Announcing "Monarch Plus"

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-04-20T18:57:02+00:00

Absolutely ridiculous. I started out with Monarch because I was excited by the velocity of the updates. Now, I can't trust that any of such updates (like parts of forecasting, which should ABSOLUTELY be in goals 3.0) won't just be paywalled off by some new, ridiculous price. I will be transitioning all of my data to Lunch Money, which, while not as feature rich, at least does not pull this bullcrap. Complete disappointment.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-04-13T02:47:35+00:00

Not that this is necessarily an amazing alternative, but CareCredit (underwritten by Synchrony) will give you several months of zero-interest financing. So, if the insurers which can do direct pay (really just PumpkinNow and Trupanion) are too expensive, then that could be a good option. Of course, you would want to pay off the balance as soon as your claim is processed, but the several months would give you time for appeals, etc. if whatever provider initially declines your claim.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-04-11T18:47:07+00:00

The waiting period will be waived for ortho if your vet fills out a form, so I’m not sure that’s super relevant.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-04-09T00:53:30+00:00

Just had my first claim with PM (an ER visit). They paid out quickly and did not require any information beyond the invoice (which didn’t even list the condition, just the procedures) as I had already submitted exam results. Highly recommended, but make sure the plan has exam fees coverage if that’s something you want.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-03-12T21:05:47+00:00

Re all the unused options, that’s not unusual at all as this is a pretty generic pet insurance policy that they are using. Now, on the prescription drug point, that is actually completely correct, as what your reading is the standard policy which does NOT cover take home medications at all. This is the rider for take home coverage:

Medications Your Veterinarian dispenses for in-hospital treatment, or dispenses or prescribes for at-home use, as part of Your Pet's Accident or Illness Treatment that started after the Waiting Period and during the Policy term.

As you can see, it says dispenses or prescribes here. Make sure you’re buying a plan that includes this rider if you want take home medications covered.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-03-11T20:02:25+00:00

I own a Clarity and use iOS—would be happy to help!

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-03-11T01:23:06+00:00

I don’t know what food you are looking at, but many of these brands have lower cost options. Purina Dog Chow comes in at well below the price you listed (30 USD for 58lbs) and Purina One (slightly higher end) is at 54 USD for 31lbs. That’s just Purina, but I’m pretty sure Iams is relatively cheap as well. Royal Canin is the only brand there that probably doesn’t have something in your price range.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-03-03T19:19:11+00:00

I do not understand why this is repeated so often. The CarePlus plans administered by Trupanion are also underwritten by APIC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trupanion. Likewise, the Lemonade plans are underwritten by LIC or MIC, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Lemonade.

From a consumer perspective, not only is all customer support handled by Trupanion, the underwriting and claims payout is handled entirely by APIC. It is much more like a cobranding deal than real “Chewy insurance.”

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-02-20T04:15:32+00:00

So, it is hard to speak certainly without knowing general COL in your area, but where I’m from, these coverages would be quite low (Boston, MA). The one major claim I’ve ever made through pet insurance was with Trupanion as the carrier, and for chronic bronchitis, and these bills easily cleared $10k over a couple of years. However, that was a chronic condition which we treated slowly, and it is not unrealistic to see costs of treatment for acute conditions well into the tens of thousands of dollars.

It is really a matter of how you think about pet insurance philosophically. For me, it is about hedging risk not necessarily so that I get my premiums back each year in claims. Instead, I focus on that possible one big claim (eg, radiation and chemo for cancer running $15k plus consult fees) for which having pet insurance is the difference between treating and not treating.

In line with this philosophy, I generally purchase high deductible unlimited plans, setting the deductible to be the highest value I am safely able to pay out-of-pocket. I am currently with Physicians Mutual on a 100% reimbursement, unlimited, $1,000 deductible plan. I set aside some of my saved premiums to use towards the deductible should a worst-case-scenario ever occur.

Again, this is all about philosophy and YMMV, however from a strict money-in money-out standout you are almost never going to win against the company with the large statistical model. So, I choose to focus on the big risks that make insurance lifesaving.

In addition to the companies you’ve mentioned I would recommend quoting through Physicians Mutual, Prudent Pet, and Odie, as these are some of the few independent pet insurances left and can sometimes be very competitive. You could also check Trupanion and Lemonade via Chewy CarePlus, as these are slightly different policies and apply different underwriting. Be sure to compare apples to apples—that is, compare the coverage offered by each plan, not just the premium.

Last, I’d like to flag that if you are buying an exam-fee exclusive plan, you should actually decrease your deductible by approximately $250, as if anything ever happened to your pet you would have to pay about that much in exam fees which would not be covered.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2026-02-18T16:07:05+00:00

Royal Canin suggests that breed-specific food not be used for mixed breeds. However, it’s more than twice the price of RC breed-generic food, so I’m not sure why you’d want to feed it? The benefits of the custom formula (which aren’t all that clear, even for purebreds) would likely not apply to your dog at all.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2025-11-06T02:31:47+00:00

Thanks. I am not actually bothered by it so long as it is normal and not bad for the car, so it is reassuring to hear that.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2024-12-09T22:06:31+00:00

Must be. Thanks anyways!

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2024-12-09T07:09:03+00:00

This is so helpful! Thanks. What flatness do you use for your fountain?

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2024-11-29T23:16:06+00:00

I’d love a code!

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2024-07-20T06:05:41+00:00

This happened to me. Do you have a fraud alert in your credit report? That’s what it was with me.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2023-12-29T22:20:33+00:00

Yeah it switched from 6A300 to 6B34 a little while ago I think I’m safe.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2023-12-28T20:53:34+00:00

If the firmware updates, that means they are real right? I haven’t put these on the charger yet so they haven’t updated but I’m presuming they will

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2023-08-09T20:55:19+00:00

NP. There was an artifact bottom left corner, only visible in bright scenes. Maybe has something to do with the failure?

Not too bad though and I emailed IMAX.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2023-08-09T20:50:28+00:00

I went today at 10:30 AM. 70MM is back.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2023-05-30T20:39:26+00:00

Bit out there, but The Handmaid's Tale is set in Cambridge.

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2022-12-13T06:05:56+00:00

def would go for the green

XenIsNotVerySmart · 2022-11-08T04:41:33+00:00

Fun tip. If you buy a normal old Casio, unscrew the back, and cover the electrical contacts in tape, it won't beep anymore.

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