It’s been a long time since I posted here on the blog, and even longer since I wrote a post about everything I’ve learned in 2020 as a dog mom.
I adopted Oliver in June of 2019 and we lived in Vermont until the end of 2019, and made the trip all the way across the country to Colorado in January of this year. 2020 was full of stressors globally, and the first half was also full of health challenges for Oliver. I discovered Eusoh in August of this year and am so glad that I did! I wanted to write a post about my experience with Eusoh and how it’s made my life as a dog mom more stress-free, and why I’m excited to have it going into 2021. (This post isn’t sponsored in any way, I’ve been meaning to write about it for a long time after I saw another pet parent write an Instagram post about their experience!)
The Backstory
When I adopted Oliver in the summer of 2019 (hear more about his adoption story here!) I quickly realized that he had a few allergy issues that we started treating right away. He had a few really bad ear infections that wouldn’t go away even with significant treatment, and from the start vet bills were constantly on my mind.
We moved to Colorado in January, and before I had the chance to find a vet Oliver had his biggest health emergency at the very end of January that went into the beginning of February. He had hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (the cause is often unknown) that started late one day after work and got progressively worse despite prompt vet care. He spent many days in and out of hospitalization, with a full 24hr supportive care stay and between the incredible stress of him being so sick I was also incredibly stressed about using the full balance on my emergency credit card.
Oliver started the road to recovery, and luckily after months of testing and different treatments for his subsequent allergy flare-ups we now have a treatment plan that works for him! But after spending so much money (after tons of moving expenses!) on his hospitalization I started looking into pet insurance.
How I Found Eusoh
I started the long process of looking into different pet insurance options, knowing that I wanted something to prevent the burden of significant vet costs in the future. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a company or policy that fit with Oliver’s needs until I stumbled upon Eusoh.
Eusoh is a cost-sharing program that has many similarities to pet insurance, but it’s separated into smaller communities of pet owners that directly fund veterinary care. I absolutely loved this idea when I first saw it (getting to see the impact and directly help other pet owners, while also knowing you will get reimbursed when you need it).
I saw a few pet owners on Instagram posting about their experiences with Eusoh, and got to hear about how much it had helped them with dogs who also frequently visit the vet. Eusoh does have certain restrictions in terms of pre-existing conditions (luckily Oliver’s allergies are mostly controlled with his food and supplements), but it’s so easy to submit expenses and be reimbursed without having to go through the insurance company first.
Eusoh also has an online database of average costs of different procedures and medications, so that you can know what the price range of a procedure should be and how much you can expect to be reimbursed (Eusoh reimburses 80% of the average cost of a procedure or medication, and you are responsible for 20% of the costs). There is a $250 deductible and an $8,500 yearly maximum reimbursement amount, and the online portal makes it so easy to track expenses and reimbursements.
Why I Love Eusoh and How We Use It
After the 30 day waiting period, our Eusoh account was ready to go. Since signing up for the account, Oliver has had a few minor illnesses and one emergency vet visit which allowed us to pay our deductible and start to be reimbursed.
Submitting expenses is so easy, and the processing time is usually within one or two business days. We were able to be reimbursed 80% for two sets of medication so far, and the money can be withdrawn at the end of every pay period (and it goes right into the bank!).
What I love the most about Eusoh is the peace of mind that I’ll never have to pay full price for a hospitalization and have the fear of huge unexpected vet bills on top of other concerns, especially this year. The cost per month is never over $65, and I’ve paid maximum of about $50 a month so far in the time I’ve been a member.
Learn More About Eusoh
I wanted to share my thoughts on the past few months of being a Eusoh member in case anyone else has been looking for an alternative to pet insurance for frequent vet trips and expenses! 🙂
If you would like to learn more about Eusoh and sign up, you can do so here! (This is an affiliate link, thank you for supporting The Wise Willow!)
I would be happy to talk more about my experience with Eusoh, and you can find Oliver’s Instagram account (where we talk about all things dog and dog mom life) here! 🙂
