Pet insurance company

Questions and Answers

Good Pet Insurance Company ??

Q) i HAVE JUST PAID £2000 FOR A BRITISH BULLDOG, CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A GOOD PET INSURANCE COMPANY THAT WILL COVER HER, I WILL BE BREEDING FROM HER AT A LATER DATE CHEERS.

A) Why do you keep on repeating the same question over and over?

Good Pet Insurance Company ??

Q) i HAVE JUST PAID £2000 FOR A BRITISH BULLDOG, CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A GOOD PET INSURANCE COMPANY THAT WILL COVER HER, I WILL BE BREEDING FROM HER AT A LATER DATE CHEERS.

A) I recommend Animal Friends. They have lots of levels of cover so you can choose the level that's right for you ( go for a covered for life policy though) and they are very reasonable. Best of all they are non profit making company that donates all profits to animal charities here and abroad. What more can you ask for. Oh yes they are much cheaper than pet plan for the same level of cover! http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/index.html

Good Pet Insurance Company ??

Q) i HAVE JUST PAID £2000 FOR A BRITISH BULLDOG, CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A GOOD PET INSURANCE COMPANY THAT WILL COVER HER, I WILL BE BREEDING FROM HER AT A LATER DATE CHEERS.

A) I recommend Animal Friends. They have lots of levels of cover so you can choose the level that's right for you ( go for a covered for life policy though) and they are very reasonable. Best of all they are non profit making company that donates all profits to animal charities here and abroad. What more can you ask for. Oh yes they are much cheaper than pet plan for the same level of cover! http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/index.html

Can anyone recommend good quality pet insurance company (UK)?

Q) I have just looked at Pet Plan as that is what my Pug puppy has been insured for for the first 6 weeks.... they have come highly reccomended (but expensive) but I have looked at other insurance companies and they seem to offer more extensive insurance at lower prices? Someone help me out!

A) My advice is to ensure you have a policy that covers EACH CONDITION for life- covering your pet for life is not the same thing. If a condition is only covered for 12 months from its start you will end up paying your vet fees for things such as heart problems, skin problems or arthritis which last for much longer than one year, as well as your premiums. Pet Plan offer lifetime cover for each condition so do Pet pals and pet protect, companies such as direct line, more than and tesco only cover a condition for 12 months, although they cover your pet for life. These policies can be a false economy as they end up not paying out for things when you need them to most. The other thing to consider is that if your pup has had any illness or problems treated at a vets already, most insurance companies will exclude these things from future cover where as pet plan are already covering him. I would seriously consider continuing your pet plan cover, they are one of the best and most reliable companies.

Pet insurance?

Q) My friend's cat was treated for cystitis some months ago. The vet told her that this sometimes happens in older female cats and could recur. If this happeded the cat would have to be placed on medication for the rest of her life and as this would be very expensive she was advised to take out pet insurance. She unfortunately didnt do this and now the cystitis has come back. When she looked up about pet insurance she has discovered that if the cat was treated for this condition before that she wouldnt be covered for this. Do any of you know of an insurance company that she could try or how she can get around this problem? We're in the UK, by the way.

A) if she does get pet insurance now, the cystitis will NOT !!! be covered as it is seen as pre existing now, cystitis is not a expensive thing to treat, my cat has it ,she should take out insurance anyway for the future, she wants one that has a LIFELONG COVER , like petplan or more than these are the best one for her to try

Pet Insurance?

Q) Hi, can anybody tell me what in their opinion is the best company to get pet insurance from. I would like a good service which will cover my dog if he gets ill or has an accident. Also covering him if he was to have a recurring long term illness such as epilepsy or skin conditions. There's so many companies out there and I'm unsure of who to go with. Thanks.

A) You've definately got the right ideas on what you want covered. I'm a trained Veterinary nurse and have dealt with a lot of insurance claims and policies in my time :) not to mention cleaning up after alot of animals lol. You need to check for things like excess amount and if the policy is a lifetime plan or will cease to provide cover over a certain age. certain breeds have inherited skin problems such as Atopy seen in breeds such as westies and chocolate labs etc. Check that the policy covers for testing of skin conditons blood analysis etc as these are expensive. Try http://www.moneysupermarket.com/petinsurance/ hope this helps hun :)

Pet insurance??

Q) I need to get pet insurance for my cat and dog... any good companies that you know of?? or anything i should be careful of?

A) Tesco offers the cheapest deal but you get less cover, and Petplan offers a very comprehensive deal but you pay about 4 times as much - sometimes even more and it is unlikely that you will use it as the excess is very high. The main areas to be aware of are: Some policies only cover a condition for a 12 month period. This means that if your dog develops diabetes - the insurance will cover the condition for 12 months, and then no more. You will pay much more for a policy that covers a condition indefinately (although the amount paid out for the condition during one year will still be limited). Different policies also entail very different excess fees. For example, PetPlan would make me pay 100pounds excess on claim for a 10 year old lab, but Tesco would make me pay 60 - that can make a big difference to your budget. You need to balance up how much you can afford to pay per month with the risks of less cover. For example, can you afford to pay around 60 pounds a month for cover for your dog and cat? If not you will need to look at less comprehensive policies - you could get cover for less than 20 pounds per month (depending on your pet's ages and breeds etc). Compare the different policies - although some offer huge amounts of cover per condition (like 5,000 pounds per condition per year), is this a facility that you are likely to use? Such huge bills for one condition are likely to be related to very extensive cancer treatments like chemotherapy etc and is that something that you would put your pet through anyway? You may be wasting your monthly premium on a policy you don't use because the excess is so high! If you choose a policy that does not cover a condition beyond a 12 month period, make sure that you are mentally prepared for the difficult decisions associated with being unable to buy medication for an ongoing condition. Will you put the animal down or will you endevour to meet the costs. Although you can't predict everything, thinking through the possible scenarios will help you to decide which policy is best for you.

anyone know any pet insurance companies that will insure my two dogs and cat under one policy ??

A) Tesco pet insurance!

Does anyone know of a Pet insurance that covers existing conditions.?

Q) Our cat was taken into the vets today and diagonsed with asthma, does anyone know of an insurance company that accepts pets with new conditions?

A) Richard No pet insurance company will cover pre-existing conditions for any reason. However many distinguish between curable conditions and non-curable. For example, if your dog broke his leg prior to enrolling then treatment related to that leg would be excluded for first policy term. After that coverage would then be available for that leg. Thus a broken leg would most likely be considered curable. On the other hand if your dog had a history of back problems prior to enrolling (herniated discs, etc) then all back problems would likely be excluded. In other words, back problems would fall into the category of "non-curable". Remember that most insurance, no matter what sort, won't cover pre-existing conditions. For example, you can't get auto insurance *after* you've had an accident and you can't get home insurance *after* a tree has fallen on it. Getting insurance means being prepared and taking it out when things are going well. As the saying goes, insurance is the one thing you can't get when you need it the most. Alex Embrace Pet Insurance http://www.embracepetinsurance.com

pet insurance?

Q) Does anyone know of a UK pet insurer that isnt a rip off? Because my cat was 16, I had to pay the vet call-out charge and his cremation fees, because it appears that the company doesnt cover cats over 8 years old.......so why did they keep taking my money then??? They also refused to pay for dental work for my six-year old cat. Are thay all rip-off merchants?? I've cancelled my policies now- how do they get away with this scam?? This was Sainsburys pet insurance.

A) I insured my cat with Direct Line since she was a kitten, she's now ten. Tried to make first claim recently when she needed a couple of teeth extracted, was told they didn't cover dental work and it was in the small print, premiums had also right up so have now changed to RSPCA insurance which seems to cover more - and its cheaper.

Pet insurance?

Q) Pet insurance? As an owner of three dogs and two cats, I'm constantly in the vets office with unexpected, and sometimes expected, bills. Does anyone have any recommendations on good pet insurance companies to look into? I'm mainly looking for a company that would allow me the ability to have a large percentage of the vet bill paid by them, and the ability for me to make payments on the existing bill that's left. I know many insurance companies I've looked into only accept certain breeds and/or they have extreme limitations on what is covered at the vet. Any advice?

A) My wife and I adopted two kittens last December. We were well aware of the costs involved with veterinary services. After looking into several of the options on insurance, we decided that it would be both convenient and cost effective to choose Banfield's insurance program at Petsmart. To date, after all the shots and other visits (fleas, dewormers, hip problems, etc.) we have saved $1,343 for both cats. That is the amount the insurance has paid. We have spent only $30 a month plus the activation fee of around $100. All said and done, we are very pleased with the peace of mind knowing that our pets are insured. Also knowing that without insurance, we would have already spent over $2,000 in seven months for two kittens makes it that much sweeter. Hope I have been able to help. Good luck!

What is the best Pet Insurance company for medical benefits?

Q) I have a 10 year old chow/akita mixed and am looking to find the best pet insurance company to help pay veterinarian bills. Anybody know of another one than VPI?

A) Veterinary Pet Insurance (800) USA-PETS www.petinsurance.com Premier Pet Insurance (877) 774-2273 www.ppins.com PetCare Pet Insurance Programs (866) 275-PETS www.petcarepals.com Petshealth Care Plan (800) 807-6724 www.petshealthplan.com TruePaws Family Pet Insurance Company (877) 832-6195 www.truepaws.com

Pet Insurance?

Q) Does anyone know what some of the best pet insurance companies are out there? One that covers congenital or hereditary problems. Thanks!

A) Hi photoguy, First of all, a disclaimer: I work for Embrace Pet Insurance in Cleveland, Ohio. I am not sure there is a "best" pet insurance, it really depends on your circumstances and your pet's needs. But I'll try to give you some pointers to help you decide. The "right" insurance protects you from an unexpected, expensive accident or illness. Insurance should not pay for day-to-day stuff that you know is going to happen, such as vaccinations and spaying/neutering. Why not? Let me give you an analogy: let's say your car insurance paid for things like tire rotations every 15,000 miles and for repairing all the dings and scratches. Do you think your premium might be much, much higher than it already is? So don't be lulled into thinking you need routine care and/or wellness visits with your insurance, these end up costing you more than you would by paying yourself. Something else for you to think about is how claims are paid. Several pet insurance companies in the US pay claims only to the benefit schedule maximum. So if, for example, the benefit schedule limits payment for a broken leg to $855 or whatever, then no matter how much your vet visit cost, that's all you'll get back! If you live in a big city, the benefit schedule can mean you get only a fraction back of what the veterinary visit actually cost you. A broken leg can cost several thousand dollars to fix when all is said and done, a benefit schedule may only reimburse 20 - 30% of this amount. You are wiser to go with a company that does not use benefit schedules. The other main area where pet insurance companies disappoint pet parents is in genetic cover. Many, many pets - including mixed breeds - are susceptible to genetic diseases of one type or another. Sometimes these are apparent at birth, many times they are not. Some pet insurance companies look for an excuse not to pay something by calling it "genetic". But that's not how any of us expects health insurance to behave! For example, cancer is frequently considered genetic in pets. You could argue that almost anything is genetic if you put your mind to it. This kind of thing doesn't exactly give pet parents a warm, comfy feeling about pet insurance. There are a couple of companies that cover congenital conditions: our company (Embrace Pet Insurance) and Petplan USA. There may be others that I am not aware of. Obviously congenital or genetic conditions are only covered if they are not already obvious; you cannot insure a pre-existing condition. I hope this helps you find the best pet insurance for you. You can contact me directly if you have additional questions. Alex Embrace Pet Insurance P.S. I have included a list of U.S. pet insurance company websites.

how can i get legal advice regarding a pet health insurance company who denied a claim. I appealed to the co.?

Q) i have had the same pet insurance for 8 years. ln feb 2004 my lab had a smal nosebleed. took him to the vet and was told dogs can get nosebleeds and appeared healthy. Had a couple of episodes of reverse sneezing. called the vet and was told most likely allergies. his insurance policy is from july to july. In september he had a large nosebleed and after many tests was diagnosed with nasal cancer. the insurance company refused to pay stating his iinitial symptoms began in the previous policy period and therefore not covered. No where in his medical record does it state he had cancer. I feel as if I've always done the best for my lab, securing lhealth insurance and taking him to the vet for any unusual symptoms and I feel i've been let down by both. Could the vet have diagnosed him earlier or should the pet health insurance co take responsibilty and pay the medical cost i have incurred for his treatment. Who can i go to for advice. Is there time limitation in persuing action. thanks

A) Talk to your vet. He should write a letter to the insurance company and give them a time-line for the cancer diganosis. You should also have the records of your dogs vet exams. You can make copies and send them to the insurance co., highlighting the dates of exams. Have the vet office make you a copy. If they refuse call the Veterinary Medical Board in your state. By law they are required to make you a copy or a written summary of the records. The only other thing is go to an attorney....but that will probably cost you more that the vet bill. Good Luck and God Bless

WHAT IS THE BEST PET INSURANCE COMPANy?

Q) I HAVE A 10 WEEK SHIH TZU PUP. I WOULD LIKE TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR HER. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT COMPANY OFFERS THE "RIGHT" INSURANCE FOR HER?

A) PETSHEALTH , I THINK IS THE BEST . THEY HAVE ALSO JUST PARTNERED WITH THE ASPCA, SO YOU CAN FIND IT ON THEIR WEBSITE, TOO. IT'S ABOUT 16 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE FIRST LEVEL. ITS MAINLY FOR SICKNESSES , BUT YOU CAN PAY MORE FOR REGULAR VET VISITS . I DONT KNOW IF THE COST IS WORTH IT FOR THE OTHER LEVELS BUT YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SHIH-TZU. THEY ARE GREAT ! JOHN

What pet insurance company are you using and are you satisfied with them?

Q) I have a dog with health problems. I'm willing to do anything it takes to help her, but insurance would help a lot.

A) Well the only problem is when you start a new policy, they generally don't cover your pet that has problems already (at least in my case). Here's some info on pet insurance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_insurance I also would recommend a credit card called "Care Credit" they can be used at the vets office and they helped me out a ton when my dog had a 4,000 vet bill =) http://www.carecredit.com/ I wish you the best of luck, I know how hard it can be!!

how to start a pet insurance company?

A) Starting a pet insurance agency/company is incredibly time consuming in the US market. If you go the agency route you need to have an underwriter to absorb the risk or you need sufficient capital to set up a captive reinsurer with a reinsurance contract behind it for stop loss coverage. Finding an underwriter in the US market is incredibly hard, most big insurance companies with A ratings or better are not interested in pet insurance due to its diminutive size and lack of historical data. If you go the company route, you have two main choices: buy an existing shell company or set up a new insurance company. The former route is easiest but you can never be 100% sure you're getting a liability-free entity so you should buy from a reputable insurer that is divesting and get legal documentation indemnifying you from prior claims for non-related lines. If you are setting up a new insurance company you will need $2 to $5 million dollars per state you do business in. There are "seasoning" requirements too so it will take you 3+ years to be licensed in every state. You will have to do statutory reporting regularly and you will need a small army of compliance staff to help you file all the paperwork. Don't mean to discourage you but it's a tough business to enter. It can be done but it may take you 1 or 2 years. Alex Embrace Pet Insurance

which is the best pet insurance company in NY, USA?

A) i think veterinary pet insurance (VPI) is the best. their premiums are lower than most, and they reimburse you for a lot of the costs within 2 weeks of making a claim.

Does anyone out there have any experience with a pet insurance company called PetFirst Healthcare?

Q) I'm looking for reviews/comments/issues, etc.

A) Read the small print. They may not take care of everything. I think they are a rip-off and decided not to use it.

What are the steps I need to take to start a pet insurance company? A consultation by email would be great.?

A) If you don't understand what it takes to start and operate an insurance company, then your first step would be to get a job as an underwriter with an existing carrier. Do that for 10-15 years. Next, either win the lottery, or find someone with deep pockets that likes to gamble (since that is what insurance is). Finally, hire yourself really good key people for the following roles: CPA, general counsel, and underwriting officer.