Who has pet insurance and is it worth it?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tina and Gracie (GA)

Tina and Gracie (GA)

Active Member
How many of you have pet insurance? How good is coverage?

It is far to late for Gracie to get it, as she is "older" and now has a pre-existing condition. I read the cut off is age 3.

I'm just thinking the next time I get a cat--I'll strongly consider pet insurance. Maybe.
 
@Beenie will tell you it's worth it. I don't have it, but wish I had before Sam was diabetic. Now it's a pre-existing condition so nothing connected to it is covered. And since pretty much everything is connected to it, that doesn't help much.
 
I don't know how it works with remission though. Maybe they don't count it as a pre-existing condition if she isn't on insulin anymore?
 
I personally dont have it, but know alot of folks who do that are dealing with cancer in their pets that swear by it. I wish I would have had it after dealing with mammary cancer and hyperthyroid/gall bladder tumor in 2 of my kitties, both of whom passed last year. I did everything I could for both of them, and they both outlived their expectancies, but I feel I may have been able to do more if they had been insured. I would like to get it on any future furballs that find me, but not sure through what company yet.
 
Oh I would tell every pet owner to get it. Embrace pet insurance is what we have and I recommend the company to everyone I know that is a pet owner. Yes pre existing conditions are not covered. I don’t think any insurance company covers pre existing. Yes, the premiums do go up as they age. Vet emergencies, specialists, chronic illnesses, diseases get ridiculously costly. For Beenie everything from Levemir down to lancets even Carbogerline was covered. My plan reimbursed 80% of everything!
I had a different pet insurance when Beenie and Ming were kittens, can’t even remember the name, but wasn’t impressed with how the coverage worked. They had a list of illness that were covered. Embrace covers whatever your veterinarian deems medically necessary. Even Acupuncture was covered.
 
Worth every penny. I pay around £350 (premium level cover) for the Noodle (currently age 11). Last year I was reimbursed 80% of her treatment costs (meds, scans, lots of blood work, vet fees) - including 80% of a bill in the region of £2,500 for her radioiodine treatment. No way on God's green earth could I have afforded that without the insurance.

Saoirse was also insured to the hilt. When it came to her medical care, she got everything she needed any time she needed it. I am so grateful I was able to give her that. (((Saoirse)))

There are times when I've gone without food to make sure the premiums are paid on time.

On cut-offs, many insurance companies here won't issue new policies for cats who are 10 years or older and some won't take on cats who are 9 years or older. Once your 'senior' kitty is covered by the insurer you can get lifetime cover options and they will guarantee to renew the policy every year, regardless of the cat's age.

Not one single penny I've ever shelled out on pet insurance has gone to waste.


Mogs
.
 
Last edited:
Sarah Smith said:
I personally dont have it, but know alot of folks who do that are dealing with cancer in their pets that swear by it. I wish I would have had it after dealing with mammary cancer and hyperthyroid/gall bladder tumor in 2 of my kitties, both of whom passed last year. I did everything I could for both of them, and they both outlived their expectancies, but I feel I may have been able to do more if they had been insured. I would like to get it on any future furballs that find me, but not sure through what company yet.
Click to expand...

Don't beat yourself up over it. Pet care is expensive.

I will definitely be getting it in the future.
 
Djamila said:
I don't know how it works with remission though. Maybe they don't count it as a pre-existing condition if she isn't on insulin anymore?
Click to expand...
It would be counted as a pre-existing condition.

We lived very near a quarry for a while and during that time Saoirse, then aged three, had an unusual bout of coughing. She was diagnosed as asthmatic. We moved away and no more cough. Ever. Made no difference to the insurance exclusions.


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
Worth every penny. I pay around £350 (premium level cover) for the Noodle (currently age 11). Last year I was reimbursed 80% of her treatment costs (meds, scans, lots of blood work, vet fees) - including 80% of a bill in the region of £2,500 for her radioiodine treatment. No way on God's green earth could I have afforded that without the insurance.

Saoirse was also insured to the hilt. When it came to her medical care, she got everything she needed any time she needed it. I am so grateful I was able to give her that. (((Saoirse)))

There are times when I've gone without food to make sure the premiums are paid on time.

On cut-offs, many insurance companies won't issue new policies for cats who are 10 years or older and some won't take on cats who are 9 years or older. Once your 'senior' kitty is covered by the insurer you can get lifetime cover options and they will guarantee to renew the policy every year, regardless of the cat's age.

Not one single penny I've ever shelled out on pet insurance has gone to waste.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...


That is almost $500 in US dollars! Mogs, your heart is in the right spot! Going to the vet each time they are sick is a scary--if you don't have pet insurance.
 
Sarah Smith said:
I did everything I could for both of them, and they both outlived their expectancies, but I feel I may have been able to do more if they had been insured.
Click to expand...
One of my greatest worries was that I'd be in a similar predicament with Saoirse but fate lent a hand timing-wise on a certain matter and thereafter I was able to afford anything she needed (and the ship came in only a couple of months before her FD Dx - talk about timing!).


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
It would be counted as a pre-existing condition.

We lived very near a quarry for a while and during that time Saoirse, then aged three, had an unusual bout of coughing. She was diagnosed as asthmatic. We moved away and no more cough. Ever. Made no difference to the insurance exclusions.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...

D
Beenie said:
Oh I would tell every pet owner to get it. Embrace pet insurance is what we have and I recommend the company to everyone I know that is a pet owner. Yes pre existing conditions are not covered. I don’t think any insurance company covers pre existing. Yes, the premiums do go up as they age. Vet emergencies, specialists, chronic illnesses, diseases get ridiculously costly. For Beenie everything from Levemir down to lancets even Carbogerline was covered. My plan reimbursed 80% of everything!
I had a different pet insurance when Beenie and Ming were kittens, can’t even remember the name, but wasn’t impressed with how the coverage worked. They had a list of illness that were covered. Embrace covers whatever your veterinarian deems medically necessary. Even Acupuncture was covered.
Click to expand...

That is awesome! Wish I could go back in time.

I'll have to throughly research it when and if the time comes. I'd rather adopt a cat and not a kitten. If age restrictions apply I may have to reconsider. Gracie was 3ish when I picked her out at the shelter.
 
Critter Mom said:
One of my greatest worries was that I'd be in a similar predicament with Saoirse but fate lent a hand timing-wise on a certain matter and thereafter I was able to afford anything she needed (and the ship came in only a couple of months before her FD Dx - talk about timing!).


Mogs
.
Click to expand...

Very lucky the way things have worked out for you. :-):bighug:
 
I just checked them out. Glad they cover under the age of 14. Unfortunately, that is the least of my worries though. Diabetes is the culprit here. If she gets sick and develops something else it will more than likely trace back to diabetes.

Oh well, at least I have the information. Thanks @Beenie
 
Vader is covered through Nationwide. I pay about $400 a year for major medical (they don’t offer whole pet to cats over 9 y/o unless they were on before then). While I paid that 3x over in premiums the last few years, and I have a $500 deductible, when he was dx’d and subsequently hospitalized, they covered the cost of care. Worth it, absolutely. The monthly premium is part of my budget, and easier to cover than a sudden medical expense in the thousands of dollars, which I don’t have a buffer for. Just like insurance for my car. I hope to never have to use it, but by golly if I need it, I’m going to be very grateful to have it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top