Dog insurance and epilepsy

Bean_Counter

Hi,

After a few fits recently, we took the dog to the vets recently and she was diagnosed with epilepsy. There was a bill for £150 or so for some blood test and the first lot of epilepsy tablets and the tablets will be £50 per month for the rest of her life.

We have insurance for her through NCI (formerly the Axa policy before they left the market.) I am going to give them a call on Tuesday to see if they will cover the cost but wanted to ask on here to see if they should as I expect the insurance company to say no. It was not a pre-existing condition when we took out the policy.

Thanks in advance.

krlyr

Why do you feel the insurance will say no? If it was not pre-existing (especially if your vet is happy to emphasise this), and is not excluded by any small print on the insurance (e.g. I've seen some policies state they won't cover hip replacements, for example), there should be no reason for them to not pay out - that's what the insurance is there for, afterall!

I'm also with NCI after the AXA switch and have claimed quite a lot in the last year (some 'pre-existing from AXA' related, some from a new condition) and not had any issues with them paying out - I was very impressed having done my first claim not through my vet (they did all the larger ones direct for a small admin fee) to have the money in my bank by BACs within 2 weeks of them receiving my claim.

They're also quick to answer on the phone and seem very helpful, so I'd give them a ring to clarify.

fairymoneysaver

From what you say there is no reason why they shouldn't pay. What makes you think the insurance company might not pay out? Also it depends what type of policy you have as to whether they will only pay out for tests/meds for a year or for the rest of her life. There will also be a yearly limit, your policy will have the details.

I would put in a claim.

Bean_Counter

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps I was being a bit negative in relation to the insurance industry in general. I'll give them a call and move it forward.

krlyr

Bean_Counter wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps I was being a bit negative in relation to the insurance industry in general. I'll give them a call and move it forward.

If insurance companies never paid out for any medical condition, they'd be a bit redundant! Yes, you get bad companies, or even good companies who decide to be a bit pedantic at times, but the majority of claims will go through without a hitch if they adhere to the T&Cs of the policy.

steelframedhouse

I'm also with NCI (originally an Axa policy). I started claiming for epilepsy with Axa and transferred to NCI the next year.

NCI have been very good with paying out, fairly quick and as kylr said it goes straight into your bank via BACS. You get a text/email when they've received the claim form and another when they've processed it.

With regards the costs, you'll most likely end up claiming a fair bit more than first thought - there's other things to consider such as regular blood tests (they normally recommend every six months), plus 'emergency' treatment/visits if she goes through a bad patch. Mine also had an MRI scan and CSF tap which cost a few thousand to see if there was an underlying cause.

Hope everything settles down soon for her, it can take a while to get the dosages right so don't be too disheartened if she still has seizures despite being on the medication.

pathtofreedom

One thing worth checking is do you have a lifetime type policy? As some would cover the diagnosis part, but then have a cap for either a year, or the max per year you'd then get back.

I don't know about your specific one but I know with petplan (who I'm with) they do two versions one with lifetime cover and one without. I pay the extra for the lifetime, just as the dogs I had as a kid had epilepsy and other things, and from what I understand if I didn't have the lifetime version it could get expensive later.

krlyr

pathtofreedom wrote: »

One thing worth checking is do you have a lifetime type policy? As some would cover the diagnosis part, but then have a cap for either a year, or the max per year you'd then get back.

I don't know about your specific one but I know with petplan (who I'm with) they do two versions one with lifetime cover and one without. I pay the extra for the lifetime, just as the dogs I had as a kid had epilepsy and other things, and from what I understand if I didn't have the lifetime version it could get expensive later.

I believe AXA only did a lifetime policy (trying to recall back that far!) so everyone was moved onto a comparable lifetime policy with NCI.

Bean Counter, I do have a copy of the policy document on email if you can't find your hard copy, as I requested it late last year to check the rules when I was claiming - happy to forward it over if you want to read the T&Cs, but as I say, they've been helpful whenever I've rang.

Feral_Moon

Can I ask how old your dog is and when the fits started? Had he/she had any vaccinations in the month prior to the first fit?