pet insurance increase of %70

rising_from_the_ashes

krlyr wrote: »

Any insurance is a waste of money until you need it. I know I would regret cancelling my dogs' insurance if they developed a health issue soon after - OK, I may be "wasting" £40 a month but if I cancelled and they got an illness or injury in a year's time, all I have in the bank is £480. The breeds I own are prone to hip dysplasia and arthritis for a start - so an x-ray alone could use up most, if not all, of that (I paid about £300 for x-rays with my last dog - who was fortunately insured). I'd have to wait years before I could afford to have even just one hip replaced (my last dog needed both) - at £40 a month, it'd take over 6 years to afford the £3000~ op (which could well have gone up in price by then too), and I'd be spending out some of that £40 each month on pain relief, hydrotherapy, etc. to keep the dog comfortable in the mean time.
Pros and cons to both methods but given the size and breeds of my dog, I know I will always prefer to take the risk of wasting money on insurance than the risk of having to have my dog PTS with a treatable condition because of the money aspect. Money is replacable, my dogs aren't.

Agree with this totally - it's fine not having insurance until something happens .... but what do you do then?

My old cat had kidney problems from the age of 3, poor soul, I was lucky enough to have him for 8 years after that - as he was insured with Pet Plan who paid out many £100s each year and £1000s over his lifetime without quibble and with minimal rises each year.

I wouldn't have been able to keep him if it wasn't for that and to have to have a pet pts because you can't afford treatment must be one of the most heartbreaking things and I know I'd personally never be able to forgive myself.

Hillbilly1

The minority of pets die with no need or any medical help.

I get worried that animals are seen to die of ald age - it isn't a disease, but it makes them more prone to other disease - that should be treated!

We always have our pets insured and have had :-

1) cat insured for 11 years at roughly £300 a year premium. Had 2 dentals and vomiting episode uring the frst 10 years, year 11 we spent £4000+ on heart disease.

2) rescue Peke insured for 10 months at £28 a month, month 11 claimed £5,500 for spinal surgery. Have got a for life policy so £6k started again in month 13 (ready for more surgery after the rather scary MRI).

Basically since Jan this year our vets bills have been about £11,000, all on insurance. could not have afforded it otherwise!

andjax

im with more than and it wasnt chosen for the cheapes cover (and certainly not working that way now)

andjax

thanks for all your replys its given me alot to read. i hadnt picked morethan for the cheapest but it was the amount of cover per illness considering i had heard so many people talk about vet/illness costs and didnt want to get caught short. But the cheaky beggers have changed the goal post as well. not only do i have to pay and excess of £70 (which i had no problem with) but they changed it so after the £70 i know have to pay the first 10% of every claim.
i have an english bull terrier and he has had a skin problem from birth so far just his skin alone has cost £3000 and ive £7000 limit. i cover his monthly medication myself becasue the cost of that would be less than useless to claim for with the above costs.
i wouldnt mind minimal rises 2008 his insurance cost £155.88 per year 2009 £179.88 but 2010 it went up to £386.04 and this year £587.16.
i pay more for the dogs insurance than i do for myself and other half. . . lol

krlyr

andjax wrote: »

i cover his monthly medication myself becasue the cost of that would be less than useless to claim for with the above costs.

Do you mean because of the excess? Do check your policy, I mistakenly thought I had to pay an excess on each and every claim so didn't claim for my dog's pain medication and supplements from the vet. Turned out that it's counted as an on-going claim as such and you pay one excess per condition, per policy-term. So my excess I paid at the time of the diagnostic x-rays was the only one to pay in relation to her hip dysplasia (for that year), and I could claim the medication each month with no excess to pay. Thankfully they were happy to backdate the claims once I found out!

Look at it this way, if you claim £3000 from insurance in a year then your policy would have to increase by £250 a month for you to be out of pocket!

Hillbilly1

krlyr wrote: »

Do you mean because of the excess? Do check your policy, I mistakenly thought I had to pay an excess on each and every claim so didn't claim for my dog's pain medication and supplements from the vet. Turned out that it's counted as an on-going claim as such and you pay one excess per condition, per policy-term. So my excess I paid at the time of the diagnostic x-rays was the only one to pay in relation to her hip dysplasia (for that year), and I could claim the medication each month with no excess to pay. Thankfully they were happy to backdate the claims once I found out!

Look at it this way, if you claim £3000 from insurance in a year then your policy would have to increase by £250 a month for you to be out of pocket!

Well said! I work at a vets and deal alot with insurance - even with 10-20% on claims if you claim regularly you are still better off with insurance.

Lots of companies putting higher premiums out this year and many companies starting the 10% contribution at age 2.

The insurance world is shrinking back to several bigger players and heading the way of the US market. . . be warned use it while its here, we may not have it long!