Our dog gets urinary tract infections every couple of years or so. I submitted the vet bill to the pet insurance company, but they denied the claim because this had happened before. This was three or four years ago.
While our pupper has another UTI, it finally occurred to me that UTI is not really a chronic condition, but occurs from time to time. Each time, there is a separate triggering event (I guess) that causes the UTI. In my limited experience, that takes it out of the category of being a pre-existing condition, or even a chronic one.
This time I want to file a claim and pursue it. It seems very unfair for the pet insurance company to deny a claim.
I will take a look at the policy documents, but has anyone had experience in dealing with pet insurance claims like this? Other than the one claim that was denied before, we have never made a claim.
When our pup was a few months old he had GI problems. We purchased pet insurance a couple of months later and they marked GI as a pre-existing condition not covered by insurance.
(I seem to recall they said they’d remove the clause after 3 years if he didn’t have a recurrence. It’s been 3 years now so I need to check on this).
In short: if your dog had any health issues prior to your purchasing insurance, it seems to be standard practice to exclude such conditions. I do understand what you’re saying about UTI not being a chronic issue but unfortunately I’m not sure the insurer will agree. But no harm in trying. Good luck
We got a new puppy who was 8 months old when we got her. On her first visit to the vet, the vet noted that her teeth had the beginning of tooth decay and we should make sure to brush them. We signed her up for pet insurance and we’re surprised that they have excluded all tooth decay problems as preexisting. I guess I’ll make sure I’m consistent about brushing those teeth.
We are paying about $150/month for the insurance. It would be nice for them to cover something.
I laughed out loud when I saw that “cosmetic procedures” are not covered under our plan. Drat! Our little girl was so looking forward to her Botox injections!
Thank you! We went with a very high percentage coverage with a very low deductible and a very high annual limit.
She’s a mutt (but a cute one), so perhaps I am overpaying given how many exclusions there are. She’s barely 30 pounds, and that’s usually with her holiday weight.
I do want to pursue this with the insurance company because a UTI shouldn’t be considered pre-existing or chronic. But, as @DadOfJerseyGirl mentioned, I can easily see them dinging this claim. This time, I won’t let it go.
Will fill folks in when I figure this out. I took a quick scan of our policy, and it doesn’t seem like they can exclude this. But, I am sure they will try to find a way.
I’ve heard good things about Nationwide, and also ASPCA’s insurance. Until I get my issue sorted, I’m not going to recommend our pet insurance company!
We have the same experiences. We have Nationwide and I hate them. They are super sneaky- they change their coverage and send a benign letter and unless your an attorney used to ready legal stuff you don’t know they have just screwed your out of coverage. Good luck-
I’m a gambler, we don’t have insurance, I think I’ve spent about $5000 over the last 12 years total for our 18 pound rescue, annual visits, heart worm and tick protection, 2 dental cleanings (including a heart u/s to make sure she could have anesthesia). I think insurance premiums would’ve cost more. We could cover OOP if needed for an emergency.
We have Healthy Paws Insurance for our 11yo Labradoodle and have been happy with them. The policy is similar to Major Medical plans, it covers emergencies not dental, allergies, vaccinations etc.
Last year our boy had emergency surgery for Bloat, GDV gastric dilitation and volvulus, which is a life threatening emergency. The bill was over $9000 and Healthy Paws sent us a check within a month minus deductible.
We have Healthy Paws as well. Haven’t had any claims and it doesn’t cover routine yearly visits. Our pup was 2 when we rescued and got the insurance. Just saw it on my CC statement today - under $38/month . I forget if that was 80 or 90% coverage.
Prices can widely vary depending on deductibles, annual limits etc. Please check that out when doing a comparison to make sure it’s apples-to-apples.
Do check it out thoroughly. We had never bought pet insurance and just knew a few people who went with Healthy Paws so we gave it a try. Again, we haven’t had to submit any claims yet.
Ask your vet for recommendations. They’ve likely “seen it all”.
However, if they recommend a particular company, ask why, and if they have any parterships with that company.
Back when our urchins were younger, we asked ours, and her suggestion was to forgo insurance, and start a fund on our own. But that was also a long time ago, and insurance options have likely changed. Now, she has insurance recommendations on their website. I’m assuming there may be a financial incentive in the mix (either for advertising, or possibly for a slight commission). I’ve never asked why the change, as our pets became too old to consider – nearly everything would be a pre-existing condition by now.
If I started again with a new young pet, I may reconsider insurance, but only for “catastrophic” care (if there is such a thing). We could afford the usual exam, blood work, cleanings, etc. However, especially once they’ve become a part of your family, I would not want to make an expensive care decision based on cost (surgery or multiple testing for instance).
good luck!
and it doesn’t cover routine yearly visits. Our pup was 2 when we rescued and got the insurance. Just saw it on my CC statement today - under $38/month . I forget if that was 80 or 90% coverage.