Pet Insurance Discussion Area

savvy

Hi N9eav, I've moved your thread to here to keep all information together and therefore aid future users.
Thanks
savvy

WeirdoMagnet

N9eav wrote:

Do they fail to pay you or the vet? I am trying to find an insurer that has a premium less than a tenner

No personal experience, but my friends horse was insured with them and after a couple of investigative tests had been done, they said that the maximum payout had been reached.

I don't think it really matters whether it's you or the vets who they do/don't pay - afterall, if the vet is still owed a debt for your pet from your insurers, I would have thought that they're pretty unlikely to be very helpful if your pet required further treatment.

What sort of dog do you have? Have you tried the price comparison sites? I don't think you'll get much change from your tenner!

Kenmalone

I have a 4 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback. Up until about six months ago she was insured with Petplan. Being an avid money saver I got annoyed with Petplan increasing their premiums, cancelled the policy and took insurance out with Sainsburys, a move I am now starting to regret.

Whilst with Petplan we claimed for a couple of ear infections and treatment for a skin allergy. Although the dog was healthy when we took the Sainsburys policy out, they put an exclusion on the cover for skin and ear conditions for a period of 12 months, after which time they would review, subject to a check by the vet.

Sods Law - last week she developed an ear infection and we have ended up paying our vet £175 for swab tests, medication, consultation, etc.

Does anyone know how this will affect getting the exclusion lifted after the 12 months? Will they want to know whether she has had to have treatment in the past 12 months or just whether she is healthy at the time of renewal?

Will the infections she seems to be prone to getting always be classed as pre-existing conditions?

I would be grateful for any comments.

Thanks.

Bossyboots

I suspect you will not get this exclusion lifted now. As she is clearly prone to infections, I think you will find that these will now always be pre-existing and you will never get cover for them again.

This was my understanding with Sainsburys when I was stopped in one of the stores and offered pet insurance. My dog had pre-existing conditions and I was told that in fact they never cover these at any time so I am surprised you were given a 12 moratorium on your dog's problems.

It is this policy that has kept me with Petplan as, apart from the fact that they cover illness for life, once your dog has an ongoing condition it seems no-one else will insure against it.

lnjk

My dog was diagnosed with Gingivitis when he had his booster last month. We booked him in straight away and he got this resolved, it cost £180ish. Vets told us to bring our M&S pet insurance claim form in and he will send this off as their will be no problem. Came back from Hols today to a letter from M&S saying their will not reimburse the costs to treat gingivitis as this was note in my dogs clinical records on 28 may 2004.
I contacted the vets and they said this is a false statement and not the case although we were advised that my dog should have scale and polish. No urgency was made with this advise and certainly nothing to give us an idea that this would lead to gingivitis.
Anyway M&S are not going to give in saying they are not paying out even though I said that their was nothing stating ben had gingivitis and that I would have to be medically knowledgeable about the facts to know for definate this would lead to gingivitis.
My vets agree with me and say they know for sure that companies like petplan would certainly pay out for this.
M&S are just trying to wriggle out of this claim plesae can anyone give me some advice on hwat I can do next.
Thanks

Bendybops19

Can your vet maybe write a letter to them saying nothing in the notes indicates that Ben would have ginivitis?

lnjk

He has been on the phone to them this morning and then called me back and says that he doesnt think they are going to change their minds. I have a feeling he is being nice to the both sides, not really sure if he is fighting my case by any means...you kow when you just get that feeling.

Bossyboots

Actually Petplan do not pay out for gingivitis either unless you have kept your dog's teeth in good condition and followed veterinary advice. If you did not have the scale and polish done, you have not followed advice. It is very difficult to get a pay out for any dental work and our vet is usually creative in their description of the work done and the reason for it, so we manage to get the money back.

I have to say that I am surprised your vet did not spell out for you the dangers of not cleaning your dog's teeth particularly if they were at the stage where they need S&P. Our vet has always laboured the point and there are several posters up in the surgery. I am afraid that the very mention of the need for a scale and polish in the notes would be enough to void this claim under petplan and the M&S policy is very similar.

lnjk

I agree, the vet did by no means what so ever make an issue of how important it was to get his teeth done, he did actually say that for a dog of 10 years old he was surprised at how good his teeth were and that he had not needed to have his teeth done before.
This is reason he suggested "maybe we should get his teeth done in the near future" not that it should be done immediately. We have always made a point of brushing our dogs teeth and that was possibly why they were in such good condition.

Bossyboots

Now you have explained it like that, it would seem that the claim should be paid.

With Petplan, the records are not sent but they do contact the vet if there is a query.

I think now you have to write to them, setting out basically what you have put here, emphasising that your vet told you the dog's teeth were in good condition and that you always brush them. Also, that the remark about having them done in the near future was not suggestive of a problem, merely a comment of something that might be needed at some time.

If you are not happy with their decision after that, there should be an address with your policy that you can appeal to. Failing that, I think there is also scope under one of the ombudsman schemes to intervene but you need to put it in writing to M&S first, then the address they give you to appeal. The ombundsman can't get involved until you have followed these procedures.