Pet insurance

ellymoo

Thanks so much. We don't know his breed although he's certainly got labrador in him. I was thinking something very similar about how we don't realise true medical costs thanks to the NHS when my friend sold his motorbike to fund treatment for his dog.

I am not sure that invasive, painful treatment is in the animal's best interest (cf "Supervet"). I think it's more about the owners than the pets and what's best for the creature and their health TODAY, not in six months, is what matters.

ellymoo

Please may I ask your advice? I have done a tonne of quotes and the Co Op are looking good. For £27 a month they offer:

Lifetime cover

£7500 vet fees per policy year

Dental illness/accident up to £1k

£125 excess per condition plus 20% co-payment as Bertie is over 6.

Am I missing anything else?

elsien

Can’t think of anything off the top of my head. A lot of the other things insurers put it - kennels in emergency etc are neither here nor there and I’ve never used them.
Some give cover for behavioural support in some circumstances but it doesn’t sound like that’s something you’re expecting to need and it tends to have quite a high bar and need a vet referral. 

For me it’s always been about third party cover in case mine causes an accident and vet’s bills. 

Can’t comment on the co-op itself as I’ve not used them. You might want to try the pet forum to see if anyone else can think of anything, 

I did contemplate claiming once when the dog ate parent’s 2K hearing aid but apparently he’d have had to sue me first. We settled on using the household insurance instead. 

KxMx

ellymoo said:

Thanks so much. We don't know his breed although he's certainly got labrador in him. I was thinking something very similar about how we don't realise true medical costs thanks to the NHS when my friend sold his motorbike to fund treatment for his dog.

I am not sure that invasive, painful treatment is in the animal's best interest (cf "Supervet"). I think it's more about the owners than the pets and what's best for the creature and their health TODAY, not in six months, is what matters.

I had a cat that took 3k to diagnose in 2019, as it was a terminal condition with invasive treatment (she was not the kind of cat to tolerate much at the Vets) which had a poor prognosis, I didn't carry on. 

So big bills don't always come from invasive treatment. 

Luckily I had Pet Plan and even with two excesses (due to timings) and a 20% co pay I was covered with savings. 

Definitely better than a 3k bill. I'm on a low income and always viewed the insurance as something I couldn't afford not to have.

They paid up the big bills as quickly and quibble free as the smaller ones. 

oscarward

Check out bought by many. Similar coverage for £15k lifetime is £41 month

ellymoo

Thank you all. I've decided to pay higher premiums now to get better coverage and looking at reviews they go up very rapidly! I am between Petplan and BBM now -  BBM is slighty less expensive & you get vet video calls but my vet is with PetPlan and I think this means that they pay direct; you don't have to pay the bill and then chew your fingernails until the money comes back to you. Am I right?

Thanks for your help by the way; I'm new to dog ownership & am on a tight budget but want to do right by this little chap. Behaviourally he is a dream so it's illness and accidents which are my concern. 

KxMx

Absolutely re Pet Plan.
You fill in one PP claim form and the Vet takes care of the rest.

ellymoo

That does sound the easiest but BBM is £56 for £7k vet fees and PP is £75 for £4k.

elsien

ellymoo said:

Thank you all. I've decided to pay higher premiums now to get better coverage and looking at reviews they go up very rapidly! I am between Petplan and BBM now -  BBM is slighty less expensive & you get vet video calls but my vet is with PetPlan and I think this means that they pay direct; you don't have to pay the bill and then chew your fingernails until the money comes back to you. Am I right?

Thanks for your help by the way; I'm new to dog ownership & am on a tight budget but want to do right by this little chap. Behaviourally he is a dream so it's illness and accidents which are my concern. 

They do, but (without wanting to state the obvious) only if you’re covered. Just thinking of another thread on this forum where someone presumed  the vet saying they’d handle the insurance meant all costs were covered, when all the vet meant was that they’d send the paperwork in. They were not happy to then have a 2.5K bill when the claim was declined. Plus you still need to cover the excess. 

I always pay first then claim back anyway. Force of habit I guess. 

ellymoo

I suppose I need to know who's most likely to pay out! I have been reading so many reviews of places where they don't pay out for what appear to be the most spurious of reasons (although I know there are 3 sides to every story).