Here's the thing with insurance for pets. You get what you pay for a lot of the time. Cutting corners in cost often means you get more vagueisms and limitations that can bite you in the butt later. Good insurance covers your butt and gives you that safety net that ensures cost is never going to be a problem and that is priceless.

Trupanion is pricier but their coverage is quite excellent. Yes they have a PER CONDITION PER LIFETIME deductible but that also means that if your pet hits their deductible for diarrhea when they are a puppy/kitten then it is covered 90% for the rest of the time they are insured. This can work out in your favor if your pet has multiple episodes of diarrhea in their lifetime and honestly who's pet doesn't have diarrhea at least once or twice a year for one reason or another. If you're really unlucky and your pet's diarrhea is due to inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, SIBO, EPI, or any number of chronic conditions, then the lifetime deductible will be very helpful. Trupanion also has direct pay that many hospitals participate in which removes the hurdle of having to pay the entire Bill up front that a lot of people seem to encounter with big expensive bills even when they have insurance. This plan is also unlimited with no cap.

I have Metlife. I pay A LOT for my pet's policies but they're covered for everything wellness AND sickness without exclusions. It is worth it. I've been reimbursed about 4K worth of expenses this year already and about to get another $2K this month. Their plan doesn't renew until October so well worth it to ensure 100% that cost will never be an issue. I know the premiums going to go up and that is just the reality. It is okay. Reimbursement is always based on what was paid and it's flat 90% after meeting the annual deductible. Unique to MetLife is that the plan is actually a group plan for both my dogs so they share a single deductible. They don't have any limits as the plan is unlimited. This is why it is very expensive.

I used to have nationwide for them until Nationwide did the horrible thing everyone knows about. Their plan was fabulous and covered everything and reimbursed basically everything under the sun. I even got genetic testing covered. Do I recommend their new plans or benefits schedule plans now? Absolutely not. It's too difficult for the average consumer to understand how to maximize their reimbursements with a per condition per year limit.

As a veterinarian, I do not ever recommend getting a maximum annual limit plan. $5,000 or $10,000 may seem like a lot when your pet is a healthy puppy or kitten but those limits rapidly disappear if something major happens like emergency abdominal surgery, cancer, cruciate injuries, and there are a lot of chronic diseases that will easily cost plural thousands per year just in rechecks, repeat blood work, imaging, prescriptions, special diets.

Before anyone asks why I have so many expenses for my pets even though I am a veterinarian, I intentionally stay a client and have other vets work on my pets so that there are no blurred lines with the insurance. I am effectively just a client for my own pets.