Read policy very carefully

[garyb]

Hope I am putting this in the right section. If not I do apologize. But I think this is extremely important for everybody to know.
If you have followed any of my recent posts you know we lost our dog in July. We had insurance through President' Choice Pet Insurance.
Got an e-mail today from President's Choice Pet Insurance. In spite of bills over $5,000 with our claim they have decline to pay ANYTHING. While I'm not suggesting that you don't consider them when purchasing pet insurance, make sure you read their policy very well or else you might too be disappointed. As well, while this was going on, we got a letter telling us our rates were going to increase. As the saying goes, "Buyer Beware"

[Frenchy]

Coming from an insurance company , it doesn't surprise me. Anything they can find to not pay you , they will.

I think if people can pay $40 - $50 a month insurance for their pet , they should instead put that money into a special account. The money will be there if the pet needs vet care. And if they never do , or only minor ones , at least the money will still be there for something else. Just my

[Dog Dancer]

GaryB sorry to hear that you are having this trouble. I'd fight them to be honest, in any way you can. I'm not surprised to hear this though, and I agree with Frenchy, save the money and pay the bills directly. I've never bought pet insurance because it seems that with every breed they find the most obscure thing that could happen and jack up your rates.

[Luvmypitgirls]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

Coming from an insurance company , it doesn't surprise me. Anything they can find to not pay you , they will.

I think if people can pay $40 - $50 a month insurance for their pet , they should instead put that money into a special account. The money will be there if the pet needs vet care. And if they never do , or only minor ones , at least the money will still be there for something else. Just my

I agree with you Frenchy, very sound advice. I've never had a lot of faith in Pet Insurance Companies.
We have an account that gets a minimum 50 dollar deposit every paycheque. There have been times when even with a significant amount saved it wasnt enough thankfully we have a vet that is willing to cut us a break when required.

[garyb]

I agree with Dog Dancer. It isn't worth it to fight them legally as it would cost $1,000's of dollars most likely in order to get a small amount back. The best way is to do just what I have done and that is to post what happened so that others will think long and hard before they apply for this coverage. I posted this notice on Facebook as well. I made sure I told people that I was NOT telling them not to buy from PC Insurance but to read the contract very carefully before doing anything. To those people who have responded to my thread I would ask that you pass this information along to others that you know or to post it on Facebook as well so they don't run into a similar situation. The best way to get back at insurance companies who are only interested in their bottom line is to get them where it hurts them the most and that is in the pocketbook and as dog lovers we owe it to others to make sure this doesn't happen to them.

[Dog Dancer]

There is no advertising any better than bad word of mouth! I'm with you GaryB. Hit them where it hurts. They could fight you in court forever, but they just can't fight the truth of a dissatisfied client.

[Luvmypitgirls]

Originally Posted by Dog Dancer

There is no advertising any better than bad word of mouth! I'm with you GaryB. Hit them where it hurts. They could fight you in court forever, but they just can't fight the truth of a dissatisfied client.

Amen to that! I'll be spreading the word.

[BenMax]

I am curious as to what their arguement was as to not pay and also what was said in the fine print which leads you not to pursue. Word of mouth is one thing but not the most effective way. Put your foot down and not get rolled over. I would also contact the better business bureau and as well as get some news coverage. Don't take this crap if you have been mislead.

[mastifflover]

I am also curious as what they would and would not cover if you don't mind me asking

[quincymycat]

I believe my first contact with this site was about pet insurance. The policy in question DID cover over $5,000.00 in vet bills to a specialist, however, at renewal time, would only give me 50% coverage AFTER a new deductible of $500.00.
I raised a big stink with the insurer and was able to re-instate my previous coverage of 80% and retain a $200.00 deductible. (previous was $100.00, but as the pet ages, the deductible automatically increases in any case)
It required a great deal of persistance on my part, but I was able to show that there was no reason for the decrease in coverage and that their trademark of coverage "so you don't have to worry" and `being there when you need it`was in doubt. I also let them know that word of mouth is not good for them.
This was a few years ago, and in my opinion, having pet insurance was a HUGE plus for me. I have 5 pets insured with the same company now and although the premiums are steep...most of my guys are approaching senior now, the cost of the premiums for all 5 is less than the cost of monthly medication for the one guy who requires the use of it each month.
I do believe however, that I am the minority and putting aside the equivient of my premiums would add up quickly, but since the amount I pay to ensure coverage for all 5 is pretty close to what I put out each mont, for me it paid off.
Check your coverage closely though. The fine print can be a killer both financially and emtionally.

[garyb]

Thanks everybody for your condolences and advise. To pursue this for possibly a few hundred dollars would only bring up the hurt that we have gone through all over again. I don't recall what was in the policy, but they sent a long-winded e-mail telling us what was and was not covered. My wife looked it over and felt that we might be able to claim some money, but because the reason that Mackenzie passed away is still actually uncertain we still might end up with nothing. So, we don't want to start that. I felt the best way to get back, if you want to call it that, is just to let people know what happened to us, let readers pass it along to others who might be thinking of purchasing insurance and as the saying goes "buyer beware". I don't know what other companies are like when it comes to claims, but at least we know now what to expect from this particular company.

[garyb]

Yeah, you have to wonder sometimes. But just by posting this I am hoping that people will look very closely at any policy they might purchase, to consider the company that they purchase it from and think about what we went through with our company.

[quincymycat]

Originally Posted by garyb

Yeah, you have to wonder sometimes. But just by posting this I am hoping that people will look very closely at any policy they might purchase, to consider the company that they purchase it from and think about what we went through with our company.

garyb, as I stated before, I have pet insurance for all 5 of my guys....it is not cheap but can be a life safer as it was in my case.

Originally, I had my first 3 policies through the same insurer you used, it was processed.....that is the claims were assesed and paid out through the same underwriter as are my claims from another insurer are now.
What this means, is that although many carriers are selling pet insurance under their "own banner" or name, they are basically selling the same policy and same underwriter. This means that although the policies are all paid by the same company (the underwriter), the company selling the policy is just selling the service, not making the decisions. It does still come down to reading ALL the print in the policy you choose however, as each "seller" may have slight variances to what they are selling. For example, the reason I cancelled coverage with PC, was that one of my cats required major dental work which if not completed would most definately cause other medical problems. The underwriter denied all claims for dental because dental was not a covered procedure, however, if I let the problem get worse, it would cover the resulting medical complications. I found this so ludicrous, I examined the next "sellers" product much more completely and found it did cover dental...it would not however include the cat that had the dental work done previously for any further dental work as it was considered "pre-existing". I had no problem with that exclusion...he doesn't have too may teeth left anyway. The other 4 are now covered for dental in their policies.
I worked for many years in the insurance business as a disabilty claims supervisor for people. I can say with all assurance that any insurance company will pay if the claim being made is legtitmate and covered by the individual policy, but I can also say that if there is any way the claim is not covered, it will not pay and will stick to that decison. Insurers are not in the business for the fun of it...at the end of the day it is a gamble for them that when they take on a policy that is sold by them, that it will be profitable for them.
Having been on the end of a pet insurance claim that was extremely expensive for the insurer....it works out that over time, I pretty much have claimed back almost all premiums paid over the years for everyone, for just one guy....I am one that IS NOT profitable for them, but most policies are.
I am sorry you were one of the majority that found out too late that fine print is the basis of insurance, but please also remember that the company that sold you the policy only sold you a "re-sell" of a lump product, not created or underwritten by them, but of another bigger company.
i hope this makes sense to you....but I also cancelled the same product you had for the same reasons....not reading the fine print. I was wiser next time around.

[garyb]

thanks for the information quincymycat. Ironically enough I spent over 30 years in the life insurance field. Over twenty as an agent and 10 in different administration fields, so I also know how these companies work. I was told that some companies actually don't mind paying some claims as it it great public relations for them. In a field that is so competitive settling a claim can be worth many new policies to them in some cases with huge premium. So the premiums collected in the long run far outweighs the payout they make. An example of this is a I was involved in a life case a few years back where the premiums for this particular case were over $16,000,000 annually. I was only on the administrative end (sadly, because the first year commission was around $1,000,000 and the renewals this broker gets from this case alone are around $80,000.00 a year).
However, I think that we will follow the advise of several people here who suggested to put some money aside each month for any major problems that we might run into.
Thanks for the advise, though. The more we can get the more we are able to figure out what to do when the time comes.

[Bearsmom]

Unfortunately, with the pet insurance business, I still question our company we use (the same as you). We carry a full rider on Molly and Bear. Till they had to pay out for Bear's eye surgery (he had some kind of funky growth on his eye). The next letter we received from the insurance company now excludes any eye, skin, thyroid, cancer, etc etc etc. So I called them and asked WTF are we doing carrying anything on Bear? (he just turned 11 and as a giant breed, apparently is considered a "risk". I keep meaning to find my copy of our policy and read it again just to figure out if we really need to keep insurance on him.....

[garyb]

I've read in several different places that many people are just putting the money away in an account for the time they will need it. I'm fed up with insurance companies that don't keep their word. And at the time when you are feeling your worst you really don't feel like fighting with them.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Bearsmom

So I called them and asked WTF are we doing carrying anything on Bear? (he just turned 11 and as a giant breed, apparently is considered a "risk". I keep meaning to find my copy of our policy and read it again just to figure out if we really need to keep insurance on him.....

That reminds me when I adopted Bailey and Daisy (older goldens) and first looked at pet insurances for them ... omg , it was ridiculous !

Originally Posted by garyb

I've read in several different places that many people are just putting the money away in an account for the time they will need it.

I really think this is the best thing to do.

[Masha]

Thats the same experience my family had with their pet insurance. When I got my guy, i did a lot of research and ended up with a different company, its called Trupanion (formelry vetinsurance). I may sound like a rep here, but they have been amazing. I have been trying to spread the word. There are no 'categories' and complicated payment systems and deductibles which are hard to figure out and allow them to have an explanation to any chance where they underpay. its so simple and i always know what i will get. They dont pay for the actual vet appoitnment, but otherwise they cover 90% of yoru bills. I had to put claism through several times already (pano x2, dental - broken tooth) and the promptness of the payments was excellent. they covered as promised and called to make sure all was well. check them out, they are not pricey either. for my GSD i pay 45 a month. they paid it to us many times over...

[binkybuff]

I sure am sorry to hear that they won't help you at all.

Now, my worth.

Remind them they are an insurance company, and we pay them not to get sick. They took money from you by fraud. You paid them to HOLD your money for you, in case of illness of the dogs, and they are not reimbursing you.

I once fought the Employment insurance folks over that same situation, (for me) and after getting loud in the office, I did get my money.

My suggestion, is make sure you document everything, and then start complaining, loud and long.

I agree with some of the others, having an account just might be the way to deal with our pets illnesses.

take care
binky

[garyb]

Your points may be valid, but as we are mourning the loss of a loved one the last thing in the world we need is another burden. We just want to forget the whole situation (not the pet) and get on with our lives.

[kiara]

I will be recommending Trupanion to my son, who lives in the U.S.A He is looking for a good insurance plan for his St. Bernard female dog, adopted from a SB rescue. Does anybody know if they ever consider the history of a rescue dog and may not want to insure?