Pet insurance-Not PetPlan!

[Kris and Sawyer]

Without going into gory details, I am very dissatisfied with PetPlan. I don't want to lose coverage for Sawyer though...Recommendations on another company? Ideally, I'd like to switch and am hoping that switching companies will not cause a lapse in coverage. Has anyone had experience with this? I don't want to cancel until he's safely on another plan...

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Kris ~ I am with you on Pet Plan!  When I got my second Doodle Pet Plan was rated quite high as an insurance co.  I insured Beau.  After the fact I read the fine print and realized it is a $200 deductible per condition, per year.  If you had 3 or 4 conditions not related over the year, that would be $800 deductible!  The first time I bought pet insurance in 2004 for our standard poodle and VPI was one of the better ones at the time.  As it turned out he had quite a few issues in his short 6.5 years and I was always happy with VPI.  I have had Charlie on vpi since he came home in 2010.  After my dissatisfaction with Petplan, I put Beau on the same policy with Charlie and I am so much happier.  I did pay for Pet plan until I was sure Beau was totally covered under VPI. 

Good luck with your switch over to whatever insurance you choose.  I would say it is better do in sooner than later. 

[Gail and Bailey]

Could you tell us what happened to make you guys unhappy with Pet Plan??  My Bailey is insured with Pet Plan so I am curious about the problems you had......since I have not had to use it yet (thank goodness!).

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

The only issue I had with Petplan is that the deductible is per condition per year which I did not realize when signing up - my bad, did not read all the fine print!  In other words, if your dog has ear issues and you take him to the vet, there is a deductible (mine was $200).  Granted any ear issues throughout that year are under that deductible, but if the next week he hurts his leg and you take him, there is another $200 deductible for that condition - this is hypothetical.  Beau had a few issues in the last year and in 2 months time, I had 3 - $200 deductibles because the visits were unrelated. He has not had any issues for 3.5 months.  Yeah

[Gail and Bailey]

Thanks, Linda.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I have Pet Plan and the only thing I can say is if you switch, will the same things Pet Plan covered you for now be pre-existing conditions with a new insurance company. Just a thought. I have never (knock on wood) had a problem with Pet Plan. Good luck!

[Gail and Bailey]

Thanks, Laurie.  I am not likely to change at this point as we have had it for two years now.   I really only got it to cover accidents or big health issues.....and luckily have had neither!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Kris ... I would be interested to know what issues you have had with Pet Plan that have made you so unsatisfied.  I've had it for almost 6 years now and they have paid thousands of dollars in claims on my girls.  I knew about the deductibles up front (you can choose a lower one), but I too got it for the big ticket items and was banking on their not be a whole bunch of them.  As far as switching, anything in the vet records at this point will most likely be a pre-existing condition.  If I were going to switch I would hold on to one until the other was in place and they had reviewed the file and documented what they would consider pre-existing going forward.  Sorry that you have had a problem.  I have been one to recommend Pet Plan very highly.  My second choice when I was deciding with AnnaBelle was Healthy Paws.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Yikes, I would be interested to know what happened also.  I have both my girls' coverage through them but haven't had any dealings with them yet...

[Cyndi, The Boys & Callie]

The deductible definition is why I did not go with PetPlan and several others. We went with Trupanion and not any problems.

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I also have Trupanion and have always been very happy, however, our plan has a pet incident deductible. Did they recently start allowing yearly deductibles? I would also like to change my accumulation period!

[Leslie J]

I'm also curious what went wrong with PetPlan. I bought it for major medical and it has functioned very well. Quick reimbursements, (several thousand dollars) no questions asked. I've recommended PetPlan on several occasions- it would be great to know what went wrong.

[Kris and Sawyer]

It wasn't for Sawyer, it was for our cat. Which, I put him on insurance a few months ago, but he is already 3. He recently started with what they think us a food allergy (but had to rule out other issues) I gathered all paperwork they needed. However, his original vet was at the humane society and they specifically request you not bring your cat in for 3 years if they are doing well. That vet was willing to write a letter to that fact. But since he was not seen one year (last year was the only year he wasn't seen) they denied coverage. My understanding is that he needed to be seen in the first 30 days of the policy, I misunderstood it and thought he couldn't be checked at all for 30 days. But now there's no way to fix that, anything now will be considered "pre existing". So I canceled. But I was really taken aback by their poor customer service! That's what really got me. I work with people all the time and would not treat customers like that.. Very short, and quick to dismiss me. My bad for not understanding the fine print, but no excuse for poor customer service. I am looking at VIP now... Sawyer has never needed to use his insurance and has been insured since day one. I also did not realize the deductible for PetPlan was per issue! VIP says per year...but I will read fine print on it first.