If you are considering the purchase of pet insurance for your beloved pet, this blog was created just for you.
Because finding the right pet insurance company and best policy for your pet can be confusing and overwhelming, the purpose of this blog is to simplify the information you'll need to make a wise choice for you and your pet. You'll learn some concepts and strategies you may not find anywhere else.
The best way to find what you are looking for or to just learn more about pet insurance and how it works is by using the categories that are also listed in the sidebar.
Each company that offers pet insurance policies in the U.S. is listed by category. Here you will find company news, information about their policies, examples of claims the company has paid, etc.
For those pet owners who are trying to decide if they should purchase pet insurance, look at the category Basics of Pet Insurance. The next step is deciding which company and policy is best for you and your pet, so look at the articles in the category Researching Pet Insurance. For help actually doing the research, be sure to download and use the tools in the Pet Insurance Toolkit. Best of all - It's free!
The category Claim Examples is an interesting topic because it lists actual claims that have been paid by many of the pet insurance companies. It can be an eye opener and may help you decide if you should get pet insurance, and if so, just how much coverage you might need when selecting a policy.
The category Pet Health Tips is where you'll find good advice on keeping your pet healthy so you hopefully won't have to visit your veterinarian quite as often.
If you leave a comment after a blog post, I do read them and respond to them.
I also invite you to subscribe to this blog so that you can get updates as they are posted. After you purchase pet insurance, you'll want to get updates about your company as soon as possible and sometimes you'll hear about new developments here first.
In this episode, I interview the person who started the very first successful pet insurance company in the United States - Dr. Jack Stephens. We talk about:
A famous TV star who was the first dog insured in the United States.
Why some pet insurance companies fail and why VPI was successful.
What are the factors today that have led to the recent explosive growth of pet insurance that weren't factors when he started the first company in 1982.
Claim reimbursement that are paid based on a percentage of invoice versus usual and customary or a benefit schedule.
The likelyhood of new pet insurance companies entering the market.
Why pet insurance companies change underwriters from time to time and what this means for policyholders.
Pets Best new policy offerings.
Pets Best direct deposit program.
Medical record review to determine if there are any pre-existing conditions that will be excluded from coverage.
The National Pet Health Insurance Association and its purpose.
The future of pet insurance in the United States.
Filing claims, sending medical records, and receiving reimbursements electronically.
Why veterinarians shouldn't fear pet insurance turning into managed care like the human health insurance model.
A few days ago, I posted the interview I did with Rene Agredano on the Tripawds Blog Talk Radio show. Rene and her husband Jim had a dog named Jerry who developed bone cancer and had to have a front leg amputated. Their story is featured in this video starting at the 15:00 mark and then again toward the end. I know this video is about 50 minutes long, but if you have pets and/or are a pet lover, I promise you that you'll absolutely love thisvideo.
Let me know what you think about the video and your relationship to your own pet(s).
Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, laugh and enjoy!
I was recently interviewed about pet insurance on the Tripawds Radio Show. This show and their website is dedicated to helping pet owners with pets who've had a limb amputated. The host of the show, Rene Agredano and her husband Jim, lost "Jerry" to bone cancer several years ago and it literally changed their lives. I'll have more about that in the next post.
I hope you enjoy the interview. Rene asked some great questions.
Many young people don't think they need health insurance because they are healthy. I've seen the same reasoning applied to young pets. However, young people and pets do get sick with illnesses and probably the most common cause of hospital visits for younger people and pets is accidents.
To illustrate this point, I am going to post a testimonial about Trupanion pet insurance, however, this isn't an endorsement of Trupanion. If you read this blog, you know I don't recommend one pet insuance company over any others, but my focus is to provide information to help you make informed and wise decisions when it comes to the purchase of pet insurance for your pet. To help you decide which pet insurance company is the best one for you and your pet, I suggest you use the Pet Insuance Toolkit.
So, here are several things I want you to learn from this video:
Sometimes, accidents and illnesses happen only days after getting pet insurance for your pet.
Accidents and illnesses are unexpected events that can be very expensive.
There is a philosophy recommended by some that instead of purchasing pet insurance, you should just open a savings account and make regular deposits to pay for your pet's healthcare expenses. While I'm all for having a savings account to help pay your pet's medical expenses, people who recommend this instead of pet insurance don't understand the purpose of pet insurance. This video is a real life illustration of this.
Pet insurance can sometimes be the difference between your being able to afford the care needed to restore your pet back to health or possible "economic euthanasia."
You should consider getting coverage for your pet very soon after adoption.
After watching the video, let me know what you think.
In this episode, I interview Jaclyn Carrington, the Veterinary Services Manager at The Hartville Group. We talk specifically about their brand ASPCA Pet Insurance and the recent roll-out of their new policies. We talk about:
The history of the company.
Her background with the company and what she currently does.
Some general details about ASPCA's insurance policies.
Why ASPCA made changes to their policies.
How long before these changes become effective in all states.
Details of the new policies and how this will improve coverage for new and existing policyholders.
More flexibility built into their new policies that allows pet owners to select a deductible and copay that results in a premium that will fit their budget.
Pre-existing conditions.
ASPCA's incident limits and what this means for policyholders.
What "usual and customary" means and why ASPCA calculates reimbursements using this model.
How ASPCA determines what is considered usual and customary for each region of the country.
Potential changes coming in the pet insurance industry.
I came across this article that really appears to be an excerpt from Dr. Nancy Kay's book, "Speaking For Spot." There is also an interview (audio) on this same page that is worth listening to. Pet insurance is mentioned because of the increased used of technology in the diagnosis and treatment that our pets receive these days and the subsequent costs involved. But, that isn't the main focus of the conversation.
Every pet owner should read this article and listen to the NPR audio because sooner or later, you'll be faced with major decisions about the treatment of your pet and Dr. Kay gives a thoughtful way to go about making a decision that you can live with. She does so not only from the perspective of a veterinarian, but also as a pet owner herself who has worked through the difficult decision-making process herself.
Earlier this week, I posted a podcast episode featuring an interview with Dr. Carol McConnell at VPI. I thought I'd follow that up with a video where I show going to their website to get a quote and fill out the Company Comparison Worksheet from the Pet Insurance Toolkit. While there, I give some insights into their policies.
In this episode, I interview Dr. Carol McConnell at VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance). Appropriately, this podcast is being published in the month of VPI's 30 year anniversary of offering pet insurance in the United States.
In this podcast, we'll discuss:
Dr. McConnell's background and what she does at VPI.
Who should purchase pet insurance
VPI's coverage of exotic pets
Pet Insurance vs. a savings account to pay for a pet's healthcare needs
Differences between pet health insurance and other types of insurance e.g. human health insurance, auto insurance, etc.
Lloyd's Banking Group in the UK recently getting out of the pet insurance business leaving thousands of pets without insurance that were previously insured- could such a thing happen in the United States?
An explanation of why VPI uses a benefit schedule vs. paying a percentage of the veterinary invoice.
Details about VPI's policies
VPI's underwriting process and how this determines if any pre-existing conditions are present.
In this episode I interview Dr. Kerri Marshall at Trupanion pet insurance company. We'll talk about:
What she does at Trupanion.
Her background at Banfield prior to joining the staff at Trupanion.
Her experience with the electronic medical record and what role it may play in the future of pet insurance, particularly when submitting a claim or medical records needed by the pet insurance company to verify coverage - resulting in a much quicker reimbursement to the pet owner.
The medical record review process and how pet owners can know if their pet has any conditions that will be considered pre-exisiting and not covered by the insurance policy.
Covering not only puppies and kittens, but also older pets and those adopted when older from shelters or rescue organizations.
There is something I want to mention about Banfield. I often see people say, "I have Banfield pet insurance." What Banfield offers isn't insurance, but a prepaid wellness care plan that includes various wellness procedures and possibly discounts on services or products for your pet. There are different levels of plans and they are usually paid monthly as a recurring charge on your credit card.
In fact, other veterinary hospitals are starting to copy the Banfield model of offering monthly payment wellness care plans. Our hospital offers wellness plans for dogs and cat that clients appreciate because it is affordable plus offers discounts on other non-wellness care services. Ask your veterinarian if he or she offers specially tailored wellness plans for your pet.
While I am a big proponent of wellness care (The Wise Pet Owner), such wellness plans should never be a substitute for pet insurance. Usually, you can only have these procedures done and receive the discounts at a Banfield hospital or the hospital you purchased the plan. What if your pet has to go to an emergency clinic or specialty hospital for a serious illness or injury where fees are usually higher than your regular veterinarian's fees? This is where pet insurance would come in handy since you can file a claim for reimbursement for treatment received at virutally any veterinary, emergency, or specialty hospital in the United States.
I believe that wellness (preventative) care and pet insurance compliment each other. In my opinion, neither should be so expensive that the pet owner can't afford to do both in the best interest of the pet.
I decided to go ahead and put the newly created video that shows getting a quote from Trupanion and filling out the Company Comparison Worksheet in this podcast post:
Here are links to a couple of websites where you can see if your breed of dog or cat is predisposed to hip dysplasia when you consider whether or not to get the optional Complementary package:
There is one other item that I want to mention about Trupanion. They encourage you to get your pet spayed or neutered which is commendable if you don't plan on responsibly breeding your dog or cat. There are a number of potential medical conditions that are directly or indirectly linked to male or female sex hormones. There is a list of these conditions in the Trupanion policy that won't be covered if your pet isn't spayed or neutered by one year of age or within 30 days of adoption. I encourage you to look at this list in a positive light - if your pet is spayed or neutered, the risk of getting any of these conditions is either greatly reduced or eliminated. Here is a cut-out of the list:
I know this is a lot of information to throw at you at one time, but I thought it best to keep it all together for the maximal benefit to each of you.
I invite you to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave a review too. Feel free to also leave comments. I would be glad to try to answer any questions you may have also. My email address is on the About page.
Thanks to each of you for reading, watching and listening!
In this video, I show how to use the Company Comparison Worksheet to obtain a quote from Embrace Pet Insurance Company. I also cover details about their policies that you'll need to consider when selecting a policy should you pick Embrace to cover your pet. They allow you to customize your policy and perhaps have the most combinations of maximums, deductibles, and copays or any of the pet insurance companies that sell policies in the United States.
Just a reminder that this worksheet along with several other tools to help in your research of all the pet insurance companies can be obtained by downloading the Pet Insurance Toolkit.
For those pet owners who are trying to decide if they should purchase pet insurance, look at the category Basics of Pet Insurance. The next step is deciding which company and policy is best for you and your pet, so look at the articles in the category Researching Pet Insurance. For help actually doing the research, be sure to download and use the tools in the Pet Insurance Toolkit. Best of all - It's free!
