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Is pet insurance worth the cost?
This is my personal experience and might not reflect everyone’s experience.
Should you get pet insurance? Is pet insurance worth it? I get asked these questions a lot. I do believe pet insurance is important because you just never know. As a dog mom who has used pet insurance with Dexter for many, many years, I’m still pro pet insurance. I want to share a few things to look for in a good pet insurance company and share my personal story regarding Dexter’s pet insurance and how his monthly premium went from $35 to now $250.
How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance for Your Pet
When looking at pet insurance options, there are a few things to think about. First off, consider any hereditary or congenital conditions your pet might be prone to. For example, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is prone to MVD, Chiari malformation, and syringomyelia. Different breeds have different health risks, and not all pet insurance plans cover hereditary conditions. I had to find a pet insurance company that would cover hereditary conditions.
Some pet insurance plans might include coverage for regular vet visits, like yearly checkups and vaccinations. While this might be useful for some, I preferred handling those costs myself. Instead, I looked for a plan that would help with emergencies or if Dexter needed ongoing treatment down the line.
I wanted to find coverage that would cover things like specialists, diagnostic tests, surgeries, cancer treatments, rehabilitation, and medications, if needed. When it came to specialists, I was looking for coverage for various types of experts, such as cardiologists, neurologists, and rehabilitation specialists. Thank goodness I did because Dexter’s future Chiari malformation and MVD required expert diagnosis and ongoing management from specialists in neurology and cardiology. Having pet insurance that covers this has been so helpful with his care.
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After ensuring the pet insurance company offers the care you are looking for, you’ll want to look at the limits for each condition, the percentage they cover, and their monthly or yearly premium. To give an example, you might find a policy that has a $300 yearly deductible per condition and covers 80 percent of treatment for $x/month. Another policy may have a $400 per condition yearly deductible and cover 90 percent of treatment. These are the ins and outs of what you will be choosing from.
Let me tell you about Dexter. He’s been my BFF since he was a pup. Now, at fourteen plus, he’s still kicking it, and I continue to try to provide him with the best care I possibly can. He’s had insurance since the beginning because I never wanted to have to make his care decisions solely based on the cost of treatment.
Now, let’s talk about cost. When I first got insurance for Dexter, it was pretty affordable at $35 a month. It also had a $200 per condition yearly deductible, then 90 percent coverage. But, as he’s gotten older, the premiums have gone up and up and up. And the coverage has been going down. I’m now paying $250 a month, with a $500 per condition yearly deductible and 70 percent coverage. I just got off the phone with Dexter’s insurance company regarding his most recent price increase. They confirmed that Dexter’s insurance is higher than another fourteen-year-old Cavalier in my town due to the frequency of use. Essentially, because I take such good care of Dexter with his medical team, I’m being penalized for using his insurance. I have to say, Fetch® Pet Insurance really dropped the ball on this, and I won’t be using (my next dog) or recommending them to anyone in the future. It’s essential to consider not just coverage but also how the insurance company treats its customers.
One thing I’ve decided is that next time, I will get insurance quotes as if my pet were older. Premiums tend to go up as pets age, so I figure I’ll get my quotes as if my dog is ten, not a puppy. That may provide me with a better idea of what I’ll be paying down the line.
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Despite the price increase and decrease in Dexter’s coverage, having pet insurance that still covers a portion of his specialist visits and treatments is still a big help. And who knows what will happen down the road. Let’s face it—Dexter isn’t getting any younger, and I don’t plan on taking less care of him as he ages. Quite the opposite. He will need more proactive care to continue to help him thrive and beat the odds.
When choosing a pet insurance company, make sure to carefully review the coverage for specialists, medications, diagnostic testing, hereditary conditions, etc. Choose a policy that fits your pet’s unique needs, especially if they require continuous specialist care like Dexter.
Your questions or comments are welcome below.
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I had Fetch with Snickers they was pretty good to us but shopping around for Rosalin we decided they got far to expensive and we switched also. we have now embark . thankfully we didn’t need it yet. last week we got a letter saying that in New Jersey insurance will go up 38% which is outrageous but thinking about how high Snickers Vet bills were in the last 3 years, I think we have no other choice as to keep it, because soon hereditary illnesses kick in, no one will cover you anymore
Wow! That’s so crazy.
Thank you Tonya! I too have an older Cavalier whose pet insurance premium went for $97 to $327 a month this year.
I ended up having to drop the wellness portion in exchange for full medical coverage. Prior to this decision he had been grandfathered in to a wellness and pet
Protection policy that had a $250 annual deductible and paid out 90%. I was sad to let that go but the new proposed policy was cost prohibitive.
I too felt penalized for taking such good care of my buddy but did not change providers due to the need for ongoing cardiology monitoring and the pre-existing clause in all underwriting.
I think pet insurance is a must but wish one of the companies would write a comprehensive and affordable policy for our sweet senior Bff’s! Or the pet insurance industry had some
Watchdogs!
Thanks, Terry. Yes, Dex also has Chiari & MVD he needs that coverage still.