# Health Insurance



## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

OK. I searched this entire website and never saw any mention of health insurance for dogs. I was originally looking at Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (don't be mad at me) and I changed my mind when I discovered the large amount of health problems they had. They scared me off because everyone on their forum said you pretty much need pet insurance.

Every breed has health problems, put compared to other smaller breeds the Havanese seem OK. (Plus, I love my sister-in-laws Havanese. He loves me too  )

Do a lot of you Havanese owners have health insurance for your dogs? Which type (accident only or the premium that covers hereditary problems)?Do you recommend any companies that sell this?


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Hi Rita, my Oreo was automatically put on insurance by the breeder. For the first 6 weeks its free, and in the meantime we are responsible for signing him up.. Our breeder said it was up to us if we wanted to continue or not, but my hubby and I did have the discussion about it and we are planning on signing him up for it. I find that at the vet there are so many little extras that really add up, so we think its worth it - we never know when we are going to need it. We only have him, so for us its worth it. We got the one by Petplan. The are a few out there, but we went with the company my parents are on for their cat  I am sure others know of other plans, if they use them...


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

We've looked into getting pet insurance since Ricky came home with us and still haven't done it. BUT we will! I just got a note from a friend with a Hav who recommended Pet Plan so we're going to go with them. We're in Canada, but I think they also cover in the U.S.

You just never know! My dad's Jack Russell got into some paint, ate the stuff up and was so sick he almost died! He was on IV for 2 days and the whole thing cost about $1500. He was only a year old!! Accidents happen and if you have the insurance and it means the difference between going ahead with a procedure that is costly or maybe having to put the dog down because we can't come up with the cash, then.... I'd much rather be covered. I mean, I know we'd find the money if we had to do something to save Ricky, but this way it won't be a huge stress. Since the Hav can live up to 15 years or more, I figure the odds are that it just might come in handy one day. lol

This site allows you to compare plans and make your decisions accordingly..... http://www.vetinsurance.com/index.html


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Thanks Marj. I was leaning towards getting insurance but have to do my research. My sister in law highly recommends it after having a binky incident with her Hav that cost $$$$$$$. I figured I would ask my vet what plan if any she recommends.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I have the insurance thru the AKC, but it is expensive. Now with 2 dogs, I might have to rethink my plan and do some research on other plans.


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Does AKC give you a discount on more than one dog? I think I looked at one plan that did. I will let you know what I find out.


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Here is a link I found on health insurance. I think there are soooooooo many plans it is crazy. I think the best bet is ask your vets office what they use a lot. Also, which insurance has been around for a long time. I would hate to pay in to some insurance and then find out that they go bankrupt and no longer fulfill their policies.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/insuranceinfo/a/pethealthinsura.htm

If you scroll down to the bottom of that site they have additional reading. Choosing Right Pet Insurance is a good article. She even does a pet health insurance comparison at the bottom of it. She did all the legwork...........interesting............ Use caution because some only go up to 8 years. It seems like in their info Petsbest is unlimited.


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## Pennylite (Jan 22, 2007)

When I first took Darby to his first vet appointment, one day after brining him home (9/19/06), I picked up an insurance brochure. I sincerely intended to get him insurance but did not act on it. Then Darby's liver shunt was discovered the day after Thanksgiving. My question is even though there is no more liver shunt because of his recent surgery, would an insurance company turn him down because of this past ailment?


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

I think most of them are like our health insurance. They will not cover pre-existing conditions. So any other problems that deal with his liver probably won't be covered. That doesn't mean you cannot get insurance. You can get the insurance to cover other things.

In the previous area I listed, they had this info. Petshealthplan covers prexisting conditions after 90 days. But it is only for 9 years (that stinks) I don't know too much about it because I am still looking into health insurance myself. You will have to check into the insurance that you were planning to get.

http://personalinsure.about.com/cs/petinsurance/a/aa051103a_2.htm

Did you vet recommend any?


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## Pennylite (Jan 22, 2007)

Darby's vet and I have not discussed this subject yet, but he does keep a brochure on pet insurance in the reception area. I can't recall at the moment what the name of the company is, but will try to remember to dig up the one I picked up in September. After this costly experience, it is something I am serious about looking into. Thanks for your information!


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Hi everyone. I am just bumping this topic up again to see if anyone would like to add to this topic. There has been so many new members and inquiry minds still want to know. Do you have health insurance for your Hav? Do you recommend any particular one?


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Any other suggestions on health insurance from new members of the forum? I know I want it but still didn't decide who to go with. Hopefully we will be bringing our Puppy home March 10.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Right now I am using the one from the AKC, but I'm going to do more research on it. Now with the 2 dogs, it's going to get expensive. My vet did have a company he was using, but I think he dropped them. I have to bring Shelby in soon for shots, so I will check with him for info.


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

I am going to ask my vet too. I am leaning towards Petsbest http://www.petsbest.com/
I was surprised when comparing it to AKC that the lifetime limit was only $11,000 with AKC when Petsbest was more for the same price. The other drawback with AKC has no discount for more than one dog.

For those of you that have AKC does the premium go up? At Petsbest you can lock in the price of your payment until the dog is 12 years old for a small fee.

The only drawback I see with Petsbest is with the Basic there is a cap of $2,500 per accident. That seems low to me. You can pay for the Plus plan which covers $7,000 per incident.

The pluses about both is they cover the dog for its lifespan. Watch out for plans that only go to 8 or 10 years old. That just seems like a waste of money to me especially after my last dog lived to 16.

Boy, is there a lot to consider.......


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Rita, thanks for the info. I will look into PetBest also. AKC ins. is expensive if you take the best package. I took the one that does not include the spay/neuter and it is $52 per month for one dog. I would be better off putting this into the bank every month. After all, my vet will set up a payoff plan in the event of an emergency with a large bill attached to it. 
And now with 2 dogs, that's a lot of money each month. So confusing


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Someone also recommended to me Petcare https://www.petcareinsurance.com/(rpm2ogyuvv20ko45qiqnxb55)/index.asp

The good thing about them is they give you discounts for microchips, therapy dogs, and multiple dogs.

I think a phone call to the vet would be the most important thing. They can probably tell you which one they prefer.


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

A dog account sounds good too. Especially if you get lucky and have a dog that is never sick. Then it is money in your pocket. It is a huge decision.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Just went onto their website, and their ins is not available in New York. Ok, have to start again.
Or, I can just change the plan I have to lower the cost. But, I'm going to keep searching and maybe I can find something that has multiple pet discounts.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Most vets that I have ever been to have the brochures for VPI pet insurance. What I have found with VPI and I think the same goes for AKC insurances is that they work off of schedule and after meeting the deductable, they pay 90% off their schedule, not off your vet's bill. Petfirst insurance, supposedly pays 90% off your vet's bill after the $50.00 deductable per incident. Here's their link: 
http://petfirsthealthcare.com/

I've also looked at Petcare insurance that someone provided a link for above and they also cover 90% of your vet's bill, but their deductable is $100.00 per insident. I think as with any insurances, you really need to read the fine print and do your homework.


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