ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by mrsmac

I am curious about the prospect of obtaining health insurance for my pets. Does anyone know if it is worth it or a waste?

DISCUSSION:

A few years ago, when I first got Harlee Dee & Travis, a friend of mine told me about "Medi-Pet"insurance; I called the 800 number and unfortunately they were not accepting new clients. I'm not even sure if they still exist. But I did ask my vet if he would accepted the insurance and he said yes. GOD knows I could've used it for Harlee Dee's Ophthalmologist and the Neurologist I took Travis to. If anyone knows of another carrier that's accepting new clients I'd appreciate the info. Thanks.
-Karen Kalamaras

I heard that the policy is about a thousand dollars a year. In my book the only way that would pay is if you had an older animal with alot of ongoing health concerns. You have to remember that insurance people are not out to do anybody any favors. They have to make enough money from your policy to more than cover all of the conditions your pet could come up with and pay themselves a decent salary to boot.
-Ruth

I looked into pet health insurance when we adopted KoKo. I found a company in Calif. that was pricey and they did not cover normal annual visits. They just covered certain illness and all accidents. I concluded I had a health dog and would self insure. So far so good. If you are still interested do a Search on Yahoo or call 800 information.
-Shelley

When we purchased our Maltese the purchase included a six month veterinary care insurance policy with coverage through National Casualty Co. or "VPI". At the six month expiration date, I renewed the policy, thinking at the time that it was probably a rather poor financial decision. However, just days after I renewed we had occasion to use the coverage for an emergency situation. I was surprised at how much of the cost was covered by the policy. I would recommend the policy but you have to view it as insuring for disastrous situations -- it does not cover routine visits and deductibles are high. The company is good about telling you up front about what situations they will pay for and how much they will pay. You can then take that information to your vet and evaluate the investment for your particular situation. The number I have for "VIP" is 1-800-USA-PETS.
-Mary Ann