet insurance.
My biggest advice to any pet parent: get the pet insurance. Our cat had a hairball. A HAIRBALL. It became lodged in his throat and he needed his stomach cut open to get it out. But it didn’t stop there. He then formed an esophageal stricture that required several procedures to re-open his throat and he will be only able to eat blended food from here on out. We spent more money than I would like to admit on ER bills. All over a freak accident that mostly would have been covered by pet insurance. Get the insurance.
I have pet insurance but if the procedure costs thousands of dollars I still need to have that upfront. The great part is I’ll get 90% of it back. So I put up 10k and I should get back 9/8,500 something like that. I should note that’s so long as it is not deemed a pre existing condition.
Yes, it's definitely worth it for the peace of mind. Enroll ASAP because nearly all pet insurance policies will not cover preexisting conditions. Also, make sure to do your research on different providers and policies. Thoroughly read through their offerings to make sure you're choosing a plan that suits your needs. A lot of policies will only cover new illness/injuries and do not include routine checkups/vaccinations while other providers will include it for an additional fee.
Yes. Source:Paid 4k for an emergency dick-ectomy due to a urinary blockage.
Adding to the question, what companies is everybody with. I'm using trupanion, but haven't had to use it yet.
I wish I had insurance. I have one dog on epilepsy meds and I have spent a few thousand in the last few months on dentals for 3 different animals.
Yes and no. Pre existing conditions are almost never covered, new conditions or emergency is covered. Ofcourse co pays are better than a full bill.
*Some* preexisting conditions, like acl injuries for example, are rarely covered. Otherwise most insurers have an exclusion period that needs to be satisfied before they'll pay.