Petcare vs' petplan

Hey everyone
I am trying to decide between the two types of insurance. Can you lend me some advice on the pros and cons of both insurance??? I been reading a lot of posts in the last couple of days and trying to learn more on how to best care for Harley. Does one or both of them cover flea treatments like frontline, I thought I read that somewhere. I haven't came across a post that just talke about these two insurances so I thought I would give it a shot.....thanks........

There are numerous posts about these two insurance companies and the pros and cons. The key thing will be for you to read all the fine print on the policies and to ask questions of the company representatives before signing up.

Neither of these companies provide coverage for routine preventative care. They cover illnesses and accidents only. That means that you are still responsible for paying for flea and tick preventatives, all shots, neutering, and yearly exams. These expenses should be figured into your budget so that you can personally afford them on the long term.

What these companies DO cover are accidents and genetic diseases/disorders. Few dog insurance companies cover genetic problems, and with your pup's background that's the coverage that you will really need. You've been learning about the different genetic problems prevalent in the breed; with insurance, if your pup needs surgery on its knees, you'll be less concerned/stressed about finances.

It's important to be aware how these companies work. You will have to pay a deductible, and the amount of the deductible is dependent on the plan you choose. If your pup is sick for something that is covered by your insurance, you will have to pay the vet, and then you send in your claim to the insurance company. The company then sends you a reimbursement.

Good luck!

All I know is Petplan is very expensive. Many insurance companies only insure a condition for the 1st year. After that you are on your own. You should look for a company who insures the lifetime of the condition. This means they will give you a certain amount (£7,000 in AXA's case) every year for as long as that condition lasts, be it a year or a lifetime. many companies say they will insure the pet for life but this doesn't mean anything.

If you are in the UK I recommend AXA. I told my friend about this as she insured her cat with Petplan for £30 a month she changed to AXA and it cost £12 a month The cat had never been ill before until a week after changing, AXA paid up in a few days even though you usually have to wait until the animal has been insured for 2 to 4 weeks before you are covered.

A quote from AXA

The AXA vet's fees policy cover is not time limited, and therefore we will continue to cover your pet even if it develops a long term condition, as long as you continue to pay the premiums.

I should get commission from them I have told so many people!!!!

hi
Jasper has petplan insurance he is coming up to 2 and a half now, I have not had to use it yet:xfngr:, I've always paid for his flea treatment and worm treatment, also he has had treatment twice for upset stomachs which I've paid because the cost didnt reach the excess of £65, if he had an illness or injury the maximum cost is £4,000 per illness/injury per year. He also has to have a dental per year and his jabs up to date. We are looking into having Gabby insured and have not decided to go with pet plan or axa.
Good luck.

Hi
Just by coincidence looked at mine and had no claims this year, i picked Pet Pals same lifetime cover as Petplan but what decided me was in time of emergency and stress Pet Pals call centre was UK based whilst Petplan was over seas .
Paid as follows all with £80.00 excess
Poppy dob 04/07/06 £253.00
Daisy dob 09/01/07 £235.61
Rosie dob 19/07/08 £235.61

So about £72 per month (£723.00 per year ) for all three but is is lifetime cover

check out this one too, it's from Canada and new to US. They only insure puppies and therefore , no such thing as preexisting condition, also covers hereditary problems. http://trupanion.com/
Sara's dog had patella surgery and they even covered the playpen she got to confine him and I think even the stroller to walk with him.

Brian M said:

So about £72 per month (£723.00 per year ) for all three but is is lifetime cover

Click to expand...

Ah but is it lifetime of condition or lifetime of dog? Lifetime of dog just means as long as you pay, they will cover you but they may only cover the illness for one year.

By the way, AXA only have a £50 excess.

i thought petplan has competitive price.
i switched from VPI to Petplan.
the price difference is minimal.

Hi
Petpals super cover allows £5000 per year per condition and it is for the life time of the pet ,therefore as Poppy is 2 and she if develops a problem then she would be covered every year for her lifetime ,so i think its identical to Petplan apart from my issue with call centres.

Hi everbody
First off, I want to thank all of you for your responses. I am from the US though and it seems that most of these is from the UK. LOL Anyone from the US would be helpful. I read on one of them about paying $12 a month. Is there anything in the US that is that cheap? That would be great as money is tight right now. I would appreciate hearing from all of you. Thanks

PetPlan and Petcare are available in the US. So is VPI, however VPI does NOT cover genetic diseases, which makes it almost useless for the types of conditions most dogs develop.

PetPlan is relatively new in the US, so you'll need to check their website to see if they are available in your state. You'll have to research the types of plans available and the types of coverage you want to see what you can afford.

Please note: If finances are tight, consider this: Could you afford 7.000 dollars worth of vet bills for knee surgeries? If not, the monthly premium for insurance shouldn't look so costly!

It is possible that you can get the insurance and not need to use it. If you opt NOT to get insurance, you need to sit down with the family and decide NOW what you will pay for and how you will pay for your new dog's healthcare needs. IF something comes up and you can't afford it, will you turn your dog over to rescue? Will you put the vet bills on credit card and find a way to make payments? This type of planning is essential so that, if the time comes for vet bills, you and your family already know what you will do.

you won't get much coverage for anything significant below $30.You're better off putting the money away and saving it for vet bills.

Thanks!! It's a big decision and I will look more into it. All I know is, I want my new pup to be healthy and he will be. I will continue reading more posts to make a decision. Thanks again.

I just changed from PetCare to PetPlan. I'm not sure of my premium, but it's in the $40's per month. But you can choose your co-pay and deductible to get the premiums where it needs to be for you.

I think PetPlan is better becaues they have annual caps, but not per condition caps. On a really serious chronic type issue you might use up a $3000 or $6000 cap pretty quickly on that condition and then you're on your own. That is why I switched.