this plan is administered by petshealthcare. petshealthcare has three levels not two. the middle level of petshealthcare gives you more for less money. the akc plan is skeletal in it's basic plan, the highest plan is similar to the akc plus plan. the middle one is the real bargain since it provides for much more than the basic akc plan. hope i have not confused everyone. both plans offer 100.00 deductible for the year. this is another plus. most other plans out there offer a 50.00 per incident deductible. both the akc and petshealthcare pay 80% of the remainder of the bill, if the costs re within reasonable and customarily fees. this is not always the case with a neuter where blood work is performed or special care is taken. your vet bill may be bigger than what they think it should be in which case they pay 80% of the reasonable and customary fee, not your vet bill. we have been happy with petshealthcare. andrea
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Pat Long & Paul Dangel Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 6:03 PM To: 'Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List' Subject: AKC's Pet Healthcare Plan While we're mentioning insurance plans, I thought this was worth a look. http://www.petpartnersinc.com/ They have a list of frequently asked questions, and the basics are: Premier Plan, helps pay the cost of -an annual physical exam, -veterinary exams due to illness or injury, -veterinary procedures and surgery, -prescriptions, -diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests, -X-rays, -hospitalization, -and other treatments as indicated in the plan terms and conditions. Cost starts at $24/month. Premier Plus Plan, helps pay the cost of everything covered in the Premier Plan, PLUS -vaccinations, -boosters, -heartworm testing and prevention medication, -flea treatments, -an annual dental cleaning, and other preventive measures as indicated in the plan terms and conditions. Cost starts at $41.50/month. Coverage for all of the US, US territories, and Canada. The deductible is $100 total for the plan period. This means that the most you will pay in deductibles is $100 regardless of how many times your pet is treated during the plan period. Your co-payment is 20% of each covered claim up to the plan limit. Dogs do not have to be AKC registered in order to be covered. Dogs under the age of 9 are eligible to be covered. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. --------------------- I had heard somewhere that genetic conditions would not be covered, but the only thing I've seen about it specifically is in the August 2003 Dog World issue, in which they state: "... all breeds are eligible for full coverage, with no higher fees for specific breeds, and no breed-specific hereditary conditions are excluded." When a dog is registered with the AKC, they will receive a free 60-day policy. According to the AKC the first 30 days covers injury, and the next 30 days covers both injury and illness, including diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests. I've always preferred not to carry insurance on my dogs, since I'm good at saving and having money set aside for emergencies. If I use enough vet services to have it pay for itself, then someone else is paying more money than they needed to so that there is enough there for me. And if I pay more for the insurance money than I get back in covered vet expenses, well, then I'm paying more than I need to and someone else is getting that money. It's a way of leveling risk for everyone, but the insurance company makes money. So we're paying a premium to let someone else save for us. I could never justify it for veterinary expenses. For human health care - that's a whole other matter! Pat Long (& Luther) Berwyn PA
