Pet insurance first timer and unsure..

ymakesmile

Hello there!
I'm a long time dog owner but have only taken out insurance on my youngest dog as I wanted the security of knowing vet fees would be covered, after having spent several thousand in the last few years with older dogs.  My dog has recently developed an issue that has required and is likely to require visits that cost £60-£100ish so far. Initially I thought it wasn't worth claiming for but then I wondered how that works if later down the line he needs surgery due to the ongoing issue and I have never made a claim for these initial appointments and treatment, would they then not pay out as they hadn't been kept informed of the issue from the beginning? (The issue started 8 months into me taking the insurance out.) I am with Bought By Many and the excess is £69 per year, so I was advised that I have 12 months to claim, so I could add all the smaller appointments together and claim at once further down the line. Would this be the best course of action, as obviously these appointments and treatments will soon start to add up and surely that's part of paying for the insurance in the first place? I know people say you take insurance out for the massive bills, but you obviously live in hope that these won't surface (although they invariably do happen!) Plus it only just occurred to me, does insurance cover the cost of the consultations themselves or only the cost of medications and treatment? I have read the policy but it does not specifically mention about consultations, I just presumed that they would be included in any claims I make. Hope someone far more knowledgeable  than me can shed some light, thanks!

sheramber

The insurance will cover the consultation charge as it is part of the treatment.
If you have 12 months to claim ( each policy has it own rules) then it is acceptable to submit one claim before the end of the 12 months. 
it will also save you money of your vet charges for completing the claim.

Is it insurance with a limit per condition or is it a vet fee limit each policy year?
if the latter, it might be better to claim before the policy year ends as your excess applies to  each policy year.
if your   claim covers two policy years then  the insurance company will allocate the amounts according to the dates of the treatment.

ymakesmile

sheramber said:

The insurance will cover the consultation charge as it is part of the treatment.
If you have 12 months to claim ( each policy has it own rules) then it is acceptable to submit one claim before the end of the 12 months. 
it will also save you money of your vet charges for completing the claim.

Is it insurance with a limit per condition or is it a vet fee limit each policy year?
if the latter, it might be better to claim before the policy year ends as your excess applies to  each policy year.
if your   claim covers two policy years then  the insurance company will allocate the amounts according to the dates of the treatment.

Vets charge to complete the claim? I didn't realise that was even a thing. 
The insurance is a lifetime cover of £7000 per year. 

sheramber

yes, some vets charge for the admin of completing the form. It takes up somebody's time to complete the form.
One of my vet charged £12. A specialist vet charged £17.
Insurance will not cover that charge.

ymakesmile

sheramber said:

yes, some vets charge for the admin of completing the form. It takes up somebody's time to complete the form.
One of my vet charged £12. A specialist vet charged £17.
Insurance will not cover that charge.

That is very helpful to know, thank you. I shall wait and see how his problem progresses for the moment then and put a claim in a bit further down the line.