ALERT ALERT ALERT !!!!!!!!!!!!

PETS HEALTH CARE PLAN IS A SCAM in my opinion!!
OWNERS OF PETS WHO ARE PURCHASING THESE POLICIES TO COVER THEIR PETS FOR
ILLNESS AND INJURY SHOULD BE AWARE OF FACTS THEY USE TECHNICALLY TO VOID
YOUR CLAIMS.
fOR EXAMPLE
iF YOU HAVE A POLICY IN EFFECT FOR THIS YEAR (ANY YEAR FOR THAT MATTER)
and your pet becomes ill or injured prior to your renewal date, you will
not be covered for that illness or injury after the renewal period. When
you renew your policy for the upcoming year any illness or injury that
occured prior to the renewal date or was treated during the 180 days prior
will not be covered unless it was totally cured prior to the renewal
date.
Another example: Your pet is hit by a car on May 22nd 2005 and receives
surgery or treatment as a result of that injury, if you renew your policy
on May 23rd your pet will not be covered, according to there policies, for
any injuries sustained when hit by the car. Any injury/illness
pre-existing 180 days prior to the effective date of the new policy will
not be covered.
In effect they do not renew policies, in reality they issue new policies
every year. The exception would be if your pet had an illness that was
completely cured (according to their definition of cured) and the illness
reoccured you would not be subject to the 30 day illness waiting period,
only because you renewed your policy.
Another example: A cyst drained in May of 2005 would not be covered for
further treatment on the renewed policy in June of 2005 because it existed
during the 180 day period prior to the new policy and during the prior
policy period.
Vaccinations:
This is a joke. Their policy specifically lists the DHLPP and Lepto
vaccinations as separate vaccinations. However if your vet decides in his
medical opinion that your pet should have the Lepto vaccinations separate
from the DHLPP vaccination which includes the Lepto virus, you would not
be covered for the spearate Lepto virus. Thye only pay for the DHLPP
vaccination even though the Lepto is listed as an entirely different
vaccination as covered.
Annual physical exam is included on our policy however blood tests
associated with the exam are not covered. Our vet says the blood test are
a normal part of yearly physical exam.
In my opinion it seems that an annual exam consists of you walking into
the exam room and the vet glancing down at your pet and saying "He looks
healthy to me". That would be covered.

Summation: In my opinion anyone wishing to get on any of these plans
should be very leary of their policy exclusions. It seems as though unless
your pet is seriously hurt or has a bad illness you had better get him
fixed quick before you renew your policy because you will not be covered
afterthe renewal/new policy. Just lock your pet in the home or office 180
days prior to your renwal date so accidents or illness will not strike.
Basically you are covered for only half a year if you intend on renewing
your policy.

Does this include VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance)?

I dont know if VPI has the same policy but I would call them and inquire
what their policies cover when you renew/get new policy.

All pet insurance companies with decent premium rates have a new year - new
policy protocol. It's how the premiums are kept low. If you wish to avoid
it, you have to go with the larger premiums and more expensive plans. As
diagnosis and initial treatments can be the expensive part, at least the dog
can get diagnosed and stabilized.

The routine care sections are guidelines set by "the average consumer". If
you and your vet decide other annual treatments, then expect some difficulty
in getting reimbursed for certain extra vaccinations.

wrote in message
...
Does this include VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance)?

I had the TOP OF THE LINE PLAN You are missing the point. When you renew
your policy for example on May 24th of 2005 but your animal had a broken
foot on May 23rd of 2005. When your policy renews the dog is not covered
for the broken foot because it is considered a pre-existinjg injury.
Follow. Doesnt matter what plan it is a scam in my opinion.
My 5 yr old Irish Setter has a cyst that was drained in April 2005. We
renewed our policy in May of 2005. During her physical in June of 2005 the
vet drained the same cyst again however it wasnt covered because they said
it was a pre-existing illness. Now if the vet let the cyst grow for 6
months and put the dogs life in danger it would have been covered.
I questioned further and gave the example above and was dumbfounded that
they said the broken foot would not be covered as a preexisting injury.
Anything that your pet is treated for, in other words if you use the
policy, 6 months prior to your renewal, you will not be covered for any
illness, injury or anything in the new policy except if the dog has a
different broken foot or illness unrelated entirely, as deteremined by
them, within the new policy year.

I had the same experience...It was my second bad experience with canine
insurance...I had paid in $110 month for 5 years when it occurred...It was a
mere $85 charge...I remembered back many years ago some saying rather than
putting the money in insurance,...she was banking the premium in a bank
account...She was a wise lady and I now follow her advise...Good luck...GG

"1badbronco" wrote in message
lkaboutpets.com...
I had the TOP OF THE LINE PLAN You are missing the point. When you renew
your policy for example on May 24th of 2005 but your animal had a broken
foot on May 23rd of 2005. When your policy renews the dog is not covered
for the broken foot because it is considered a pre-existinjg injury.
Follow. Doesnt matter what plan it is a scam in my opinion.
My 5 yr old Irish Setter has a cyst that was drained in April 2005. We
renewed our policy in May of 2005. During her physical in June of 2005 the
vet drained the same cyst again however it wasnt covered because they said
it was a pre-existing illness. Now if the vet let the cyst grow for 6
months and put the dogs life in danger it would have been covered.
I questioned further and gave the example above and was dumbfounded that
they said the broken foot would not be covered as a preexisting injury.
Anything that your pet is treated for, in other words if you use the
policy, 6 months prior to your renewal, you will not be covered for any
illness, injury or anything in the new policy except if the dog has a
different broken foot or illness unrelated entirely, as deteremined by
them, within the new policy year.

In article ,
Gary G wrote:
I had the same experience...It was my second bad experience with canine
insurance...I had paid in $110 month for 5 years when it occurred...It was a
mere $85 charge...I remembered back many years ago some saying rather than
putting the money in insurance,...she was banking the premium in a bank
account...She was a wise lady and I now follow her advise...Good luck...GG

Last spring msnbc.com ran an article looking at whether or
not pet health insurance was worth the money and that's one
of the recommendations they included. I gather that pet
health insurance works out well for some people but tends to
have some problematic limitations on coverage.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7795900/
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community.