What is a pet membership?

A pet membership qualifies your pet for medical cost reimbursements through our pet medical cost share program.

 

Can I choose which vet my pet goes to?

Yes. You can always choose any veterinarian to treat your pet.

 

My pet is already sick. Will a pet membership help?

Yes. While we can't pay your current pet medical costs, we provide phased-in eligibility for pre-existing conditions.

 

Can you pay my vet directly?

Yes. When the bill is $1,000 or more, we can pay your vet directly. Your vet has to agree to take payment from us, and you need to sign a simple form allowing us to pay your vet on your behalf. We may need time to make these arrangements, so please give us as much advance notice as possible.

 

Do all vets accept my pet membership benefits?

Actually, it doesn't matter. You will be reimbursed for your pet's medical costs, so your vet doesn't need to accept our pet medical cost share program. When you request a direct payment to your vet, they do have to agree to take payment from us. That is something you can always ask your vet ahead of time.

 

What pet medical costs do you pay?

We pay for diagnosis, treatment, recovery, emergencies special end of life services, and the little extras. 

 

What pet medical costs do I pay?

Your costs are your annual Personal Payment Responsibility, 10% of your pet's medical costs, and exam fees. We reimburse the rest.

 

Do you pay for pre-existing conditions?

Yes! We phase in reimbursement eligibility for pre-existing conditions.

 

Are any pet conditions not eligible for reimbursement?

No. All pet conditions are eligible for reimbursement.

 

What pet medical costs are excluded?

Wellness care, optional or avoidable costs, high risk activities, and inhumane or fraudulent situations are not eligible for reimbursement.

 

Why is wellness and routine care excluded from reimbursements?

To keep your membership costs lower, because wellness and routine care costs can fluctuate wildly.

For example: At the lower end of the scale are the affordable vaccine and wellness clinics offered in many areas. At the high end of the scale are home visits from a veterinarian. This difference can double or even triple exam and wellness costs. By leaving this out of the equation, we lower your membership costs significantly.

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Are there any limits on reimbursement payments?

No! We provide unlimited reimbursements for your pet medical costs.

 

How do I use my pet membership?

There are a couple of ways to claim your benefits: Submit your paid pet medical cost invoices to us, or ask us to pay your vet directly.

 

What is a Personal Payment Responsibility?

Your Personal Payment Responsibility is like a deductible. This is the amount you pay annually for pet medical costs before receiving reimbursements.

 

How much is my Personal Payment Responsibility?

All Personal Payment Responsibilities are $2,500.

 

What is my reimbursement percentage?

We reimburse 90% of your pet medical costs. You are responsible for the remaining 10% of the bill.

 

Do you pay for prescription medications?

Yes. We will reimburse prescription medication costs for your pet.

 

Do you pay exam fees?

No. You are responsible for any exam fees for your pet. Thankfully these are smaller fees compared to the diagnosis and treatment cost for your pet, so it shouldn't have a big effect on your finances.

 

Are there waiting periods?

Yes. 30 days for accidents and illnesses, and 1 year for orthopedic conditions.

 

Can I get a pet membership for other animals?

No. We only offer pet memberships for cats and dogs at this time.

 

Will you cancel my membership when my pet gets old?

No. We don't cancel pet memberships when pets get older, or when you submit expensive medical costs to us. That's why we're here!

 

Will my membership fee go up?

Usually, yes. Pet membership fees increase annually. This lets us keep up with inflation, cutting edge diagnosis and treatment techniques, and the higher medical cost pets face as they age. And, anytime we can avoid increasing membership fees, or even lower pet membership fees, we will.

 

How much will my membership fee increase?

Membership fee increases will be just enough to keep the program running. As a nonprofit, our pet medical cost share is here to help others. We aren't interested in increasing fees to maintain a profit margin.

 

How is my membership fee used?

We reserve as much of every membership fee as possible for the use of our member pets. A small amount must be used to cover overhead for the program. Another small amount is reserved for improvements to the program which will help you and your member pet.

 

How do you compare to other companies?

We offer the best benefits package currently available for pet medical costs.

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What is my pet's adult weight?

If you aren't sure of your pet's weight, your vet will have that information in their records. A quick call to them should do the trick. If your pet is under a year old, you can ask your vet how much your pet might weigh as an adult. Vets are pretty good at making informed guesses.

 

Why are there 3 different pet membership fees for my pet?

These are the 3 possible fees you will pay, depending on which discounts you qualify for. Our standard membership fee applies to all pets. If your pet is spayed or neutered, you receive 5% off our standard membershop fee. If your pet was also adopted from a shelter or rescue, you receive 10% off our standard membership fee. You will be billed the full pet membership amount until we verify your eligibility for these discounts. You can login to our Member Services area and submit the required documents to us anytime to qualify for your discounts.

 

What are Member Services?

Member Services is our online portal allowing you to submit requests for your member benefits. Once you register, you can:

 

Submit paid invoices to us for reimbursement.

Request that we pay your vet directly for your pet's medical costs.

Submit documents to qualify for up to 10% off your monthly pet membership fees.

Submit estimates to us to check their eligibility for reimbursement.

Submit you pet's medical records.

Submit a pet membership transfer if your pet is ever re-homed.

 

How do I register for Member Services?

After you sign up for a pet membership, you will receive an email inviting you to register for online Member Services. If you didn't get the email, contact us and we will re-send it.

 

Should I submit bills for less than my Personal Payment Responsibility?

Yes, submit all your pet medical cost invoices to us. Even if the total is less than your $500 Personal Payment Responsibility, you will get credit towards your Personal Payment Responsibility as long as you submit the paid invoices to us.

 

How do I submit a medical cost for reimbursement?

Register for our Member Services, then just log in and upload your invoices to us online.

 

How do I request vet direct payment?

Log in to our Member Services area, and fill out the Vet Direct Pay online form.

 

Can I check if a medical cost is covered?

Yes. You can always submit an estimate to us when you aren't sure if a pet medical cost is covered. We will need both the estimate and your pet's medical records to verify eligibility. If you need a product that your vet doesn't carry, you can submit a link to the item instead of a veterinary estimate.

 

How do I check if a medical cost is covered?

Sign in to our Member Services area, fill out our Reimbursement Eligibility form, and submit a vet's estimate or a link to the item you need, along with your pet's medical records.

 

Are you a pet insurance company?

No. We are a 501c (3) nonprofit centered around animal welfare. Our pet medical cost sharing program is not insurance. We do not have underwriters, and are not affiliated with insurance companies in any way.

 

If the pet medical cost share is not insurance, what is it?

No one category completely describes our pet medical cost share program, but we have similarities with several different types of businesses: Our Pet Medical Cost Share model is based on existing human Medical Cost Share programs. Our membership fees are used for the benefit of the pet you sign up for membership, without seeking profit, much like a co-op.

 

How do I contact you?

You can contact us via email anytime. We respond promptly to all emails.