Pet Insurance - Pre-Existing Condition (Adivce Needed)

graham17_2

Hi all,

My pet insurance for my cat is due for renewal within the next few days.

Despite no claims, the policy has gone up since last year.

I'm with AXA, and have picked one of the lifetime policies as they will obviously cover conditions for the lifetime of it, if you keep renewing.

Our cat hasn't had any particular problems over the first year. She does have a problem with harvest mites around summer as they get between her paws and irritate her skin. It's easily treatable.

I called the vet to check if she's had anything that they think would count as pre existing over the past year that would make it wise not to switch. They said they can't think of anything. The only thing they did mention was that when she was very young, she had weak hind legs (cant remember if it was one or two), but that soon went away and they don't see it as a problem.

The only other thing I can remember is she burst her stitches after she got spayed, but that then got fixed.

As the policy has gone up, I'm thinking about cancelling and either taking out a new policy with AXA, or another lifetime with someone else. But I obviously want to be sure that it's wise to do so, given the past I mentioned.

The difference over the course of a year is around £20-£25. So it's obviously not a great deal if it'd be wise not to take out a new policy, but if it'd be fine, I'd rather have the money in my pocket, especially if the premium will go up again next year!

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I think I need to cancel the existing one today if possible :-)

Thanks,

Graham.

Fire_Fox

Exclusions are not about what your veterinarian counts as pre-existing over the past year, it's what the insurer counts as pre-existing - they can ask for a full history over the lifetime of the animal. This might therefore include all neurological conditions (particularly since the weakness was not diagnosed). Premiums with AXA increase on the age of the cat and number of claims in your postcode, not on the number of claims made by you. Why do you think a new policy with AXA will be cheaper, have you rung AXA to see if they will price match any discrepancy?

graham17_2

Hi,

Thanks for that.

I think the policy will be cheaper if I take out a new one with AXA from running a new quote (exactly the same conditions) with them.

When I said over the past year, I really meant her whole life. She's only about a year and a half.

So if they won't match, what do you think I'm best doing? Just keeping my current one in case they decide it was pre-existing if I take out a new one? Or take out a new one?

I called the vet just there, and apparently we (my wife and myself) mentioned a weakness in her hind legs from when she was a kitten. I must say I don't remember saying that, nor would I think my wife would have. Maybe we asked about how high she was able to jump or something. She's definitely never been treated for anything like that.

I'm not really sure what I'm best doing here!

Thanks,

Graham.

graham17_2

Hi again,

Have just called back and they can't manage to match it.

The renewal quote is £92.55, whereas a new policy with themselves is £69.66.

As I've only had insurance for a year prior to now, it'd only be anything during that year that I'd be missing out in terms of being covered for conditions during that.

It turns out the date we apparently mentioned the hind leg thing with the day the policy actually started last year. But as there's a 14 day exclusion zone where you can't claim for things during that time, I guess that would have counted as pre-existing as well - is that right?

Not sure the best way to go with this.

What does anyone think?

So regarding the premium increase... If claims go down in my postcode over the next year, is it possible that the premium could go down?

Thanks,

Graham.

Fire_Fox

Has AXA explained why there is a discrepancy in the price? Are you sure you are using the exact same details? The reason I ask is it's AXA that have told others the premiums increase on age and claims in your postcode. I haven't ever heard of premiums decreasing but I have heard of them staying the same.

rising_from_the_ashes

graham17 wrote: »

As I've only had insurance for a year prior to now, it'd only be anything during that year that I'd be missing out in terms of being covered for conditions during that.

graham17 wrote: »

It turns out the date we apparently mentioned the hind leg thing with the day the policy actually started last year. But as there's a 14 day exclusion zone where you can't claim for things during that time, I guess that would have counted as pre-existing as well - is that right?

Sorry but everything in the pets veterinary history is counted - even if you've not claimed for it or if it's not within the period of your insurance.

My wee cat hurt her knee when she was 3 months old - had an anaesthetic (spelling?) so the vet could do x-rays etc & fine (so she was spayed) - few weeks of cage rest (total nightmare) and she was fine.


I didn't claim - not that much and as the "anaesthetic was used" to do her spaying didn't see the point - however, her insurance now excludes ALL injuries to that leg. I've been told by my vet that even if she breaks it - which will obviously be totally unrelated - it's unlikely that they'll pay out.




I'd be wanting to know exactly what the vets had put in her history - especially if it was just a general chat about jumping etc and there was no problem/treatment etc.



Re the renewal cost -v- the new cost online - have they maybe taken off an "introductory" discount which would explain the difference?

graham17_2

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I think they were pointing out the price difference is because it's a lifetime policy. i.e. if I had to claim for anything that arose from the first year of the policy (we're about to start the second year), then I could do so if I just kept the new policy.

However, if I took out a brand new policy, I'd obviously be starting a new lifetime policy and anything that happened over the last year absolutely wouldn't be covered.

The lady at the vet just seemed to have down a weak hind leg, and we'd mentioned it. She didn't seem to have anything more than that. But it seems it was noted down on the day our lifetime policy started. So if anything arose from that, then I guess it would be covered if we kept the policy, rather than taking a new one. But if we took a new one out, that'd then not be covered as it happened before we took it out.

Do you think then, for just over £20, I should keep the existing one so she would be covered for that leg if anything arose from it? Or would it not be covered for some other reason? Although as I mentioned, it arose in the 'exclusion zone' of taking out the policy, so it might not be covered even though it's a lifetime one as it was mentioned so early.

The only other thing she gets is irritation in her skin from harvest mites in the grass over summer. Nothing serious, she just gets drops to get rid of them. We wouldn't claim as it costs substantially less for the treatment than the excess!

Thanks,

Graham.

hethmar

TBH, at that price for a proper lifetime policy - Id stick with it (less than £2 a week).

hotcookie101

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Sorry but everything in the pets veterinary history is counted - even if you've not claimed for it or if it's not within the period of your insurance.

My wee cat hurt her knee when she was 3 months old - had an anaesthetic (spelling?) so the vet could do x-rays etc & fine (so she was spayed) - few weeks of cage rest (total nightmare) and she was fine.


I didn't claim - not that much and as the "anaesthetic was used" to do her spaying didn't see the point - however, her insurance now excludes ALL injuries to that leg. I've been told by my vet that even if she breaks it - which will obviously be totally unrelated - it's unlikely that they'll pay out.




I'd be wanting to know exactly what the vets had put in her history - especially if it was just a general chat about jumping etc and there was no problem/treatment etc.

I would appeal the exclusion-I did when I insured my cat-he broke 4 metatarsals, which healed perfectly, and I then took out insurance. Petplan tried to put an exclusion on for arthritis on that leg, I argued my case, sent a copy of clinical history and they removed the exclusion. Especially as it is an unfair exclusion-understandable for them to exclude arthritis, but not any injury. Contact them

Fire_Fox

graham17 wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I think they were pointing out the price difference is because it's a lifetime policy. i.e. if I had to claim for anything that arose from the first year of the policy (we're about to start the second year), then I could do so if I just kept the new policy.

However, if I took out a brand new policy, I'd obviously be starting a new lifetime policy and anything that happened over the last year absolutely wouldn't be covered.

The lady at the vet just seemed to have down a weak hind leg, and we'd mentioned it. She didn't seem to have anything more than that. But it seems it was noted down on the day our lifetime policy started. So if anything arose from that, then I guess it would be covered if we kept the policy, rather than taking a new one. But if we took a new one out, that'd then not be covered as it happened before we took it out.

Do you think then, for just over £20, I should keep the existing one so she would be covered for that leg if anything arose from it? Or would it not be covered for some other reason? Although as I mentioned, it arose in the 'exclusion zone' of taking out the policy, so it might not be covered even though it's a lifetime one as it was mentioned so early.

The only other thing she gets is irritation in her skin from harvest mites in the grass over summer. Nothing serious, she just gets drops to get rid of them. We wouldn't claim as it costs substantially less for the treatment than the excess!

Thanks,

Graham.

The harvest mites issue could mean your insurer excludes all skin conditions. Do you really want to be appealing if your cat needs expensive treatment and your vet is insisting on staged payments? The whole point of insurance is that you are not gambling, you are protecting against all costly treatment however rare or unlikely that may be. IMO starting a new policy for the sake of £20 is a gamble as they are not going to increase the premiums by £20 every year.

My last cat had plasma cell pododermatitis which is a rare paw pad condition of unknown cause (possibly a virus or auto-immune). As he had been a stray he was severely affected and his paws looked like chopped raw liver - it is a miracle he survived. This cost the rescue a small fortune in operations, medication (corticosteroids/ antibiotics/ analgesics), various blood tests including FIV and FELV, multiple overnight stays. The condition is associated with dental problems, my boy also had a bad reaction to vaccinations and succumbed to cancer within two years. It's unlikely your pampered puss would get anything this severe, but it's possible. Wouldn't mind betting an insurer would exclude on the grounds of the harvest mites.

graham17_2

Hi all,

Thanks very much for the advice.

I reckon I will just stick with the existing policy then, as it's only £20 over the course of a year and should give me peace of mind!

Hopefully the weak leg being in the first 14 days last year won't cause it to be excluded forever, especially since it was just something we apparently mentioned, rather than being diagnosed!

Or more to the point, hopefully we'll never need it!

Thanks again all,

Graham.