MSE News: Millions of pet owners risk paying £1,000s in vet bills

bertiewhite

I don't insure our dogs because I'd rather put the money away into a savings account than pay into a scheme which I may not need and might not pay out when I do need it.

stator

gadgetmind wrote: »

So the insurers pay out thousands every year yet don't charge their customers this much. What an interesting business model!

I may add up what we've paid our vets over the decades but I bet it's a whole lot less than we'd have paid for insurance even including the usual larger bills when cats are getting older.

If you can afford to not insure your pets then that's fine.
But it's not a good logical argument to start adding up premiums and start comparing them to the claims that you have made, or would have made.

I've had PetPlan policies for 9+ years and made very few claims but now my pets are old and I can't switch the insurance, I've made some large claims. One of my pets had scans the other day over £700. Another pet had a £2000 operation. I'd much rather I had never claimed at all because that would mean my pets weren't ill!
Since insurance is all about risk, if you're lucky you'll pay your premiums and never have to claim. If I had paid £20 per month per pet for their entire lives and never had to claim I would be very happy indeed.

Putting money into a savings account might be adequate for the odd claim but very few people can afford to save £3000 per year, which is the equivalent max payout for many policies.

Plus in my situation I have to consider what would happen if I lost my job. I think I would find it hard to find another quickly. So if I was unemployed or sick I would find it hard to maintain a huge savings account, but it would be much easier to maintain the insurance policy.

bertiewhite wrote: »

I don't insure our dogs because I'd rather put the money away into a savings account than pay into a scheme which I may not need and might not pay out when I do need it.

I've never had a PetPlan claim denied. There are plenty of online reviews, so you can stay away from the bad providers who quibble all their claims. PetPlan only have a few conditions that would allow them to avoid a claim, and they are very reasonable, eg you must vaccinate against diseases that are preventable and you must get dental checks every year etc