Pet Insurance Guide Podcast

Why Pet Insurance Is Definitely Worth It - Episode 74

Anne Tomsic has insured all of her pets for over 20 years. Her pets have been treated for several minor, but recurring conditions - also for major chronic conditions and acute emergency conditions - both costing thousands of dollars. She shares tips for how to select a company and policy to insure your pet. She didn't have a good experience with the company she chose to insure her first dog. This led her to change to a different pet insurance... Read more →

Veterinarian Talks About How Trupanion Express Changes Conversation With Clients About Pet Insurance - Episode 69

Dr. John Faught was a guest on the podcast back in 2015 (Episode 33). At that time he had 2 practices in Austin, Texas. Now the practice has expanded to 5 locations in Austin and 2 practices in Denver, Colorado. When we talked before, he was recommending primarily Trupanion pet insurance to his clients, but hadn't yet gotten on board with Trupanion's software that allows real-time claim pre-approvals and direct payment to the veterinary practice. Now all 7 practices are... Read more →

Pet Health Insurance - The Elephant In The Room - Episode 65

This is Part 3 of my discussion with Kent Kruse on the topic of pet insurance. We discuss what both of us feel is the primary limiting factor to the pet insurance industry insuring a higher percentage of pets in the United States. The market penetration has been stuck at the 1-2% level for decades. Although there are likely multiple factors influencing this, one factor stands out above all others. Kent and I discuss what that is and the one... Read more →

Veterinarian Shares Benefits To Recommending Pet Insurance To Clients - Episode 58

Dr. Joe Zuckerman is co-owner of Ardsley Veterinary Associates and Yorktown Veterinary Associates just north of New York City. He has been recommending pet insurance to his clients for over a decade. He shares why he recommends pet insurance and how he introduces it to his clients. He talks about the benefits he has seen for his practice, the doctors and staff, as well as his clients who've insured their pets. He shares stories of how it has benefited younger... Read more →

Trupanion Pet Insurance Update - Interview with Founder/CEO Darryl Rawlings - Episode 55

I've had Darryl on the podcast before (link below) and wanted to get an update on what's happening at Trupanion. I found out they are testing a new policy in Florida and if things go well, they will eventually roll it out nationwide. Darryl talks about an experience he had as a teenager when his parents couldn't afford an emergency surgery their dog needed and had to euthanize the pet instead of going ahead with the surgery. It became the... Read more →

How A Referral Specialty/Emergency Hospital Promotes Pet Insurance - Episode 36

Pets Best pet insurance company reviewed their claims over $500 to determine where pets were treated and found that: Therefore, if your pet experiences an unexpected and serious injury or illness, you have almost a 50% chance of being seen at an emergency hospital or being referred to a specialist. Emergency hospitals often deal with life-threatening problems that need intensive care or even emergency surgery – usually at hours when your primary care veterinarian’s hospital isn’t open. Specialists have more... Read more →

Thriving Veterinary Practice Is On Cutting Edge With Pet Insurance - Episode 33

In today's episode, I interview Dr. John Faught, the founding partner in a rapidly growing veterinary practice in Austin, Texas called Firehouse Animal Health Center. We talk about: How the hospital got it's unique name. Why he decided to promote pet insurance in his practice. How he and his staff introduces clients to pet insurance. Why he decided to promote only one company. Which company they use and why. His personal story - how pet insurance came in handy when... Read more →

Veterinarian Sees Benefits Of Pet Insurance After Insuring Her Own Pets - Episode 31

Dr. Darlene Cook has owned The Bluffs Pet Clinic in Red Wing, Minnesota since 2001. She is an enthusiastic promoter of pet insurance because she experienced first hand the benefits of having pet insurance when her dog developed a rare form of cancer and her cat swallowed a string. We talk about the process she and her staff used when choosing which pet insurance companies they would recommend to clients and the ways they educate clients about pet insurance. I... Read more →

Promoting Pet Insurance A Factor In Rapid Growth of Veterinary Practice Startup - Interview With Dr. Heather Steyn - Episode 28

In this episode, I interview Dr. Heather Steyn who started Advanced Animal Care of Colorado in 2011. The practice has grown rapidly - now having 4 doctors who practice very high quality medicine, surgery, and dentistry. She explains how promoting pet insurance has become part of the practice culture and why she believes this has been a significant factor in the unusual growth of the practice. After dealing with several pet insurance companies over the years, she now promotes exclusively... Read more →

U.S. Veteran Service Dog Program - Trupanion Pet Insurance - Episode 22 - Interview with Lisa Marcotte

In January, 2014, the VA contracted with Trupanion Pet Insurance company to pay for 100% of the wellness and accident/illness care for U.S. veteran's service dogs. In this episode, I talk with Lisa Marcotte, Trupanion's Business Development Manager about how the program works for both veterans and veterinarians. We discuss: Why the VA selected a pet insurance company to administer this program rather than continue the program in-house. How the program works. What's not covered. Are pre-existing conditions covered. How... Read more →

Pet Insurance Guide Podcast - Episode 18 (Part 2) - Trupanion Express - Interview with Dr. Kerri Marshall

In the last episode, we got an overview of Trupanion Express and the vision that led to it's development from Trupanion's CEO Darryl Rawlings and COO Howard Rubin. In this episode I talk with Dr. Kerri Marshall who led the team that actually designed the software and is now in the process of implementing it in veterinary practices across America. We talk about some of the details of how it is used in everyday veterinary practice. Relavant Links: Direct Pay... Read more →

Pet Insurance Guide Podcast - Episode 17 - Trupanion Express (Part 1)

In this episode, I interview Darryl Rawlings, the CEO and Howard Rubin, the COO of Trupanion pet insurance company. We talk about their recently introduced program called Trupanion Express. Darryl Rawlings Howard Rubin Since pet insurance was introduced in the United States in 1982, it has operated according to a "reimbursement" model where pet owners pay their veterinarian and then file a claim seeking reimbursement for covered expenses minus the deductible and copay. Trupanion Express is an innovative alternative to... Read more →

The Pet Insurance Guide Podcast - Episode 2 - Interview with Dr. Kerri Marshall at Trupanion Pet Insurance Company

In this episode, I interview Dr. Kerri Marshall, the Chief Veterinary Officer at Trupanion pet insurance company. We talk about: What she does at Trupanion. Her background at Banfield prior to joining the staff at Trupanion. Her experience with the electronic medical record and what role it may play in the future of pet insurance, particularly when submitting a claim or medical records needed by the pet insurance company to verify coverage - resulting in a much quicker reimbursement to... Read more →