We’ve talked about pet health insurance before here, and I was curious about questions that might have come up currently (considering the economy). I asked readers online about their personal experiences.
“Do you have pet health insurance? Do you like it? Would you recommend it to friends?
“Pet health insurance—has it turned out to be worth the cost? Do you plan to stick with the same company? If not, why not? What did you like about it most? What did you find annoying or disappointing about it? Have you had better service with a different company? What red flags on coverage (that might not work well) would you warn friends about?”
Isabel Alvarez Arata (Texas) I recommend it for new pets immediately! Especially for families with only one or two pets, it makes a lot of financial sense. It gets trickier when there are lots of pets and/or seniors.
Nyssa Gatcombe (Maine) It has literally saved Boomer’s life so, yes, I recommend it to people all the time. He swallowed a sock in the first couple of weeks we had him. I immediately rushed him to the vet and they tried to get him to vomit it up but nothing came up. They said he would pass it in the next couple of days or he would get an obstruction. Two weeks later, no sock. No obstruction. I began to believe I had imagined the whole deal. Fast-forward four months. Saturday evening he started vomiting what looked like coffee grounds so we rushed to the emergency vet 45 minutes away. They kept him overnight and surgically removed the missing sock. The bill came to over $8k but our insurance covered all but $1200 ($400 of which was a blood test they ran for a preexisting condition while they were already getting samples) and they even paid the vet directly so we didn’t even have to debate whether we could get the surgery to save him. Insurance also covered his overnight stay after he went missing so they could keep him on fluids and treat his cut paws. I paid less than a regular vet visit to pick him up from that.
Andrea Varep Harrison (Ontario) We have enough animals here that we self-insure. It works on the whole, though there have been some challenges. You put a preset amount of money into a dedicated account. It hopefully accrues enough to deal with routine vetting and emergencies.
Kelly Byam DVM (California) Absolutely. But companies differ, so check petinsurancereview.com to compare “Best Pet Insurance Companies of 2023” (scroll down).
Amy Suggars (Ohio) Everyone used to say that you should just save up what you would pay in monthly premiums and that would be a sufficient emergency medical fund. However, I’m not good at saving like that! And pet health care these days is really state-of-the-art and can be quite expensive. I have pet health insurance so cost isn’t the deciding factor for the type of care my pets receive when needed. I encourage everyone to obtain pet health insurance as soon as they bring a new pet home. There are many insurance companies and everyone should research the best company for them in terms of coverage, premiums, and copays. It is a sad commentary on the health care system in our country when I can truthfully say that my dog has better, more affordable health insurance than I have for myself!
https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/
Kathleen Huggins (Washington) We self-insure. That is, we have an annual budget into which we record what we expect the cost for the year will be. It includes things easily known (food, shots, licensing) and enough for contingencies. Some years we need to spend more than budgeted, some years less. I’m a spreadsheet nerd. I calculate the cost of premiums, cost of exclusions, any coinsurance I’m on the hook for, to get an idea of what my total insurance out-of-pocket would be. I review that every couple of years. By my calculations, we are ahead doing it that way as opposed to buying insurance, even though we have had some large and unexpected expenses over the course of 28 years and nine pets. For our two now, insurance premiums alone would be $1200–$1500 for care they may not need. I keep that $$$. If I don’t need it, bonus to me. If I do need it for them, well, I have it. Insurance, especially this type of insurance, is primarily a budgeting tool. IMO.
Micha Michlewicz (Maryland) Pet-care costs can quickly escalate to unreachable levels without emergency insurance. Even better, get preventive care insurance, too—ASAP, before coverage costs get any higher. We got it after several thousands of dollars at the e-vet. Our premium is high because we didn’t get it until he was six and already had diagnoses. Emergency funds can quickly be emptied and are no longer feasible, in my experience.
Shelly Keel (Idaho) Yes, I do, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I’ve used three different companies over the years and the one I’ve stayed with is Trupanion. They don’t offer coverage for regular wellcare/vaccinations but they are fabulous for injury and illness. My previous dog slipped an L6 disc in her back and diagnosis and treatment were costly and were covered. In later life, Dakota had not only ongoing pain management for her back injury but cancer treatment to contend with, too. Between the $200+ monthly meds, surgeries, and treatments, the insurance saved me a lot of expense and gave peace of mind. With my new girl, Journey, I didn’t hesitate to sign up for Trupanion. My personal focus is being able to cover catastrophic illness or injury expenses. It’s worth noting that pet insurance companies do not cover previous conditions and most have add-on riders for behavior, rehabilitation, etc., that are not included in basic policies, so folks should carefully read policy limitations and coverage to pick the one best for their potential needs.
Photo by Shelly Keel
Dave Koch (Washington) When I have looked at the cost, I figure putting the money in the bank is a better value.
Amy Fumetti (Washington) I have always used Nationwide and love their service. However, they drastically increased their prices this year. Premiums more than doubled 42 of my policies and so I switched to Embrace. I have filed a couple claims with them and have not been impressed with the service thus far.
Adrienne Critchlow (Great Britain) Would not be without it, especially lifetime coverage for any illness.
Kristy Gibson (Australia) As an emergency vet nurse, I recommend it. I know the costs involved in emergency care, particularly serious accidents and illnesses. Those costs will not decrease in our lifetime, so for many people, not having insurance means having to make the decision that you financially cannot afford to treat your dog that’s been run over by a car and has a diaphragmatic hernia and needs a thoracotomy, your cat that is deteriorating from tick paralysis and needs mechanical ventilation, or the dog with GDV needing immediate life-saving surgery, and you need to euthanize or put yourself in debt somehow. It’s a hard decision, but costs aren’t getting better any time soon because the costs of running a business are skyrocketing just like the cost of living is. I still earn less than a poorly-paid house cleaner. Your vet staff are not lining their pockets, but neither can they default on your invoice when push comes to shove. We can’t afford to keep the doors open if people can’t pay for the service.
Alisha Ardiana (California) I definitely recommend pet insurance. It is so easy for a simple issue to explode. For example, last year my dog got a fox tail in her vagina. The initial veterinarian could not find it upon examination. We ended up going to the ER on three different days until it was resolved. If I had been paying out-of-pocket, I don’t know if I would’ve kept pushing to get the resolution. The entire ordeal cost us close to $2500. I have Pets Best. I do $1000 deductible, and I pay it on a yearly basis. That keeps the cost down. It’s also amazing how easy it is to file your claims. Everything is online, it’s very intuitive, and I will always have insurance. If your dog tears their ACL, the surgery to repair it is at least $5000, and once your dog blows one knee, it’s not unheard of for the second knee to go later. You may be reluctant to pay for physical therapy unless your insurance covers it. I also strongly encourage people to look at what health insurance costs before they identify a breed. The brachycephalic dogs have incredibly high insurance rates, because they are prone to a myriad of health issues.
Olivia McCollum (Washington) Yep. I have Embrace for all three of my kitties and I would never not have it. I don’t make enough money to be able to drop thousands on an emergency, but I would go bankrupt for my cats. So, to avoid that situation happening, I chose to get insurance for them and it’s been amazing so far. I love having the security to know I can do whatever they need to have done at the vet and never question the cost because they are insured. Their health never has to suffer because of my financial situation.
Beverley McKee (Ontario) It’s a big chunk out of my monthly budget with two dogs, but I never want to have to make a euthanasia decision based on finances. So, yes, I carry insurance.
Sarah Richardson (California) I do. For me, the most important part of having pet insurance is knowing that I will never be in that awful space of wondering if/how I will pay for emergency treatment. I can take that horrible decision out of the equation and focus on what is best for my dogs and cat.
Terry Kaye (California) Absolutely yes. I had PetPlan (now called Fetch) for Belle and Delta and it allowed me to make every medical decision based on what they needed rather than on the money. Which meant I could do literally everything for them. Delta got radiation, they both got physical therapy and acupuncture, and it was all covered. (I maxed out Delta’s policy the last two years of her life.) I know me and I would have done whatever they needed even if it bankrupted me. But it didn’t because of the insurance. And as has already been mentioned, people do have to make decisions to euthanize rather than treat if they cannot afford it … and I never want to be in that situation.
Jim Mihalek (Minnesota) I would never want to be without insurance on my dogs, even if I never use it. We have car insurance, hoping that we never need it; we have house insurance, hoping we never need it. Why is insurance for our pets looked at as a waste of money if we never use it? To me it is peace of mind. I can make care decisions based on what is best for the dog, not my bank account. Does that mean I will spend recklessly because I am only paying for 20% of it? Absolutely not. I had one dog who was diagnosed with cancer. She survived 3 1/2 years, and all but the last few months was good quality. I submitted about $33,000 in claims during that time. The insurance paid around $26,000, which, when you account for annual deductibles and the 80/20 copay, was everything submitted. If I had paid out of savings, the money would have run out at about $12,000. Three months after Libby passed, Fever was diagnosed with a different cancer and I would not have been able to do anything for her. She only made it about 4 months. We only have it for accidents and serious illness. We do not have the wellness coverage.
Christine Hale Vertucci (Illinois) I do, and I highly recommend it. My dogs have had some complicated and expensive medical issues, and I have been grateful to be reimbursed for the cost of their care. I’ve sat in the emergency waiting room, listening while heartbroken pet owners made difficult decisions for financial reasons. Pet insurance has allowed me to avoid being in that position.
