Health Insurance - Yay or nay?

[mandybadger]

How many of you guys have health insurance for your Corgis? Do you recommend it? My vet did, as she said they can have hip problems, but I'd really like you guys input on this as many of you seem to really know your corgi-stuff.

If there is already a thread about this please just point me to it, I did a search and found a few things but not really what I was looking for. Thanks gang! Eventually I might not have so many n00bie questions, lol!

[LaRositaMonita]

How many of you guys have health insurance for your Corgis? Do you recommend it? My vet did, as she said they can have hip problems, but I'd really like you guys input on this as many of you seem to really know your corgi-stuff.

If there is already a thread about this please just point me to it, I did a search and found a few things but not really what I was looking for. Thanks gang! Eventually I might not have so many n00bie questions, lol!

We do have a few members here who have insurance for their dogs, so they can offer their perspective. Colin and I have decided for now not to get insurance for Mac. The way that insurance for pets works is not the same way it works for humans. Instead of paying a small co-pay each time you go to the doctor, for your pets you will get reimbursed for the cost of treatment after paying for it out of pocket. So if God forbid Henry needed surgery at some point, you would still have to shell out the hundreds or thousands from savings it would cost to have the surgery. Then you would fill out a claim form with the insurance company you chose and they would determine what percentage of the cost they would cover and reimburse you for.

The complaints I've heard are that the insurance companies, more often than not, don't reimburse enough of what you pay out of pocket for it to be worth it. The claim process can also be lengthy and not hassle-free.

I am thinking that we may get insurance for Mac a year or two down the road. There are many different plans to consider (and of course, many different companies). You can get everything from coverage for dire accidents only to coverage that includes every routine vet visit and vaccine. The more you have covered, the higher premium that you'll pay. Since we didn't think it was worth it to get a plan that would cover Mac's standard expenses for this first year, we've decided to at least wait on it and have more time to think. In the meantime, we're putting as much money into savings as we can. (Keep in mind your premium will also be higher for an older dog who has had time to develop some health problems..)

Really it's just a matter of balancing the cost of paying $20-30/month for pet insurance (for a basic plan) vs. the cost of paying medical expenses out of pocket. If it balances for you, I'd do it. We didn't think it was worth the extra expense, at least for this first year.

I know that the AKC's insurance is supposed to be pretty good, and that the overall best recommends I've heard have been from VPI, if you want to look into them.

[Merlincorgi]

In my opinion... if you are disciplined enough to do it... the best idea would be to take that $20-$30 a month and put it in your own savings account and leave it there in case of emergencys. That way, you know you are getting what you put into it back (not normally the case with insurance) and you still have a back-up later on down the road in case something happens. Yes... you could still get caught if your pup has an unexpected accident, but that can happen anytime... and there's no guarantee that insurances will pay then either because they have so many loop holes. That's just my thoughts though... I know others who are very happy to have the insurance as a backup just in case and are more than happy to pay for that piece of mind. It's all up to how you feel really. JMPO

[MissGambler's+Mojo'sMommy]

I'm the type of person who worries, and believes in umbrellas(you know, if you have one, you won't need it) so I have my two covered, bumper to bumper, including the vaccination and routine care package, as well as the cancer package, the works. I have already had to make claims, spays(a surgery resulting from a spay problem) physicals, heartworm test(yes, that's covered) and I have had NO problem and NO wait to receive my percentage back. At least I am getting something back for procedures that I would not get a penny back for without insurance, and the amounts that I have been reimbursed, so far, have made up for what I have paid in. Now if you go through a long healthy spell, and we all want that for ours, then you are putting out more, but if something major happens, and you get a bill for three thousand, and you're covered for that incident, it would be nice to know that a large chunk is going back into your account after you are reimbursed. You get a claim number, id cards for your wallet, id tags for their collars, and a great service number. You're given forms to take to your vet, and a list of EVERYTHING that you are covered for and what percentage you get back, nothing is hidden, everything is up front, and you can stop it at any time. Yep, I'll keep my umbrella for now. You never know when its going to rain, even in the desert, and it has never failed me in my life that when I have my umbrella, it never rains. (Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I have VPI, and I've compared them to AKC and VPI has better coverage, less stipulations, and they are the only two that I would consider, also, VPI is the only one that is accepted at any vet in the US, no questions, so if you travel with yours, or plan to(and I have a lot) then that should be important.) Hope I didn't bore you.

[Fluffypants]

I'm the type of person who worries, and believes in umbrellas(you know, if you have one, you won't need it) so I have my two covered, bumper to bumper, including the vaccination and routine care package, as well as the cancer package, the works. I have already had to make claims, spays(a surgery resulting from a spay problem) physicals, heartworm test(yes, that's covered) and I have had NO problem and NO wait to receive my percentage back. At least I am getting something back for procedures that I would not get a penny back for without insurance, and the amounts that I have been reimbursed, so far, have made up for what I have paid in. Now if you go through a long healthy spell, and we all want that for ours, then you are putting out more, but if something major happens, and you get a bill for three thousand, and you're covered for that incident, it would be nice to know that a large chunk is going back into your account after you are reimbursed. You get a claim number, id cards for your wallet, id tags for their collars, and a great service number. You're given forms to take to your vet, and a list of EVERYTHING that you are covered for and what percentage you get back, nothing is hidden, everything is up front, and you can stop it at any time. Yep, I'll keep my umbrella for now. You never know when its going to rain, even in the desert, and it has never failed me in my life that when I have my umbrella, it never rains. (Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I have VPI, and I've compared them to AKC and VPI has better coverage, less stipulations, and they are the only two that I would consider, also, VPI is the only one that is accepted at any vet in the US, no questions, so if you travel with yours, or plan to(and I have a lot) then that should be important.) Hope I didn't bore you.

No need for me to type out my own reply - it would be the same as Delta's. I have the same insurance for the same reasons (good analogy with the umbrella!), and am perfectly happy with it. Hope that helps.+WUBCLUB+