As everybody knows, sh*t happens to our dogs, we go to the vet and faint when we see the bill. Pet insurance plans can be very tricky to understand. There are many aspects that require careful consideration. I have created the following chart to help make the decision easier. I only included insurance programs that have superior reputations and offer excellent coverage. I’ve included companies that cover alternative treatments (acupuncture, cold laser, and water therapy) AND holistic treatment (herbs, homeopathy, and supplements). You will notice that I make my preferences clearly. My goal is to enable you to decide for yourself which company would serve you best so I included the top 5. Those are my favorites respectively. You can enroll through my website links to lock in your discount and then call the company afterwards if you have any questions or if you would like to make any changes.
What’s REALLY important to look for?
Limits and Caps on Reimbursement:
If there are no limits and no caps it means that there are no coverage limits per year or lifetime for costs, but that will result in a higher expense for their plan. For example, I have friends who have spent a fortune of money on cancer treatments or for the treatment of other diseases. It is not uncommon for such treatments to cost $15k to $30k. Unlimited benefits means that they will continue to pay the claims regardless of the cost.
Fetch (formally PetPlan) has limits and caps so once you reach those caps you are on your own. It is VERY easy to surpass those limits. Imagine insuring a dog during puppyhood. That plan needs to cover that dog for several years to come. If a dog has a chronic condition or a serious disease you need to be sure that the plan you choose will reimburse you from the beginning of his treatment and throughout the rest of his life. This is the most important thing to look at when you are choosing a policy. Trupanion has no caps and no limits. Trupanion is my favorite because it is the only insurance plan that covers non-prescription supplements and herbs. That’s a VERY big deal if you see a holistic vet!
Deductible Payment:
You want your deductible to be as low as possible, but the lower the deductible, the more expensive the policy. At the same time you want a plan that is annual AND per condition. This means that if a condition develops after the policy is activated, the payment of the first treatment is going to go toward your deductible. Although the deductible is annual, this chronic condition will be covered without putting any additional money toward the deductible for the lifetime of the dog. This is how Trupanion and Fetch by Dodo work so that you pay toward the deductible for that condition only one time during the dog’s lifetime. By the way, Pet Plan offers an automatic 5% discount when you sign up online. If it is an annual deductible only, then after each year of coverage you will need to put further costs toward your deductible each year.
The cost can be daunting for plans with no caps or limits. The trick is to figure out what works best for you. To give you an idea of how much my Trupanion plan costs me each month see below:
Coverage for Alternative – Acupuncture, Cold Laser Treatments, Water Therapy…
I am a big fan of alternative treatments. If I can avoid the pharmaceutical industry I am a happy camper. It is important to contact the insurer to inquire further about the specifics of the coverage they offer in this category. Although Trupanion’s core policy includes some alternative & homeopathic treatments, in order to get more comprehensive coverage I decided to add an additional rider.
My Suggestions:
I strongly suggest that you visit the websites of all the companies to see which one is the best fit for you and to confirm the information in this article just in case they made any changes to their plans. After configuring your policy, you will be able to compare prices and coverage details.
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 |
 |
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| Trupanion | Fetch by Dodo
(Formerly PetPlan) |
Embrace | |
| Wellness Office Visits & Routine Care | No | No | Wellness Plan is 100% reimbursement up to your chosen allotment |
| Office Visits to Examine & Diagnose | No | Yes | Yes |
| Dental Illness | Yes | Yes |
Yes (up to 1K per year) |
| Hereditary & Genetic Conditions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-Existing Conditions pre-policy | No | No | No |
| Prescriptions for Treating Illnesses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Holistic & Alternative Treatments | Yes Additional cost for better coverage no Limit/Cap | Yes Limit/Cap See Below | Yes Limit/Cap See Below |
| Boarding & Kennel Non-Medical Vacation | No | Yes depends on plan |
No |
| Enrollment Age Requirements | 8 weeks – 13 years | 6 weeks & up | 6 weeks up to 14 years
Enrollment after 15 eligible for accident only |
| Spay & Neuter | No | No | Yes depends on plan |
| Cremation & Burial | Yes depends on plan | No | No |
| Deductible | Choose $0/ 50 up to $1k in $50 increments depends on plan | Choose $50/ $100/$200 depends on plan | Choose $100/ $200/$300/ $500/$1k depends on plan |
| Deductible Payment | per condition | Annual & per condition | Annual |
| Limits & Caps on Reimbursements |
None |
Annual $10K/$14K/$22K depends on plan | Annual
$30K but most states unlimited |
| Reimbursement | 90% | Choice of 80%/90%/100% depends on plan | Choice of 70%/ 80%/90% depends on plan |
| Premium Increases | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| My Final Rating | 3 stars |
2 stars |
2 stars |
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|
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| Trupanion | Fetch by Dodo
(Formerly PetPlan) |
Embrace |
My first choices are Trupanion and HealthyPaws because they have the most comprehensive coverage, no limits or caps and the manner in which the deductible is paid (see above description of deductible payment). I included Trupanion in my Favorite Products page.
*All information is up to date and accurate as of January 5, 2014. It is recommended that you go to the websites to select and configure your policy and confirm your coverage.
