Comments on: Make 2010 The Year Of Affordable Pet Health Care!

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:14:30 +0000

Very clear article . I have been with Petplan in the UK for 10 yrs with my collie cross. Recently she was really poorly and is now on tablets for life at £75 (about $115 I think) a month. I pay £20 a month for my policy and have for ten years so I am certainly now getting my moneys worth. I just wish there was a law within the finance rules that says companies have to be much clearer on what they are providing for the money as people who haven’t read articles such as this or don’t have xperience of what is out there (I ran a rescue for six years)will buy the tesco’s £6 a month policy thinking it is better value but which is usually a false economy as so many times the cost is going to be ongoing for the life of the animal or be a huge amount for an emergency.
The other point that is also relevant in general dog ownership is that you need to look at the third party cover offered so that if you end up with an issue with your dog and a third party (another dog, a human etc) you have suitable cover as this is very relevant these days.
If all of us encourage just one person to get insurance and give them this article and let them make their choice as to who they go with it will help a few more dog’s and owners.

By: Alice

Alice — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:13:46 +0000

I’ve been wondering how to learn more and understand the pet insurance plans available to me. Now I see that unfortunately you have to need their service in order to invest enough time to really get into the details. I was using a pet insurance comparison chart which gave me some details about many insurers – http://www.petinsurance.net/compare-providers.php but I still had to call each company and ask additional questions.

I’m so sorry that Rosie had to go through so many things. It’s amazing how people like you stand behind their pets no matter what. So far I’ve only seen people I know putting their pets down when they face the big bills. I hope pet insurance will stop this trend.

By: Jay Smith

Jay Smith — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:47:17 +0000

Hey Dr. T!

Wow! And I thought I was a research fanatic. I’ve just had the chance to read through your research of Pet Insurance options, and what a great job this is. Thank you! Thank you!

Our new adoption, Linus, ( APB Terrier, and Jack Russell (?), is adorable, but he’ll need good medical and he’s tired of waiting for Congress to act!

Best to you. Thanks again.

By: Dr. Terifaj

Dr. Terifaj — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:11:19 +0000

In response to Lynn Atwater – comment #6:

Both Trupanion and Pets Best carry Lifetime Limits. Pets Best allows you to choose coverage ranging from a low of $2,500 up to $14,000 per condition (also referred to as per incident). Trupanion’s Lifetime Limit is $20,000 – which is $6,000 higher than Pets Best’s highest limit of $14,000. Note: anyone choosing Pets Best – in my opinion – will be underinsured at a dollar amount less than the highest amount they offer at $14,000.

Remember: stated coverage amounts are for the life of your pet! If you exceed the dollar amount – that condition becomes pre-existing when you renew your policy and will not be covered!

Trupanion boasts: “Your pet’s premiums will never increase due to your pet aging.” While that is true – all bets are off if your veterinary fees exceed their $20,000 Lifetime Limit. You will need to re-apply for a new policy and you will then pay a higher premium based on having an older pet.

Be aware that Trupanion does not pay for the veterinary exam – which was routinely covered in other companies we reviewed. All coverage (which excludes the veterinary exam) is offered at 90%. Uniquely, they offer a wide range of deductibles from zero to $1,000 which allows you a much lower premium corresponding to a much higher deductible.

I recommend you get a comparison quote from Petplan – the most comprehensive coverage reported in our review. For example, when I chose a $50 dollar deductible with 90% coverage (on-line) for Brad Pit – Trupanion returned a monthly quote of $40.72. The Petplan quote was less than 2 bucks more at $42.11. That’s a no brainer for me

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:40:07 +0000

Dr. Terifaj – thank you and your staff so much for this article! We have placed a permanent “sticky” link to this article in our YorkieTalk Library because so many pet parents are becoming more interested in pet insurance and have questions. Your article is so informative!

I can share some hindsight…my 5 yr. old yorkie was diagnosed w/ Atypical Cushing’s about 9 months ago. The journey of obtaining that diagnosis and *since* that diagnosis has cost about 5-6k – and it’s too late now for us to procure insurance, since it’s now a pre-existing condition.

I sure wish we had gotten insurance for both our dogs when they were pups. I’m quite sure we will next time.

My favorite is PetPlan.

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:44:39 +0000

My guess for #1 pick is PetPlan because they provide continued coverage for chronic conditions which could be very expensive.

By: Donna

Donna — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:14:05 +0000

Thanks so much for doing the hard work. My guess is Pet Plan because it has the most asterisks!

By: Dr. Terifaj Evaluates Pet Insurance! GREAT New Article! - YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:32:39 +0000

[...] Terifaj Evaluates Pet Insurance! GREAT New Article! Make 2010 The Year Of Affordable Pet Health Care! Dr. Paula Terifaj (DVM) and her office team evaluated the nitty gritty of ten pet insurance [...]

By: Helle Dupont

Helle Dupont — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:04:00 +0000

Petplan will be your Nr. 1 choice cauase:
100% coverage for continued coverage for chronic conditions (with uninterrupted coverage from year to year).
No per-incident limit.

Wish I had done my research better when I bought insurance for my allergy ridden Jack Russell. Now I will choose better for my pit bull puppy.

By: Margo Tannenbaum

Margo Tannenbaum — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:10:02 +0000

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your Pet Insurance Comparison blog. As have others, and especially since I rescue many pets, I too looked into Pet Ins. long ago. Even I was confused by their ’small print’ policies, and I’m a lawyer! I will now investigate more thoroughly, and thank you so much for your invaluable information. I would be happy to evaluate their policies, legally, and relay my findings for you to include in any future information regarding Pet Insurance companies, if you wish.

I, too, would guess you may choose Petplan, however I would like to learn more about Trupanion, as well.

Thank you , again, and thank YOU for your compassionate commitment and many skills on behalf of animals.

The very best to you!