Pet Insurance guide discussion area

leathersofa

If your pet ever goes outside the door you need insurance. I took in a stray cat just before Christmas, lovely friendly big lad. Spent £300 at the vet having him neutered, microchipped, teeth seen to, basically MOTd. In January, my guardian angel whispered in my ear, get him insured. Got it set up, £8 a month from Tesco pet insurance. The very next morning he was knocked down by a car and badly injured his back legs. It took eight weeks and many vet visits to heal and the bill was £1500. And Tesco paid. Not only that, I subsequently got £30 of cat food vouchers as a thank you for taking out the policy! As to them not paying out, my top tip is, enlist the help of your vet. When this happened I phoned and was initially told it wasn't covered as it had happened in the first week. My vet said nonsense, RTAs ARE covered, and phoned the insurers and got them to agree.

GK36

I thought I'd found a great deal from Morethan but they don't cover any dog that has ever been used for commercial breeding. I've just adopted a rescue dog who was ex-puppy farm, so they won't touch her. Glad I read the exclusions carefully! Petplan came out £300 a year so am considering self-insurance.

TomsMom

GK36 wrote: »

I thought I'd found a great deal from Morethan but they don't cover any dog that has ever been used for commercial breeding. I've just adopted a rescue dog who was ex-puppy farm, so they won't touch her. Glad I read the exclusions carefully! Petplan came out £300 a year so am considering self-insurance.

Have you looked at any other companies? My son's ex-puppy farm breeding girl was insured with John Lewis, first year just under £14 per month for a Bichon, second year increased by about 60% I think. Not sure whether there were any questions or references regarding ex-breeding dogs but it might be worth you looking.

Bromley86

baz8755 wrote: »

I have a 3 year cat who is never allowed outdoors. She is currently insured with petplan but I was wondering if any insurers will offer a reduced premium for a house cat as the risk of accidents is greatly reduced.

Per that website (www.petinsurancecompare.co.uk) Philthebear mentioned, there is. Click on the Buyers Guide and you'll see this:

"Petpals are very different. For example they have separate policies available for Indoor cat, Outdoor cat, Senior cat, Dog and Senior Dog."

HiggledyPig wrote:

Does anyone know the facts about this? It seems rather unfair and sot of goes against the whole Competitions act thing.

Whilst the pet insurance market (and indeed many other markets, such as broadband) is in great need of some government regulation to make the policies more easily comparable, forcing companies to make a loss with no chance of profit is never going to happen. That's what disallowing exclusion of preexisting conditions would mean. For an insurance market to work it has to, over time, be a bet that the house always wins.

ericthelobster

Quick pet insurance query.

I have an ongoing policy for my dog that allows me to claim £X (I forget what) per year for any condition, for life.

Near the end of policy year one, my dog was diagnosed with an ongoing condition, but at that stage no drugs were prescribed (and there was no specific consultation fee as it was picked up during a routine checkup).

During policy year two, the dog was started on treatment and has been prescribed several hundred pounds' worth of drugs for this condition, on an ongoing basis, and I put in a claim for all to date. When the claim was paid, I was 'surprised' to find that the insurer deducted my £75 excess from policy year 1 as well as policy year 2.

Anyone know on what basis they can do this? Is it justifiable in any way?

Thanks

Francesca7777

Quick question...

My vet keeps harping on about some "recent legislation" that makes it quite difficult for vets to do direct claims with insurance companies, and that as a result, getting reimbursed by insurance companies has now become "quite precarious" for them.

My insurance company says they have no idea what my vet is talking about, and are actually quite angry because the vet is 'passing the buck' really, saying that the insurers are the ones responsible.

The FCA don't know what I'm talking about either - with regard to this supposed "new legislation". Any ideas? I am getting the feeling that I am being spun a yarn so that my vet doesn't have to wait the 3-5 days to get paid...

lauralouise90

Brilliant guide thank you - We've just got an 8 week old puppy and the different types of insurance were pretty confusing... Can't believe I'm saying this but car insurance is simpler!

Painey

Maybe there should be more mention of the effect old age can have on a premium. I have 2 cats over 8 years and have just had a renewal quote from PetPlan that frightened me a bit but after research I have found it's the only one that seems to cover dental and gum issues plus other insurers appear to put not only an excess on their payouts but also a percentage cap after a certain age. Sainsburys will not insure any pet over 9 yrs old at all!

Shihtzu113

My 9 month old puppy unfortunately sustained an eye injury which meant he had to be referred to a specialist, resulting in two operations and £4000 vet fees in the space of two weeks. Morethan paid my claim within a week of receiving the form and didn't question anything at all or try to get out of paying. I am SO impressed with their quick service, which is so important when you're waiting for that amount of money. Could not recommend highly enough. As some one said previously on the tread, the most important thing is that they actually pay out, and in my experience morethan do. I thought the insurance was pricey when I bought it - £250 for lifetime premium cover - but looking at other companies it actually isn't and it has been so worth it!

mttylad

Any recommendations on which insurer is good for a 4 month Husky puppy?