Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 3

The final part of a 3 part series of questions and answers we at Embrace put together for a 20 question pet insurance Q&A sheet
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The questionaire is for a mixed breed (Border Collie features & traits), born Feb. 3, 2008, adopted w/microchip.  

1. Are there restrictions on surgeries? (actually question 12 but my numbering likes to restart - bah!) 
   I do not understand this question. I apologize. Typically if the actual condition or accident is covered, then the treatment surrounding it is also covered, aka the whole surgery.
2. Are there restrictions on chronic conditions?
   The Continuing Care guidelines that I mentioned above would apply. AKA 25% of your annual maximum.
3. What are the bases for the insurer to cancel, or decline to renew the pet’s insurance?
   We can only cancel based on nonpayment of premium or fraud on the pet parent’s part. You can cancel at any time though without penalty or fee.
4. Are there lifetime payout limits? If so, explain.
   No, just the annual max each year.
5. Are there restrictions on selection of licensed veterinarians?
   No as long as the vet is licensed in the US.
6. Is our pet covered for life, as long as policy is renewed on time each year?
   Yes.
7. We would like to pay annually, by credit card. Is there a discount for annual payment?
   Yes, 5%.
8. Is there any other discount available, for retired citizens, or other?
   That would depend on if you belong to specific organizations that receive a discount from us. Just let us know what you’re a part of and we can see.

Extra info from Kate who wrote the answers: We are one of the few insurance companies that do offer coverage for hereditary, genetic and congenital conditions.

Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any more questions at 800-511-9172.

Related posts:
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 1
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 2

In the meantime, got any questions of your own for us?

PS. The answers were written up by Kate, one of our Customer Care Embracers in our Contact Center. Kate is also tweeting over at @embracepetins if you'd like to ask her a question. 

Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 2

Part 2 of the series of questions and answers we at Embrace put together for a 20 question pet insurance Q&A sheet
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The questionaire is for a mixed breed (Border Collie features & traits), born Feb. 3, 2008, adopted w/microchip.  

1. Is there a “wellness/routine care” component? If so, is it separate or part of package? (actually question 6 but numbering insists on restarting)
   Yes. Our Wellness Rewards can cover up to $200 per year for routine care including office visits, routine vaccinations, flea/tick/heartworm medications, spaying/neutering, dental cleaning, routine diagnostic tests, microchipping and special offers for only an additional $14.95/month or $149.00/year. It is an optional, additional coverage and is not part of the insurance plan, nor does it apply to the deductible, copay or max.
   [further clarification]
   It is an add on that you can have for the routine care but it is not part of your actual insurance plan, which is just for Accidents & Illnesses. The annual max, deductible and copay apply only to the Accidents & Illnesses. The Wellness plan is basically like a health savings account, with a $200 allotment to use as you choose on the Wellness items I listed. So there’s no copay or deductible on Wellness items, just a straight reimbursement up to $200. You’re correct in thinking that it will cost $149.00 per year to have $200 in coverage. If you know that generally you spend at least $200 in routine care each year, then I think it’s worthwhile to have. The main benefit is that you can pay monthly $14.95 to know that you have $200 in coverage right away. So for example, you spend $90 on flea, tick and heartworm meds. You submit it to us and we reimburse you $90. It’s literally that simple and we’d keep doing that up to $200 each year.
2. If there is a “wellness/routine care” component, what is covered? E.g., vaccinations? Flea prevention? Heartworm prevention? Allergies? De-worming? If present, cost?
   Please see above.
3. If a wellness plan is available, does it cover prescription medications? If so, is it limited to veterinarian administered or would take-home medications be included? If there is a wellness plan, are there limits on wellness care?
   The Wellness can only cover flea, tick and heartworm medications. The standard insurance plan can cover medication given at the vet’s office (like pain shots, chemo, etc) but you would need the additional Drug & Dental plan to have coverage for prescription take home medications for covered accidents and illnesses.
4. Do procedures and conditions require “pre-certification?” What does “pre-certification” mean?
   You are not required to get something precertified, or preapproved prior to having it done. However, we strongly recommend it for the expensive and/or questionable procedures to ensure that you know ahead of time whether it is or is not covered, and if so, how much is coming in reimbursement.
5. In the breed section, is there a listing for “mixed breed” or “mutt?”
   Yes you would select Mixed Breed.
6. If there is a dental component, is it “accident only” or does it include dental disease?
   The standard plan can cover dental trauma associated with an accident (like getting hit by a car and that affecting the teeth) but for dental illness and disease you would need the additional Drug & Dental coverage mentioned above.
7. What is the significance of our dog already having a microchip. Will it still be functional? Is there a microchip discount?
   If your dog is already microchipped, then you can get a 5% discount on your insurance plan.

Got any questions of your own for us?

Related Posts:
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 1
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 3

PS. The answers were written up by Kate, one of our Customer Care Embracers in our Contact Center. Kate is also tweeting over at @embracepetins if you'd like to ask her a question. 

Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 1

In which I'm delighted at a potential customer's thoroughness...

Occasionally, someone researching pet insurance does his or her homework in a big way. I love it when that happens as it shows me that this pet parent really wants to get the right pet insurance policy.

Recently, we had someone send us a 20 question Q&A sheet to fill in to help him with his homework and he graciously allowed me to post it for you so you can skip straight to the answer. Ive split it into 3 parts to keep each post reasonably short - more over the remainder of the week.
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The questionaire is for a mixed breed (Border Collie features & traits), born Feb. 3, 2008, adopted w/microchip.

1. Is there one or more waiting periods? If so, what are they?
   There is a 14 day waiting period for accidents and illnesses and a 6 month waiting period for dogs for Orthopedic Issues. The Orthopedic waiting period can be reduced down to 14 days if you have your pet examined by a vet with our Orthopedic Report Card anytime after you start your policy and then fax it back to us.
2. How is the deductible determined (per incident, per year, per life of pet, or ?)? Please clarify.
   The deductible is annual, so just once per policy period aka year.
3. Are reimbursements based on actual vet fees or on a “usual, scheduled or customary” amounts?
   We reimburse based on your actual vet bill.
4. Do premiums increase as the pet ages? At what rate? Is there a maximum age restriction?
   Yes premiums can increase each year due to age and veterinary inflation. Typically the increase can be 8%-15% each year. Currently there is no maximum but we are looking into that for the future.
   [further clarification]
   I definitely understand the concern regarding the premium increase but honestly the age increase usually starts at age 5, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it until then. And typically vet inflation has been 5%-7% each year. We don't cancel your insurance once you get to a certain age but we do have to account for the increased likelihood of claims as the pet ages and therefore increase premiums.
5. Is there a cap on “continuing care (chronic, recurring conditions)?” Is it possible for a chronic condition to be declared “pre-existing?” If so, please explain.
   Continuing Care is standard on all our policies. So if you have a condition, like diabetes, that is covered in 1 policy term and then requires more treatment in future policy terms, that is still covered. The only change is that instead of the full annual maximum to use, you’d have 25% of your annual max available for continuing conditions. If the chronic condition occurred prior to you getting the policy, then yes it’s considered preexisting and not covered… otherwise, you’re good to go for continuing care coverage.

You'll have to come back tomorrow and the next day for the remaining questions...

In the meantime, got any questions of your own for us?

Related Posts:
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 2
Pet Insurance Q&A from a potential policyholder, part 3

PS. The answers were written up by Kate, one of our Customer Care Embracers in our Contact Center. Kate is also tweeting over at @embracepetins if you'd like to ask her a question. 

Guest post: A General Discussion of Orthopedic Issues in Dogs

In the Embrace Pet Insurance policy terms and conditions, and orthopedic condition is defined as: 
"related to the musculosketal system, which is made up of the body’s bones (the skeleton), muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue (the tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together)."

So, with that rather unwieldy definition at the top of our mind, let's talk turkey about ortho conditions.

Today we have a guest post from Dr Susan Wright, Electric Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian, on the different types of orthopedic conditions.
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Orthopedic issues are a very common reason for dogs to visit their veterinarian. They relate to problems with the bones, muscles, joints and ligaments of his body. These problems can be as simple as a strained ligament, or as complicated as a fracture of the pelvis.

There are several causes of orthopedic problems in our dogs. Firstly, they may be congenital, where your dog is actually born with the condition. One example is patellar luxation, where his kneecap freely moves out of its groove in his thigh bone. If not treated appropriately, it leads to lameness and arthritis in your dog's knee joint.

Orthopedic conditions can also be developmental, where the condition develops more slowly, and is influenced by other factors as your dog matures. The best example is hip dysplasia. Whether or not your dog becomes affected by hip dysplasia depends not only on genetics, but also on his nutrition as he grows, and how much exercise he gets when he's young.

Lastly, they can be acquired, when your dog injures his musculoskeletal system while playing, or in an accident. Fractures associated with motor vehicle accidents, or cruciate ligament ruptures while playing ball are both examples of acquired orthopedic conditions.

When you take your dog to your vet with an orthopedic problem, there are times when it's easy to obtain a diagnosis. She will usually be able to feel a fractured bone in his leg, or recognize the abnormal movement of his knee joint when a ligament is torn. In every case of an orthopedic condition, x rays will be taken to firstly confirm the diagnosis, and secondly to assess if there is any further damage to surrounding tissues. In the case of a bone fracture, an x ray will also help your vet decide on the best technique for repairing the break.

When it comes to treatment, there are several options for your dog. There are many conditions that your regular vet is very qualified to manage, such as straightforward limb fractures; however, she may recommend that you take your dog to a board certified orthopedist for further treatment. These specialists have undergone specific training in orthopedics, and can perform difficult procedures such as total hip replacements.

In some cases, surgery is the best way of managing your dog's orthopedic problem; however other modes of treatment may also offer some relief. Anti-inflammatory pain relieving medication can be used in acute injuries, as well as for more chronic conditions such as arthritis. Those who are interested in alternative therapies are often very interested in trying acupuncture to treat their dogs. Many vets are recommending physical therapy and hydrotherapy in conjunction with more conventional treatments. Many times, our dogs must endure a period of restricted exercise while they recover.

We are very fortunate in that most orthopedic conditions in our dogs can be treated, bringing them pain relief and allowing them to return to normal mobility and function.
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This guest post is brought to you by Electric Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dog Fence DIY takes you through all the steps of using an electric fence for dogs including installation, training, and how to find the best system for you and your pet. Electric Dog Fence offers a wide variety of different pet containment systems at the best available price to you.

Looking for cheap pet insurance?

If you are looking for value for money, that's one thing, but if you are looking for the lowest price, you might just get what you're asking for - the lowest price may get the lowest coverage.

Check out the information on the Embrace Pet Insurance website on how to reduce the cost of your pet insurance and still get value for money.

And while you're at it, you can get a quote where you get to pick your price for pet insurance. Who wouldn't like that?

Cardiomyopathy in cats related to saddle thrombosis

The most likely cause of a saddle thrombus in cats (a blood clot that blocks arteries in the legs) is cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that prevents the muscle from being able to pump effectively.

I spoke with Dr. Prueter, an internal medicine veterinary specialist here in Cleveland, to learn more and here is my summary of our conversation. Note that I've taken the liberty of summarizing our conversation in lay person's language (because that's what I am) and so any inaccuracies are all mine!

What happens to the cat's heart with cardiomyopathy and how is it caused?

In the case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the left side of the heart thickens so much that abnormalities can occur where the blood exits the heart (the areas in red in the diagram). HCM is generally found to be hereditary, particularly in Persians and Maine Coon cats.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy occurs when the inner lining of the heart becomes stiff, causing the heart muscle to thicken to try to pump harder, setting the stage for blood clots as well. Not much is known about the cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) occurs when the heart muscle weakens. DCM used to occur frequently before it was discovered that the lack of the amino acid Taurine in cat food caused the condition. Taurine is very heat sensitive and the taurine in meat was destroyed in the pet food processing. Now that we know better and pet food is supplemented by taurine after the heat processing, this condition is much less common than before. 

How exactly is a blood clot caused by heart disease in the case of a saddle thrombus?

The abnormalities from cardiomyopathy cause turbulence or "swirling" of blood inside the heart instead of the usual flow of blood out into the artery (aorta), which creates prime conditions for blood clots to form.

If a clot does form and moves out of the heart, it very often goes down the aorta and gets stuck where the artery splits (bifurcates) into the iliac artery, which lead down into the legs.

But a clot can go anywhere: into one of the legs where the whole or part of the leg is blocked off; the front legs; the brain. None of it good although it's much easier to tackle a lower leg blockage with surgery than a total leg blockage. Once the thrombus blocks the artery, it is very hard for a cat to recover from the damage caused.

Treatment Options for Saddle Thrombus Once It Has Happened

Veterinarians used to recommend surgery after a dye study is performed to determine where exactly the clot is located but even if the clot was removed successfully, many times another clot would replace it, sometimes within minutes. Nowadays, vets are not very likely to take this course of action.

Current treatments use drugs to break down the clots and to keep the clots from forming such as Acepromozine, which dilates the blood vessels.  But there are adverse effects of these drugs and they don't always work, certainly not in the time frame needed to recover the use of the cat's legs.

How can you tell if a cat has heart disease? What are the symptoms?

Cats are notorious for not showing their symptoms externally (see Dr Patty Khuly's discussion on the evolutionary aspects to this). It is quite possible for your cat to have advanced heart disease and appear completely normal. Heart disease usually occurs as a cat ages but it is possible for younger cats and even kittens can get heart disease.

The symptoms can be found internally through a veterinarian's examination. A heart murmur or gallop rhythm (arrhythmia) can indicate an issue with the heart that has the potential for a clot to form.

The good news is that a cat can have a heart murmur for several years without any issue so it's important you take your cat to the vet for her regular check up to catch issues early. Heart disease can be managed well for many years before any heart failure occurs.

Treatment of Heart Disease and Blood Clots in Cats

If your cat has signs of heart disease, your vet may take an X-Ray of your cat's heart for indications of an enlarged or weakened heart muscle. For more refined measurements, he/she may also do an ultrasound. It is possible to see a thrombus in the left atrium if it's there but it may not always be visible.

If there is evidence of a clot, the vet will usually prescribe aspirin immediately and maybe even heparin to prevent further growth of the clot and to encourage the body's own internal mechanisms to break down the clot.

In short, take your cat to your veterinarian regularly so you might catch the early signs of heart disease and be able to prevent a saddle thrombus before it happens.

As with any of your pet’s health conditions, if you are worried about your pet, talk to your vet.

Related Posts:
Saddle Thrombus in cats
Causes and signs of saddle thrombus in cats
Cardiomyopathy in cats related to saddle thrombosis
Memories of Dave
Blood clot in cat: Q&A with Dr. Carleton

Heart diagram courtesy of The Children's Heart Institute
X-Ray courtesy of VetGo Cardiology

Ask Laura: when to get continuing care?

Here's a question that was posted for me over at the Invisible Voices discussion about pet insurance.

Question:

Let’s say in the year 1 I don’t get “continuing care” coverage and my cat gets sick. Embrace covers the vet bills. In the year two when I’m renewing my policy, do I then have an option of still purchasing continuing care, or not? If I do, that means that in the first year of insuring you don’t need to purchase continuing care.  Jane

Answer:

Jane,

In the scenario you describe, you can pick up the continuing care option in year 2 but any illnesses in the first year would be considered pre-existing for the continuing care option going forward. In other words, you have to get continuing care now to have it apply to illnesses that occur in the first year.

Laura

"Mo’s How-to guide on getting the most out of pet insurance" on Invisible Voices

If you ever wanted a very practical and relevent summary of how to get the most out of your pet insurance, check out the guide written by Mo(-the-Magnificent), which is hosted very kindly by Deb(-the-Delightful) over at Invisible Voices.

Mo has seen it all with pet insurance and lived to tell her tail (er- tale) on Deb's many pet insurance threads. It's an absolutely fascinating read, particularly if you have any knowledge of the pet insurance companies on the market (maybe even without :))

All pet insurers should read all the discussions on pet insurance. The claim experience is where the rubber hits the road with pet insurance and if we don't collectively do better as an industry, we are never going to get beyond the flighty image of pet insurance in the US.

What say yea, pet insurers?

Related Posts on Invisible Voices
Invisible Voices blog entries on pet insurance
Evangelism at its best
Terrier Man gets provocative on pet insurance
If you have a cat...

Ask Laura: sending in my claim within 60 days if I haven't met my deductible

Question:

I chose a plan with a $500 deductible as I truly am most concerned with the major problems (and I couldn’t afford the premiums for a lower level). However, I notice your instructions indicate that claims over $50 must be submitted within 60 days of the vet visit. Do I still have to submit all claims before I reach the $500 deductible?

What would make the most sense to me is to save all bills, and then if, and only if, I get past the $500 would I submit for reimbursement. I would want to be able to include any lesser bills incurred during the year that would contribute towards the $500, but by that point they would be past 60 days old. If I have to keep submitting claims all year that I’m not going to get reimbursed for (because I have not yet met the $500 deductible) then this plan sounds like too much work.

Please advise.

Answer:

You are absolutely right - saving them until you meet your deductible total makes the most sense and that's what we've unofficially been allowing behind the scenes. But no point hiding the good news and I'm glad you asked this so I can say that we won't enforce the 60 days when you haven't met your deductible total.

Do make sure to send your invoices in in a timely manner when you finally go over the deductible and certainly be sure to send them in within 60 days of the end of your policy year so we can wrap up things up for our underwriters in a timely manner.

Thanks for that excellent point - I'll make sure to update the instructions on the claims as soon as I can.

Embrace Pet Insurance Now Covers Chronic and Recurring Illnesses

Our latest press release titled Embrace Pet Insurance Now Covers Chronic and Recurring Illnesses draws attention to the fact that it is important to have chronic and recurring illness coverage in your pet insurance policy as not every company does (and they aren't very upfront about that fact so you don't want to get caught out - always check).

"Owners of dogs and cats can be in for a shock when faced with a large vet bill after their pet is ill or gets in an accident. Many vets now offer diagnostic techniques, treatments and surgical procedures that used to be only available for humans -- but the costs can be in the thousands of dollars.

"Treatment for an incurable condition such as epilepsy, diabetes or hyperthyroidism can extend over the life of the pet, so pet owner needs to make sure their pet's insurance covers treatment over the course of many years," recommends Bennett."

At Embrace, we cover ongoing chronic conditions in our policy under our Continuing Care benefit and if you include our prescription drug and dental illness coverage, those are also included in your continuing coverage.

Currently, our maximum for continuing care claims is the same as whatever you chose for your policy maximum for the first year of the illness and then it drops to 25% of the maximum for years two and onwards (the drop only occurs for continuing conditions, not new conditions) but we are working on our underwriter, Lloyd's of London, to remove the 25% restriction. We shall see if we are successful on that - wish us luck :)

So with Embrace Pet Insurance, you don't need to worry that when your dog or cat gets sick while insured, the condition will become pre-existing after you've been insured for a while. Who'd want insurance that does that?