PetsBest - PetsBest Increase, Anything I Can Do?
I knew this was coming from seeing it happen to others but I got my policy renewal notice and our annual cost went from $347 to $505. I know this is far from the worst increase but it is still annoying. He hasn’t had a claim since 2023 and is only 4 years old. Is there anything I can do or say to them that might get this lowered a bit? I worry what his premium will look like a few years from now if they continue with increases at this level.
I also am bringing home a puppy next month and have been going back and forth about insuring them through PetsBest or trying something new like AKC or Trupanion. Any thoughts on that?
PetsBest - PetsBest Review
I recently had to bring my 8 year old Alaskan Malamute (no pre-existing condition) to the vet 3x this month and wanted to share our experience with PetsBest. Here is our coverage:
**Unlimited Annual Limit, $500 Deductible, 10% Co-Pay, 90% Reimbursement Level, "Elite" Plan**
Members October 2023 = $1,297.20/year or $108.10/month
Renewed October 2024 = $1,567.80/year ($1,175.85 paid so far) or $130.65/month
Total paid to insurance as of June 2025 = $2,473.05
**June 6: 1st Emergency Visit**
I brought him in due to a nasty hotspot on his tail. He had to be sedated for the clip and clean and was prescribed multiple medications (gaba, traz, steroids, antibiotics, and animax). He was also given a Cytopoint shot for $240.
Total: $881.92
Not Covered: $6.00 (Hazardous Waste Disposal)
Deductible: $500
Co-Pay: $87.60
Reimbursed: $288.32
*Claim took 2.5 weeks to process*
**June 22: 2nd Emergency Visit**
Started having diarrhea and throwing up June 20. Became lethargic. By June 22, he was on 3 days without a meal and chronic vomiting and diarrhea. Doctor did a Full Panel (CBC, Chem 17, Lytes) & Ultra Sound to rule out underlying causes and blockage, administered fluids to rehydrate. He also needed to be sedated during the Ultrasound. We were able to take him home with probiotics, anti-nausea, and antibiotics.
Total Cost: $2,513.34
Not Covered: $119.48 (Hazardous Waste Disposal & Probiotics)
Co-Pay: $239.38
Reimbursed: $2,154.48
*Claim took 2 days to process*
**June 23: Picked up Appetite Stimulant from Vet**
Total Cost: $270.62
Co-Pay: $27.06
Reimbursed: $243.56
*Claim took 2 days to process*
**June 25: 3rd Emergency Visit - Overnight Stay at the Vet Hospital**
He was on day 5 without food, we were unable to consistently give him medication because he couldn't keep anything down. At this point, he was very very lethargic, stayed in bed all day, and was still having diarrhea. We were starting to get really worried as he has started to lose a bunch of weight.
Doctor concluded that he should stay overnight as they will need to administer medications and fluids through an IV, feed him through a tube, and do an x-ray.
Recommended diagnostics included fecal testing and cortisol test.
We were able to pick him up June 26: His cortisol came back normal, ruling out Addison's disease. Fecal Testing came back Negative.
Total Cost: $4,776.24
Not Covered: $18.54 (Hazardous Waste Disposal)
Co-Pay: $475.73
Reimbursed: $4,281.97
*Claim took 2 days to process*
**SUMMARY**
Total Costs: $8,442.12
My Out of Pocket Costs: $1,473.79
Insurance Covered: $6,968.33
PetsBest - PetsBest
How long does it usually take for PetsBest to reimburse you? For some reason, it says that my payment date was April 3, but I haven’t received anything
PetsBest - Thoughts on this insurance appeal for PetsBest
Recently, my cat had to be rushed to the ER due to urinary blockage (FLUTD) , I submitted his bills, which rounded up to 7k, but the insurance denied it as pre-existing.
* Pet had not prior diagnosis or sign of illness in the past with a clean record
* Vet stated that he had issues peeing in an instance of stress due to construction and not due to FLUTD, and recommended Feliway Diffusers
* Vet also wrote a letter for me specifying that the symptoms were not related to pre-existing FLUTD
Now at the time that he started to show symptoms of blockage and straining the policy was already active and the waiting period was over. Am I crazy for thinking that them using past symptoms that were specified to not be related to deny my claim is actually wrong, and this emergency should fall under coverage?
PetsBest - Considering switching from PetsBest - SC
I am currently in the process of considering switching from PetsBest pet insurance. I currently have my 1 year old Jack Russell insured through them. He’s (thankfully) been quite healthy however, I have had experience in submitting claims through them with a 10-12 week old mixed breed puppy that I rescued (legitimately off the street). Poor Wren had multiple congenital defects with her heart and I ended up having to have her euthanized on emergency after a seizure. I submitted 2 claims - 1 for her initial visit with a cardiologist for diagnosis and the second, the emergency seizure visit. Both claims were denied due to “pre-existing condition” - which I struggle to understand considering she was not diagnosed until the visit with the cardiologist and was insured prior to diagnosis. My experience with their customer service representative the day after having to put Wren down was…lacking. I called to inquire whether or not I needed to leave her policy open until the claims were completed and was (very bluntly) told that “Because the patient is dead, the policy needs to be cancelled”. Fine. I made no complaints, I didn’t call to argue with their ruling re: pre-existing condition. And I would spend the money again and again because I truly loved my animals. I’ve let it be as the coverage is affordable and my hope was that since Norman (my Jack Russell) is healthy and has been to the vet consistently through his life, if I ever did need to submit a claim I would not experience the same outcome.
Here I am, a little over a month later - my family all threw in on getting me a Black Lab puppy (Teva). Last night I looked into the cost of adding her to my existing PetsBest plan with Norman. She is more than double the cost to insure. Hear me out, I work in vet med (on the equine side but I am not lost on the workings of the small animal side) - I know Labs present higher risk (especially when it comes to foreign bodies and hips). I get it, but more than double?? After my already lacking experience? Uugghhh.
All of this to ask the question - who do you recommend? In my research I am finding the price to be fairly similar across companies *BUT* with more coverage - ex: Spot seems to have fairly extensive coverage for the same price. I’m interested in opinions on all but have specifically looked at Spot, Lemonade and Fetch.
Included are pictures of Norman, Wren and Teva as payment for your advice!
PetsBest - Dog turned 11, insurance went up $110/month
I’ve been with PetsBest for over 3 years. I started paying about $50 and last year it went up to $78. I thought it was due to my dog becoming a senior, so I didn’t complain. Usually I have one visit to the ER per year, so I thought it was worth it. Last year she had mayor surgery to remove some tumors, but I was waiting until the last minute to get it done as they were all benign.
Last week I got a letter from PetsBest informing me that my new monthly premium is going to be $190! I called and even the rep was shocked about the increase, but now I’ve been shopping around and PetsBest is actually the cheaper option! I don’t want to drop them, as she is old and I’m sure I will end up paying less, even with the high premium, but there has to be some sort of control over this companies! This is absurd!
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