Stop 11 Animal Hospital

(317)885-PAWS

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Stop 11 Animal Hospital
5124 E. Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, IN 46237
(317)885-PAWS
{(317)885-7297}

FAX: (317)881-3177

PHARMACEUTICAL DISPENSING AND REFILL POLICY:  

All refill requests called in before 12:00. may be picked up after 2:30 p.m. and refill requests called in before 5:00 p.m. may be picked up the next morning,  pending doctor's approval. We will make every effort to expedite your refill request if it is absolutely necessary.

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PET HEALTH INSURANCE
 
 
The cost of pet health care has always been an issue. Today, with the advances in diagnostics, medicine, and surgery, it can be a much greater expense than ever before. In addition to the traditional diagnostic tools of blood tests, fecal parasite tests, and X-RAY, today we have Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, CT and MRI; we also have specialists able to do advanced dental and surgical procedures from dental root canals, to major joint and bone remodeling and advanced reconstructive procedures, not to mention cataract removal; radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancers in both young and old pets. 
 
To help you prepare for these expenses, I would like to present some options for your evaluation. 
 

 - Pet Health Insurance has been available for a number of years to help owners defray some of these additional expenses. There are several companies offering health insurance plans for pets. As with human insurance companies, some policies cover more than others and some companies have better reputations than others. Three of the most widely known and trusted are Trupanion, VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) and Pet's Best. Of these three, we currently are recommending Trupanion. While most pet health insurance companies offer plans regardless of your pet's status regarding being spayed or neutered, and many will also reimburse owners not only for major medical problems, but also routine procedures such as annual examinations, vaccinations, and preventive health procedures, including flea and heartworm preventives, spaying and neutering, and dental cleanings. Trupanion covers only medical expenses related to accidental injury or illness. They do not have restrictions on illness related to breed (although to be covered for canine hip dysplasia, you must buy a hip dysplasia "rider" before your dog turns one year of age). They reimburse owners based upon a flat percentage of the veterinary invoice (rather than X% of "the book" rate - meaning a percentage of the national average charge for a particular service).  

On reviewing information about Trupanion, the primary complaint that I was able to find was related to not covering many health issues of "sexually intact" pets. For example, they don't cover dog bites or hit by car injuries in intact male dogs (although they will for "neutered" males), nor will they cover prostate disease or perianal tumors, unless the dog is neutered before these conditions develop. Likewise in females, they do not cover health related issues of intact females, unless the issues arise after a set time period after the pet has been spayed.  Trupanion is not the ideal pet insurance for everyone, so for pet owners of older pets, intact pets, or who feel they need "wellness" benefits, we recommend either VPI or Pet's Best. With all pet insurance, read the policy closely, especially in regards to "preexisting" conditions, breed specific exclusions, and how reimbursement for veterinary fees is calculated.

- If you can afford pet health insurance, but the idea seems to foreign, an alternative that has been used by some exotic pet owners, and has recently been recommended by speakers and groups around the country for dog and cat owners, is a form of self insurance. You prepay yourself to be ready for emergency services by setting aside money on a monthly basis:

1) Look over some different policies from the pet insurance companies, decide what amount you could afford to set aside monthly. Generally a minimum of $20.00 to $50.00 per pet per month, young animals and cats generally need less, if you are starting late and have an older pet, $50.00 to $75.00 may be better.
2) At your bank, set up a “pet health fund” account—either a savings account that you may write four to five checks on a year, or an interest bearing checking account.
3) Have your bank set up an automatic transfer from your regular bank account to the pet health fund based upon the level you decided in step 1 above.
3) Use this account ONLY for pet medical expenses. While you may use this account for annual health care such as veterinary exams, vaccinations, blood work, dental care, etc. you will generally be better off reserving it for emergency and unexpected illness visits. This account should never be used for day to day pet expenses such as food.
4) Ideally, establish this fund before you obtain your pet, but it may be started at any time.
 

With this type of pre-planning, you should be better prepared in the event of a major health expense for your pet.

 

 Pets Best Pet Insurance
1-888-899-4VPI