If you have had pet insurance, did you find it worth having?

I looked into it years ago when it was first out and it had all of the crappy exclusions some health insurance plans throw in, like pre-existing conditions, etc. It wasn’t worth it to me. The cost of meds and vet visits was cheaper than the plans.

I;ve looked into it as well, but just opt for paying out of pocket, but I do have a medical credit card for such times that covers veterinary treatment. My last big “bite” really was a bite. Over $600 on my cats rattlesnake bite in 2012.

depends on what kind of pet you have. If it’s one of those purebreeds that have health issues galore then yes get it. My in-laws dog eats everything not bolted down. they just had to watch it for 24 hours after it ate chicken and fish bones. the ER visit and x rays and whut not would have been quite pricey without insurance.

Nope, never had any and truthfully, never considered any.

I had pet insurance with my dog and we used it twice, both times for minor surgery for benign tumours. It was a comfort to have it, knowing that if there was any serious problem we wouldn’t need to have her euthanased just because we couldn’t afford the treatment,. But overall we paid in far more than we claimed for and in retrospect we’d have been better off putting £20 a month into a savings account instead. If we got another dog, I think I would opt for the savings rather than the insurance next time.

I’ve got my dogs insured and they have always paid out so far, however, I notice that now one of my dogs is considered “old” the list of things they won’t cover is getting bigger so watch out for that. A friend of mine doesn’t bother with pet insurance but instead her Labradors have their very own bank account which she transfers money into every month for the “just in case”. That way if the dogs never need any expensive treatment she hasn’t lost all the money to an insurance company. I haven’t got enough self control to do that but I think it’s a great idea for those that do.

Absolutely. I have relied on the Banfield [formerly VetSmart at PetSmart] wellness plans for years. This is more like an HMO for pets than traditional Insurance. Care source is within the organization and strong emphasis is on preventive maintenance.

For JackyJilly from kittenhood on. Second pet sign up free. Variable yearly plans. After first year I switched them to lower cost more basic plans but then up them every couple of years so the dental would get included. Even the basic plans provide far more protection and preventative , incl many screenings and many inoculations, for far more things than usually addressed by vets. Also, if a pet suddenly becomes very ill or has a traumatic injury, the plan can be upgraded for that one pet [if at the lowest level that year] immediately to the higher to cover more costs.

There are several legit pet insurance operations out there (Trupanion, VPI, ASPCA and a few others) but if you choose to go that route, do your due diligence. They have things like breed disposition eliminations, lifetime limits, most reimburse you rather than the vet so you’re still out-of-pocket initially, wellness vs emergency, etc. If you research very, very carefully and find the plan that’s right for you, it can be worthwhile. (Be aware that the Banfield plan is not insurance, it’s strictly a Banfield program.)

In some cases pet insurance is a good idea.

“Peanut has been nothing but trouble. I swear she’s a cat, with six lives left by our count,” joked Keith. “We got her as a rescue and she has proven to be the most expensive free dog ever, so we’re relieved to have a policy with VPI Pet Insurance. This way, we know we’ll recuperate at least some of what we spend.”
http://www.today.com/pets/meet-peanut-dog-who-was-buried-alive-skunk-994860