@Andrew: I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you back commenting–actually miss it when I don’t see your great submissions. I don’t think pet insurance has hit its stride yet but imagine that will change with the competition and the influx of funding.

@Karen: Thanks for stopping by with the link from PIR. I will be doing reviews and comparisons between providers in the future.

“Concerns voiced by some of my clients and local professionals are that many claims have not been covered by their insurance.

Another fear is that the insurance will mirror the nightmare faced in the human medical insurance—where paperwork and other administration will create havoc and a wedge between practices and their clients.”

I am territory partners with a company called Trupanion (We have the AAHA seal of acceptance). We are striving to re-define the pet insurance industry by providing simple, fair, and affordable medical insurance for puppies and kittens. By doing this, we reduce the amount of pre-existing conditions, therefore paying more claims and paying them very quickly too!

We cover all accidents and illnesses (including hereditary and congenital disorders). We cover $20 000 over a pet’s lifetime with no limits placed per year, claim, incident, or illness. We don’t impose deductibles but pet owners have the option of choosing a deductible (low or high).

We pay 90% of actual veterinary costs. We never increase rates or lower coverage as you make claims or as your pet ages. Finally, pet insurance that works!

There’s also an independent website http://www.petinsurancereview.com where you can read real consumer reviews for pet insurance companies across North America.

Thanks for getting the word out there.

1) Customer feedback was very negative for all providers, mostly due to coverage seemingly being arbitrary at best.

2) The monthly cost of the insurance could be put away into an emergency fund that would build to comparable value by the dogs’ senior years.

However, I’m curious to see where the industry goes since it could become a good thing if done properly.

Yes, I have pet insurance with “Pet Plan”. I opted for insurance after having had older pets require extensive diagnostic procedures, costing thousands. Also, as you mentioned, setting aside an equivalant amount in savings, would not cover costs associated with a traumatic injury or disease requiring diagnostic testing or surgery, i.e. degenerative myelopathy, IVDD, Hip Dysplasia, ACL injuries, etc., etc…………