Pet insurance scam / ordeal riles dog owner - PetCare denies claim, then pays tiny share, citing miscommunication -
A Vancouver pet owner is going public to warn others about the perils of buying health insurance for their pet.
"If I were to buy another dog or get another pet I would not buy insurance. I would take my chances," said Ralph Eastman. "The customer service was absolutely terrible — and there was not even an apology."
Eastman paid well over $6,000 for health insurance for his two dogs, Chester and Ted, in monthly payments over a 10-year period.
However, after his dog Chester became ill this winter with diabetes and then cancer, PetCare insurance denied his claim for $8,000 in veterinarian bills.
"For several weeks and months we were at the vet quite often," Eastman said. "Vet bills can get high, and you think insurance is a great idea because you never know. Only there's a whole bunch of things that [Chester's] health insurance didn't cover."
After Go Public got involved, the company reassessed the claim and couriered Eastman a cheque for $1,877, because Chester had cancer, which is covered by the policy. Eastman said the company also waived his $250 deductible because of the problems with his claim.
PetCare is a subsidiary of Pethealth Inc., an Ontario-based company selling pet insurance in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. It says it is the No. 2 provider of pet insurance in North America.
