Health Insurance for your Puppy
PLEASE NOTE: we are able to offer new RVD puppy owners 30 days free pet insurance with Trupanion. You have to let us know before getting your puppy if you want this. There is an online form with a code that needs done within 24 hours of you getting your puppy (24 hour before or 24 hours after).
We have learned that puppies get into quite a bit of trouble and it is highly recommended that every new puppy owner obtain pet health insurance on their puppy/dog.
Ten years ago, when I worked at a vet's office, we would not recommend it because the insurance companies were terrible at reimbursing people. Times have changed and competition has forced everyone to offer better value and service.
Vet costs vary across the country. If you live in an urban area - especially, NYC, CT, NJ, Long Island - you are surely best served obtaining health insurance for your puppy.
We have discovered that an eye surgery that would have cost in the Finger Lakes region of NYS $400, cost an owner $3500 in NYC. A treatment of pneumonia, requiring X-rays and antibiotics, was $2000 in NYC (would have cost around $400 in upstate). Spays and neuters are $600-$1000 in NYC/NJ/CT. They cost us in Finger Lakes, $250. A surgery to remove a toy that was swallowed in NJ area cost someone almost $3000!
How does puppy health insurance work? It is a monthly fee, approximately $25-$100 (most people average around $37), depending on the coverage and deductible you choose, and you are reimbursed after you send in the vet bills. Our owners have reported that they are quite speedy at sending checks out.
We have surveyed our puppy owners, and the recommendations are (we do not get anything from these companies, such as a referral fee, we are just helping out as this is a hot topic, and frequently asked about):
Healthy PawsHealthy Paws Pet Insurance P.O. Box 50034 Bellevue, WA 98015
(800) 453-4054
http://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/
Trupanion907 NW Ballard Way Seattle, WA 98107
1-800-569-7913
http://trupanion.com/
NO LONGER RECOMMENDED - VPI (now Nationwide) - it is a bit more costly than the others, but it also covers annuals and exams. No longer recommended because they gave one of our RVD puppy owners the run around about whether they cover different instances of parasites - they said they won't cover. Ridiculous policy in our opinion.
We have learned that puppies get into quite a bit of trouble and it is highly recommended that every new puppy owner obtain pet health insurance on their puppy/dog.
Ten years ago, when I worked at a vet's office, we would not recommend it because the insurance companies were terrible at reimbursing people. Times have changed and competition has forced everyone to offer better value and service.
Vet costs vary across the country. If you live in an urban area - especially, NYC, CT, NJ, Long Island - you are surely best served obtaining health insurance for your puppy.
We have discovered that an eye surgery that would have cost in the Finger Lakes region of NYS $400, cost an owner $3500 in NYC. A treatment of pneumonia, requiring X-rays and antibiotics, was $2000 in NYC (would have cost around $400 in upstate). Spays and neuters are $600-$1000 in NYC/NJ/CT. They cost us in Finger Lakes, $250. A surgery to remove a toy that was swallowed in NJ area cost someone almost $3000!
How does puppy health insurance work? It is a monthly fee, approximately $25-$100 (most people average around $37), depending on the coverage and deductible you choose, and you are reimbursed after you send in the vet bills. Our owners have reported that they are quite speedy at sending checks out.
We have surveyed our puppy owners, and the recommendations are (we do not get anything from these companies, such as a referral fee, we are just helping out as this is a hot topic, and frequently asked about):
Healthy PawsHealthy Paws Pet Insurance P.O. Box 50034 Bellevue, WA 98015
(800) 453-4054
http://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/
Trupanion907 NW Ballard Way Seattle, WA 98107
1-800-569-7913
http://trupanion.com/
NO LONGER RECOMMENDED - VPI (now Nationwide) - it is a bit more costly than the others, but it also covers annuals and exams. No longer recommended because they gave one of our RVD puppy owners the run around about whether they cover different instances of parasites - they said they won't cover. Ridiculous policy in our opinion.