Pet Insurance guide discussion area

PhiltheBear

And now you've spotted one of the problems with looking for cheap quotes on comparison websites. Firstly, you need to look for the cover you want - not the amount of premium you have to pay. Secondly look for companies that pay out - because if they don't you are wasting your money.


Have a look at https://www.doginsurancecompare.co.uk It has a link to a pet insurance buyer's guide and they only feature 'ethical' companies with reputations for treating claimants fairly. They compare policies - but they don't compare prices.

8i6daddy

I just took out a policy with Petplan and in the questions declared that my 8wk old pup had been sick once because of a change in his diet from the breeder. It happened on the morning of a trip to the vet for his microchipping. Mentioned to the Vet who gave him the OK. This happened before I bought the policy. They have chosen to add an exclusion for gastrointestinal. Is this fair? Would all insurers do this?

sheramber

8i6daddy wrote: »

I just took out a policy with Petplan and in the questions declared that my 8wk old pup had been sick once because of a change in his diet from the breeder. It happened on the morning of a trip to the vet for his microchipping. Mentioned to the Vet who gave him the OK. This happened before I bought the policy. They have chosen to add an exclusion for gastrointestinal. Is this fair? Would all insurers do this?

That is typical of Petplan. Their exclusions are wide spread.

You can ask them to reconsider after 2 years , if there is no recurrence and no treatment for a stomach upset. There is no guarantee they will agree to do it.

Bought By Many have a policy the covers pre existing conditions in a young dog. I have no knowledge of the policy and this is not a recommendation.

details here
https://boughtbymany.com/pet-insurance/

8i6daddy

sheramber wrote: »

That is typical of Petplan. Their exclusions are wide spread.

You can ask them to reconsider after 2 years , if there is no recurrence and no treatment for a stomach upset. There is no guarantee they will agree to do it.

Bought By Many have a policy the covers pre existing conditions in a young dog. I have no knowledge of the policy and this is not a recommendation.

details here
https://boughtbymany.com/pet-insurance/

Is it still classed as pre-existing even if there was no "formal" discussion with the vet?

Basically what happened is that Louie was sick on the morning of his appointment, which was for his first visit to the vet for his initial health check and to get chipped. The vet asked how long we had him for (2 days) and how he had been so far. I mentioned that he had been fine except that he had been sick once that morning, because we'd started to change his food. The vet completed his healthcheck and never mentioned any issues, to my knowledge he also did not document any notes regarding me mentioning the sickness.

I just think it's a little unfair to have an exclusion like this just because the dog was sick once, for what is a fairly common reason

sheramber

Petplan excluded all skin conditions on my dog's policy because he had had a reaction to eating lamb. He hd no further problems with his skin as I did not feed him lamb again. But if he had developed any other skin condition such as eczema or skin cancer he was not be covered.

If you don't agree with their decision you can follow the complaints procedure shown in your policy document.

If you are still unhappy then you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman for a ruling. It will not cost you anything to go to the ombudsman but you must follow the insurance company's complaints procedure first.

fairy2

Chilli1 wrote: »

I have been a vet nurse for a number of years. I deal with pet insurance policies all the time. I would urge people never to buy a policy because it is cheap but to look for lifetime cover for ongoing conditions, ask whether they increase premiums based on claims you have made as this could double of triple your premiums,whether they cover congenital or hereditary conditions and how long you have got to put in a claim. Your vet may be able to give you more comprehensive advice but the cheaper the policy, the less it will cover long term.

But where can you ask "whether they increase premiums based on claims you have made as this could double of triple your premiums,"I cannot see an insurer answering this question and I would have to say I would be surprised if any insurer did not do this.

GwylimT

fairy2 wrote: »

But where can you ask "whether they increase premiums based on claims you have made as this could double of triple your premiums,"I cannot see an insurer answering this question and I would have to say I would be surprised if any insurer did not do this.

Petplan don’t increase premiums if you make a claim.

fairy2

GwylimT wrote: »

Petplan don’t increase premiums if you make a claim.

Sadly pet plasnwont cover my cats - too old. Does anyone else not increase pemiums? Thanks

mitchym00

Hi Guys, we have a dog with pre-existing conditions, John Lewis have upped our premium by 30% to 90 a month, anyone know any good providers please??

sheramber

Do you mean a cheaper policy?

Cheap premiums are cheap for a reason.

All policies will exclude pre existing conditions. But you can sometimes get the exclusion lifted if there has not been ant recurrence or treatment for 2 years.

What is a good company for one person may not be for another as all companies have their own risk assessments.

Check out reviews on Google but be aware people tend to complain rather than praise. However, you can assess whether you think the complaint is justified or has the complainer not read the policy document carefully or mis understood it.

Stay away for any that are connected with E&L who have a reputation of finding reasons for not paying out.

Check out Bought By Many who have introduced new policies with interesting conditions.