ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

Letter sent to PetsHealthCarePlan: Dear PetsHealthCarePlan, Attached is my final claim for my beloved Jonah who was euthanized on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. I’ve also attached a picture of Jonah (tabby) with his buddy Hazy Girl (tuxedo). Jonah was truly the sweetest cat! We have 5 other cats (!) and Jonah got along with ALL of them. He was extremely interactive with us throughout the day, constantly talking to us and being mama’s lap kitty while she worked at the computer. He loved to greet me after my morning shower and would patiently wait for me to put a towel across my shoulders so he could hop up and snuggle me on my shoulders! At night, ever since he was a baby, he loved to fall asleep sucking my ear lobe. I adopted Jonah as a rescue kitty during a very tough time in my life. I was struggling with depression and his beautiful soul helped me overcome that tough time. He’s been with me through a divorce, two moves (one from SC to MD), starting up my own business and several more additions to the family. He had so many distinct meows and purrs and expressions that makes me believe he was highly evolved and more connected to people than the average pet. Jonah was shortchanged on his life and it took us all by surprise. He never had anything wrong in his annual checkups and never had those urinary issues like many male cats do (like Boaz). When his kidneys started to fail towards the end of last year, we were told we only had a few weeks left with him. A few months later, Jonah survived and thrived after having a huge bladder stone removed. And you wouldn’t believe how well he responded to acupuncture! After 2 or 3 treatments, Jonah was totally expressing energy and playfulness like he did when he was a baby kitty! It had been years since we played our little “hide-and-seek-and-pounce” game (I wish I could show you a video of it as it was so hilarious), and for two months he just carried on in full strength like when he was a kitten. I truly do credit that to the acupuncture. But unfortunately, Jonah’s kidneys could not keep up with his vibrant life force. We had learned from a Pet Communicator how to communicate and “pet-speak” with Jonah and he told me he was ready. He was so sweet on his last day, giving to the very end. I held him as he purred on to the other side. We were so grateful to provide him a peaceful crossing. We are also very grateful to PetsHealthCarePlan because without your services, I would have been robbed even further of the last 4 or 5 months I had with Jonah. And I can’t even begin to tell you how precious those last months were. I still can’t believe he’s gone. I tell everyone I know who has a pet about your program. What’s equally as important as the coverages you provide is the compassionate customer service that I have always received from your staff. Thank you again for the services you provide.

With my previous cat (who died in 1993) I had tried other pet insurance companies, but I always had to pay a co-pay and they didn't cover many of the bills I had submitted for payment. I signed up with ASPCA Pet Insurance in 2006 and am extremely glad that I did. Last year I took my cat to a "cat" groomer that I thought would be a good place to go (I checked on the internet and it had several stars as a rating. I had taken my cat to the groomer in May and by Memorial Day weekend (a couple of weeks later), my cat had become very ill (he was falling down, plus his third eyelid was showing in one eye). This had happened on Sunday so, of course, the pet hospital where my cat's vet was was closed. Fortunately, there is a Pet Emergency center near where I live, so I took my cat there and was told he had "Horner's Syndrome" (the symptoms can last for 6-8 weeks), which they did. Over the time that my cat was ill, his medical bills came to over $1,500.00 and ASPCA Pet Insurance paid over $800.00 of that.

My first pet insurance experience was with this company; I was in part lured in by the ASPCA endorsement. I was concerned that the policies offered for my 2 cats and one dog were not particularly good but decided to give it a try. I did understand that every renewal was treated as a new application and coverage for illnesses occuring within the previous year would not be covered. I also understood the limits of coverage per illness. What angers me the most however is not that Hartville offers poor policies (after all I did purchase the policies) but that they did not reimburse fairly even given the limits of the policies. The reimbursement schedule is very low; three animals, three cities, 5 vet clinics- always the reimbursement was 60% after deductibles and co-pays (not the promised 80%). What they consider reasonable isn't. The adjusters also look for every reason to deny reimbursement. Part of a claim was denied for "timely filing" although they only want one claim per illness (how does that work?). They tried denying a claim for an emergency visit for my acutely ill cat claiming that it was due to his chronic mild liver inflammation. The cat died three days later of acute leukemia. I did finally receive some payment but only after repeated calls and many weeks. The renewal policy for the dog listed "ingestion of foreign bodies" as a pre-existing condition that would not be covered. Since when is one accidental ingestion a chronic condition? (That incident only cost them $40- a fraction of the premium- the dog was entirely healthy otherwise) In short, Hartville offers poor policies and then doesn't even honor their side of the contract. After extensive research I have been able to find better policies elsewhere for the same or only slightly more money. The ASPCA should be ashamed to partner with a company like Hartville.

Name:Kathy FastAddress: Plainfield IN Story:Our kitty's name is Patches and he is 11 yrs old. He developed diabetes in November of 2008 and I have to say how amazed I am with this pet insurance. I had been a contributor to ASPCA for helping homeless animals for quite a while and only found out about their pet insurance a couple of yrs ago. Patches was virtually always healthy, never sick and never went to see the vet except for his yrly exam and shots. Since his diagnosis, I have had to take him to the doctor several times for bloodwork and tests while they are trying to regulate his blood sugar. I am amazed at how prompt ASPCA is in paying their claims, and they have paid exactly what they said they would pay. I feel like I have a "guardian angel looking over us by having this insurance thru ASPCA. I don't feel so quite alone in going thru this with Patches. He is doing great, his blood sugar is coming down although the vet said it may take a while for us to go to where it needs to be. I just feel so fortunate to have found this insurance --it has been a lifesaver, especially with the times being so hard right now Thank you ASPCA! Kathy Fast

I have had 2 types of plans with ASPCA. I had an emergency plan that I didn't think I'd ever use. Unfortuntately, it came in quite useful when my cat became seriously ill, and ultimately passed at only 1 year of age. The customer reps that I contacted both online and by phone were very helpful and supportive. I purchased another contract for my new kitten, and have also experienced wonderful service. My questions are answered promptly, and claims are handled in an efficient manner. I would and will purchase again.