PET INSURANCE: Much of a muchness between providers?

pph

Hi there,

We adopted two rescued kittens and they came with one month’s free pet insurance with PetPlan. This has now expired and PetPlan are (obviously) saying they’re the best. Using the MSE guide I have tracked down other insurance which seems better value. For two cats:

PetPlan premium: £26/month
Excess £65

A.N. Other (I forget the name) came out as (again for two cats):
Premium £18/month
Excess £99

That’s trying to compare the headline Ts and Cs like for like. As they are young we don’t anticipate too many trips to the vet so I’d rather go for the cheaper premium if all other things are equal. Usually I say you get what you pay for but with insurance I am not so sure – is pet insurance much of a muchness when it comes to pets as with other insurance?

The Pet Plan people say “ooh read the small print of people with cheaper premiums as they may not cover X, Y and Z” – but I am sure A.N. Other insurer would say the same about PetPlan.
So the question is, if the headline things that are covered are the same without diving into the Ts and Cs, should we go with the cheaper premium?

Put another way, are PetPlan worth the extra per month?

Thanks in advance!

huckster

Insurance from your local vets is often best, if you needed to claim, but not the cheapest.

As with all things, you do get what you pay for.

[Deleted User]

PetPlan and AXA one of the few that do proper 'for life' cover... well for dogs at least, I don't know about cats... but definitely something you should research as many of the insurances out there are utterly pointless if the ailment is life long as opposed to just a one off... i.e. once your cover ends you won't be covered for it in the next policy year unless you have proper 'for life' cover.

Anything from vets shouldn't be just considered the best, in the day ange of the $ many will push what cover they get the biggest commission from. Same goes for the food and medicine products they sell.

All research, don't trust those that gain financially from your decision.

pph

[Deleted User] wrote:

PetPlan and AXA one of the few that do proper 'for life' cover...

The one I am comparing with PetPlan is "life cover" too.

[Deleted User] wrote:

All research, don't trust those that gain financially from your decision.

Well this is the thing... headline offerings seem the same. Just want to know whether PetPlan are noted for not diddling you in the small print if something happens really.

Research is difficult.. to many people with vested interests! This is the only place I really trust these days!

[Deleted User]

I can't comment on whether t&c's are the same for cat policies but AXA and PetPlan full life covers are as they say... I find AXA is generally cheaper for my dogs, but have to use both as AXA won't cover my Tibetan Mastiff.

bouncydog1

Definately read terms and conditions and limits etc as there may be annual or lifetime limits for certain conditions. Cats can develop long term illnesses that are easily treatable with regular medication but it is expensive. And you don't want to find yourself running out of cover at an early stage in the policy. Remember cats can live well into their 20's. My oldest was 26!

*Scarlett

Have a look here to compare the policies

http://www.defaqto.com/guides/insurance/pet-insurance-guide/

http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/pet-insurance/

dacouch

Pet Plan covers congenital defects whereas a lot of the others especially the cheap ones do not cover.

A congenital defect is a common health problem common in certain breds eg german shepherds often have bad hips or boxers have breathing problems.

It's worth finding an Insurer who includes Congenital defects especially if your pet is of a bred which suffers problems