New Insurance needed for Older Dog

Roland_Flagg

Last February we took out a 12 months Essential plan with Petplan for our Labrador, who was 10 and a half at that time.

It worked out £425 a year and the main points of the plan were: Vet Fees up to £3k, and Complementary Treatment up to £500.
£95 and 20% excess deducted on the first claim for each condition.

Recently he had what the vet thinks was a bad case of gastritis, which cost £450 in treatment, and we will get back just over £300 from Petplan.

So...

We have just got the renewal quote. It's gone up a bit as expected but I was surprised to see that the policy will no longer cover any vet or complementary fees, leaving us with useless stuff we won't use such as boarding fees and holiday cancellation.

I've done a comparison, and as expected for a Lab coming up to 11 and a half any decent cover is very expensive.

The only exception is from Animal Friends.

I know they have a mixed reputation but recent Trustpilot reviews look promising, and they are willing to cover more than Petplan for less money.

So I have two questions.

1. AF have two offers. a 12 month plan for £18 a month, and a Lifetime plan for £30 a month. Identical benefits apart from the 12 month plans covers vet fees for every new condition up to £2k, with a total cover of £7k for all conditions, whilst the Lifetime plan is £2k for new condition (so the same), but no limits on payout on all conditions.

On the one hand I;m thinking our dog is unlikely to be getting treatment for more than 3 conditions at the same time, so the cheaper policy would be fine. On the other hand the Lifetime policy would be better if (hopefully) he lives a long life.

Opinions on that please.

2. If the Gastritis comes back, could AF contact our vet/and or Petplan, find that he has been treated for that in the past year and refuse to pay out any new fees/treatment needed?

Cheers.

elsien

You need to declare any pre-existing conditions, not just in the last 12 months but prior to that.
Aside from it being fraudulent not to because it is a question that all insurers ask, yes the insurer will ask your vet about previous related conditions in the event of any claim.
If you haven't declared them, then it's hardly surprising the new insurer is cheaper.

Roland_Flagg

Thanks for the reply.

Anyone have any options for us?
It seems getting insured for less than £100 a month is unlikely due to his age and recent condition.

elsien

You need to look not just at the insurance premium costs but also the excess and how much of a percentage of the final bill you also need to pay now that he's hit the older age bracket.
I've only used petplan so can't help with other providers however it may be worth considering at what point you would want to self-insure - put the money aside each month so it's there if and when needed.

I'm slightly baffled as to what you mean when you say the Petplan policy won't cover any vet fees. Can you clarify, as they've always paid these for my older dogs.

https://help.petplan.co.uk/faqs/will-you-continue-to-renew-my-pets-insurance-when-heshe-becomes-old

Roland_Flagg

Existing insurance:
Veterinary Fees £3,000 per condition.
Complementary Treatment £500 per condition.
Third Party Liability £1,000,000 per incident
Boarding Fees £1,000 per policy year
Advertising and Reward £1,000 per policy year
Theft or Straying £600
Holiday Cancellation £1,000 per policy year
Quarantine Expenses and Loss of Documents £1,000 per policy year
Emergency Repatriation £500 per policy year.

Cost £425 per year.

What they have offered us in the renew:
Third Party Liability £1,000,000 per incident
Boarding Fees £1,000 per policy year
Advertising and Reward £1,000 per policy year
Theft or Straying £600
Holiday Cancellation £1,000 per policy year
Quarantine Expenses and Loss of Documents £1,000 per policy year
Emergency Repatriation £500 per policy year

Cost £500 per year.

So they are offering less for extra cost.

elsien

Have you tried phoning them to ask them why vets fees are no longer covered? That's what I would do, and then ask what it would cost to have that covered as well, if it's not a mistake.

Roland_Flagg

I phoned them and it's not a mistake.

They have offered to reinstate the benefits of our previous policy but for £700 a year. That's about a 40% hike but given our dog's age and recent stomach issue, and the fact that the £500 a year policy they initially offered is of no use, then I think we have to bite the bullet and accept it.

Thanks again.