Pet Insurance guide discussion area

Former_MSE_Dan · 13 May 2011 at 1:20PM

To see it, go here

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cut-pet-insurance-costs

If you have any suggestions for improvements, extra insurers or comparisons we should consider, or experiences that you think would help make the guide better, we would love to hear them - just reply in this thread.

Thanks folks

Dan

Natty68 · 13 May 2011 at 1:54PM

Can I just say there are some insurance companies that will allow you to insure your pet if you don't have the annual vaccinations. For example you have an indoor cat etc. They just won't pay out for the illnesses these jabs cover against.

I only know as I have just switched my two cats over to Direct Line and they aren't jabbed, mainly because they are indoor cats. The two dogs are with Axa and are jabbed because they go out regularly and come into contact with other dogs.

ashbtvs · 13 May 2011 at 4:02PM

Very easy to follow and thorough. One thing I would stress is that although the purpose is money saving, pet insurance is the one thing I would never scrimp on, as the cheapest of policies are usually the worst policies!!!

Also, I am with More Than for all three of my pets and (at least for the dogs), they offer two different quotes, a cheaper one and a more expensive one (which obviously covers more). Dont know if it would give both results on comparison sites.

rising_from_the_ashes · 13 May 2011 at 5:19PM

Hi, very easy to follow & lots of great information. A couple of comments/suggestions:

Comparison sites
On my many searches (!) I've come across http://www.pet-insurance4you.co.uk/ - you may want to have a look/try to see if you think it's worth including:

Direct payments to vets
It's maybe worth pointing out (sorry if I missed this in the information) that although some insurers say they are happy to make a payment direct to your vet, many vet practices won't actually let you do this (and you still have to pay at the time and claim the costs back yourself).

Reasons given to me have been that a) the insurers take longer to pay the claims to a business rather than the policy holder and b) if the insurer refuses the claim it leaves the practice often having to accept installments for the treatment or out of pocket.

Other insurers
I've found PDSA give very competitive quotes and offer different levels of insurance so can suit many pockets/types of cover required. They also offer things other companies often exclude (or charge more for) such as no upper age limit & interest free monthly payments: http://www.pdsa.org.uk/how-you-can-help/pdsa-pet-insurance

HTH (sorry for the long post)!:o

Tropez · 13 May 2011 at 6:00PM

With regards to Aviva, if you're an existing customer then they offer discounts on their pet insurance, although I cannot state with 100% certainty what other products of theirs qualify towards the discount. I have some other insurance with them and an investment product and although originally I did not receive a discount, they contacted me last year to tell me that after a review of their records they had seen that I was eligible for a discount I had not been receiving and comped me a couple of months cover as an apology.

hihopen · 13 May 2011 at 6:25PM

I looked very carfully for an insurance that would any treatment on a year-by-year basis--meaning that the financial limit was on the year--not the condition. However, I made one claim--just for some day treatment when my dog was hurt and the next year my premium went up by double. I would just warn others that if there is an ongoing treatment, the premiums will go up--perhaps each year? The other problem is that we never know if our pet will develop a chronic or expensive illness, so if you go for cheap insurance, you take your chances. Good luck deciding!

hethmar · 13 May 2011 at 6:56PM

Hi, Ive only skimmed but it seems to me there is no mention of the different type of cover, that is, per condtion, limited period of claim or the proper for life policy where the pot is topped up every year? This is probably one of the most important points as many people believe they have a for life policy because the insurer will say something like "no limit" for claims - in fact More Than is guilty of using that misleading phrase (Ive argued this with them on several occasions now). Whilst you have no limit to the time in which you can claim for a condition with More Than and other insurers you most definitely do have a limit of the amount you can claim. Ive known a number of people who have been absolutely shocked to find that the pot is empty for their ongoing claims for conditions such as arthritis and they are on their own with costs of may be £100 a month or more to pay out, when they believed they were covered for life.

One of my dogs has an ongoing condition and we are stuck with M and S because of that - but to be fair after 5 years they certainly havent bunged up the premium so much that it becomes a waste of money,the cost of his treatment is still double the premium we pay.

Also, Im not keen on the "dont be afraid of switching" section. Id be very wary of switching once a dog has claimed or even just been seen for an illness or condition and although it mentions very serious conditions like cancer not being covered by a new insurer, in reality a very small previous problem can mean ANYTHING vaguely connected could also be excluded. Also, it does seem to say that your own insurer will stop paying out on an ongoing condition - again, not pointing out that a full "for life" policy wouldnt do that and you would be covered for the life of the pet as long as you continue to pay the premium.

Comparison sites can be very misleading as they may only give the lowest premiums and not take into account the type of policy.

Not read all the rest yet.

NB, the type of cover is on there, but a long way down?

Also, on the dont be afraid to switch part - I dont understand what this means?
While you might expect this when first taking out an insurance policy, even when sticking with the same policy you won't be able to claim again for an illness once you have reached its specified limit - most insurers either cap the amount of time or money you can claim for, for example, cataracts.
So unlike human medical insurance - which usually allows you to continue claiming on the same ailment for life as long as you don't switch provider - switching pet insurer carries little risk of a price hike.

Waterfalls · 13 May 2011 at 8:13PM

with regards to the exclusion section. it is correct that most insurers wont allow you to claim for about 2 weeks to start with, but this is for medical reasons. if an accident happen. then most will allow this to be claimed for.

also some surgeries will offer a months free insurance which is immediate cover for puppies and kittens as they have been checked over by the vet. its a good opportunity to us this month to find a cover to suit the owner.

Vet surgeries are not allowed to recommend a pet insurance company by law

the only way my boss will allow direct claims at my surgery is by doing a pre authorization. as we are an orthopedic referral, this is easier to do than some others practices. and he will also charge £30 admin fee for the privilege.

just to give you an idea of most common operation prices: Cruciate ligament surgery (TTO) £2500-£3500, and Total hip replacement £4000, Arthroscopy £2000

smileyt_2 · 13 May 2011 at 9:20PM

I also think that the 'don't be afraid to switch' part is a bit dangerous. Once your dog has a condition, another insurer is highly unlikely to cover it. My own insurance is with petplan, which is expensive but offers ongoing cover upto four grand a year, every year, for any condition (my dogs didn't have any pre-existing conditions when I initially insured them).

You may find this company useful http://www.vip4u.co.uk/ Please note I am not connected to them in any way, shape or form other than that I have used them to get my own dogs' insurance set up! I'm not on commission or known personally to them.

rising_from_the_ashes · 13 May 2011 at 9:39PM

Waterfalls wrote: »

just to give you an idea of most common operation prices: Cruciate ligament surgery (TTO) £2500-£3500

Any kind of treatment varies enormously depending on where you live. We were referred to a specialist in a neighbouring county (this op not performed locally) and it was £1600.

annaojbee · 14 May 2011 at 12:03AM

A couple of points from my own experience with Direct Line:
1. They have a 'back log' on payments' - taking up to 2 months to pay. They've had this 'back log' for over a year!
2. Phoned to add an extra dog, and found that I didn't have to pay for legal cover as it can be claimed under hoousehold insurance - only saves pence, but worth knowing.

Pet Insurance guide discussion area

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free