Pet Insurance

delerium

Hi All,

After a bit of advice as my dog insurance just came back as double the previous premium. I have 2 dogs and know the importance of insurance however I feel like my insurers have me over a barrel.

One of my dogs was hit by a car last year and while they are recovered they continue to have some tendon damage which the vet has advised will either heal itself or will eventually snap at some point. As my quote came in for both dogs at double the previous one I thought I would have a scope around for alternatives (as well as phone my present insurer with some alternative quotes that I had received). While I can reduce my premiums significantly no company will cover me for the previous injuries and therefore the potential for further damage that the dog which got hit by a car may experience, which kind of ties me to the first company.

I have thought of moving one dog to the cheaper company as they have no preexisting conditions though then I lose the multi pet discount and may not be worth while - I just wondered if anyone had any other suggestions.

Before any one trolls too I will obviously pay the amount to keep the best cover for my dogs but don't see the point in paying an extra £200 a year if there is equal or better cover else where.

dacouch

Shop around for the other dog but bear in mind any existing medical conditions this dog has will normally be excluded by a new Insurer.

Who is your current Insurer as a number of Pet Insurers have massively increased their premiums?

We tend not to get trolls on this part of MSE

stator

Yes look at switching the other dog, but make sure you get good quality cover. It absolutely must be a "for life" policy, which it sounds like you already have.

It's unfortunate that as soon as you have one claim you can never switch, but I have found that PetPlan don't put up your premiums based on your claims history. What they do is increase your excess along with the pets age. Still I would definitely want to keep it.

sallyj17

Be careful if you decide to change your other dog's insurance. The vast majority of pet insurance companies will exclude pre-existing conditions but what most people don't seem to realise that pet insurance companies define pre-existing conditions as any condition or symptom your pet has ever had.. regardless of whether your pet saw a vet or you made a claim.

By way of example here is the definition of a pre-existing condition from Petplan's current policy.


"An injury or illness that
a) happened or first showed clinical signs
b) has the same diagnosis or clinical signs as an injury, illness or clinical sign your pet had
c) is caused by, relates to, or results from an injury, illness or clinical sign you pet had
before your pet's cover started or before the section was added to your policy
No matter where the injury, illness or clinical signs are noticed or happen in, or on your pet's body. This is regardless whether or not we place any exclusion(s) for the illness/injury."


With Petplan and some other insurers you may be able to negotiate with them to cover minor pre-existing conditions.

sheramber

i have no experince of this company , their premiums ( which do include a co-pay depending on the age of the dog) or thier pay out record but they do say
Our reinstatement* policy covers pre-existing conditions if symptom and treatment free for 24 months.

https://www.vetsmedicover.co.uk/cover-explained

Be aware there is always an exclusion for claims within the initial period of the policy- may be up to 14 days. It is important to overlap the policies to maintain cover. Of course, if you have to claim on the existing policy in that period then it will be a pre exisitng condition for the new company so you may have to continue insurance with the existing company and cancel the new one.

sallyj17

Vets Medicover are the only company I know that actually write this in their t&cs. It may be worth pointing out though that they have changed underwriters twice in the last 18 months with QIC (Europe) taking over last month.


Not sure if anyone else knows whether QIC have been involved with pet insurance before?

rs65

sallyj17 wrote: »

Not sure if anyone else knows whether QIC have been involved with pet insurance before?

QIC Europe have only existed for 6 months as far as I can see.

dacouch

sallyj17 wrote: »

Vets Medicover are the only company I know that actually write this in their t&cs. It may be worth pointing out though that they have changed underwriters twice in the last 18 months with QIC (Europe) taking over last month.


Not sure if anyone else knows whether QIC have been involved with pet insurance before?

Historically an Insurer taking a bold step out of line such as this has a habit of exiting the marketing when the claims start coming in and they're losing money.

The problem tends to be customers selecting against the Insurer eg because the Insurer accepts the type of business other Insurers shy away from. The Insurer ends up with a book of business that is very top heavy with high risk customers (In this case Pets).

When this happens they either put up their premiums which generally means the lower risk of their clients go else to cheaper companies. This leaves the Insurer with an even more top heavy book of higher risk clients but without the lower risk clients to subsidise them.

The ultimate answer for an Insurer is to exit the market

sheramber

I do know of someone who managed to negogiate with Petlan to avoid exclusion of something that had occured a few years before with no recurrence since then.

sallyj17

Would totally agree.. that Petplan will negotiate... have heard of many cases where they put a 2 year exclusion on conditions which are reasonably minor.. and provide they don't re-occur the exclusion will be lifted.