Why did Paw Protect double the bill for some of us? I just noticed my renewal is coming up this month, and they’ve doubled my payments. I haven’t even used the policy the entire time I’ve had it. First, they got rid of Paytient, and now this? My cat is 14, and since I didn’t leave when they dropped Paytient, I’m worried I won’t be able to find another policy for him. I really can’t handle a double payment. They said it might be because of inflation, but that seems like a weak reason.
I feel you, it’s tough right now, especially with pet insurance. At 14 years old, it’s unlikely you’ll find anything cheaper, and some companies won’t even cover older pets at all. It might be time to sit down and figure out if it’s still worth it for you. You could shop around for quotes, but considering your cat’s age, switching companies might not be the best idea, especially with potential pre-existing condition concerns. Everyone’s feeling the squeeze across the board with insurance.
But here’s the thing, my cat doesn’t have any pre-existing conditions. I never even used my insurance last year, so that’s why I’m so confused by the price doubling. I expected a small increase, but this is huge. I totally get the age issue too, and that’s what’s frustrating me the most. If I’d known they were going to raise it this much, I would’ve switched to a new provider before my cat turned 14. Now it just feels like they’re trying to hold onto customers after losing so many when they cut the Paytient card.
Yeah, pet insurance doesn’t work the same as car or home insurance. You’re not penalized for making claims, and claim history doesn’t really factor into your premium. They calculate it based on the average vet costs in your area, along with your pet’s age and other factors. So even if you don’t use the policy, it’s still going to go up, especially as your pet ages. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a Paw Protect thing, premiums are rising everywhere because of increasing vet costs. Even if you’d left Paw Protect, you might still face the same issue with other companies. It’s rough out there for insurance right now.
Yeah, I get it. I was just thinking they might be pushing people with 90% reimbursement to lower plans. When I spoke to them, the first thing they suggested was finding me a cheaper option. It feels like they’re trying to pay out less on reimbursements and hold onto more money from their smaller customer base. Makes sense, I guess.
I’ve seen something similar with other companies. Age seems to be a big factor in determining your premium, not your claim history or any existing conditions. It’s a bit frustrating because it feels like even though your cat is healthy, just being 14 is enough to bump up the cost.
Below is a rate filing portion (from lemonade) of the factors they use due to age.
Yeah, I don’t fully understand the pricing. I was looking at some data and it seems like there are a lot of little price changes for younger pets, but once they hit a certain age, the prices jump more significantly. It feels like the older your pet gets, the more drastic those jumps become, but I don’t know why.
The letters you’re seeing probably refer to breed groups, and each breed is assigned a factor based on how long they typically live and how much care they need as they get older. As pets age, their healthcare gets more expensive, so insurance premiums go up. It sucks, but you should definitely make claims as often as you can since it doesn’t affect your premium.
Each breed is also assigned a factor, below is a picture just to show;
Got it, thanks for breaking that down. I just have regular adopted cats, one orange, one gray. My cat hasn’t been sick, and I didn’t even get wellness coverage, so I paid for his check-up and lab work last year with the Paytient card. Now with Paytient gone, I’m not sure how I’ll afford those tests this year.
Have you checked out CareCredit? They have no-interest options, and it might work better for you at this point. You could also consider an accident-only insurance plan from Pets Best, which is cheaper, but it won’t cover illnesses.