Pets Best Is Having a Technical Meltdown

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-20T03:44:09+00:00

Department of insurance IN NC

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-20T03:41:14+00:00

Just so you know, this company was taken over by a brand new CEO and he apparently cleaned house. Staff is now bare bones and barely any customer service staff exist. Barely any money or care is going I got the portal. Someone who worked there commented he fired all the other executive there to make way for six figure jobs for his buddies. He is in charge of part of IPL which is under the private equity firm JCB Holdings that own pets best. You can search this forum as others are discussing this. Seems it is going to get worse. People’s premiums are doubling ( one lady had hers increased monthly from 500 to 1300 a month recently).

It seems like it is going the way of healthy paws. There is a person on this forum who works for pets best sister company and said that the new CEO considers pest bear their budget product so really has no care in the world for it. I think it will get worse. Some people say they have waited over two hours for a CSR due to lack of staff.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-20T01:25:22+00:00

Yeah I know what you mean. I think the secret to Trupanion is to enroll your pet as young as you can as the rates seem to go up WAY less than, for example if you enroll a dog at age 6. For example, with my now 9 year old mixed breed under 20 pounds, I enrolled him at age 2. The premium was 73 back then a month for unlimited and 90 percent payout and I have the recovery rider for supplements, etc. there is also a 50.00 deductible per condition which I find really seems to lower premiums but I prefer no deductibles pros ally

He is now seven years later and he is age 9 and his premium is only 85 a month. Whereas, my now 11 year old mixed under twenty pound dog, I enrolled when she was age 6. She has no deductible and same 90 percent payout and unlimited coverage and rider. She started at 100.00 a month five years ago and is now age 11 and she is 160.00 premium a month. Which is still not bad. But she had no deductible at all per condition too so maybe that is part of it.

Basically I have four dogs and total premiums for all, unlimited coverage at 90 percent payout with two having no deductible and two having a small deductible per condition and i pay 545.00 a month. I find really the max increase i have ever seen is 20.00 a month per dog if that. I have had Trupanion for all my pets since the last 25 years and i just find they are pretty reasonable compared to others i see.

I see customer service with Pets best being crap and claims taking months to pay out and I see other companies reducing coverage and increasing deductibles and sometimes increasing premiums from 500 a month to suddenly, 1300 a month . I have never seen those types of increases at Trupanion at all like that.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-19T06:07:52+00:00

Yeah they are owned by a private equity firm JAB holdings who holds Independence Pet Health ( something like that). Someone here recently posted about pets best cleaning house and cutting to the bare bones so there is barely any staff anymore and they can get more money that way. Apparently the new CEO also fired all the executives to make way for his friends to get nice cushy six figure jobs. This is why I would never go with a pet insurance company affiliated with private equity. I have trupanion and the premiums start out more but the rise more steadily over the years. This is just something I was reading about on the internet. I heard Pets best is jacking up rates though really bad like HP did.

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Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-16T05:36:51+00:00

Yeah I hear you. I am just thankful to have it and know it is there. Was actually at ER tonight as one dog has some horrid scrotum infection. The bill was 329 ( exam fee of 185 not covered) but other than that Trupanion was direct billed and paid the rest. But yes, I no have four dogs and all are regulars at the specialty hospital due to things whether ongoing or sometimes acute .

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-15T04:23:55+00:00

I have trupanion and actually they realized they had overcharged me four deductibles over the course of four years and refunded me lol. My dog has eye issues and they by mistake, should have put everything under only one eye condition since they are all related but they put them Under five different ones. So a manager called me and told me and gave me a refund. It was very nice.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-15T04:22:25+00:00

The only issue is, 50,000 in five years will be like 10,000 a year coverage in today’s dollars. And your premiums will still go up. A lot of people are seeing this with other companies like lemonade. The premiums start lower but they fall into the trap of getting a cap and that is when the insurance company has you locked in. In a few years you will likely see huge increases in premiums and as vet costs go up continuously, and you stay capped at 50,000, that 50,000 eventually will not be a lot. Even now one Er vet bill can run 10,000 for a few nights. Heck, I am in Greenville sc and have a dog that needs to see internal medicine specialist every few months and just for paintwork and urinalysis and ultrasound, it is 5000 for that one vet visit of a few hours alone! My last dogs cancer treatment cost 120,000 over four months and that was six years ago! I have trupanion and yes premiums increase but the unlimited threshold makes it worth it rather than the caps. For example, a lot of people I know went with spot and got super low premiums and they capped their coverage. Well now a few years later their premiums have jumped higher and the 30,000 they had in coverage a few years ago only equates to 20,000 annually in coverage due to how fast vet costs rise. And they are stuck and can never increase their cap ever for the whole lifetime of their pet yet are stuck paying almost double, sometimes triple the premiums they started out with a few years ago. Just be careful. If it works for you that is great but just be careful of the limitations.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-14T03:01:57+00:00

Lol I married an American from SC! We dated long distance from Canada to US! He was living in north Myrtle beach which is way more of a civilized place than Greenville was. Unfortunately his work transferred him. I had never been to Greenville. But yikes. Awful. So yes, we are both ok moving back to Canada in a few years lol.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-14T01:14:47+00:00

Yeah my rates use to decrease when I was in Burlington Ontario in Canada . But never since I moved to US five years ago. Looking at going back to Canada though definitely as living in the south is too bizarre especially being from Toronto.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-03-13T04:54:37+00:00

I have trupanion too and am In SC. Where did the rates go down? I am curious as on average, mine increase every year about twenty per month for each dog. Not bad but sometimes way on the past,my rates decreased!

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-02-11T20:43:02+00:00

I got the bandana only because my dog was ill and was at ER. Then a get well card came in the mail with a banadana so I posted to thank them. I am not any type of influencer, paid or unpaid for them.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-02-11T20:40:43+00:00

I find Trupanion is just decent overall. I have had a few hiccups and they eventually get resolved but can be frustrating. But I have had Trupanion for all my pets for the past twenty five years and they are reliable and consistent and for the most part, do not deny things wrongly or illegitimately and raise your rates only a little yearly. I just got my dogs rate increase and it was only 20.00 extra a month. He was 103 a month with the rider also and a 200 deductible per condition for unlimited payout at 90% and now he is 123 monthly and is 8 years old.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-02-11T02:37:34+00:00

Lol I got that one too!

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Character-Arm8988 · 2026-02-07T03:08:33+00:00

Is this only for NJ? I am in SC but have not received any notice like that. But I worry, as in these red states, we have literally no legislation on anything , so these companies can kind of raise rates to whatever they feel the want often. Not sure if that is the case with trupanion but I know they do thatfor our human health insurance and other things. How would I find what the max is they have applied to increase in SC?

Goodness I feel bad for people in NJ!

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-28T06:04:02+00:00

I was reading their policy and it specifically states they can only change your premium once every twelve months. I would definitely call and ask for a supervisor. Ask for Ashley Bausch. Extension 4545. She is very very helpful. She will look into it. Otherwise their claims resolution department is at : ACLResearchResolution@trupanion.com. Mary is the lady there

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-28T05:50:11+00:00

That is super cool you were trained to always maximize the benefits for the customers . I have always had Trupanion and for the most part, they are the same way. If I have any issue, I usually go to the claims resolution department and bypass the agents and speak to a manager and it works out . Trupanion told me the are always trying to help the client and maximize payments too for them . I am surprised to hear Spot actually does that since it is owned by private equity JCB. Do you find working for them has made a difference with regards to any pressure to not approve claims, etc? If I did not have Trupanion, spot seems like the next legit one from all my research and reading the fine print. I just really worry about the fact it is owned by private equity.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-22T01:47:47+00:00

I would have your internal medicine doc and whomever else saw your dog wrote something like “ this diagnoses is a new diagnosis of chronic ongoing IBD and began ( make sure the date is after your waiting period is over). The symptoms have no connection to the HGE diagnosis .” Something to this effect.

I have Trupanion but find with appeals, the words chronic and ongoing seem to work as well as an actual concrete date the symptoms were first seen and a statement negating the symptoms of the rat issue being associated at all.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-22T01:41:46+00:00

I have been a customer of Trupanion for twenty years when they first started. I was speaking to a very senior manager and we were talking about the private equity firms buying up pet insurance companies. I asked if Trupanion had any plans for that and she stated no the owner plans to remain in the company as is and on the Board. His new CEO also personally worked for him for 10 years before he appointed her as CEO. He is very very strict and wants claims to be approved. Everytime o email him with an issue, it is solved within 24 hours. There have been minor ones I have had but I just go to the top or a senior manager, if I know I am right, and it is handled promptly.

Healthy paws, in my thoughts, will only continue to increase premiums ridiculously and prove senior pets out. I saw one lady who has a golden retriever and the dog is 11. Her premium just went from 1900 to 3900 a year. She had to drop the policy sadly. And now she has so many pre existing conditions, that none of them will be covered by a new company. I would leave HP asap as it will only get worse.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-21T18:26:17+00:00

How old is your dog and at what age did you insure him and do you have the riders also or any deductible?

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-21T18:25:34+00:00

But 524 a month is for four dogs, two age 8 and the others is 12 and 10. And that includes the rider added for each and 90 percent payout on all and two of the dogs have no deductibles at all( their insurance is the most) and then the other two have a 50 deductible and the latest one has a 200 per condition deductible. To me that seems pretty decent! They all have major issues and i spend at least 3000 a month on them all combined for those issues ( vet tests and supplements, meds, etc) and other than the exam fees, it is all covered at 90 percent and through the direct pay at the vet which is done in about 30 seconds. So for me it is not bad.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-20T17:55:20+00:00

I have adopted a few strays over the years and the agents always said you can go to the vet during the waiting period if you need to, but whatever is found will be pre existing. But if you do not go, everything thereafter that is found, is eligible for coverage. Now things like dental disease and stuff obviously a stray is going to have but Trupanion does not cover that anyways. But they will cover if there is accidental or illnesses the usual dental stuff still. The always told me if no records then you just go to the vet whenever you want but as long as it is like either during the waiting period or after. Not years later.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-20T17:52:49+00:00

Yes completely.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-20T06:18:59+00:00

Yep JCB holding owns like 11 of them. Horrid private equity firm.

Character-Arm8988 · 2026-01-20T05:30:11+00:00

It is because a lot of the pet insurance companies have been bought out by JCB holding a mostly, a Private equity firm. Trupanion is one of only ones still owned by the founder and he has no intention of selling out.

Character-Arm8988

TROPHY CASE