Comments on: VPI Pet Insurance

By: Bobshoe

Bobshoe — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:11:58 +0000

My experience is that VPI automatically denies each and every claim. After paying for over a year, when my dog got pneumonia they said it was for a pre-existing condition. Other claims were all automatically denied. I think they simply hope you give up rather than pursue a claim. Save your money and keep from getting aggravated by these loathsome company. They are the worst. Any other company has to be better!

By: Karlys

Karlys — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:43:39 +0000

Hello!
I have been searching insurance for my dog for the past 6 month. She is a healthy 3 years old pekingese. I am still confuse about pet’s health insurance. Can someone please recommend me a really good one. Or should I just continue without pet insurance?

Thanks !

By: Turner

Turner — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:40:12 +0000

VPI is the worst!! Save your money, they will exclude from policy anything your pet has been to vet for in the past even an ear infection and you won’t find this out until you make the first claim and they request the medical records. They rendered me no service at all and refused to refund my policy. Sales reps tell you anything to sell policy and customer service reps are not worth the free phone call.

By: Marguerite

Marguerite — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:49:37 +0000

This was great; I am strongly considering Trupanion and the feedback has been very informative. I recently adopted a 4 month old mix breed and after years of having dogs without any insurance I wanted to start off right. I did get Banfield for her first year for a wellness plan and am now looking for insurance. Thanks again.

By: Mark Cockrell

Mark Cockrell — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:21:27 +0000

VPI is clearly not the best in insurance – You really need to review what they don’t cover – the benefit schedule you posted gives absolutely no information on what they actually don’t cover – There is a 7 page document – not available online – of things they don’t cover. Why are you so negative on Trupanion? Trupanion no exclusions – other than pre-existing. Tru panion does not consider “congenital” pre-existing.

By: Suzann

Suzann — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:57:20 +0000

Just wanted to put my two cents in regarding VPI. I have wasted my money on them for the past ten years. My dogs have been covered their entire life. They have been healthy and have never used the insurance. My older dog just turned 10 and had a case of kennel cough that didn’t respond to treatment. It turned into pneumonia for which he had to be hospitalized. The coughing dislocated his back and he had to be treated and seen for that issue as well.
I read my schedule of benefits. But still I called them to verify what was covered. Now I realize that I was given a vague, inflated “potential” reimbursement scenario. And they made it verythat on the standard plan, they only pay 90% of the allotted coverage. And the allotted coverage is PER ILLNESS. So it didn’t matter that my dog started with one disease that progressed to another, that needed followup checkups, or that he relapsed and needed further treatment. They considered it all one. And my bill for reasonable and customary service, of $2200+ got me a reimbursement of $326.55. Guess what my annual premium is? $340.
Scam. Scam. Scam. TImes two, as we have two dogs.
I certainly will look into Trupanion and I would appreciate any info on any other companies. I feel intensely ripped off.

By: Looking for Insurance

Looking for Insurance — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:32:37 +0000

Folks,
I’ve found this site incredibly useful and the posts as well. Anyone have any feedback on Trupanion yet? I have an 8 yr old lab and did not like the treatment that Banfield gave us after being loyal customers for most of those 8 years. My dog has dysplasia but thankfully has been healthy for 99% of the 8 years we’ve been together. I’d really like to ensure her needs are taken care of and am looking for an insurance company that I can trust. I expect to pay costs, the part I’d like to be certain of is that they will reimburse me to some degree if I pay into a plan. SUggestions/feedback would be much appreciated.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:35:05 +0000

VETERINARY PET INSURANCE IS A TOTAL RIP OFF! Trust me.

I bought insurance for my dog with VPI for 8 consecutive years. When my dog got old and I really NEEDED the benefit of that insurance I’d invested in for those 8 years, they canceled my policy. Turns out this is legal — the State of California Dept. of Insurance said VPI didn’t have to give me a valid, quantifiable reason for canceling.

Consumer Reports did a study and concluded you are just as good putting the money into a savings account. Seeing as VPI took my money for 8 years and then canceled when my dog got old (and was apt to actually get benefits paid out), you can see why buying pet insurance could be a BIG waste of money.

According to the Orange County Register, VPI was under investigation by the SEC for financial ‘improprieties”. Do you want to trust your pet’s health to an organization like this?

Avoid VPI and just put your money in a savings account.

p.s. The founder of VPI, Jack Stephens, is a trophy hunter. Ironic isn’t it? He says he cares about animals but he kills animals for fun.

By: Mikael

Mikael — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:42:35 +0000

Sara, I understand where you’re coming from. I’m not trying to defend the insurance company in any way but I think you need to be fair to them.

First of all, there is nothing unusual in paying insurance upfront. I’ve never heard of any other option (the company would be stupid to have it any other way).

When accidents or illness occur then it is only natural that you will have to file a claim. This is also standard procedure so you can’t hold that against them either.

Whether a processing time of one month is fair or not is hard to say. If you have provided them with every little bit of information that they needed then it might seem a little to long. If not, then I find it only fair.

If you bought an insurance with the idea that it would be a “money making machine” on your part then you can’t hold that against the company either. That is NOT the idea behind insurance coverage.

Finally you can argue that terms ought to be understandable to common people but even if they aren’t then it is YOUR obligation and not theirs to call them up and ask questions until you DO understand.

I’m sure that you do not understand everything when it comes to the laws of your country (even laywers don’t) but that doesn’t mean that you can run around breaking them because you “just didn’t know”. It’s you job to either spend the time and ask the questions to learn OR accept the way that things are. Either way the choice is yours!

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:31:56 +0000

I have this insurance and it SUCKS! DO not get it! First of all you pay upfront, then you have to submit a claim then Over a month you MIGHT get a check for a little bit back, but nothing compared to what you pay a month. ALSO the 4 pages you download to see what is covered, is all in VET tearms and if you do not know. So in a simple think like getting a “wart” removed from a paw. WOW how do you look that up?? I even had the Vet make a detailed Quote and I still can’t figure out what is covered and what is not. They make it that way so they can rip you off..STAY AWAY from this company