A Vet's Review of Fetch Pet Insurance
2024

• In some states, there is a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. These include: "Any Conditions affecting the bones, skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints...It does not include cancers or metabolic, hemopoietic, or autoimmune disease."
  
  In other states, this 6-month waiting period only applies to the knees and hips.
  
  In either case, you can waive the waiting period for knee only conditions by having your pet examined by a vet who certifies that there are no relevant pre-existing knee conditions.
  
  While you can waive the waiting period for these knee conditions, please note that a Vet may want additional diagnostics (e.g. x-rays, ultrasound, etc) before they feel comfortable certifying this. The cost of this will be out of your own pocket.
• According to their sample policy: "If your pet has had Clinical Signs, prior to the policy original inception date or during the waiting period, of an Orthopedic Bilateral Condition on one side of the body...future occurrences of the same condition will not be covered."
• Behavior coverage has a $1,000 annual limit

• Strong underwriter
• In regards to using clinical signs/symptoms to denote Pre-Existing Conditions, in their newer policies they have added the wording "...clinical signs or symptoms directly related to the condition for which a claim is being made." This is a step in the right direction when it comes to making sure signs and symptoms are not being used to deny unrelated diseases or conditions.
• Coverage when travel out of state or to Canada
• Provides comprehensive coverage in the 5 important areas as part of the base plan:
  1. Chronic disease
  2. Continual coverage for chronic disease
  3. Hereditary/congenital conditions
  4. Cancer
  5. Breed specific conditions

• In Fetch's terms and conditions policy it states, "...we may elect not to renew this policy on the expiration date due to a material change in the condition, factor, or loss experience material to insurability." Based on the fact that Nationwide unexpectedly announced it was canceling 100,000+ policies in the spring of 2024, it is important to be aware of companies that have this type of wording in their policies.
• Reimbursements are calculated by applying your reimbursement percentage first, then your deductible. This can lead to being reimbursed less than companies that subtract the deductible BEFORE applying the reimbursement percentage.
• According to their sample policy: "If your pet has had Clinical Signs, prior to the policy original inception date or during the waiting period, of an Orthopedic Bilateral Condition on one side of the body...future occurrences of the same condition will not be covered". What specific conditions do they deem to be "Orthopedic Bilateral Conditions". It is not clearly stated. They have a definition in their policy for "Orthopedic Conditions", but no definition for what constitutes an "Orthopedic Bilateral Condition". The reason it is important for them to be clear is because their definition can be anything they want it to be, and the pet owner needs to know specifically what that definition is so they can make an informed decision. The lack of a clear, specific definition also gives a company wiggle room to deny claims.

• Make sure you research what customers are saying about the company. A company may have the 5 components that should be part of a pet insurance plan, but the company may not be a hit with customers. Sites to check include but are not limited to: BBB.org, Yelp.com and PetInsuranceReview.com Things to look for include but are not limited to: How fast are payments paid?, What are customers saying about the pre-existing conditions policy?, How often are claims denied and for what reason?, What is the customer service experience like?, Are there issues with premium increases?
• Check with your state's Department of Insurance to see if any complaints have been filed for the company you are interested in.
• Make sure you understand what the waiting periods are.
• Make sure you understand their bilateral conditions policy.
• Make sure you understand any requirements that you must adhere to to maintain coverage.
• Make sure you read the terms and conditions to get a thorough understanding of all exclusions.
• Make sure you understand when and by how much your premium can increase.
• If you change plan levels, there is a possibility that all medical conditions present under the old plan will be considered pre-existing in the new plan. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• For some companies, pre-existing conditions can be based on signs and symptoms alone, a diagnosis is not needed. For example, if your pet had a cough before you applied for pet insurance and this cough was discussed and written in the pet's medical record, there is the possibility that all future cough conditions, no matter what the cause, would be considered pre-existing - even if there was no treatment given. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• Pet insurance companies are businesses. The top priority of any business is to make a profit for their stakeholders. Pet insurance companies can and may change your rates and terms to meet that top priority. A change of business ownership or underwriters can also be a catalyst for changes in your rates and terms.
  
  When you purchase pet insurance make sure you have a realistic understanding of this and how it can affect you.

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