July 18, 2007
THOUGHTS ON PET HEALTH INSURANCE
Dear Members of the Schulhof Family,
I have become aware that some of you are concerned about the rising cost of pet veterinary services. As I am sure you
have noticed, at SAH we have chosen the "high road" with respect to pet care. This is congruent with the desire of a
majority of our clients, who, similar to ourselves, consider their pets, like Harriet, C.C., Tigger, and Biscuit Benyei, to be
important members of their families.
Unfortunately, highly trained staff in our suburban environment, and sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment are
expensive. And excellent wellcare, while it pays off handsomely in the later years of a pet's life, is also a continuing cost.
Because of your concerns, I have spent many hours researching pet health care insurance programs. I found of
particular use the website www.petinsurancereview.com .
It turns out that pet health insurance is closely following in the footsteps of human health insurance, as it comes in a wide
variety of confusing products offered by each company, and many, many, limitations. In researching pet health care plans
that scored at or above 8.5 out of 10 with regard to their willingness and promptness in paying claims, I came up with
three plans that are currently available in Connecticut: Hartville/ASPCA, Embrace (only a year old), and Petfirst
Healthcare (only three years old) which I invite you to look at. VPI, on the other hand, has a current rating of only 4.5,
although it may be better known.
We all know that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and this is certainly true in the health insurance business. After
all, in order to pay administrative costs and make a profit, pet health insurance companies have to take in much more
money than they pay out in claims. Each company has it's pros and cons, and each seeks to make itself look inviting.
However, to help you find your way in the forest without being eaten by wild beasts, make note of the following:
- All three plans have a maximum age for enrollment, from age 6 (Embrace), to age 9 (Petfirst), to age 13
(Hartville/ASPCA.) - All except Hartville/ASPCA adjust their premium based on breed and age. Some breeds are excluded.
- The premium for all plans rises with age. Many plans cancel coverage when a pet reaches age 10 or 12. However,
Hartville/ASPCA, Embrace, and Petfirst coverage increases in cost but does not cancel as long as you pay the
premium. - None of these plans covers pre-existing conditions. Only Embrace covers congenital diseases, and only Embrace,
at an additional cost, covers chronic diseases of a duration that extends into the next policy year. - All plans have illness incident caps and annual caps, which begin low, but can be increased by purchasing a higher
level product. - All plans have deductibles that range from $50.00 to $500.00.
- All plans pay based on a predetermined percentage schedule of "reasonable and customary cost" which often has
little resemblance to actual cost. - Most plans have a co-pay which varies with the product and ranges from 5% to 35%.
- Most plans do not pay for dental prophylaxis. Embrace provides an extensive dental plan at an additional cost.
- Hartville/ASPCA has a 30 day waiting period, and Petfirst and Embrace have a 14 day waiting period after the
purchase of the policy. None will pay for any ill care during this time. Illness during this period is considered pre-
existing. - Hartville/ASPCA and Petfirst have well care plans, but Embrace does not cover routine well care.
- Only Embrace covers alternative medicine such as acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, rehab therapy,
behavioral medicine, etc. - Embrace seems to have the most flexible products.
Only you can decide if pet health insurance is for you. Basically, you get what you pay for. If I were going to choose a
plan, I suspect I would try Embrace www.embracepetinsurance.com although it is very, very new (it only started in 2006
and while it has a rating of 9.35 it really has no track record) because I am committed to alternative and complimentary
medicine, hopefully have the discipline to plan for the cost of routine well care, and I like their straightforward approach.
However, I feel it is equally useful to take out a Pet Health Savings Account of the type we helped Fairfield County Bank
design, and/or use Care Credit for emergencies. And of course, spending a little more in prophylactic and wellness care
in the earlier years of your pet's life will certainly lessen the incidence of chronic illness expense in the waning years,
along with ensuring a much better quality of life as a senior pet.
I hope all this has been helpful.
Sincerely,
Candace R. Benyei, Ph.D., Hospital Administrator
Schulhof Animal Hospital, Westport, CT
203-226-1231
------------------------------ Heather Witt's Complete Canine Company™ -------- Dog Trainer & Behaviorist ------- Veterinarian Recommended ----------------------------- - Serving Fairfield County, CT - heather@heatherwitt.com 203-257-0604 ----------------------------- "Enriching the lives of dogs and their families through training" ----------------------------- REFERRED BY: Westport Continuing Education Dr. Chuck Noonan of Weston 221-1440 Dr. Chris Benyei Schulhof Animal Hospital Dr. Rocco Frank of Westport 227-4117 Dr. Thomas Marsh Greenfield Animal Hospital of Fairfield 254-0700 Dr. Joan Poster Poster Animal Hospital of Westport 259-3647 Earth Animal (Westport) 222-7173 |
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February 14, 2008
GREAT NEWS REGARDING PET INSURANCE!!!!
VPI Pet Insurance, the oldest and best known pet insurer in the US, has just come out with a new well care program.
Called WellCare Protection, the program, which may be added to your regular illness coverage, sports three diffeent
levels of protection/re-imbursement that may be swapped annually as your pet's needs change with age. And, VPI's level
of service is back to normal, now that they have completed their software upgrade, which was causing a serious wrinkle a
year ago.
I ran the numbers on our two Labradors, Harriet aged 9, and CeCe aged 2. The fanciest combined illness/well care
program for Harriet ran $58.17 a month and for CeCe ran $44.50 a month without the annual multi-pet discount. The
plan covers dentals, acupuncture, chiropractic, and spays and neuters, as well as chronic conditions, defined as a
condition that lasts more than a year, which most other companies will not cover. Unlike many plans, there is no severe
premium escalation with age, and pets are enrolled for life as long as the premium is paid. Pets must be enrolled by age
10.
VPI publishes, rather than hides, its reimbursement schedule, so you can check ahead of time to find out how much the
company pays for each covered condition.
Most importantly, if the premium is paid annually, automatic credit card or checking account deductions are NOT required.
You can sign up for the VPI pet insurance on the web at www.petinsurance.com or you can do it by phone at
1-888-899-4874.
After much research, I have decided that this is the best option. I hope this news is helpful, particularly in an economically
stressful time.
Sincerely,
Candace R. Benyei, Ph.D., Hospital Administrator
Schulhof Animal Hospital, Westport, CT
203-226-1231
GREAT NEWS REGARDING PET INSURANCE!!!!
VPI Pet Insurance, the oldest and best known pet insurer in the US, has just come out with a new well care program.
Called WellCare Protection, the program, which may be added to your regular illness coverage, sports three diffeent
levels of protection/re-imbursement that may be swapped annually as your pet's needs change with age. And, VPI's level
of service is back to normal, now that they have completed their software upgrade, which was causing a serious wrinkle a
year ago.
I ran the numbers on our two Labradors, Harriet aged 9, and CeCe aged 2. The fanciest combined illness/well care
program for Harriet ran $58.17 a month and for CeCe ran $44.50 a month without the annual multi-pet discount. The
plan covers dentals, acupuncture, chiropractic, and spays and neuters, as well as chronic conditions, defined as a
condition that lasts more than a year, which most other companies will not cover. Unlike many plans, there is no severe
premium escalation with age, and pets are enrolled for life as long as the premium is paid. Pets must be enrolled by age
10.
VPI publishes, rather than hides, its reimbursement schedule, so you can check ahead of time to find out how much the
company pays for each covered condition.
Most importantly, if the premium is paid annually, automatic credit card or checking account deductions are NOT required.
You can sign up for the VPI pet insurance on the web at www.petinsurance.com or you can do it by phone at
1-888-899-4874.
After much research, I have decided that this is the best option. I hope this news is helpful, particularly in an economically
stressful time.
Sincerely,
Candace R. Benyei, Ph.D., Hospital Administrator
Schulhof Animal Hospital, Westport, CT
203-226-1231