Pet Plan, GoPetPlan I moved to another state and they called me stating, "Your annual is now $1100 instead of $743." Newtown Square Pennsylvania

It's unfortunate that when you were told what your new rate was, you were not also told why it had gone up.

Petplan's policy rates are based on 3 things: the breed of the pet, the age of the pet, and where the pet lives. This last variable is necessary because claim reimbursements are made based on actual paid vet bills, as opposed to a schedule of "reasonable & customary charges." Veterinary fees vary all over the country; the same treatment may cost much more in one area than another. Wherever you used to live in Florida charges less overall for veterinary treatment than wherever you now live in North Carolina (note: rates are based on ZIP codes). Many pet insurance companies charge this way (which you can verify by getting quotes), the idea being that you should get back what you pay for.

The terms "hereditary" and "pre-existing" in pet insurance can seem a little tricky and are therefore often misunderstood. A condition that is hereditary may be passed down, but it may not. Just because a breed is prone to a certain condition does not mean that every dog of that breed will develop that condition (however, this is why some breeds are more expensive to insure than others; the more conditions a breed is prone to, the more expensive it will be to insure).

That being said, if a dog or cat is not showing any signs or symptoms of a condition when he is insured, he is presumed not to have it, regardless of whether or not his breed is prone to it. For example: take a German Shepherd who is insured as a puppy, gets his first vet exam and is found to be in perfect health. Months later, he develops a limp, goes back to the vet and is diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Petplan would cover any medical exams and treatments relating to that hip dysplasia (assuming the dog was still insured, of course!). Even though German Shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia — and it's highly likely this dog inherited the condition — he did not show signs or symptoms of it as a puppy. Hereditary, yes. Pre-existing, no.