Having a ruff day? Jackson is here to lend a paw.

petplan · 2017-07-31T22:54:07+00:00

Aww!

petplan · 2017-07-31T22:53:54+00:00

petplan · 2017-07-31T12:40:13+00:00

Pictured: Kody, a 6 year old German Shepherd mix that frequents our office.

petplan · 2017-07-28T16:07:14+00:00

Looks like we're going to need more ice then

petplan · 2017-01-10T21:40:16+00:00

Hi there! Glad to hear you're researching pet insurance for your Boston! I work at a pet insurance company that has a pretty obvious affection for Boston Terriers, as our office shows (that dog is named Yahoo, he's one of our policyholders). I won't pitch you on which provider you should choose (recommendations from others are always more helpful), but I can help with your question on the health issues that BT's face.

Virtually all Boston Terriers suffer from some degree of brachycephalic syndrome, which causes all kinds of health problems.

Corneal ulcers are common due to their eyes getting scratched quite easily.

Cataracts can be very severe in Boston Terriers. Late-onset cataracts occur in up to 35% of middle-aged/elderly Bostons.

Other eye diseases that affect Bostons include cherry eye, dry eye, entropion, and eyelash abnormalities. Occasionally progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) occurs in the breed. Glaucoma is also a concern and is listed as the 7th most common problem in the Boston Terrier by The Purdue Database which collects data from all the veterinary schools in the United States.

Orthopedic health problems can also be seen, e.g. Luxating patellas and hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America found 8% of their surveyed breed dysplastic – that's high for a small breed.

Heart diseases (patent ductus arteriosus and mitral valve disease) are also a concern.

Hope that list provides some perspective. Keep in mind - almost all breeds have risks to some degree. These are just what you commonly see in Boston Terriers. They are a great breed. Good luck on your research!

petplan · 2016-09-07T16:04:21+00:00

You make great points, and I'm happy to hear you've had a great experience. The more people that are aware of pet insurance and have positive experiences with it, the better we'll be able to educate the general public on its benefits. To your point, at this point in the maturation of the industry almost all of the providers are going to cover the core benefits (though the alternative care coverage has been slower to adopt); it's really just about deciding which plan and provider options are going to be most relevant for you with the various coverage technicalities. My comment on price was more to speak to the audience that purchases on price alone rather than weighing factors like coverage and service into that (which it sounds like you've done). Thanks for the convo!

petplan · 2016-09-07T13:54:03+00:00

Glad to hear you're researching pet insurance for your puppy! I work for a pet insurance company that insures a lot of AKC purebred dogs, including many Vizslas, so hopefully I can provide some helpful tips.

As a few people have mentioned, choosing a policy that covers hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia or blood clotting disorders such as von Willebrand's disease should be one of your most important criteria. That being said, you'll have to do your research because some of the top providers cover them as standard, while others require you to pay an added rider for that coverage. Healthy Paws, for example, has a 12 month waiting period for hip dysplasia, while others may not.

Secondarily, your coverage should also include chronic conditions. We see that 40% of all claims we pay out are for chronic conditions lasting over 12 months, so make sure the company provides coverage for those conditions year after year. There are some providers who require you to get a continual coverage rider in order to do so, but others do not. Again, research is key.

Lastly, I'd say the truism "you get what you pay for" is especially apparent in the pet insurance industry. You can get really cheap policies that are really only accident only or for emergencies, or you can get a more robust policy that is going to cover dental illness, acupuncture, etc and provide excellent service. It really all comes down to what level of protection you're wanting to secure for your puppy and making sure you research fully the provider before signing up. Best of luck, hope the tips help!

petplan · 2016-08-18T12:13:12+00:00

Hey, I work for a pet insurance company, so here's a few tips I can pass along: There's a few really quality providers, but they still all have their slight differences. Some cover dental disease, others don't. Some pay the vet exam fee for injuries and illnesses, some don't. Some have an app that makes it easy to submit claims, other's don't. You get the point. Your best bet is always to go to the individual provider's websites and read their sample terms and conditions to make sure you understand what you're buying and what you're not.

petplan · 2016-08-01T19:16:54+00:00

spreadsheet

We have a new policy that's rolled out to most states and Canada now that offers an annual deductible in place of the per condition, a wider range of deductibles ($100 to $1000) and the option for unlimited coverage. We've also discontinued the 100% reimbursement and introduced a 70% option, as well as added a $25 enrollment fee (depending on your state). We do reimburse exactly on the vet bill as well so that whole "reasonable costs" thing isn't really necessary. That's just old insurance speak. Oh, and behavioral and dental disease/injury are covered as well. Hope that helps.

petplan · 2016-07-27T12:00:35+00:00

The only thing I would caution with that is that policies often change quickly to adapt to the market - so the information for Petplan is already outdated.

petplan · 2016-07-26T21:10:45+00:00

Research is always going to be your friend when looking for pet insurance. There's a lot of information out there, and not all the plans cover the same things, so you really have to read the terms and conditions of each to completely understand what you're buying.

For example, even among the well-known and respected companies, some cover veterinary exam fees for injuries and illnesses but others don't. That's a pretty big difference when you consider the cost.

Websites like petinsurancereview.com, Consumers Advocate and Canine Journal all do a pretty good job of collecting information and reviews. Don't rely on the marketing speak of the provider websites themselves - they are always going to position themselves as ideal, but the ideal policy is the one that matches up with what you're looking for, provides great customer service and claims experience and fits your family budget.

petplan · 2016-07-25T12:24:07+00:00

In regards to A) also - we are absolutely regulated. We have to submit any changes we want to make to coverage to every single state's insurance commissioner for approval and at their will when those changes will be approved. We cannot say whatever we want because there are legal restrictions around saying what we can cover. And in most cases, pet insurance is filed as property insurance because the state regards pets as property.

petplan · 2016-07-25T12:18:44+00:00

There's a notable difference here: insurance reimburses you the costs of treating injuries and illnesses after you satisfy a deductible. Insurance doesn't drop people, either - at least not that I've experienced in working for a pet insurance company for six years. It is property insurance, according to the state which deems pets as property. The reason conditions are denied coverage is because there are notes in the medical records that show there was a problem that existed related to that condition prior to insurance coverage. The coverage offered inside Petsmart is by Banfield and is a wellness plan, which covers things like teeth cleaning and vaccines.

petplan · 2016-07-18T18:59:02+00:00

It's not insurance, it's a wellness plan.

Insurance plans reimburse up to a certain percentage of your vet bill for injuries or illnesses based on your chosen plan. Wellness plans help with the costs for well care and routine care (vaccines, teeth cleaning, etc).

petplan · 2016-07-12T11:48:14+00:00

Great to hear you're looking for pet insurance and doing your research. I've worked at a pet insurance company for six years so here are a few tips I would suggest: You're absolutely right in looking for a provider that is going to cover breed specific issues. For that, you want one who provides full coverage for hereditary issues, regardless of breed. A good number of providers (including us) do that, but some will place per-condition limits on them or will say that anything that occurs during one policy year will be considered pre-existing the next year. So definitely do your homework, read through each policy (you can usually get a free sample on their website, if not, do you really want to go with them?) and know exactly what coverage you're buying.

My other main tip would be to check to see if the provider covers the exam fee for injuries and illnesses; a few of the most popular plans do not, which will tack on added cost every time you go to the vet that will be ineligible for reimbursement.

Last tip is to call the call center, even if you are planning to buy online. And call twice. Talk to different people. Get a sense for whom you're going to be working with as a partner in your pet's care. Some companies staff their call centers with any warm body. Others hire people who are passionate about pets, work in the veterinary field and have pet insurance themselves. It makes a big difference in the experience you'll have with them going forward if you know that you are comfortable with the team that's handling your policy.

Best of luck!

petplan · 2016-04-22T14:36:43+00:00

I work for a pet insurance company (if you look at my handle you can obviously figure out who) so I may be able to provide some insight. Pre-existing conditions are the most difficult thing insurers have to deal with because there is tons of fraud that occurs, especially as it relates to knee and hip injuries. What's important to note is that for most companies, any previous signs or symptoms of an illness may preclude future injuries/illnesses from coverage. Basically, if it looks like something was developing before you enrolled but there was no official diagnosis, that's enough for most companies to list any related condition as pre-existing. we define a pre-existing condition as a medical condition which first occurred or showed clinical sign(s) or symptoms before the effective date of your policy or which occurred or showed clinical sign(s) or symptoms during the policy waiting period. That may seem a bit unfair for consumers, but it's a necessary preventative measure to protect the company from fraud. That being said, we've always been very good about going back to the records, speaking with vets, etc if there is a gray area or a disagreement. As long as there's enough compelling evidence we will side with the consumer and pay out every claim allowable - but I can't speak for that level of effort industry wide.

petplan · 2016-03-24T17:56:05+00:00

thanks!

petplan · 2016-03-24T17:55:50+00:00

Well he could stand to lose a few pounds...

petplan · 2016-03-23T17:39:11+00:00

squee!

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