From pets to beauticians to you: Health insurance doesn't discriminate on who it cheats

A few days ago, I wrote a post in which I discussed the pros and cons of health insurance for pets. I was very quickly hit with numerous e-mails and posted comments, in which readers documented their experiences, both positive and negative, with pet health insurance companies.

Incidentally, the general consensus was that Banfield's Wellness Program, available at PetSmart, is a pretty good deal. Some people, however, seemed to feel that Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), was a skeavy, scamming bunch of scuzzballs.

After reading through readers' comments on my blog, I searched the internet and was blown away by the outpouring of anger over dishonest pet insurance companies. According to many writers, some insurance companies, including VPI, regularly cite pre-existing conditions and hereditary health problems as excuses for refusing payment. The basic complaint is that insurance companies manipulate sentimental pet owners then unceremoniously dump them when they actually need help. As the sentimental owner of a wonderful cat, I have to admit that I find this outrageous, but I also find it kind of funny. After all, pet insurance companies are merely copying the tactics of some human insurers. A good example of this is the recent fuss over Health Net.