Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

Red_Elle

M&S don't ask for details of pre-existing conditions because they do contact the vet as soon as you make a claim. They do this for the convenience of the owner because people often forget what their pets have been in for over they years. It's always a good idea to check if they will cover something before going ahead with things like surgery.

Have to say M&S is by far the best insurer I have found over the years. I had insurance with Pinnacle that was costing me about £7 per month per cat, with £50 excess and I have 4 cats.
M&S have better cover (imo) and you can opt for no excess. I have opted for no excess with all 4 of mine and it is about £5.50 per month. That is a massive saving over the year. I have transfered all cats over even though the have all been treated for various things. They have no major pre-existing conditions though.
If you have multiple animals, the best way to make savings is to apply online for the first one, getting a 10% discount and then apply over the phone for each further animal, as you get another 10% discount. When I took out cover for 2 of mine there was a sale on and I got 20% discounts.

Regarding routine vaccinations, I don't think any insurer covers those. They also don't generally cover worming,flea,tic treatments etc. and some don't cover dental problems. Always read the small print.

Red_Elle

I agree that cheapest is not always the best, but I think that most insurers have wised up to the fact that pet owners are shopping around. I have heard many good things about Petplan, but I do think they bank on their reputation and overcharge their customers.
I have had animals for all my life and used many different insurers. Recently changed my 4 cats over to M&S and have thoroughly checked out their cover. It is better than my previous insurer, costs almost half as much per month and there is no excess.
It provides continual cover and doesn't only treat an illness for a year, it also covers for things like complementary medicine and similar things. I think when the word gets around about how good they are, they will take the pet insurance market by storm.

mentaljessie

I've always found Tesco the cheapest but they are not the best. For example if your pet is pescribed is a special dietry food then you will have to pay this as this is excluded in the policy. If your pet for example is diagnosed with diabetes then after the first year you are on your own, as most policies only cover animals up to a certain cost or time period. My Mum's a vet Nurse who handles pet insurance claims she claims Marks and Spencers are the best, they have never refused a claim she has made yet, and they will pay for dietry food and offer life cover.

Bob63

I dumped Pet Plan last year (everyone should dump Pet Plan!!) in favour of Animal Friends http://www.animalfriends.co.uk

Animal Friends is a not-for-profit insurance broker, underwritten by Equine & Livestock, that offers great value cover. I have both my dogs insured with them.

What I like is that I have cover for life on medical conditions at the same price that other companies charge for 1 year cover.

There is a also an argument, which I have thought about but haven't taken the plunge, that self-insurance is an approach worth considering. If you are quoted £15/month then put £15/month into a separate bank account rather than buy the insurance. If your dog isn't ill then you build up more and more in the account until the dog gets sick. You may find that this is a more effective way to pay for your dog's vets bills than by paying an insurance premium to a company.

Mike

Curry_Queen

cheesy.mike wrote:

Animal Friends is a not-for-profit insurance broker, underwritten by Equine & Livestock, that offers great value cover. I have both my dogs insured with them.

Anything that's underwritten by E&L should NOT be touched with a barge pole! They are notorious for not settling claims and wriggling out of anything they can

Bossyboots

Petplan do pay out quickly although I do have issues with them in relation to prescription foods.

I did look at M&S a couple of years ago but at that time they were actually more expensive than Petplan.

As my dog is 18, there really was only Petplan when we got him and other companies won't take on a new cover for an animal aged over 8 so we are stuck with that or no insurance.

As all the dogs from his litter ended up with the same medical problems, symptoms for which he is now displaying, the cover will be paying for itself very shortly.

Red_Elle

I know that Petplan do not take on animals over 8, but quite a few others do. They don't cover existing conditions, but they will take them on. So it is worth bearing in mind if you are really not happy with a current provider.
Petplan turned my 9 year old dog (RIP) years ago and so I haven't gone back to them for any subsequent pets.

Bossyboots

Red_Elle wrote:

I know that Petplan do not take on animals over 8, but quite a few others do. They don't cover existing conditions, but they will take them on. So it is worth bearing in mind if you are really not happy with a current provider.
Petplan turned my 9 year old dog (RIP) years ago and so I haven't gone back to them for any subsequent pets.

That is only a fairly recent occurrence and the price/policy was not competitive. At this stage, there is sadly really no point in us changing.

Red_Elle

It is a shame that owners are often tied to an insurer because of pre-existing conditions - you can shop around for house and car insurance!

What type of dog do you have Bossyboots. He is doing well for 18! My parents had rescue mongrels all the time I was at home and they all lived a healthy age, but I think the longest was 16 - what are you feeding him?!?!?

I lost my dog when his back legs went. Not much claiming insurance, as nothing the vets could do. He got incredibly depressed when I started having to carry him back from walks and so the time was right.

Sorry to get so depressing

Bossyboots

Hi Red_Elle.

My dog is a Yorkshire Terrier. We had two litter brothers but sadly lost one 18 months ago. When the vet told me four years ago that they could live until age 20, I did not believe him. I never dreamed we would have all these precious years. I don't know what the secret is, he is the last of his litter.

One of the problems these dogs have is their back legs going. However, our vet worked in Hong Kong for a while and there is a drug on the market which is used here to treat a throat cartlidge problem but in HK to treat arithritic failing legs. It worked like a miracle on our other little dog but at that time it was not actually licensed in the UK for that use. We are going to pop along to the vet to discuss our other little one having the same treatment as he is now beginning to have the same problem. These injections initially need to be given weekly and are then spread out and the insurance will pay for those.