Message Number: SG4439 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "April Armstrong Campbell"
Date: 2003-05-09 15:33:41 UTC
Subject: VPI pet insurance (long_)
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Cc: <sunni_321@yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <BAY1-DAV42dhhIOp37Q0000537b@hotmail.com>

Hi. I have had VPI pet insurance for two years; I was one of their first f=
erret clients. Up until this past summer I was quite happy with it-they we=
re helpful, seemed to care about the animals, even sent birthday cards to t=
hem, paid my few claims quickly. Last summer, though, they started losing =
everything I mailed there, or getting it, telling me they had it, and then =
later telling me it had been misplaced, but that they weren't going to cove=
r my new pets in time anyway, etc. It took nine months for them to pay a s=
imple mast cell tumor removal claim on one of my animals b/c they kept sayi=
ng they didn't have enough medical records, despite BOTH myself and my vets=
sending ALL of my ferret's records at LEAST 15 times via fax and snail mai=
l-no kidding, at least 15 times. They finally paid it, but NINE months! (=
Incidentally, their vets on the medical review board didn't seem too ferret=
-knowledgeble when I spoke with them; they wanted to deny coverage to a new=
ferret b/c she had had a POSSIBLE mast cell tumor in the past, and they as=
sociated mast cell tumors with the much worse consequences of them in cats.=
) It also took them seven months to insure my two new girls because they k=
ept misplacing their records.

Also, as of May 2003, they no longer cover endocrine problems in ferrets (t=
hink insulinoma, adrenal disease, the major diseases ferrets get!); this is=
the primary reason I got VPI two years ago, and now they don't even cove=
r these for existing clients. I may cancel my insurance and just start put=
ting the money in an interest-earning savings account or IRA. Several vets=
I've talked to have suggested writing to DVM magazine about this, and have=
also suggested that ferret owners and vets start a letter-writing campaign=
to complain about this, especially people who already have the insurance; =
I feel that they should at least continue to cover those of us who have bee=
n paying out all this time, or refund some of our money. They lowered the =
premium, but they only took $1 or less off each of my ferrets per month-I d=
o not feel that that is fair compensation for taking away coverage of disea=
ses they are so likely to get.

I also understand their perspective that they were probably losing money on=
endocrine problems in ferrets, but I do notice that they cover dogs and ca=
ts for the common diseases THEY get...

So that's my experience, for what it's worth! If anyone wants to join me i=
n writing a letter, contact me for the mailing address!

-April AC