In my last post I talked about the dangers of cheap pet medicin and the post was my cry out to pet owners that are being cheap when it comes to the health of their pets.
Pet Medication
I understand that some people are having a tough time because of the downsizing that is going on as well as the financial crises (or recession) that we have on our hands. Unfortunately neither we or our animals can avoid becoming sick until the crisis is over and we get our job back. It would be great if we could do it this way but unfortunately we can’t.
Trupanion and Pet Medicine
That is why I am glad that Stacy from Trupanion came in and commented on my post. I have to be honest that I am totally impressed with the web-presence of that pet insurance company. Huge companies such as VPI and ASPCA are being flamed left and right in the comments on this blog but not once have they taken notice and have taken the time to visit the site and comment on the things that people are complaining about. I don’t know if they don’t care or they are simply ignorant of what is going on online.
In my view Trupanion wins this game by far. Does this mean that they offer the best pet insurance? No! That has nothing to do with it but it shows that they care and that they take anything that is said about their company seriously and that is something that I appreciate in a company and especially in an insurance company.
But back to Stacy’s comments. She told us that Trupanion “cover 90% the veterinary bills for accidents and illnesses. That covers diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications”.
So in these financial troublesome times you will get a pet insurance that will reduce the cost of pet medicine by 90% which means that you’ll get the best treatment and meds for 10% of the original price. Even with cheap pet meds you’ll have a hard time beating that offer.
I asked Stacy whether they were going to pay for medication for the rest of the pets life if that was what was called for and she answered that “Yes, these costs would be covered so long as this deadly illness was contracted after the owner enrolled said pet with pet insurance”.
In other words that is a 90% discount for life (of your pet) and with the proper treatment and the right medication that time period will most likely be longer than if you had tried to cut cost by purchasing your own cheap pet meds solution in some secondhand online pet drug store.
If money is not problem for you then you don’t need a pet insurance at all. Pet insurances are for people that are afraid that they’ll not be able to pay for the costs if their pet becomes ill or gets injured in some way. For most pet insurance holders the net result will be an expenditure because you’re most likely going to be paying more over the course of your pet’s life than you’ll get in payouts from the insurance company.
All pet insurance is is a “safety net” that will help you sleep good at night knowing that you’ll not be hit with huge medical bills if an accident does happen.
Does anybody know anything about this one? Are they good or are they like ASPCA? I need to find some type of insurance for my kids here.
Hey Heather,
I’m not going to answer your question, because I think I’m a little biased;) But go ahead and check out the other thread on Trupanion as it’s quite active and may help you answer some questions.
http://www.petinsurancepro.com/category/trupanion-pet-insurance/page/2/
DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE! Trupanion will screw you in a heartbeat. Be sure to read your contract very carefully, especially in regards to pre-existing conditions. I am being punished because my vet is an idiot. We had absolutely no idea that our little guy was ill when we signed up but trupanion was able to dig very hard and find some problems with our vet’s analysis and denied thousands of dollars in claims as a result. They have admitted that they believe that we had no idea about the pre-existing condition but have denied us nonetheless. Just to repeat because it is unbelievable to me, no vet or person EVER told us that there was anything wrong with our cat, ever. Further, we had a full check up just days prior to signing up with trupanion and our vet did not state that anything significant was wrong with him.
They are fine letting my little guy die and I am completely heartbroken.
In addition, the head of their customer service department blew me off repeatedly and even had their staff call me back and lie to me saying that she was not in that day although multiple staff earlier in the day told me that she was within eye shot but on the phone.
I am not sure if there is anything better out there as this is my first experience with pet insurance, however, I am done with these guys other than the law suit that I will be soon slapping them with soon enough.
Hi B,
I am very sorry to hear that there has been some misunderstandings between you and your vet. I will assure you though, and everyone else out there, that we are not out to screw everyone – we actually do care about helping pets.
Unfortunately, no pet insurance company will cover incidents that are pre-existing, which is why we encourage pet owners to get pet insurance for their pets as soon as possible. That way there are no doubts or surprises, like the one you sadly had to come across.
My sympathies go out to you as you as you’re dealing with your pet’s illness.
Thank you so much,
Melissa