info@pinehurstvetoly.com
Phone
(360) 878-9505
Our Hours
- Mon - Fri
- Sat & Sun:
We're passionate about pet insurance.
Did you know that 4 out of 5 pets will have an emergency in their lifetime? That's 80 percent!
Emergencies aren't only stressful for your pet, they are really stressful for you and your finances. As a previous Emergency Vet, Dr Spath has seen both sides of the Emergency Case - those with pet insurance and those without pet insurance. It is heart breaking how many so-called “financial euthanasias” she has been witness to: animals with curable or treatable conditions who are euthanized because their owners are unable to afford their care. Please consider adjusting your monthly budget to include health care for ALL of your pets. If it means one less trip to Starbucks per week (literally some policies are as little as $20 per month) then you can do it! And it is not just for Emergencies. Animals with pet insurance also tend to have more screening blood tests and diagnostic procedures done to pick up on diseases before they turn into emergencies, thus allowing them to live longer, healthier lives. It is, again, all about preventive medicine. You can make choices for your pets' healthcare based on what you feel is best for them, and not necessarily on what you can afford that day. I hear every day how expensive vet care is. You’re right! It’s super expensive. And it is not getting any cheaper. Pet Insurance offers a way to bridge the gap.
There are many pet insurance companies that offer policies at affordable rates. We have provided links on our webpage to a few we are familiar with, but bear in mind that you can get an insurance plan from any company. It is not like the human world where your doctor accepts some insurances and does not accept others. In most cases the vet is completely left out of it, as the typical pet insurance policy requires you to pay your vet up front, submit receipts, and then you are reimbursed by the insurance company later. Veterinarians do not make any money on pet insurance. We are truly looking out for your pets' best interest.
So here is how it works. Most pet insurance policies operate similarly to auto insurance: you have an annual deductible and a monthly premium. Your premium is how much your policy costs you per month. The deductible is what you need to pay BEFORE your insurance coverage will start paying you back. You should set up your policy to have a deductible amount that you can definitely come up with in a pinch. Most recommend $500, but you can set your deductible lower ($250) or higher ($1000). If you set your deductible low, then your monthly premium (how much you pay each month) will be higher. If you set your deductible high, then your monthly cost will be much lower. The deductible is usually applied to all covered costs over the course of the year. The cycle repeats each year: once the year is over, your deductible resets, and you will have to meet the full deductible for the new year before the covered costs will be reimbursed. After your deductible is met, most insurance companies will reimburse at 80% or 90%. So once you’ve paid your deductible, you only pay 10% or 20% of everything else for the rest of that year. Umm, yes please!
Trupanion is slightly different in a couple of ways. It is important for you to understand how your specific policy works and what is covered before you sign up, but in short:
1. Trupanion’s deductible is PER CONDITION, NOT PER YEAR.
There are many pet insurance companies that offer policies at affordable rates. We have provided links on our webpage to a few we are familiar with, but bear in mind that you can get an insurance plan from any company. It is not like the human world where your doctor accepts some insurances and does not accept others. In most cases the vet is completely left out of it, as the typical pet insurance policy requires you to pay your vet up front, submit receipts, and then you are reimbursed by the insurance company later. Veterinarians do not make any money on pet insurance. We are truly looking out for your pets' best interest.
So here is how it works. Most pet insurance policies operate similarly to auto insurance: you have an annual deductible and a monthly premium. Your premium is how much your policy costs you per month. The deductible is what you need to pay BEFORE your insurance coverage will start paying you back. You should set up your policy to have a deductible amount that you can definitely come up with in a pinch. Most recommend $500, but you can set your deductible lower ($250) or higher ($1000). If you set your deductible low, then your monthly premium (how much you pay each month) will be higher. If you set your deductible high, then your monthly cost will be much lower. The deductible is usually applied to all covered costs over the course of the year. The cycle repeats each year: once the year is over, your deductible resets, and you will have to meet the full deductible for the new year before the covered costs will be reimbursed. After your deductible is met, most insurance companies will reimburse at 80% or 90%. So once you’ve paid your deductible, you only pay 10% or 20% of everything else for the rest of that year. Umm, yes please!
Trupanion is slightly different in a couple of ways. It is important for you to understand how your specific policy works and what is covered before you sign up, but in short:
1. Trupanion’s deductible is PER CONDITION, NOT PER YEAR.
a. Hit by car – one condition
b. Heart disease – one condition
c. Allergies – one condition
d. Auto-immune disease – one condition
b. Heart disease – one condition
c. Allergies – one condition
d. Auto-immune disease – one condition
e. Foreign body (ate a sock or a rock) – one condition
f. Pancreatitis – one condition
g. You get the idea
f. Pancreatitis – one condition
g. You get the idea
2. Each deductible is a LIFETIME deductible.
a. Your cat gets pancreatitis. You pay the deductible the first time. She has frequent, intermittent bouts of pancreatitis over the years. You do not pay another deductible, and all of her care for pancreatitis for her entire life is covered at 90%.
b. Your dog is diagnosed with a heart murmur. You pay the deductible to take chest xrays and maybe see a cardiologist. Your cardiologist recommends he be seen every 3-6 months. All of those visits for the rest of his life are covered at 90% (you pay 10% of costs associated with his heart disease). No new deductible.
c. The downside to a lifetime deductible is that at first, if you have a pet who has everything go wrong with it, it may have two or three “conditions” in a short period of time. You may feel like you are not getting your money’s worth. At first. But just remember, it’s a lifetime deductible. Eventually it will pan out.
3. Trupanion does DIRECT BILLING.
a. With direct billing, we can contact Trupanion and present them with the estimate we just presented to you. They will tell us within minutes what is covered and what is not. You only pay the expenses that are not covered by your policy, including the deductible. Trupanion guarantees the vet (Pinehurst, in this case) that they will pay the rest, so you don’t have to come up with all of that money out of pocket. This is especially helpful in an emergency. I have had clients at the ER with pet insurance from a different company, but because they had a policy that reimburses them, they couldn’t cover the upfront cost (literally thousands of dollars) and unfortunately still ended up unable to use their insurance policy. With Trupanion you do not have to wait for reimbursement or hope that everything is covered*.
*This does require the vet practice to participate in Direct Billing. Not all vets do, so even though Pinehurst does do direct billing, that may not be the case if you are at another vet (travelling, after-hours emergency, etc).
We support and encourage all of our clients to take out a pet insurance policy from whichever company suits their budget the best. ANY policy is better than no policy. It can be used at any vet you visit. This is why we don’t offer wellness plans. Wellness Plans are only useful to you at the vet where you purchased it. Pet insurance is good anywhere. Just make sure you understand what your policy covers, and what you are getting for your money. You have medical insurance for your other family members, right? Why should your dog or cat be any different? Check out the following links to learn more, or feel free to ask us for some help!
***DISCLAIMER: We are not insurance agents. This article is meant for information purposes only, and reflects our understanding of pet insurance as it stands today. It is meant only as a helpful tool. YOU are responsible for understanding your specific policy coverages. Refer to your insurance company’s Customer Service for specific questions. ***
a. Your cat gets pancreatitis. You pay the deductible the first time. She has frequent, intermittent bouts of pancreatitis over the years. You do not pay another deductible, and all of her care for pancreatitis for her entire life is covered at 90%.
b. Your dog is diagnosed with a heart murmur. You pay the deductible to take chest xrays and maybe see a cardiologist. Your cardiologist recommends he be seen every 3-6 months. All of those visits for the rest of his life are covered at 90% (you pay 10% of costs associated with his heart disease). No new deductible.
c. The downside to a lifetime deductible is that at first, if you have a pet who has everything go wrong with it, it may have two or three “conditions” in a short period of time. You may feel like you are not getting your money’s worth. At first. But just remember, it’s a lifetime deductible. Eventually it will pan out.
3. Trupanion does DIRECT BILLING.
a. With direct billing, we can contact Trupanion and present them with the estimate we just presented to you. They will tell us within minutes what is covered and what is not. You only pay the expenses that are not covered by your policy, including the deductible. Trupanion guarantees the vet (Pinehurst, in this case) that they will pay the rest, so you don’t have to come up with all of that money out of pocket. This is especially helpful in an emergency. I have had clients at the ER with pet insurance from a different company, but because they had a policy that reimburses them, they couldn’t cover the upfront cost (literally thousands of dollars) and unfortunately still ended up unable to use their insurance policy. With Trupanion you do not have to wait for reimbursement or hope that everything is covered*.
*This does require the vet practice to participate in Direct Billing. Not all vets do, so even though Pinehurst does do direct billing, that may not be the case if you are at another vet (travelling, after-hours emergency, etc).
We support and encourage all of our clients to take out a pet insurance policy from whichever company suits their budget the best. ANY policy is better than no policy. It can be used at any vet you visit. This is why we don’t offer wellness plans. Wellness Plans are only useful to you at the vet where you purchased it. Pet insurance is good anywhere. Just make sure you understand what your policy covers, and what you are getting for your money. You have medical insurance for your other family members, right? Why should your dog or cat be any different? Check out the following links to learn more, or feel free to ask us for some help!
***DISCLAIMER: We are not insurance agents. This article is meant for information purposes only, and reflects our understanding of pet insurance as it stands today. It is meant only as a helpful tool. YOU are responsible for understanding your specific policy coverages. Refer to your insurance company’s Customer Service for specific questions. ***