Pet insurance?

Question

I have a 10 year old cat and I am realizing I probably should have got insurance for her years ago but want to look into it now and am not sure where to begin. Does anyone know the best place to get pet insurance and if they will insure an older pet? I want to be sure to give her the best care possible as she gets older but being on a bit of a budget I am not sure how to approach this. Advice is greatly appreciated!

I am curious why you say pet insurance is a scam? From looking around just now it looks as if they cover up to 90% of your vet bills and it will not cost me any more having an older cat. Do you have an experience with it that makes you say that? That would be great info to know. Thanks.

Answer 1

I also recommend that you not buy pet insurance. Save what amount you'd pay for the insurance and whatever else you can in a 'cat fund ' bank account for when you need it.

1. You pay out $$ for the policy, then you have to cover your deductible which can be $100/yr or $50/incident, after that they pay 70-80% of whatever portion of the total bill they consider 'reasonable'. If you live in a high cost of pet care area, as I do, that 'reasonable' amount is less than the charges so you're out of pocket that difference too.
2. Unless you purchase a premium package for big $$$, you'll find that many illnesses once diagnosed become a pre-existing condition when the policy renews and is not covered the following years.
3. The cost of the insurance is higher the older the cat is.
4. You have to read the policy details very closely. There are significant exclusions for what they cover. This one caught me.

I got pet insurance for a kitten I rescued from under the shed, it was a middle of the road coverage for just under $300 for a 3mo old kitten. It turned out she had a knee problem that was not covered "NO MATTER WHAT THE CAUSE". I spent $300, plus my deductible, plus my percentage of the charges, plus the differential in the cost of the services - PLUS $2500 for knee surgery and related visits - and I got less than $200 back. I did not renew the policy.

Answer 2

I am not a pug owner, but a dog owner with pet insurance. We have VPI. The thing to remember is that with any plan, you will pay full price up front and then submit a claim for reimbursement. I pay around $30 a month for full coverage. VPI does have a set amount of money that they pay for each procedure, vaccine, etc. So they only pay a portion of your total bill. I just had annual shots done, and I paid $150. VPI will probably reimburse me $75 or $80. That said, last year my dog developed a bad bacterial infection and had to go to the Emergency Vet. I walked out with a bill of close to $1500. I was reimbursed $1200 of that. I had had the policy for a year at that point, so $30 x 12 is $360.00. You can see that I made out, big time. All in all, I would recommend it. Just make sure to read the fine print and get a policy that will work for you.

Answer 3

Some will insure older pets, but it costs a LOT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!

If you ae on a budget, it might not be the best idea. You could put $20 monthly away for care in the future and be better off.

With a lot of insurance, you pay the vet up front and then the insurance pay you back the approx. 80%. So you still have to have some $$$$$.

Answer 4

You don't say whether you are English or American. You can compare prices. Have linked to one US and one UK comparison site (there are more). If they don't give you the information you require, then you should be able to ring and ask. As your cat is already 10 years old, is it worth the cost? Check the sites, work out the prices and see if it is worth it.

Answer 5

pet insurance is a scam

Answer 6

i have pet plan and used a lot,but supermarkets do good one like tesco asda argos ,or good ones on line