BEWARE
I really hate this company. They have some crazy "pre-existing" condition policies that get sprung on you when you least expect (or can afford) it... basically, they claim that ANY condition that has EVER been filed (and how many times might you have a puppy/dog with a stomach ache in its lifetime, for example...), it will NEVER be covered again after the calendar year that you first file it. An ongoing condition (for instance, my dog has epilepsy, which controlled by medication, but she is supposed to get her blood levels monitored every year or so) - that is first diagnosed in December of 2007 will suddenly become A PRE-EXISTING condition as of Jan 1 2008, and nothing - medication, vet checks, etc - will EVER be covered for that illness ever again. This has cost me a lot of money. I have wanted to cancel for years, but keep it because my dog is a senior and i expect there will be more illness to come, but I HATE this company. they truly make up their own rules to suit their bottom line - they are not a god company.
- INSURER:
ASPCA
- POSTED: 01/22/2008
- BY: J
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Don't pay some claims - poor customer service
I have had the best wellness plan for over a year and recently had a recommended operation on our German Shepard for Cryptorchidism in dogs ( non descending Testicle )- which I thought was covered ($1400). Two doctors recommended this because not doing it causes cancer - then too late for our dog. Now they refuse to pay anything 'as being unfair to their clients- I mean what? Try calling Customer service and while you are number two in the queue, you might wait for 30 minutes. Try to get a pre-approval for anything and find out there is no system for this- you have to pay the vet and then hope after months Pets pays you - and be careful of the deductables.
- INSURER:
Pets Best
- POSTED: 01/22/2008
- BY: Mike
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Without a doubt, the Best!
I purchased this policy as soon as I got my beagle puppy. He needed eye surgery just 3 months after we got him. I submitted my claim via E-Mail and received a check a week and a half later for the exact amount that I expected. I am so happy with this company that I have recommended them to my sister and a friend both of whom recently got a new pet.
- INSURER:
Pets Best
- POSTED: 01/22/2008
- BY: Ralph
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Knowledgable
I also had a terrible experience w/VPI after a few years with them. I am a certified medical coder so know all to well insurance terminology and coverage issues. I have submitted a couple of claims and have been taken care of in a timely fashion. I am comfortable with their expertise and I also admire their concern with my beloved pets!! Yes, Pets with an "S"
- INSURER:
Embrace
- POSTED: 01/19/2008
- BY: Diana
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Worth Having
This is the second time I have reviewed this company. I am excited to say that I have been pleased with some of the changes they have implemented. Initially I gave them a low score of 2. This was heavily influenced by claims processing time exceeding what was listed on their site. I also thought that I would not be doing business with them even a year later. So, what's changed mind? These things...
I was impressed by the fact that a representative of the company saw my initial review and personally contacted me via email thanking me for my review and letting me know that at any time they are happy to listen to my concerns. A good company will go where the customers are and look for ways to improve their customer's experience. They have improved billing by not requiring two months premium when starting a policy and now offer a plan where your payment remains the same. For a minor fee, your pet's rate remains the same until age 10 (I believe). They could further improve this by averaging premiums on a yearly basis regardless of the age of the pet, but they are moving in the right direction. They have updated their web site to accurately reflect the length of the claims process. In all the times I have filed claims, absolutely no surprises or denials. They have always paid their 80% after deductible.
Recently my oldest cat was not doing well and when I took him in for examination, the vet discovered a heart murmur. We had xrays, ultrasound, electrocardiogram and a blood panel done to aid in diagnosis. I was very pleased to have deposited my check for $398 out of the $600+ spent on these procedures. The turn around time seems to have improved over a year ago and took about ten business days from filing the claim via email to having the check in hand., Much, much better. They also sent email acknowledgments to let me know they had received the claim and again to let me know they were processing it.
I tried another insurer first with my new kitten then with two other cats for several months. I did not cancel my Pets Best policies during this testing. There were surprises when it came to paying out claims and ultimately I don't need any surprises when one of my cats gets sick. No surprises from Pets Best.
My final comment is regarding the wellness plan. You should know that if you sign up for wellness and cancel the plan you must wait one year before you can sign up again. It also states in the policy that if you cancel the wellness, they may decide to cancel your accident/illness as well. I don't know what one has to do with the other, but this should be changed. To be clear, they did NOT cancel my plan when I discontinued the wellness, but knowing that they reserve the right to do so is why I am reluctant to sign up for wellness again. If you have multiple pets, it is probably best to sign up for wellness one at a time. I have six cats and when one got very ill, I was unable to proceed with the regular wellness for the others until his bills were resolved.
I feel this company is making every effort to listen to it's customer's and improve the quality of their products and service. If they continue on like this, I have every confidence I will be a happy customer for the life of my pets. I have and do recommend them to friends with confidence. In my experience they offer great value and relief with minimal surprises when it's time to pay claims.
- INSURER:
Pets Best
- POSTED: 01/19/2008
- BY: RC
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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A pleasure doing business
My entire experience with Embrace has been fanatstic. They stand head and shoulders over VPI. Contact response time has been fast and personal. Their detailed explanations have been clear and easy to understand as is the website where they have everything needed to make an informed decision.
- INSURER:
Embrace
- POSTED: 01/18/2008
- BY: John
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Covers what many other companies don't
What I have found most excellent about Embrace is not only do they cover what most other companies don't, you can customize your policy to be affordable. Anyone with a multiple dog household knows how expensive it can be to have multiple policies.
By taking the largest deductible & co-pay, along with the highest yearly payout ($10,000), plus I took coverage for prescriptions and continuing care, I was able to get a policy for my Great Dane for under $250 a year! Anyone reading this with a big dog knows just how expensive medical care can be for the big dogs!
Of course, your policy will vary depending on how you customize it. I did not want a policy that covered routine items. To me, that is just part of owning a dog and just drives up the cost of a policy. Just like a human, I needed coverage for those major illness or injuries that require major medical care.
My Embrace policies give me piece of mind that I can afford to cover all my dogs for major medical emergencies. Plus, working with Lea at Embrace has just been awesome!
- INSURER:
Embrace
- POSTED: 01/14/2008
- BY: Ronnie
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Excellent Service
We currently had a tragedy in our family where our puppy passed away at the age of 6 months with no apparent cause that has been found to this day. I immediately contacted Petsbest and informed them of what happened and submitted a claim worth a little over $1000.00 incurred in a matter of less than 3 hours worth of service. Within less than 14 days, I received almost 90% reimbursement of the services and was helped by the kindest representatives. They were helpful in helping me with all my questions and were able to inform me of the status of my claim on each call I made, included calling me to let me know if I needed to submit any additional documentations. I would highly recommend Petsbest to any of my friends of their excellent service.
- INSURER:
Pets Best
- POSTED: 01/13/2008
- BY: Cheri
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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Very prompt claim processing and customer service
I submitted a claim for our cat's recent treatment for hypothyroidism, and it was processed very quickly, although the amount paid to me was nominal, after the deductible was factored in ($200 at that time). However, I was advised that the deductible is now fully paid for any further treatments for this same condition, costs of which will then be covered at 80%. The Pets Best customer service representative was very prompt and helpful in responding to a question I had regarding the effective date of new policy provisions which will reduce future deductibles to $100, a very reasonable amount.
- INSURER:
Pets Best
- POSTED: 01/10/2008
- BY: Marcia
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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My First Claim
Embrace covered my pets entropion surgery when other companies would not. The only negative experience I had--was it took 15days to process my claim and I was expecting a quicker turn around time. Embrace did communicate to me that since it was my FIRST CLAIM it would take up to 15 days to process. I guess all good things come to those who wait. I highly recommend Embrace!!
- INSURER:
Embrace
- POSTED: 01/08/2008
- BY: Gwendolyn
- BREED:
- AGE OF PET: 0 - 3
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