Don't Buy Pet Insurance! Do this instead.
Don't Buy Pet Insurance! Do this instead.
Is pet insurance worth it? I love my dog, but I don’t feel like pet insurance is worth it. Check out this video to see why my dog is uninsured and what I do instead.
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The information and opinions within this content are for information purposes only. Guidance is based on personal interpretations and in no way, represents legal or financial advice.
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Shame on them there should be LAWS against those SCAMS…….
Maybe a combination of sonething like Pawp, plus an automatically funded index fund would be better? Pawp gives you an annual $3000 fund for one emergency claim per year plus 24/7 unlimited telemedicine access for $19 a month, covering everything even if the emergency is due to a pre-existing condution. Then set up an index fund for like $30 a month.
Wow! I logged in just so I could make sure people know how HORRIBLE this misinformation is!
I worked emergency veterinary medicine for over 15 years, unless you are loaded no person has the extra cash laying around to juggle their pet’s life against their bank account. If you have never experienced financial euthanasia or had to "negotiate a bill" just to do something then you are not in a position to speak on this subject.
Also, I have tons of personal experience with Care Credit in hospital. How is encouraging a 24% APR credit card "smart money"? You must be getting paid by Care Credit. Besides the very high APR, you better sign up now bc I’ve seen significantly more get declined than I’ve ever seen approved! And usually never enough for what you need either.
Hi guys
“’don’t talk to your doctor that your dog ever breathed fast, otherwise your ridiculous Lemonade ”Pet will become a garbage immediately”
If you had purchased or still considering the Lemonade ”Pet” insurance, I would to suggest you guys consider other insurance company. Here is my real story.
My 11 years old dog passed out on 1/31/2022 (midnight) and I brought him to the emergency room immediately, the doctor did some exam (i.e X-ray and blood test) and told us my dog had congestive heart failure. During that day, the doctor asked us lots of my dog’s things (i.e food, vaccination condition) and I did talk to doctor that my dog got chock during his dinner once in May last year. Now, when I filed the claim, the Lemonade guy contacted the hospital and try to dig into every word I said and told us this chock accident is recognized as pre-exiting condition of my dog and refuse to pay anything and didn’t let you to explain a word. That custom guy attitude is so different before/after you purchased the insurance.
I just want to say that, I paid $45 dollar/month and cover for nothing and these insurance fee I paid I should directly pay to hospital. The most ridiculous thing is that after the Lemonade people refused to pay, he kept encouraging me to continue the policy……
Before I purchased the policy, Lemonade did ask us to find a vet and do the regular check. We did and sent the report to Lemonade for review and they accepted this report and start the insurance period.
I would suggest spending 5%-10% more switch to another company for your lovely one or just paid by yourself.
Mathematically I agree with you, however this wouldn’t work I your living paycheck to paycheck. It only works for those who have money in the bank. If you can fund the vet visits put of you own pockets, it makes sense not to have the insurance, but if you only have a couple hundred dollars to your name at any given time, the only way you could fund the care would be through the insurance.
It makes a lot of sense to just put the money aside monthly that would have gone to insurance any ways!
I totally disagree. If it’s 3:00 am in the morning and you have an emergency and go to an emergency pet hospital like I did and come out with an astronomical bill, for something that happened right out of the blue, you’d think twice. I now have pet insurance for both my dogs. The likelihood of something happening to one of them is high and if something happened to both of them at the same time, well… I insure my car, my home and other things. My dogs are worth the little I pay every month for 90% coverage and the deductible I choose over their lifetime. Their whole lives. Increases happen every year with inflation only, not because they have a birthday. And the numbers you quoted in your video are unrealistic. It is far, far more expensive than what you stated. For those of you out there curious about the company I go with, it’s Trupanion. I will never, never go without pet insurance again. If you can save $100 to $200 a month over 5 to 10 years WITHOUT dipping into it, then good for you but good luck.
This is only true if you have a pet with one or two emergencies – but there are planty of pets that have congenital heart disease or epilepsly and this can cost thousands per year. Many people are desperate to just pay for the meds , let alone the specialists.
OMG, I HAVE THE SAME IDENTICAL DOG AS YOURS THEY HAVE THE SAME FUR SAME COLOR SAME COLOR SPOTS SAME TAIL SAME SIZE TOTALLY IDENTICAL
I HAVE TWO LITTLE DOGS ONE IS A SHIH TZU AND SHE WAS ATTACKED BY A PITBULL AND SHE WAS LITERALLY ALMOST KILLED THE VET BILL WAS $4,500 I DIDN’T HAVE THE MONEY I BEGGED THE VETERINARIAN TO TAKE MY CAR HE FINALLY SAID YES I SIGNED OVER THE TITLE GOT ON THE BUS AND CAME HOME ANYTHING FOR MY BABIES
I totally 100% disagree. If it’s 3:00 am in the morning and you have an emergency and go to an emergency hospital like I did and come out with an astronomical bill, for something that happened right out of the blue you’d think twice. I now have pet insurance for both my dogs. The likelihood of something happening to one of them is high and if something happened to both of them at the same time, well… I insure my car, my home and other things. My dogs are worth much more than that. Your statement “the likelihood of 5 things happening to your dog” is ridiculous. Just one incident can result in $10000 or more. My dogs are worth the little I pay every month for 90% coverage and the deductible I have chosen to pay. Not to mention the peace of mind it gives me which’s is priceless. It also covers hereditary and congenital issues as well as dental, not to mention any medications due to illness or injury with no caps for their lifetime. You fail completely in explaining that there are many options out there and not just the plan you present in this video. This does not help anyone. You people out there, do your homework. Don’t rely on a 5 minute video that does not provide adequate information.
My pet insurance company only increases premiums every year with inflation only, not because they have a birthday or because I’ve made a claim. And the numbers you quoted in your video are unrealistic. I checked the date of your video and see it was only 5 months ago that it was posted. I thought it was probably 5 to 10 years old listening to the figures you stated in your video. Emergency visits and hospital stays are so much higher than what you claim. It is far, far more expensive than what you stated. For those of you out there curious about the company I go with, it’s Trupanion. I will never, never go without pet insurance again. I love them too much to place a cap on what I am willing to spend based on what’s in my bank account. If you can save $100 to $200 a month over 5 to 10 years CONSISTENTLY and WITHOUT dipping into it, then good for you but good luck.
I have nothing to do with Trusted Pals in the way of payments for endorsement or employment, but I just have to say:
The best pet insurance, I think, is Trusted Pals because of their wellness portion of their insurance. After you pay your bill you’ll get reimbursed $750 minus your deductible and they’ll pay you 80% of that.
The thing about Trusted Pals is they don’t have their wellness portion of their insurance broken down into what they’ll pay (like all the other pet insurance companies) i.e. dental cleaning $150.00, vaccines $50, blood work $60, microchip $30, flea problem $40.00 etc. (these are just examples) AND you have to pay a monthly amount for this limited wellness plan that really isn’t a wellness plan at all. It’s a scam. Many people’s pets don’t need some of these because they’re coming on board with their pet already microchipped, etc. and they have an indoor cat etc.
Trusted Pals wellness portion pays for the necessary annual wellness checkups, dental cleaning, blood tests, vaccines, microchip… whatever your vet deems necessary. It’s not broken down into all these categories that they’ll only pay for.
The bill for the wellness check of our cat was about 50% less and he got the necessary care he needed; dental cleaning, dental radiographs, anesthesia, blood work etc.
His maximum coverage is $8,000 annually and his monthly premium is for us a manageable $57 dollars monthly. ,It did go up a little bit from last year, but what else is new?
He was already microchipped from the shelter and he’s an indoor cat. He never has a flea problem.
It’s their wellness portion that is, to my way of thinking, pretty fair. That’s the most important part. Annual checkups. There should be no barriers to this. Catching a disease or health problem early with blood work and exams is key.
Trusted Pals priorities regarding our cat’s health care is in the right place.
What about for larger dogs? I’m just wondering if your stance changes when considering the costs that large(r) dog owners have to pay?
If I save $25/mo, it would take 5-6 years to save up for a single surgery. That’s not including any other expenses. My cat was 6 years old when he passed away from a urethra blockage. His 24 hr emergency care was $1500. That wouldn’t have included the urethra surgery he would have needed if his organs were stable enough for survival. I’ll pay $25/mo starting now so I can get treatment immediately, not halfway through its life.
This is dumb…90% of animals end up as rescue because of emergency conditions….I’m glad you have some money…some don’t
This is generally whats wrong with the world…every idiot has a soapbox and spouts off opinions just to get followers send likes to feel connected and less of a looser before social media
As a veterinarian I just want to punch this woman in the face for misleading pet owners!!!
I completely disagree with this. My 8 year old dog had a very rare cancer which cost over $20,000. It depends on what you plan to do for your pets. I never wanted to make a decision about their healthcare based on finances. My insurance covered 90% of my bill. I would not have been able to afford this without insurance. Please don’t spread misinformation. Pet care can be very expensive and you never know when you will need it.
Pet insurance is Absolutely worth it. I signed my two year old corgi up at six or seven months old and ended up paying 6000 in vet bills this year alone. My dog was lucky enough to be insured for 12 months before her health insurance covered her ACL injury. She needed a $3200 surgery of which $2700 was covered. Plus $700 in exam fees. And another thousand dollars for another emergency. I have been reimbursed about $4500 this year. And I have paid about six to $700 in co-pays. And she has a high chance of rupture in her other ACL. I never thought I would have to use it but I am absolutely glad I did.
One more thing. You check out all different reviews of the 5 or 10 best pet insurance companies and they all come up with different pet insurance companies in numerical order that are the best. So you don’t know who to trust. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
Maybe pet insurance works a little differently in Canada where I am or perhaps just the company I’m familiar with. Petsplusus in Canada doesn’t raise your premium as the dog ages and I don’t think there are any exclusions for breed-specific issues or preexisting conditions. The premiums are a bit higher to account for some of this. I’d also be curious to look at companies in northern europe where pet insurance is extremely popular and see what kinds of policies Europeans have access to. Maybe there’s a way to change some of the industry discourse around pet insurance policy features in north america.
If you have a hunting dog or a k9 you definitely need a insurance. My English pointer had to go through a TPLO surgery which cost around $3500-$4500. Also, the veterinarian mentioned that it is possible he will damage the other leg and ending up having surgery on both legs. I did not have pet insurance and believe me, I did go through hell.
thanks, just pocketing the premiums now – new sub
As a veterinary technician I disagree 100%.
What about cats.
Pet insurance is a savings account. You’re investing in it and one day you’re going to use it. Not only that you’re going to get more money than you invested. $40 for 3 years then you use $2000 an emergency. You just got back more than you invested. One day you’re going to use it. So it is a savings account.
My dog had Lymphoma. Unfortunately his treatment did not go well and we had to put him down after 4 months of treatment. Total cost in those 4 months was just north of $10,000. I will never go without pet insurance again
If you say insurance is not necessary, either you’re rich or you never had a pet
I just have a gut feeling because of the tone and delivery that this is a “plug” to advertise care credit. Still doing the research and my own financial comparisons but something doesn’t feel right or genuine here
Thanks for the insights, Cindy — Jasper won’t get pet insurance! Can you make one on getting (owner’s) title insurance ?
Do you own math of the break even point. Understand how expensive ER visits/surgery could be and what health condition your pet is in, and then make the decision based on your own situation. My dog’s ER visits were $3,000 last year, and I paid $1,000 premium + $550 out of pocket including deductible + a few hundred for regular check ups.
I’ve had insurance plans for my pet in the past and it saved our life.. I actually saved $600 with 3 months of insurance. When your dog is a senior, it’s worth it and can be a lifesaver.
BTW, NEVER DO CARECREDIT… THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR CREDIT..
THUMBS DOWN ON THIS VIDEO.
Insurance is good when you actually need it. My cat for example had early kidney failure at just under 4 years. Bills added up to around $5k. They paid 90% after the deductible. I could not recommend pet insurance enough, because you just never know.
You’re pretty stupid as you don’t know the cost of veterinarian medicine at all!!! Pet insurance is for accidents and catastrophic health problems… Add up the cost for veterinarian specialty care, imaging diagnostic’s and long term stay in a hospital and you’ll see what I mean!!! You’re not about your pet your about your bottom line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I your pet has one sever chronic health condition then the right pet insurance like Trupanion at 90% pay out is well worth it… So quit being a little Karen know it all and spreading uneducated sh*t!!!
When a three-month-old puppy swallows a human hair that gets wrapped around its intestines and needs surgery to have it removed, insurance is a life saver! So I agree with your advice only if people have the savings account filled with money before the puppy comes home. To accumulate the savings over the course of a dog’s entire life this is the entire purpose of insurance
There needs to be a non-profit pet insurance company. Otherwise all these pet insurance companies are smoke and mirrors.
Too bad there wasn’t a non-profit pet insurance company that all pet owners can pool their risk into. It would cover much, much more for much, much less.
And be so much more simple and uncomplicated.
This is the dirty little secret of pet insurance companies and the whole insurance industry, generally. (Health insurance, as most of us know and understand.)
It can be an accounting hassle to figure out that you’re overpaying for a certain level of insurance. Deductibles, annual premiums, coinsurance, annual limits; wellness rider or no wellness rider?
Patiently sitting down and doing the math comparing different pet insurance companies, it seems that it might be best to get much higher coverage for accidents and illness and pay for vaccinations and blood work and dental cleaning on your own. Then when you get this far, you have to compare different pet insurance companies with each other, calculating, to see which pet company you’re getting the most out of for your money.
Or you might understand other things regarding your pet’s insurance and pet insurance generally.
You have to be very good with numbers, proportion, and percentage, to get through calculations, to understand what your pet’s real needs are and if you’re unnecessarily over paying for things. I have to struggle with this, but I get through it, but it’s a hassle.
Wellness riders seem to be good if you find a stray cat or dog because they include flea problems, microchip, etc. but not comprehensive coverage for dental cleaning, full vaccination coverage full blood work.
Our cat does not need all those things that these wellness riders include and they’ll only pay for a portion of blood work, dental cleaning etc. So it’s not worth it in many cases (for many) to pay the monthly wellness amount when you do the math.
Basically, pet insurance, like so many other types of insurance is a smoke and mirrors cluster f.
Problem is most people will end up spending the pet emergency fund on other expenses when unexpected things happen so they will have nothing when they need it. Your idea works in theory but it’s a bad idea for most people.
Good video my boxer is 10 years old now so pet insurance is extremely expensive.
Well I ended up with a mastiff that has allergies to a few things and will require meds and a dermatologist. At the moment I think the insurance would be a good idea.
$100 in a savings account a month when you get a puppy- then when the dog is of an age that situations start, you’ll have a good amount to take care of the pooch. Like Human children- have as many as you can afford. IF you want 1 or 2 dogs- foster for your local rescues and they take care of the medical- you just buy the food and love/work with them 24/7,…, they need it! If you love hounds and can let go of them when they find owners that love them, Fostering is a great way to have a dog, or 2 and enjoy all the best parts of them being yours, and you learn a lot about training and care so when you get your own- you are well equipped to be a "forever owner".
Trupanion will pay the vet up front without you having to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This bit*ch hasn’t done her homework!!!
We just got a puppy so this is super helpful info – thanks!
This is not a one sized, fits all situation. If you ask veterinary professionals, insurance is one of the things that they wish every pet owner had. More so than not, people do not have the cash available to pay for emergencies. $1,500 for an emergency surgery is cheap, more typical to be in the $5,000-6,000 range.
This was super helpful, thank you!
It’s funny to me how people get pets and then complain about how expensive they can be I have bcaa pet insurance I pay 81 a month for 90% coverage and it covers accidents alternative therapy behavioral therapy hereditary conditions illnesses injuries and accidents hospitalization surgery laboratory testing prescription medication alternative therapy behavioral therapy plus $1000 additional for each incident for Kennel boarding fees if you are hospitalized due to an accident or illness and you cannot care for your pet.
Holiday-trip-cancellation coverage if your pet requires emergency, life-saving treatment resulting in the need to cancel your vacation.
Lost pet advertising and reward.
Cremation or burial costs for your pet.
No deductible or co-pay applies to any of the above additional benefits.
Very informative and helpful! Just recently I’ve been having to think about insurance again since my cat’s insurance is set to end in a couple months. I chose the cheapest insurance for myself at $500 deductible and paid $187 for the entire year (so around $15/mo) which isn’t bad, but this year I’ve probably spent around $300 out of pocket at the vet after a recent minor eye infection and wellness check, and only about $70 actually went towards my deductible. I also recently took in a stray whom I didn’t have any insurance for obviously and ended up with allergic dermatitis and no medical records and had to pay $500 for his treatment and update on shots. Thank goodness for savings! You’re definitely right, in ANY case, it’s still a good idea to have a separate emergency funds for your pets, and don’t JUST rely on having insurance!
I used to have a 60 lb Bernese Mountain Dog/Labrador Mix growing up whom we didn’t have insurance for. In the 15 years we had her, we only had one accident when she messed up her hip, I can’t remember exactly what happened, but she needed surgery. I believe it cost around $1500 my mom paid for. I can only imagine though over 15 years how much my mom would’ve spent on her monthly insurance vs. her one time emergency cost! Of course, this is totally up to personal preference, but I think this is definitely a welcomed perspective on whether or not pet insurance is right for your situation!
Instead of purchasing pet insurance what about purchasing a pet health and wellness plan ? Such as what PetSmart and Petco offer ?
She is right I finally gave up after spending thousands and having so many claims denied.
I have 5 cats and 1 dog and the amount of times I’ve needed to go to the vet is ridiculous. Prevention alone is just over $600 not including yearly vaccinations that can total to be the same price. Having %80 percent of that reimbursement doesn’t sound to bad. This year alone I’ve had to take my kitties in 3 times for illness and accidents had one have a skin reaction and lick soo much that he bled another eat plastic and get constipated and then another rip a nail off. All before their yearly visits