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Trupanion or Embrace?


Bullet87
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Hey all,

 

I know there are a lot of topics on the Boards about pet insurance and after reading through most, I still have a few questions.

 

Right now I am only going to insure my 4 year old Blue Heeler. I eventually will add my BC but at this time I can only afford it for one, and since he is oldest I will get him going first. I am almost certain he will need some sort of care for his hips later in life. We picked him up from a shelter and you can tell he was a product of poor breeding... He has not been diagnosed with anything to do with hips so I am sure he will be covered under both plans. Is either Trupanion or Embrace better with their coverage for stuff like that?

 

Also, when I did quote my BC (going to be 3 in March, intact) I notice his was less expensive, but on the Trupanion site it says they have some limitations for coverage on animals who have not been neutered by their first birthday. Does anyone have experience where Trupanion or Embrace wouldn't cover something because the dog is intact? I also read in one of the previous posts one of the companies wouldn't cover sport dog injuries... Does this include injuries to herding dogs?

 

I also wonder about Embrace's option for the Wellness Plus addition and Trupanion's lack of. It includes costs of getting x-rays, prescriptions, OFA & PennHIP exams, annual exams, and a few other things. Is this something I should add or is it to "gimmicky" and not worth the extra $30 a month.

 

Finally, now that you have read a novel! :D , yearly limitations... Embrace has yearly limits while Trupanion does not. Has anyone run into any medical expenses, like hip dysplasia surgery etc., that pushed them over the annual limit with Embrace?

 

Thanks for all the input in advance! :)

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Trupanion offers a policy for working dogs (including 'herding'), although no doubt at an increased premium. Whether or not it is cost effective, I couldn't say. So much of underwriting is given to probability and chance, always in the company's favor, of course.

 

 

ETA: Having said that, Trupanion has worked out in my favor. I still have not paid in enough premiums to cover what has been paid out to me. Additionally, I keep it for peace of mind, though I would not pay extra premiums for routine visits.

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I have Embrace policies on all 3 of my dogs. My total premium for the 3 is $690 (about $20 per month per dog). The policy is just for injury, accident, or illness not routine care.

 

I choose Embrace because they pay 80% of the cost of procedure versus a fixed amount for a procedure. (Example - TPLO costs $3,000 at your vet they will pay $2,400 versus other plans that have a fixed reimbursement amount for TPLO of $1,800.) My vet, who I adore, tends to be on the expensive side of the aisle.

 

I have yet to use my policy for a claim.

 

Embrace has a 6 month probation period for orthopedic issues unless your vet completes an orthopedic exam and certifies that there are no pre-existing conditions. Then the probabtion period drops down to 2 weeks from the examination date. I'm not sure if that is common or not.

 

While I do train my dogs for sheep dog trials, I do not consider them working dogs as I do not (sadly) live on a farm. So, I just have a regular policy on them. Hope that makes sense.

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Having a dog with cancer (who unfortunately is not insured) has taught me that I don't want any limits, a catastrophic illness or accident can surpass any caps. I would definitely go with Trupanion. No episode cap, no yearly cap, and no lifetime cap.

 

I have intact BC insured, and the only thing they don't cover are things directly related to being intact, such as neutering for medical reasons. I also don't think they will cover prostate issues either, but you'd have to check. I also didn't put that he is any kind of a working/sport dog.

 

My Rottie has had TPLO surgery on one leg and will be having the other done soon, a full 90% of the actual charges were covered, and I had a check within 10 days. Also, for another $10 (I think) you can add alternative care (acupuncture, chiropractor, homeopathy) and PT, which I have done.

 

Some of the others may have less expensive premiums, but the piece of mind I get knowing there is no cap is worth the extra money. I only wish I could afford to have all my dogs insured.

 

Hey all,

 

I know there are a lot of topics on the Boards about pet insurance and after reading through most, I still have a few questions.

 

Right now I am only going to insure my 4 year old Blue Heeler. I eventually will add my BC but at this time I can only afford it for one, and since he is oldest I will get him going first. I am almost certain he will need some sort of care for his hips later in life. We picked him up from a shelter and you can tell he was a product of poor breeding... He has not been diagnosed with anything to do with hips so I am sure he will be covered under both plans. Is either Trupanion or Embrace better with their coverage for stuff like that?

 

Also, when I did quote my BC (going to be 3 in March, intact) I notice his was less expensive, but on the Trupanion site it says they have some limitations for coverage on animals who have not been neutered by their first birthday. Does anyone have experience where Trupanion or Embrace wouldn't cover something because the dog is intact? I also read in one of the previous posts one of the companies wouldn't cover sport dog injuries... Does this include injuries to herding dogs?

 

I also wonder about Embrace's option for the Wellness Plus addition and Trupanion's lack of. It includes costs of getting x-rays, prescriptions, OFA & PennHIP exams, annual exams, and a few other things. Is this something I should add or is it to "gimmicky" and not worth the extra $30 a month.

 

Finally, now that you have read a novel! biggrin.gif , yearly limitations... Embrace has yearly limits while Trupanion does not. Has anyone run into any medical expenses, like hip dysplasia surgery etc., that pushed them over the annual limit with Embrace?

 

Thanks for all the input in advance! smile.gif

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I have mine with Trupanion however the other company you mentioned is not in Canada. I picked Trupanion because they have no limits on coverage and if my dog needs an MRI or back surgery or something else that I would need to see a specialist for, I don't want to hesitate. They are excellent with covering all her medications without any questions as well as any claims for random bloodwork etc. THey have actually never requested her medical records aside from when I first signed up.

They have limitations on coverage if you purposely did not get your dog fixed until after 1 year of age (however I believe if it was a shelter dog and fixed before you got it but over a year they will waive that). It will not cover dog fights or if the dog gets hit by a car because intact dogs are more likely to fight and wander (apparently even if they have since been fixed according to them). They do not cover routine dental care, but if your dog is kicked in the face and breaks a tooth (ie dental problem caused by an injury), they will cover that.

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