Sorry if this thread is duplicative, but my search capabilities still don’t seem to be working with the new format.
Has anyone had any experiences with VPA Pet Insurance for a dog? I am trying to decide if it is worth the monthly premium?
TIA!
The only pet insurance company I am familiar with is TruPanion. What I can tell you is this: it does not cover wellness care (exams, vaccines, etc.) because it’s is meant to be more like accident / injury / illness coverage, they pay a flat 90% of the invoice, there are no annual or lifetime benefit caps, they offer a free 30 day trial period throuh veterinary offices, and you cannot be dropped for claims made. They do have an 18 month waiting period on pre-existing conditions. Premiums are based on age, breed, existing health issues, and the deductible you choose. I’m not in general practice any more and that’s the only company we ever talked to at my last job.
Thanks, SarahKing. I got a quote from them. They are a bit higher premium wise than VPI, but the coverage is better.
And yes, I am not looking for coverage for routine care – just accident/major medical.
My mother uses VPI for her cats/dog and seems happy with it. She had a $900+ bill for one of her cats and they paid their portion quickly.
I decided to go with Embrace for my dogs rather than VPI as they don’t exclude certain things that VPI does. I chose Embrace over Trupanion as that company does not include VT.
I have VPI and really like it. They have changed a lot in the last couple of years on how they cover things and even offer benefits for heriderary conditions that they didn’t used to. Overall I har been happy with them, but the biggest thing I learned when I was looking for coverage was to pick one company and stay with them. Even if you had coverage for your dogs whole life if it was through another company there will be pre-existing conditions if you change companies later.
I have VPI too. I chose the well care coverage as well, and they cover all well care costs. I’ve been pretty happy with the service and prompt payment.
I use and recommend Petplan (gopetplan.com) x 5000000!
They are reasonably priced, incredibly friendly and pay out claims quickly. The #1 reason that I love and always recommend them is that they cover hereditary issues and are the only dog insurance I’ve found who does that.
I had a dog with a luxating patella who needed surgery and my regular vet and surgeon told me there was no way a pet insurance would cover it… Not only did Petplan pay the claim (at 100%) but they did so within two weeks after submitting my documentation.
I would second Petplan. I was happy they covered hereditary issues, and like the different options for reimbursement (e.g., up to 100% as Aussie mentioned). I feel they are reasonably priced too, and you can select your deductible ($50, $100,$200) and reimbursement amount (80%, 90%, 100%).
