What do I need to know?

look at HealthyPaws

Petplan USA

We have Nationwide pet insurance on all three of ours. Covers 90% of costs after $250 annual deductible. Not cheap but considering my wife would bankrupt us to help one of her dogs, it's a workable solution.

Had Trupanion on two frenchies.  It helped alot with some of the larger bills and ongoing allergy issues.  I recommend it.  

I get my new GSD on Monday and on Tuesday I'm going to ask the vet what she recommends and accepts.

Out of Nationwide, Trupanion, pets best, pet plan, and healthy paws the Nationwide quote is the cheapest on a pup.

Consider where you can access dog care.  I bought some for my border collie, and took him in for a nail trim.  There was some big bubba that terrified my dog pinning him down to the table to do the trim.  The dog would often let me do the trim, but I thought I would give them a try because he was there for vaccinations.  It so terrified my dog that he expressed his anal glands.  

I was livid and said if I wanted my dog terrorized, I could do that at home for free.  I let the vet know that we were cancelling the insurance because of the way my dog was treated.  And we let the insurance companies central office know why we cancelled.

It is a rip off. You are better off having a dog emergency fund and buying a 'healthy' dog from the get go.

Read the fine print and see what is NOT covered.

Most times you will have to pay for whatever procedure is done and then wait to be 'reimbursed' by the insurance company. Your Vet will want their money 'when the services are rendered'...

I priced pet insurance when mine were puppies (rates get higher as the dogs get older generally BTW). 'If' I had got the pet insurance back them - By now I would have paid in enough money to replace my current girls twice with some VERY, VERY nice dogs...