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Any experience with Lemonade pet insurance?
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Member Since:
17 February 2021
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11 March 2021 - 9:16 pm
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I'm curious about any experience with their coverage for tripawds or other preexisting conditions.  They said they don't do medical records reviews, and go solely on the information from the vet (worded in a way that seems like it's the current vet's diagnosis and treatment as opposed to the originating vet.)  I don't know, just that he said they don't have staff with medical training for claims information and records.  

If it's really this black and white, I would like to keep researching them. 

Pictures of Bell and family on Instagram DuckSaga

https://www.ins.....hdlclpm809

On The Road


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11 March 2021 - 9:22 pm
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I've only seen ads for that company, and would absolutely not use them if they aren't able to do a medical records review. 

Our experience with coverage for Wyatt Ray was with Trupanion, a terrific company. His orthopedic conditions like osteoarthritis were pinpointed on his altered mobility because he was 3-legged, so anything related to treatment was not covered. I was not happy with that, but when he needed a $5k surprise dental surgery, I was sure glad we had coverage. 

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

New York, NY
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12 March 2021 - 6:27 am
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Hi.  I'm certainly no expert on pet insurance, but it absolutely was a godsend during Griffin's tripawd journey, so I figured I'd add my 2 cents.  We had Petplan from the time Griffin was 1, so I know we were lucky not to have any issues with pre-existing conditions.  They are probably a little on the expensive side, but they were phenomenal during the last year, paying every bill with zero push-back, and have made some recent changes, such as direct deposit of reimbursement checks, that are very helpful.  I have some family members who love Healthy Paws and it has been very highly rated by consumer reports for years.  I don't think any insurance company is going to cover pre-existing conditions, but Pet Assure (petassure.com) seems to be a relatively inexpensive veterinary plan that offers discounts to in-network veterinarians, so it might be worthwhile to see if your vets are in their network.  Good luck with making a decision!

Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com


Member Since:
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12 March 2021 - 6:13 pm
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I didn't have Pet insurance with Sassy or Bosch.  As soon as I got my two girls they had pet insurance from the time they joined our house and since.  We have had Healthy Paws.  I can say they do medical reviews and even after having them for 7 years with Jasmine they just did one on something (I can't remember what it was).  

I will say this also.  Snickers when she was sick around Christmas time and until she passed Jan 5th.  Healthy paws probably covered close to 10, 000 in vet bills.  That included a 3 day ER stay the first time, a removal of her spleen (emergency surgery at my vet), plus another day stay the day she passed at the ER clinic.  And she was a healthy dog up until then.

My thing is this.  You want something that will cover and insurance no matter what is cheap.  I do not know anything about this company but please do your research on them

Michelle & Angels Sassy, Bosch, Baby Simba and my sweet Snickers

sassymichelle-sm.jpg

Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013

05/04/2006 -  Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19  fought cancer for 4 months.

"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."

Member Since:
17 February 2021
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12 March 2021 - 7:16 pm
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Thank you all for your replies, it's helpful to add to the research! 

I'll keep going on the research.  Maybe I can rephrase some questions to get better information from lemonade.  I do still like them despite the records review issue.  There are several companies that don't do them at all until you make a claim, but I'll update about that research experience in the other thread. 

I'm hoping someone will be familiar with them in this community. 

I keep editing... I forgot to say that I did go ahead and get pet assure for everyone (even the goats and chickens!) you can invite any vet to join, but in the meantime have found a good option for all of our species about 40 minutes away that already accepts it.  

Pictures of Bell and family on Instagram DuckSaga

https://www.ins.....hdlclpm809

On The Road


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12 March 2021 - 10:33 pm
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Your research is impressive!!

Regarding not doing a medical record review until a claim is filed, that seems odd. Any insurance company rep for a company that offers reviews should understand that a medical record review is a process that will uncover what conditions are pre-existing before a claim is filed, so that the policy holder won’t be surprised when a pre-existing is declined. It’s not to review an existing claim.

It’s all explained in the pet insurance podcast we linked to, so I’m wondering if the people you talked to aren’t clear about what you were asking for?

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

New York, NY
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13 March 2021 - 6:11 am
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I was curious about Lemonade as I didn't know they had pet insurance (I have a rental insurance policy with them) .  They do seem pretty favorably rated with coverage for some things, like wellness exams and vaccines, that other companies do not cover.  One review site states:  Lemonade requires you to submit medical records for a full exam performed 12 months prior to your policy start date for pets over the age of one. Failure to produce these records can delay the processing of your first claim. (https://www.the.....20of%20one.)  So it seems that they review medical records, which of course is standard for the industry.  Good luck with your continued research!

Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com

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13 March 2021 - 1:50 pm
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Thanks again for the replies.  Unfortunately I think they do know what I mean by a record review.  Two companies so far have explained that it's too time consuming and costly for them to do them before it's required for a claim.  With one (pets best) I clarified further: so bell would need to have a policy, get injured, treated, and wait for the review to be done all within the first 30 days to know if this is the right coverage for her?  Answer, yes, sorry (there was also no way to know how long it would take to complete it, but unlikely within their own 30 day reimbursement for cancelation.) 

Pictures of Bell and family on Instagram DuckSaga

https://www.ins.....hdlclpm809

On The Road


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13 March 2021 - 4:36 pm
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Stacy thanks for sharing, that's helpful info.

@bellbug, wow, can't believe that they would even admit to their unwillingness to do a medical record review. Yeah, they do get the question, thanks for sharing.

We talked about that issue on the podcast with Dr. Kenney. The verdict? Run far from any company that is not willing to do a medical record review. If they are not willing to invest in a process that will lead to customer satisfaction, once the customer knows what to expect, well they aren't worth your money. Both Embrace and Trupanion are two companies that will do reviews at no charge during the initial "try on" policy period (first 30 days), just FYI.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

John Rakoczy
10
6 April 2021 - 7:50 am
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I find it odd that insurance companies would spend all that money for medical histories when taking on a new client... that seems to be a business model that would put them out of business quick.  That is because they don't just call your vet and ask for records... they look up every vet in a 30 mile radius of your current vet and ask for records from each of them to make sure you didn't get a diagnosis from one, then go to another vet and go to another vet to claim a "new" condition. It is not practical to do this until a claim is filed.  And by the way, they do this each time a claim is filed, again to make sure you didn't get the diagnosis at one vet, leave the condition untreated, then go to another vet when you finally make your claim.

I currently live with 17 dogs I have rescued, and have tried all of them (including Trupanion).  None of them do any sort of medical history reviews until you file your first claim.   The experiences I've had with pet insurance companies are all bad.  With all the clauses and excuses, they make sure they have every reason to deny a claim - so if you want to get re-imbursement your claim must be bullet-proof and you must have followed all the rules (i.e. all the proper/regular vet care and checkups).   I'm not one to do this... and believe in only going to a vet when there is a clear need or symptom to treat (with 17 dogs, I won't waste money just for "check up" visits).  So any claim I filed was always rejected because there wasn't a record of annual "check up" visits for any of my dogs.

The final straw was Rocky, who I adopted from a shelter (his owner had starved him and dumped him off in the middle of the night in the middle of the road, putting out a bag of McDonald's to distract the starving dog while he drove off).   Given that I didn't know his medical history, I got pet insurance the day after adopting him.  The shelter even had pamphlets they gave out with each adoption, advertising getting the insurance!  Sure enough, 45 days later I had a large vet bill from a vet visit and the company denied the claim because the vet noted in his notes that "the dog was adopted and any prior medical history is unknown" (that was Trupanion I believe that denied the claim).  Boy did I go off on them... and they offered a return of the 2 premiums I had paid because I immediately cancelled the policy.

Bottom line is that insurance companies - human, animal, or auto - can only exist if they make profit and it is always in their interest to do whatever they can to deny claims.  So if you go with an insurer, make sure to read the entire contract at least 3 times before continuing with them, and make sure you are able to have bullet-proof claims. 

On a related note, I recently learned that my home insurer does claims for any "named storm" under a "storm clause"... though I live 4 hours from the coast and when named hurricanes come inland and get down-graded to tropical depressions, those depressions also get names!  So any spawned tornadoes, wind damage, hail damage, etc from a "named storm" can trigger a clause that raises the deductible to 100x what you think it is!  Be sure to know your policy inside and out! 

On The Road


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6 April 2021 - 8:52 am
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Thank you for all you do for dogs, John, and thanks for sharing your insurance experiences. I'm sorry they have all been negative.

I encourage you to listen to our interview with Embrace and Dr. Kenney to learn how to avoid such stressful pet insurance situations:

Choosing the Best Pet Insurance for Tripawds

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia



Member Since:
22 February 2013
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6 April 2021 - 2:10 pm
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Yes John, thank you for what you are doing for these sweet souls❤

Your post was quite informative, especially  about "regular" check ups and Vet care.  Like you, many of us do Bet visits on an "as needed" basis, so to speak. And to try and do those "regular" checkups with 17 rescues... no way!!  

Thank you again for opening  up your heart and home to these Lucky dogs who found their way to you.💖

Ps.....quick disclaimer, I have not listened to the link Jerry posted. nor do I have pet insurance.  So not saying it's good or bad...just saying your post was interesting.👌 

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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