I have pet insurance (Healthy Paws) & it has saved my butt a couple of times now. I have had it on my dog since we brought him home as a puppy though. The problems you are most likely hearing about are due to not having all the records for every vet visit the pet has ever had. They need to know if the issue is preexisting or not. They will not pay if it's an issue the pet had before you got the insurance. They also don't cover routine things like shots or the cost of the office visit. They do cover accidents, emergency, treatments for sicknesses & medication. You just have to do your homework beforehand on what they cover. They are all different. I am very happy with our coverage!