What have your experiences been like with pet insurance and visits to the vet? I’m really curious about your thoughts on this, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What companies have you used? Are you generally happy with your pet insurance? If so, do you have any companies you would advise staying away from? I’ve heard good things about Trupanion from my company, but I know it’s pretty pricey. Any recommendations for alternatives to Trupanion would be great too.
I’ve had pet insurance for several years now. I had both a Yorkie and a Cavalier who both passed away recently. They were covered by Embrace. Now, I have an 18-week-old Cavalier puppy on Trupanion.
When I first signed up with Embrace, they were one of the few that covered hereditary and congenital diseases while also reimbursing actual vet costs. Many other companies wouldn’t cover hereditary issues at all and used a fee schedule for reimbursement, which often left you with hardly anything back.
My Yorkie had a suspected liver shunt, and I started benefiting from insurance right away. After some specialists and an MRI, which I had to travel for, it turned out it wasn’t a shunt. Thankfully. But she had other problems like patella luxation and lipomas. My Cavalier was generally healthy until she started developing heart issues around age 10, which is pretty good for her breed. We had our struggles with her teeth, so I relied on insurance for that a lot too.
Embrace never denied any claims I thought they should cover and even helped me find an MRI center and get it pre-approved. Sometimes they were a bit slow with reimbursements but nothing terrible. Overall, my experience with them was positive, and it convinced me to insure my pets.
My puppy is still young, so I haven’t made any claims with Trupanion yet. With vet care costs going up, I think getting insurance now is a smart move. I don’t want financial limitations affecting the care he receives later, especially knowing Cavaliers often face heart issues. I love the direct vet pay option too. People often say Embrace and Trupanion are pricey, but their base policies tend to be more generous. With recent events, like Nationwide dropping 100,000 pets from coverage, I feel a bit uneasy about some of the newer companies out there.
I bet you see clients who wish they had insurance for their pets. I think part of the issue is that pet insurance isn’t very common in America yet, and many people don’t understand how it works. Considering the high costs of vet care, the premiums for pet insurance don’t seem too bad if you can get 70-90% of vet visits reimbursed. But since many people struggle to understand their own health insurance, it might take time for pet insurance to become widely accepted. Plus, the pet insurance industry is a bit unregulated and unpredictable, so buying a policy does come with risks. I hope it becomes a more regulated and stable industry in the future that’s easier to navigate. But I totally get why some people choose to skip it.
I can only share my thoughts on pet insurance for cats. Trupanion and Embrace are pretty pricey compared to other options for similar coverage.
One of my cats has been symptom-free for most of his life, but later on, he developed IBD. He never had insurance, but he’s still doing well. My younger cat, who’s just 3, needed lifelong medication, and thankfully, he was insured because I had been researching pet insurance and decided to try it out.
If you set aside $100 a month, that’s about what you’d pay for full coverage insurance, which could total around $20,000 over their lifetime, considering they live around 18 years or so.
I had a situation where my cat had a bladder stone, which led to an emergency vet visit and a few regular visits. In total, it cost me over $10,000. Cats can get sick quickly, so making a prompt decision is crucial.
The vet at the ER suggested it might be anxiety-induced, but they also mentioned an ultrasound, which ultimately gave us the right diagnosis and necessitated immediate surgery. I’ll keep paying for insurance because I don’t want finances to dictate my cat’s care. I chose an unlimited yearly limit with a low deductible.
I want to hear what others think too. I don’t believe insurance is a scam; you just have to read the fine print
My 13-year-old Yorkie wouldn’t be alive today without pet insurance. He has Cushing’s, polydipsia, and kidney disease. He takes six medications daily and needs to see the vet every month. I can afford all of his treatments thanks to his insurance. Without it, the costs would be overwhelming. I follow my vet’s recommendations closely without stressing about expenses.
I’ve been with Healthy Paws, Nationwide, and now MetLife. Each has its pros and cons, but I really like MetLife because it offers comprehensive coverage.
That’s a heartwarming story, I’m so glad you have insurance for your pup. Thanks for sharing your experience and your preference for MetLife. It’s good to know
I work in the pet insurance field, and I have to say that while it can be expensive, you often get what you pay for. Generally, the pricier plans offer better coverage. But lately, all companies are raising their rates due to issues they’ve seen with Nationwide.
I’d steer clear of Embrace if I were you. They seem trustworthy but often try to avoid paying out claims, and they recently raised their rates for no reason. I would definitely avoid them
As a vet tech, I’d recommend going with Trupanion. Yes, they might be the most expensive, but the process is a lot smoother for everyone. If you set up direct pay with Trupanion, both you and your clients can usually make decisions about coverage in minutes. This really reduces the stress around payments if something unexpected happens and keeps families from worrying about maxing out their credit cards for coverage. It also saves your practice from chasing down payments and all that hassle. Insurance brings peace of mind, and having that decision made upfront is comforting.
Pets Best is also a good, budget-friendly option, but they don’t have direct pay and can take a while to reimburse.
I’ve used both, but I prefer Trupanion because I know whatever happens, I can use direct pay immediately and just put the remaining balance on my card. I recently had to deal with a situation that would have cost over $900 for further tests for my dog, and having the option to tell the vet to do everything necessary without financial stress was a relief for both of us. Direct pay really helped cover the vet’s bill, and I only had to pay a copay of about $90 on my debit card. Super easy