Pet Insurance Claim Advice

AnnieRichards

Hi,  I can't find the answer to this question and wonder if any Forumites could give me some advise please?

I have a 6 year old dog who has been insured with the same company since I got him at 12 weeks of age.  Apart from a scary bout of pneumonia when he was 15 months old I have never claimed because he's been healthy.  Normal check-up for annual boosters, worming, kennel cough, flea treatments have been paid for without insurance because policies tend not cover everyday preventative care.  Unfortunately he is currently not well and it looks like it may be his spine but bloods, X-ray and appointments with my Vet have not brought a diagnosis. So she has referred him for an MRI scan at a specialist 50 miles away.  The cost of this scan is approx £4,000.  I knew I had insurance and want him to be diagnosed correctly so happily agreed.  The appointment is in 7 days time.

The specialists deal directly with the insurance companies (due to the cost of the treatment I suspect) and they called me today to say that he is covered but only up to £3,000 per annum.  I don't remember changing it down from £12,000 but that's what my policy says, so I accept that I must have done at some point during the past 4 or 5 years. 

The policy is paid monthly and is on a Direct Debit and it just rolls over so there has never been a gap in his cover with the new premium being £37.74 per month on the 21st of each month.  The renewal date was 19th August and regardless of his being a bit under the weather I would have renewed it regardless, in fact until I looked at my bank account on the 30th August I'd forgotten all about it.  

My question is this:-  if he has a £3,000 annual claim limit can I claim for the 2 appointments he had on the 17th and 18th August from the "entitlement" for the year that ended at midnight on the 18th?  The bills for these visits come to £258.00.  The only thing I can see under the terms and conditions say that any treatment needs to be claimed for within 8 weeks of the appointment.  I have so far paid £521.42 and until today assumed that I was covered for all treatments so far but now I know that my annual limit is £3,000 I'm a bit panicked because I had to put it on a credit card and will have to put the difference for the MRI etc on this card too.  Cost of living crisis etc. etc. etc.  Any idea whether I can claim for "last year" or not?  Any advice gladly received.

Brie

It's a T&C issue.  Does the policy say £3k for that condition in total or £3k per year even if the condition was first claimed on in a previous year?

Hope the pup recovers ok.

DullGreyGuy

You need to read the policy carefully or speak to the insurer. There are multiple ways they work with conditions that span policy years... the worst the £3k is for a policy year and its excluded from the next, the middle would be £3k across 12 months even if it spans policy years, the best will renew the £3k limit each year.

You should be able to claim for the treatment to date under the prior policy year what you can claim for this year will depend on your terms.