I have a 2-year-old mixed breed dog who has been on Fetch pet insurance since I adopted him as a puppy. I used to pay $25 a month, and for the first year, I didn’t make any claims, so the cost stayed the same. Last year, I had to make about $5,000 in claims, and the vet diagnosed him with IBD. Since then, I haven’t had to file any claims.
Now, I got my renewal notice, and my monthly premium jumped to $60. For the coverage I get, this feels way too much. Is it better to switch to a new insurer that’s cheaper but won’t cover pre-existing conditions, or should I stick with Fetch and just save extra money for emergencies?
I had Fetch for both my dogs too, but I switched last month after they increased my 7-year-old dog’s premium by almost double. I work in insurance, so I know prices go up, but that jump was ridiculous for a dog who isn’t even that old.
This is tricky. I haven’t dealt with IBD personally, so I’m not sure what the long-term costs look like.
But I just want to share something: Pets Best has been getting a lot of complaints lately about their claims process. They were bought by private equity this year, and now they’re changing underwriters again. Apparently, these new underwriters are being stricter and causing more headaches for customers. Before this, they changed underwriters back in 2019 when they were sold, and things got messy then too.
I’ve seen posts here and on other forums saying Pets Best raised some premiums by 3x recently. So even if you switch to them, you might still see a big increase next year.
You could look into AKC pet insurance. They’ll sometimes cover incurable pre-existing conditions if you’ve had coverage for over a year. It might be worth checking out if it’s available in your area.
Have you tried reaching out to Fetch to see if they can adjust your plan? Sometimes they can lower the cost if you tweak your coverage options. Might be worth a shot before you switch.
IBD can be pricey long-term depending on the treatment your dog needs. If Fetch already covered $5,000 for you, I’d think hard before giving up that safety net, even if it costs more now. Saving money yourself sounds good in theory, but big bills can come out of nowhere.
I switched from Fetch to Trupanion a couple of years ago when my premiums shot up. Trupanion doesn’t raise rates as your pet gets older, so it’s been much better for me so far. Just something to consider.