PurinaCare®Pet Health Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, launched in the spring of 2008. Although the insurance division itself is relatively new, Purina® has been a trusted name in pet-care for the past 85 years.

This pet insurance company offers two simple plans. Both cover treatment for accidents and illnesses, while only one covers preventive care, including vaccinations, annual exams, spaying/neutering, and flea control prescriptions. Both plans allow you to choose from a variety of deductible levels to fit within your monthly budget. PurinaCare® reimburses 80 percent of your eligible expenses, after you meet your annual deductible. Plans have an annual policy limit of $20,000 in coverage but no lifetime limit.

Like all pet insurance companies, PurinaCare® has some exclusions from coverage, including pre-existing conditions, breeding and pregnancy, cosmetic and elective procedures, grooming, and preventable conditions. Parvo, distemper, kennel cough, heartworms—these all qualify as preventable. Unlike other pet insurers, PurinaCare® covers illnesses and injuries caused by hereditary conditions. This is a huge incentive, since many pet insurers refuse claim payment after determining a condition to be hereditary.

As of June 2009, coverage is available in every state except the following:

• Alaska
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Washington

PurinaCare Pet Insurance Review

Rating: 10

Our review process starts with calling each of the insurance providers over the telephone and then, we gather quotes for these three pet profiles:

• A 2-year old male Yorkshire Terrier named Jax
• A 6-year old male Cocker Spaniel named Max
• An 8-year old female mixed breed cat named Fluffy

The pre-recorded message gave me the option to get information in English or Spanish. I spoke with Bertha at PurinaCare. Bertha picked up quickly after I indicated I was interested in a new policy. She asked if I had a chance to review the plans online. When I told her I hadn’t, she was very friendly and helpful in explaining all the details.

THE PLANS/THE QUOTES

Since I have three pets, I will get a 10% discount on each one of them. If I only had two pets, the discount would be 5%.

Basic: Covers illnesses and accidents, surgeries, hospitalizations, diagnostics, prescription medications and hereditary conditions that aren’t pre-existing.

• For Jax, the Yorkshire Terrier: $37.61/month
• For Max, the Cocker Spaniel: Max $80.47/month
• For Fluffy, the cat: $30.87/month

Preventive care plan: everything above, plus vaccinations up to $150 annually, annual exams, dental cleanings up to $200 annually, spaying and neutering, and a 12-month supply of heartworm and flea control. The website indicates additional preventive care treatments, including $40 for fecal analysis, $75 for annual preventative care blood panel, $50 for microchipping, and varied amounts for spaying and neutering. All preventive care reimbursements apply after you meet the annual deductible.

• For Jax, the Yorkshire Terrier: $57.01/month
• For Max, the Cocker Spaniel: $98.19/month
• For Fluffy the cat: $36.76/month

THE DETAILS

The annual policy limit for each pet is $20,000. There is no lifetime limit and no per incident limit. The minimum annual deductible is $250. Although Bertha did not explain this to me on the phone, you can choose a higher deductible and pay less monthly. After you pay that, PurinaCare will reimburse you for 80% of all eligible charges. Once you purchase a policy, there is a 48-hour waiting period for accidents, and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. It takes 7–10 days to receive reimbursement. Pre-existing conditions; fertility, breeding, and pregnancy; preventable conditions; grooming, bathing, and dipping; and cosmetic and elective procedures are excluded, among other things.

The plans renew annually, but you can cancel at any time. Sixty days before the automatic renewal, you’ll receive a reminder in the mail.

CONCLUSIONS

After speaking with Bertha and reading other customer reviews online, I’ve decided PurinaCare is one of my top choices for pet health insurance. The pros far outweigh the cons—in fact, I can only find one of the latter.

Pros:

• The Purina brand has an 85-year history.
• PurinaCare Pet Insurance is one of only two companies to receive the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) Seal of Acceptance.
• Illness and injuries caused by hereditary conditions are covered.
• There’s one per-year deductible—and none per incident.
• You can choose your deductible so the premium accommodates your monthly budget.
• The multi-pet discount increases from 5% to 10% if you have three pets.

Cons:

• Preventable conditions are excluded; there could be a lot of gray areas here.

If you’re interested in PurinaCare Pet Insurance, call 1-877-878-7462. Bertha’s extension is 0424.

Tags: PurinaCare