Are you confused by pet insurance and the alternatives? Don’t worry, you definitely wouldn’t be the only one. The world of insurance for household pets is complicated, confusing, and incredibly varied. Thankfully, with many different options, you’re bound to find pet coverage that works for you.
Let’s compare Petcube’s Emergency Fund with Healthy Paws Insurance.
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Content:
- What is Covered by the Insurance
- What is Not Covered by the Insurance
- How Many Pets Can Be Insured
- What is the Waiting Period for Insurance
- How Much Does Insurance Cost
- How to Cancel Pet Insurance
- Conclusion
What is Covered by the Insurance
As you’ll likely be aware if you’ve done any amount of research into pet insurance, there is no one-size-fits-all policy or approach. Different companies offer different types of coverage, and you must know which type of coverage best suits you and your pet(s).
Petcube Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund is only for emergency pet situations — the sort of thing you’d need an urgent, same-day appointment for. A slight cold or a bit of a gunky eye are not considered emergencies, but breathing difficulties and blockages often are. As VCA Animal Hospitals state: Bloat "is a life-threatening emergency that requires urgent surgery to correct."
The good news is that Petcube’s team of licensed vets is on hand 24/7 to answer questions and point you in the right direction if you’re not sure.
Healthy Paws Insurance
This type of conventional pet insurance covers all sorts of accidents and illnesses, emergency or otherwise, excluding pre-existing conditions.
Included medical issues with Healthy Paws Insurance are:
- Alternative and holistic treatments;
- Chronic conditions;
- Congenital and hereditary conditions;
- Cancer;
- Diagnostic testing and examinations;
- Ultrasounds and X-rays;
- Blood, urine, and fecal samples;
- Hospitalization and surgery;
- Medication;
- Specialty treatment and care.
What is Not Covered by the Insurance
Checking the small print for what’s not covered by your insurance provider or policy is even more important than checking for what is. Some providers offer accident-only, illness-only, or both, but with others, you don’t have quite that many options.
Healthy Paws Insurance
It’s common for ‘regular’ pet insurance policies to exclude pre-existing conditions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your pet’s problem is excluded. Things are quite confusing in that respect, and they get all the more confusing when the rules and restrictions change as you move from one state to another.
Commonly excluded pre-existing conditions can include:
- Urinary tract infections in both cats and dogs;
- Growths, lumps, masses;
- Blockages of the urinary system;
- Intestinal worms and other parasites;
- Infections of the ear;
- Any other medical condition diagnosed before enrolling;
- Medical issues caused by a previous injury.
Healthy Paws also excludes preventative care, such as vaccinations and flea or worming treatments. Examination and office visit fees are not reimbursed.
How Many Pets Can Be Insured
If you have more than one pet in your household, it’s important to consider whether you can apply for multi-pet discounts. Some alternatives offer coverage for more than one pet, but most traditional pet insurance policies protect one pet alone.
Petcube Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund protects up to six pets in your household, but you can only apply once per year. So, if your cat has a medical emergency and you use the Fund to help pay for treatment, you can’t use the fund for your dog or another pet within the same year.
Healthy Paws Insurance
Insurance with Healthy Paws is for one pet at a time. You can add one or more additional pets, but there is no discount for multiple animals in a household.
What is the Waiting Period for Insurance
Most insurance providers have a waiting period, which is a length of time during which you cannot make a claim. This is standard practice, but the length of time differs from provider to provider and also in different circumstances.
Petcube Emergency Fund
Petcube aims to keep things nice and simple with their Emergency Fund Service, sticking to a standard waiting period of 14 days.
Once the waiting period is over, Petcube will send you an email letting you know that you’re free to use the service should you need to.
Healthy Paws Insurance
The waiting period for Healthy Paws Insurance is a little complicated. It lasts for 15 days overall, but different rules apply to different states, conditions, and pet ages. New Hampshire and Maine have no waiting periods whatsoever, and the period is waived in all other states following a complete clinical examination.
Pets with hip dysplasia will be subjected to a longer waiting period of 12 months if they are enrolled before the age of five. In the state of Maine, however, the period is only 30 days long, provided the medical condition wasn’t induced following an accident.
How Much Does Insurance Cost
Cost is a crucial factor when it comes to pet insurance, especially in the current economic climate. The cheapest insurance isn’t always the best option, and the same works for high-priced premiums, too. It’s important to figure out what kind of coverage you need.
Petcube Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund isn’t conventional pet insurance. There are no complex pricing structures to understand; it’s a simple flat rate of $29 per month, and there are no deductibles.
If you claim during your first twelve months of enrolling in the Emergency Fund, the remaining cost for the year is taken from the cost that Petcube pays. If you have a vet bill of $2,000 but have only paid eleven months’ worth of subscriptions, you will have the final month ($29) taken from the amount that Petcube covers: $2,000-$29 = $1,971.
Healthy Paws Insurance
Basing my quote on a seven-year-old female cat with no pre-existing conditions other than a massive attitude problem who is fully intact (not neutered), my insurance would cost $21.67 per month with Healthy Paws Insurance.
This plan offers a 70% reimbursement rate on veterinary costs, requires an annual deductible of $750, and has no maximum limit on how much the provider will pay out.
How to Cancel Pet Insurance
What happens if you aren’t happy with the plan you’ve signed up for? Knowing how to cancel is important, even when you think you won’t need to.
Petcube Emergency Fund
With the tap of a few buttons on either the app or your account on a browser, you can cancel the Emergency Fund at any time, for any reason. (We would be sad to see you go, though!)
The cancellation process is quick and simple, and you won’t be charged or penalized for doing it.
Healthy Paws Insurance
There is no quick button to press if you have insurance with Healthy Pets. Instead, you’ll need to contact the company over the phone, via email or letter, or by fax.
In some cases, you might be eligible for a full or partial refund, but this depends on how long you’ve had the policy, which states you live in, and whether or not you’ve filed a claim.
Conclusion
The kind of insurance (or alternative) you sign up for and the provider you choose to use should match your specific needs and requirements and those of your pet. If your pet has a pre-existing condition that regular insurance providers don’t cover, it’s time to look for one that does or an alternative.
There are plenty of options out there. It’s simply a matter of sifting through and working out which one matches you and your pet the best.
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