Failed to payout simple inexpensive claims.

My dog has IVDD and hit the $10k annual limit this year. I’ve been paying $178.49/month for 90% reimbursement and a $500 deductible. Now my provider wants to increase it to $248.59/month for the same coverage, which is a 39% increase ($840 more per year). Has anyone found a provider that covers chronic conditions like IVDD without this kind of rate hike? I’m open to switching if the new insurer doesn’t exclude spinal issues and will accept pre-existing.

I have 2 rescues. Dog 1 we got at birth and found out she has auto immune hepatitis and will need medication for life. We had to pay $4,000 to find this out. Dog 2 is of unknown age and he was a stray so we had no knowledge of his health. We since found out he has IVDD and degenerative valve disease. So he will need ultrasounds 2 x year plus medication eventually. ASPCA has not paid a cent after a year. They chalk everything up to pre-existing conditions. I feel like I’m not understanding the AKC clause that says they pay for pre-existing conditions after 365 days. I’m not happy at all with ASPCA’s customer service and the rates were comparable at the time I signed them up last year. I’m sure if I get a new quote before my ASPCA plan renew, AKC will ask about pre-existing conditions and quote premiums accordingly. I tried looking for the info on their website but it seems so vague and I don’t know where else to get further clarification.

ASPCA Pet Insurance Is Engaging in Bad Faith Claim Denials Pet owners need to be warned—ASPCA Pet Health Insurance refuses to honor valid claims and will shift excuses to avoid payouts. My dog, Ash, suffered an acute ACL tear after slipping—a sudden accident. As a retired veterinary technician, I have personally assisted in ACL surgeries and know this was trauma-induced, NOT a progressive condition. ASPCA first denied coverage by falsely calling the injury an illness, despite veterinary documentation confirming it was an accident. When I challenged their reasoning, they changed their excuse, now claiming the medical records did not specify BOTH a timestamp AND exact location. The medical records clearly state: "Presented for limping on right rear leg since yesterday, after slipping…Lame right rear - ACL tear." When I demanded a policy citation proving their timestamp/place requirement, they refused to provide one. Instead, they responded with: "You can reply to this email with any concerns, and they will be forwarded to our management team. If you prefer, you can send your concerns in writing to our office." ASPCA would rather deflect and stall than fairly review claims. Their tactics are clear: ❌ Ignore veterinary evidence ❌ Shift denial reasons instead of applying consistent policy terms ❌ Refuse to cite an actual exclusion supporting their decision I have filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) and will be sharing my experience widely to warn others about their unethical practices. If you have coverage through ASPCA, be cautious—they will do anything to deny a legitimate claim. Has anyone else had similar issues with pet insurance companies? Let’s talk. People deserve transparency, and our pets deserve the coverage we paid for.

Our cat Miles was experiencing bleeding gums, bad breath and difficulty eating. We brought him to the vet and they thought he might have tooth reabsorption. They gave us an estimate for a dental and we submitted it to ASPCA. ASPCA approved it and we went ahead with the dental a week later. Dental was complete and ended up not being as bad at the vet thought and he ended up with a cleaning and no extractions. We submitted to ASPCA and the claim was denied. They are saying that it's a pre-existing condition because Miles went to the vet last June after getting into a house plant and the vet noticed gum inflammation from it. The vet gave him an anti inflammatory and notated in his October check up that his gums and teeth were in good condition-- in our minds, the inflammation from eating the plant was "cured." ASPCA will cover pre-existing conditions that have been cured for 180 days. The vet used the word "stomatitis" in the records during the June visit and that's why ASPCA is denying us. Because stomatitis isn't considered a curable condition. Our vet tried to reason with them but they won't budge. Our biggest disappointment is with the bait and switch-- when I called to ask why the estimate was approved and the claim was denied, despite them having his full medical records both times, they said they got "new information" in that week between the estimate and the procedure. Not sure how that could be because they had everything about him from vet for the estimate. Not a great start to our relationship with ASPCA.

Our pet insurance (ASPCA) for our 7yo pit mix is up for renewal in May and they're raising his monthly premium by 30% ($75->$100) so I'm looking to shop around. What pet insurance do y'all have and do you like it? I've looked at a handful of quotes (Pets best, Figo, Trupanion, Nationwide) and they are all around the same price as ASPCA or higher, except for Lemonade (quoted at $81/mo). His current coverage and what I'm quoting with other companies is; $5,000 limit, 90% reimbursement, $250 deductible, wellness/routine coverage. Thanks!

TL;DR: my 8yo DSH cat has "slightly abnormal shape to heart," "discussed URI, allergies, etc.", and "susp. feline idiopathic cystitis" written in his vet records, all from different exams and illnesses over the last few years, but with no recurrence in illness or symptoms. Are these comments enough for insurance companies to say he has incurable preexisting conditions and deny coverage of any future health issues? I'm super late to the party (no one told me to get pet insurance when they're young), but I'm looking to get insurance for my two cats, Andy and Ollie. Given that they're basically my children and I'm finally in a position where I have a bit of income, I want to do what I can to make sure they're able to get whatever care they might need (though hopefully they never do). Both are 8 year old DSH, previously indoor/outdoor for 3 years, now indoor only, no major health issues so far (no ER visits, no chronic conditions, etc.). I've been spending a bunch of time reading up on different companies, policies, reviews, kinds of issues people run into, etc., spoke with an ASPCA rep and planned to call Lemonade and Pumpkin to ask some questions and compare rates and plans and such. With all the frustration and confusion expressed different places about claims being denied for preexisting conditions, I decided to read back through the vet records I have and see if there was anything that my cats might get dinged for. There are a few things off the bat: they're both a bit on the chonky side, but weight has been steadily coming down into good ranges. A vet noted mild tartar two years ago, which I know means there's essentially no chance of any kind of dental coverage, but that's not necessarily the end of the world. What's really got me worried is that Ollie has had a few illnesses that I could see insurance companies labeling as preexisting conditions and using to deny future coverage: * May 2024- After a wellness exam where the vet said he was in good health, he became lethargic, struggled to use his litter box, and barely ate. I got him back into the vet ASAP, and the doctor found his bladder was painful and a little swollen, diagnosed "suspected feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)", and gave him an anti-inflammatory shot and gabapentin. Ollie responded well and recovered in a few days with no issues since. Importantly, the vet noted that the inflammation could have been caused by stress and that his bladder was full but "did not seem to be blocked" -- I know that urinary blockages are considered incurable preexisting conditions, so I'm worried that the lack of definitive language (ie "no urinary blockage") could provide enough wiggle room for them to call it an incurable PEC. * July 2023- This is the one I'm most worried about. I took them in because Ollie had been wheezing a bit after activities like playing with his brother. At some points, it sounded almost like he was trying to get a hairball out, but nothing ever came up. The vet ran some tests to check for heart disease, asthma, or a URI. His radiographs showed "no obvious signs of asthma" and "weren't a slam dunk for asthma", but unfortunately did show "potential heart issues, abnormalities on heart" and specifically that his heart was apparently a "slightly abnormal shape". She recommended a proBNP to see if his symptoms were heart-related and it came back negative, so she said it was most likely a URI and gave him antibiotic and steroid injections with instructions to come back for a trial asthma treatment if he didn't improve. Thankfully, he did improve and hasn't had any wheezing since. -- This is especially concerning because 1) asthma is an incurable PEC and even though none of his vets has ever diagnosed or trialed treatment for it, the fact that asthma was even mentioned could be enough for them to call it a PEC; and 2) the "slightly abnormal shape" of his heart just screams guaranteed denial of coverage. And if this is considered an incurable PEC, what kind of probably serious things could they potentially refuse to cover because it's tangentially related to his heart? * Also, Ollie is a snorer. It's never gotten to a point where he's stopped breathing or anything, but it was happening frequently enough that I brought it up at a wellness exam. We used to live in a house that got fairly dusty, so I asked the vet if allergies might be contributing to his snoring and if an air purifier might help. The vet records read "Disc informed O about URI, allergies, etc.". Really really hoping that me asking about allergies doesn't lead to a future issue not being covered. So yeah, I feel like there's enough in his records for insurance companies to reject so many different kinds of claims, especially claims for cardiac, respiratory, or renal health issues, by saying these illnesses (and snoring) are evidence of incurable preexisting conditions. One of the big reasons I want to get insurance is in case cancer tries to rear its ugly head, especially since both of my childhood pets died young from cancer and all my family could afford was basically just pain management. I don't want to go through that again with my boys, and there are also a ton of other big health issues that could pop up and (hopefully lmao) be covered by insurance. But as much as I want to believe that they'd be reasonable, at the end of the day, these insurance companies aren't non-profits, they exist to make as much money as they can, and there's no Pet ACA to prevent them from denying coverage because of preexisting conditions. Which brings me to my main question (sorry for taking so long to get to the point): is getting insurance for Ollie worthwhile? I'd hate to spend the money on fairly pricey premiums just for anything that might come up to not be covered. Maybe I'm just overly worried and cynical, but the fact that something small can make a massive difference in how much longer I get with my fur babies is honestly scary. Sorry again for rambling, there's just a lot to consider. Any advice or insight is very much appreciated!

After months of insurance I finally needed to go to the vet. Submitted a claim. They wont reimburse anything saying its all pre existing but it never happened before! Beware!