Recently, a local friend who’s been going through a health crisis with a cat has been posting frequently on Facebook, with daily updates on the cat’s condition and concerns about the cat’s recovery. It was obvious how much comfort Mark got from knowing that extensive veterinary care for the much-loved and very sick cat could be afforded because Mark had made the choice, when the cat was first adopted, to sign the cat up for pet health insurance coverage.
Many Facebook commenters had questions, and their questions were about a new subject often raised when friends and family are discussing pets: pet health insurance. How does it work? Is it worth the cost? I asked Mark to answer some of those basic questions from his personal experience.
What’s been your pet-owning experience—as a kid, as an adult?
I grew up with cats. As a teenager, I was always bringing home rodents and lizards and fish and the occasional kitten from my job at a pet store. As an adult, I’ve had dogs and cats. I was without pets for a few years while sick, and I longed for a cat. In 2017, I adopted Jasper from SCRAPS.
How have you dealt with pet illness or injury in the past?
Fortunately, I’ve never had to deal with a serious injury or illness in my pets before this year. Vet expenses were just part of the responsibility of pet ownership for me.
Do you remember when you first found out that pet health insurance was a possibility? When you first heard of it, did you think you’d ever get it? What did you learn, over time, that convinced you that pet health insurance might be a good idea?
I had heard of pet insurance before I decided to research it in 2017, but I thought it was a bit of a scam. I didn’t want to be stuck with one vet office, and figured if something serious happened, I would deal with it when it came up.
When I adopted Jasper, a coworker mentioned pet insurance, so I figured I’d at least look into it. When I found a plan for a reasonable cost that covered everything I could possibly think of, including wellness visits, prescription food, and dental, I was sold. I decided to enroll for 12 months, knowing I could change my mind later if I decided it was not something worthwhile for me.
Tell us about your current pet population. Are they all insured?
I have three cats and four rats. All of the cats (all under the age of five) are insured. I have not found anywhere that insures rats, presumably due to their very short lifespan (average two to three years) and their propensity for cancer.
When I decided to adopt my second cat, Francine, I added her to my pet insurance plan without hesitation.
When I adopted Carol at the beginning of this year, one of my requirements was pet insurance. For me, if I was unable to afford the monthly bill going up for pet insurance, I was unable to afford another cat.
You’ve had some pet health issues in the last few years. Could you go into detail, within reason? I especially want to hear about what you went through recently with Jasper and how having pet health insurance helped. I remember from your posts about it the feeling of choice you had. You knew you were covered to do what was best for your cat during that time.
I have the Whole Pet Plus Wellness plan through Nationwide. I pay approximately $35 a month in premiums for each cat. I can see any vet and submit my invoices for reimbursement. Each cat has a $250 deductible to meet. Once that’s met, I get reimbursed 90%.
In late September, Jasper got very sick very quickly. She had an unusual hairball, and I knew something wasn’t right. I took her to the emergency vet, where they examined her, and we decided to just keep an eye on her to make sure she recovered. Two days later, she was lethargic with a very high fever and rapid, labored breathing. I took her to my regular vet where I was advised I had a very sick cat on my hands.
I had some decisions to make about her care. Having pet insurance allowed me to make those decisions based on vet recommendation first without huge worries about the financial implications. My pet was sick. Saving her was my number-one concern. Being able to hand my credit card to the vet and say, “do whatever you need to” was so important to me. Not having to make decisions based on how much a test or X-ray might cost gave me some breathing room and helped me make the choices that were best for Jasper. The vets could treat her appropriately, and I could focus my energy on caring for her at home while she healed.
She was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia from the wacky hairball. So far, she has had three exams, two antibiotics, pain killers, antacids, anti-nausea meds, subcutaneous fluids, two rounds of X-rays, blood tests, and a cardiac test. This has added up to approximately $1,000 so far.
What advice would you give other pet owners about pet health insurance? Can it be affordable? Is it “worth it”? When is the “best time” to get pet health insurance on an individual pet? How difficult is pet health insurance to deal with—is there a lot of paperwork? How long does it take to get claims covered? What companies do you recommend, from your own experiences and/or the experiences of friends?
In my experience, pet insurance is worth it for all my cats—not just the one who has been ill. I know that if one of my cats needs a dental cleaning or gets sick and needs a round of antibiotics, I can submit a claim for reimbursement.
I think the best time to get pet insurance is while the pet is young. If they are a kitten or puppy, the premiums for that first year are more expensive, but the insurance can cover any lab work or potential complications associated with spaying/neutering. After the first year of kittenhood/puppyhood, the premiums do go down. Getting insurance while they’re young also helps reduce the chance of any pre-existing condition exclusions. For instance, if your pet has kidney disease and requires a prescription diet when you enroll, that will be excluded from coverage. However, if your pet develops kidney disease while covered, that diagnosis and treatment (including prescription food in my plan) is covered.
Submitting claims has been really easy. I log in to the website, upload a photo or PDF of the invoice, explain what the visit was for, and submit. Jasper’s claims took less than two weeks from me submitting to the insurance cutting me a check. You can even sign up for electronic funds transfer to make the experience entirely paperless.
Based on my experience, I recommend Nationwide. I have friends who have had different pet insurance who have switched to Nationwide after hearing how easy they are to work with and how smooth my experience has been.
What else would you like to say about pet health insurance?
For me, pet insurance is part of the responsibility of pet ownership. I am a single person with no kids who works full time, so I also recognize there is a lot of privilege in my stance. Not everyone is able to budget $100 a month for pet insurance premiums. More budget-friendly options are also available that cover illness or injuries only, and not the wellness/RX food/dental portions.
I’m grateful for my experience with pet insurance, and, most importantly, I’m grateful that it enabled me to get the care I needed for Jasper, who is on the mend.
