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#1
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
Does anyone has PC pet insurance in Canada? I think this is fairly new.
I appreciate hearing any opinion on this insurace. Info can be found at http://www.pcinsurance.ca/ROCEN/PI.asp?referid=leftnav With the rising cost of vet bills for an aging cat, I am considering getting insurance for Rusty. But since he is almost 12 years old, many insurance will not accept him. With his history of urinary problems, even PC pet insurance which accepts pets at any age will exclude coverage on urinary problems for him. So I am uncertain whether it is worth it or not. The info didn't indicate whether blood and urine tests are covered. I found those quite costly. I will like also like to hear opinions on pet insurace in general. Thanks! -- Winnie |
#2
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
W. Leong wrote: Does anyone has PC pet insurance in Canada? I think this is fairly new. I appreciate hearing any opinion on this insurace. Info can be found at http://www.pcinsurance.ca/ROCEN/PI.asp?referid=leftnav With the rising cost of vet bills for an aging cat, I am considering getting insurance for Rusty. But since he is almost 12 years old, many insurance will not accept him. With his history of urinary problems, even PC pet insurance which accepts pets at any age will exclude coverage on urinary problems for him. So I am uncertain whether it is worth it or not. The info didn't indicate whether blood and urine tests are covered. I found those quite costly. I will like also like to hear opinions on pet insurace in general. I had pet insurance on my cats when it first was offered in the U.S. I soon decided it wasn't worth the price - at least not in the form in which it was available then. The premium is on a sliding scale, depending upon the pet's age, so if you have a healthy older pet, you may find yourself paying out more in premiums than you would in pay-as-you-go fees. It did not cover routine shots and exams, which were all my guys needed, most of the time. IIRC, the total coverage had a (fairly low) ceiling, above which I'd have had to pay the whole bill, anyway..... Policies may have changed considerably since then (it WAS quite a few years ago), so I don't want to discourage you entirely. However, just remember that insurance companies are in business to make money, so be very sure what you'll be getting, and EXACTLY how much you'll be paying. (After looking into the much touted Medicare drug coverage for U.S. senior citizens, I opted not to sign up, since most of the medications I take are not covered, and the co-pay plus the premium would have been more than I pay now for the items it DOES cover!) -- NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth |
#3
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
"W. Leong" wrote in
: Does anyone has PC pet insurance in Canada? I think this is fairly new. I appreciate hearing any opinion on this insurace. Info can be found at http://www.pcinsurance.ca/ROCEN/PI.asp?referid=leftnav With the rising cost of vet bills for an aging cat, I am considering getting insurance for Rusty. But since he is almost 12 years old, many insurance will not accept him. With his history of urinary problems, even PC pet insurance which accepts pets at any age will exclude coverage on urinary problems for him. So I am uncertain whether it is worth it or not. The info didn't indicate whether blood and urine tests are covered. I found those quite costly. I will like also like to hear opinions on pet insurace in general. Thanks! If you started right now and put away the amount the insurance policy would cost every month, I bet it would cover most of the vet bills. Chak -- Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses. |
#4
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
I understand that. But I am wondering whether I should get inurance for any
future problems such as diabetes, kidney problems, hyperthyroid etc which are common among older cats. Currently Rusty does not have these problems, but as he ages he will be at risk for them. What do other cat slaves do as their cats age? On the other hand, I don't even have supplemental medical insurance for myself. I just got the basic governement health insurance, and I am aging as well. But not old enough to qualify for senior health benefits. I can't even get critical illness insurance as I am too old for that. So with Rusty's vet bills and my own health expenses I am looking at potentially a large sum. Not a pleasant thought. Some said health is more important than money. But without money how do you pay for the needed medical services and drugs etc to maintain ones' health. I better stop before I get more depressed thinking about it. Winnie wrote in message oups.com... Hi Winnie, unfortunately any insurance will decline coverage to pre-existing conditions. Before you apply make sure you read all the exclusions, so you don't have any surprises when you need it. |
#5
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
That's what I've been thinking in the past.
But the 2 visits to the vet in the last couple of weeks already cost more than one year of premiums. Granted, things like vacccnations and checkup won't be covered. Someone once told me I always have the option of not treating a serious illness like cancer if I can't afford to pay for it. Winnie "Chakolate" wrote in message 44.170... If you started right now and put away the amount the insurance policy would cost every month, I bet it would cover most of the vet bills. Chak -- Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses. |
#6
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
W. Leong wrote:
That's what I've been thinking in the past. But the 2 visits to the vet in the last couple of weeks already cost more than one year of premiums. Granted, things like vacccnations and checkup won't be covered. Someone once told me I always have the option of not treating a serious illness like cancer if I can't afford to pay for it. Winnie I don't know about Canada, but where I live not all vets accept pet insurance. The Avian vet where I take Peaches accepts it, but the vet I take Persia to won't, so I've never bothered to purchase it. If you know your vet, they may be willing to work out payment arrangements for you. My little dog Sampson (RB) got very ill the morning I was moving to this apartment back in 1998 and I thought it was the end for him. It wasn't, yet, but when I picked him up the next day the bill was over $400. I had just paid out all this money to move - you know how it is, paying first/last month rent, security deposit, deposit to get the electric turned on, etc. I started crying when the receptionist told me how much the bill was. She said, "Oh, hey, don't worry. We can work something out." Because he had been a patient there for 5 or 6 years, they broke the bill down into increments and I was able to pay them a little each month. The same thing happened when Persia had her emergency surgery in 2004. The bill was almost $1,000. John (thank the lord) paid $900 of it but the medications and other stuff, well... I was able to pay in increments because they knew me and knew Persia. Jill "Chakolate" wrote in message 44.170... If you started right now and put away the amount the insurance policy would cost every month, I bet it would cover most of the vet bills. Chak -- Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses. |
#7
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
"jmcquown" wrote in message ... I don't know about Canada, but where I live not all vets accept pet insurance. The Avian vet where I take Peaches accepts it, but the vet I take Persia to won't, so I've never bothered to purchase it. If you know your vet, they may be willing to work out payment arrangements for you. My little dog Sampson (RB) got very ill the morning I was moving to this apartment back in 1998 and I thought it was the end for him. It wasn't, yet, but when I picked him up the next day the bill was over $400. I had just paid out all this money to move - you know how it is, paying first/last month rent, security deposit, deposit to get the electric turned on, etc. I started crying when the receptionist told me how much the bill was. She said, "Oh, hey, don't worry. We can work something out." Because he had been a patient there for 5 or 6 years, they broke the bill down into increments and I was able to pay them a little each month. The same thing happened when Persia had her emergency surgery in 2004. The bill was almost $1,000. John (thank the lord) paid $900 of it but the medications and other stuff, well... I was able to pay in increments because they knew me and knew Persia. Jill Rusty's vet accepts pet insurance. I discussed pet insurance with him when I first adopted Rusty almost 12 years ago. I always paid the vet in full using my credit card. He probably will accept payments in installments as Rusty has been his patient for so long. My problem is not with paying a lump sum or in installments, but just with facing a huge vet bill. I already paid $500 in vet bills in the last couple of weeks and the year is not half over yet. It only involved some shots, full blood and urine tests, exams, and nothing major. Things just add up, eg.a shot of Program costs $50. Of course there is also prescription food. I dreaded what the bill will be like if Rusty develop things like diabetes, kidney problems which are fairly common among older cats. But with all the deductions (which are higher for an older pet) and copayment that comes with pet insurance, I probably will not get pet insurance afterall. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. I was grocery shopping today and saw an ad on PC pet insurance that accepts pets of all ages. So I decided to take a closer look. Winnie "Chakolate" wrote in message 44.170... If you started right now and put away the amount the insurance policy would cost every month, I bet it would cover most of the vet bills. Chak -- Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses. |
#8
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message ... W. Leong wrote: Does anyone has PC pet insurance in Canada? I think this is fairly new. I appreciate hearing any opinion on this insurace. Info can be found at http://www.pcinsurance.ca/ROCEN/PI.asp?referid=leftnav With the rising cost of vet bills for an aging cat, I am considering getting insurance for Rusty. But since he is almost 12 years old, many insurance will not accept him. With his history of urinary problems, even PC pet insurance which accepts pets at any age will exclude coverage on urinary problems for him. So I am uncertain whether it is worth it or not. The info didn't indicate whether blood and urine tests are covered. I found those quite costly. I will like also like to hear opinions on pet insurace in general. I had pet insurance on my cats when it first was offered in the U.S. I soon decided it wasn't worth the price - at least not in the form in which it was available then. The premium is on a sliding scale, depending upon the pet's age, so if you have a healthy older pet, you may find yourself paying out more in premiums than you would in pay-as-you-go fees. It did not cover routine shots and exams, which were all my guys needed, most of the time. IIRC, the total coverage had a (fairly low) ceiling, above which I'd have had to pay the whole bill, anyway..... Policies may have changed considerably since then (it WAS quite a few years ago), so I don't want to discourage you entirely. However, just remember that insurance companies are in business to make money, so be very sure what you'll be getting, and EXACTLY how much you'll be paying. I came to the same conclusion after checking out several policies. I opted, instead, to open a special savings account just for Holly and Duffy. I put a small amount into it every month, and I have not touched it for anything so far. It is not for routine exams or even for minor problems. It is reserved for any major problems that may crop up in the future (and they will, as my cats age, at least if my previous cats are indicators). I hope that I will have a reasonable fund by the time it is needed so that I can self-insure. That takes some risks that not enough time will elapse, but I think it is likely to provide better care than most insurance policies. (I am in the U.S., so I do not have specific information about Canadian policies.) MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e Recent pics: http://tinyurl.com/clal7 |
#9
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
"W. Leong" wrote in message ... I understand that. But I am wondering whether I should get inurance for any future problems such as diabetes, kidney problems, hyperthyroid etc which are common among older cats. Currently Rusty does not have these problems, but as he ages he will be at risk for them. What do other cat slaves do as their cats age? On the other hand, I don't even have supplemental medical insurance for myself. I just got the basic governement health insurance, and I am aging as well. But not old enough to qualify for senior health benefits. I can't even get critical illness insurance as I am too old for that. So with Rusty's vet bills and my own health expenses I am looking at potentially a large sum. Not a pleasant thought. Some said health is more important than money. But without money how do you pay for the needed medical services and drugs etc to maintain ones' health. I better stop before I get more depressed thinking about it. Winnie I already sent one message with my general thoughts on pet insurance (and the route that I have taken). However, you have listed some very specific -- and logical -- concerns. Have you talked to your vet about this? I think a good vet might be in the best position to help you evaluate the actual policy (such as, past record of coverage for illnesses in aging pets and possibly a recommendation for specific companies to consider or to avoid). MaryL |
#10
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anyone has PC pet insurance?
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message news:ANo_f.4054$EA3.1393@dukeread10... I already sent one message with my general thoughts on pet insurance (and the route that I have taken). However, you have listed some very specific -- and logical -- concerns. Have you talked to your vet about this? I think a good vet might be in the best position to help you evaluate the actual policy (such as, past record of coverage for illnesses in aging pets and possibly a recommendation for specific companies to consider or to avoid). MaryL That's a good idea. Thanks! Winnie |
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