Pet insurance again

[Stacy]

So this was kind of unexpected, I just got on my work website to see what was happening, and as of today they are offering pet insurance through Nationwide with bulk pricing through payroll deduction. I haven't heard much about Nationwide. There is no age limit on the pet, but it says they don't cover pre-existing conditions unless your vet certifies that they are cured for 6 months first - so Ava's allergies and tumor would be out. But Katie doesn't have any pre-existing conditions. And Ava could have more health problems. So I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea if this sounds good/bad/not worth it? 

Plan choices
Three different plans will be available to you if you enroll in this new benefit:  

▪   My Pet Protection, covering treatment of illnesses and injuries for dogs and cats;

▪   My Pet Protection with Wellness, adding reimbursement for wellness exams, vaccinations, spay/neuter, flea/tick and other preventive services and treatments for dogs and cats in addition to illness and injury protection offered by My Pet Protection alone; and

▪   Avian and Exotic Pet Plan, covering both wellness and accident/illness treatment for most birds as well as goats, potbellied pigs, turtles, rabbits and an assortment of other less common creatures kept as pets. 

Each of the plans offers a 90-percent reimbursement of covered expenses from any veterinarian after a $250 annual deductible, up to a maximum of $7,500. All plans include access to a 24-hour vethelpline, where members can receive veterinary guidance at no charge, whether it is general guidance or help identifying urgent care needs.

 

How it works
“Getting as much as 90 percent of your veterinarian bill back is as easy as 1-2-3,” said Nationwide’s Kate Schoenman, National Accounts Executive.

“No. 1 – use any veterinarian, and pay for treatment at the time of service. No. 2 – mail or email the claim form available through Nationwide’s policyholder portal, along with the vet bill. And No. 3 – get reimbursed according to the plan you’ve chosen after meeting the $250 deductible.”

There are no age restrictions, although pre-existing conditions are not covered unless a veterinarian certifies your pet as cured for six months or more. Plans do not reimburse for taxes, waste disposal, grooming or routine boarding.

To use the free vethelpline, be ready to provide the insurance policy number as well as information about current medications, the package label of any ingested substance and any health problems your pet is experiencing.

 

 

 My Pet Protection Plan: 

▪   Accidents & illnesses

▪   Hereditary & congenital

▪   Cancer

▪   Dental diseases

▪   Behavioral treatments

▪   Rx therapeutic diets & supplements

▪   Use any vet

▪   Specialty & ER coverage included

$250 annual deductible    $7,500 max annual benefit

The website quoted me:

Premiums 856.95 for 2 dogs for 1 year

But it didn't ask any questions about the breed/age/health or anything about them. So... I'm not sure. I've definitely spent more than that at the vet this year! But since a lot of Ava's stuff wouldn't be covered I'm just not sure. 

Thanks! Stacy

[Stacy]

my pet protectionSM

with wellness

90% back on veterinary bills†

• Accidents & illnesses
• Hereditary & congenital
• Cancer
• Dental diseases
• Behavioral treatments
• Rx therapeutic diets & supplements
• Use any vet
• Specialty & ER coverage included

• Wellness exams
• Spay/neuter
• Flea & tick
• Teeth cleaning
• Shots
• And more

$250 annual deductible

$7,500 max annual benefit

I priced this one out and it would be 1432/year - and I could hit my deductible with just sentinel and bravcto. But in a normal year I don't normally spend that much at the vet. However, with Ava... we might have a different situation!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't have pet insurance, but I've closely followed the posts here from those who do, and the problem I see with this plan is that you have to pay the charges and then get reimbursed. I'm pretty sure the folks here whose dogs had $20,000+ worth of chemo didn;t have to do that, and I'm guessing it would have been hard for most of them to do if they did. Even things like emergency surgery to remove a sock from a dog's intestine. I know a lot of folks might have trouble coming up with that $3000-4000 that the ER clinics insist on getting upfront. But maybe I'm wrong and companies like Trupanion, Healthy Paws and PetPlan work the same way?

[Stacy]

I don't know either. Of course that's why I have a credit card. Is it awful that the 7,500/year cap wouldn't be enough too? It's a good thing Ava is the best dog in the whole world!

I also want to note that even subsidized, the premiums are more than the out of pocket portion of my own health insurance. Of course the dogs go to the doctor more than I do, but still!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I found this comparison chart on Trupanion's website. Apparently, almost all the other companies require you you to pay upfront and then get reimbursed except for Trupanion, and it does say with Nationwide, it depends on the plan: http://trupanion.com/pet-insurance-comparison

[Stacy]

That's very interesting, thanks! I did the trupanion quick quote and the lowest plan for just Ava came back at almost $50/month with a $700 deductible. Nationwide might be a good deal. But I still have to wonder (and haven't researched) what the fine print would say about an almost 7 year old rescue dog without a lot of documented medical records. What all are they going to call a pre-existing condition. It would have saved me a ton of money this year if they covered all of our expenses. But I feel like sometimes insurance makes it difficult to get reimbursed for everything.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's where other people's experiences can be helpful when deciding on a company. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Re: the $7500/year cap, JD had a 10 month period in which his vet bills ran into five figures. But it was from Nov. 2011 to Sept. 2012, so if they did it by calendar year, I would have been okay, lol. Of course, with my luck, if I'd had insurance, the dates would have all fallen within the same calendar year. 

[Stacy]

That's just brutal. It can't be a good thing when you realize that you're not house poor but you are dog poor! They're worth every penny, but it's still not fun.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, but you feel so bad for them, and grateful that you're able to help them. :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I have PetPlan and you have to pay upfront, turn in the necessary documentation, and wait for your refund. It doesn't take long, but you still have to pay upfront. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I can't answer most of your questions, but I do want to say my daughter just switched her two French Bulldogs to Nationwide. They had PetPlan all these years and the premiums jumped so much, they had to look elsewhere. They had to switch first, before getting answers back as to what would be considered a pre-existing condition. One dog was cleared of everything, but the other dog has something with his breathing. I also have Care Credit, which is a credit card specifically for vet bills (I think you can also use it for human medical bills, but I don't). They allow you to pay 6 months same as cash, so I put my vet bills on that and reimburse it when I get paid by our insurance. 

[Stacy]

Thanks for this! I am reading over the conversation from last year about PetPlan and their price increase. Reading over people's premium prices I think Nationwide might actually be giving us a good price. And considering the estimate for Ava's tumor removal today was 1800 I might need it! 

I've never had insurance on the dogs before, so anything would be better than what I have now, I just wonder what the break even vet bills would come out to. I am also curious if the premium comes out pre-taxes since it's payroll deducted. I might have to get a little more information!