Pet Insurance

[Mikey]

Ok, I'm a bit confuddled. There seems to be such a vast range of what you can get, for those that have pets are there any obvious pitfall to insuring your pet that I should be aware of. What would you guys say is important and what you shouldn't be without.

I know I need to get third party cover, public liability! but I have no idea how much cover to get, I have no idea how much vet bills cost, so don't really know how much to cover for.

All seems a bit like getting home insurance when you don't know how much your house costs!

Any comments past experience greatly appreciated.

[The Allotment Shed]

We have dog insurance which costs us £23 per month for our Boxer. This covers 3rd parties up to 3 mill and all vets bills over £65 per illness/injury.
We use pet doctors for our vets which have a deal whereby we pay £11 per month that covers up to 5 consultations and all flea, worming, annual inoculations and 6 monthly check ups. This deal is worth every penny, especially in the first year of a dogs life because you get all inoculations and your pet chipped within this cost.

[Potstubsdustbins]

For third party check your home insurance you may just be covered.

Colin

[Mikey]

I've got the boy booked in for his second jab and microchipping next week. Is it worthwhile discussing this with the vet, I'm assuming they would probably be the best placed to give advise on what to look out for?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Vets aren't allowed to give advice on specific policies/companies as this is construed as financial advice.

I'd go though a price comparison website (then pick a name you're heard of!) - you'll soon see the sort of things which are 'standard'. There is an excess, generally (which 90% of your vet's bills will fall just under ) - I think ours is £65 - but you can chose this to be higher for lower premiums, I think.

Just like insuring your car, really.

[Mikey]

I've been trying to get my head around lifetime and time limited policies and lifetime policies which won't renew after its paid out on a condition. Insurance companies are tricksie, I didn't want to trip up on something simple. I'll think I'll ask the vet for some ideas of costs of things when I'm in there next week. Its tough to judge a policy that pays out £2000 for something against a policy that pays out £4000 or £12000 for something when you don't know how much the something costs!!

It took me 3 goes to get the right family medical insurance, and that seemed to be trial and error based on experience, in the end.

[veggiechicken]

Don't know if this helps or not!! I've only insured a dog once. As Hazel said, most of the routine stuff seems to cost less than the excess and as they get older the charges went up.
For my oldies, with pre-existing conditions, its too expensive.
Rosie's eye ops last year cost £2-3k but I was told that even if I'd had insurance it might not have covered eyes.
I think there are other threads on here about pet insurance - seem to remember M&S getting good reports!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm sure that the Vet will be able to give you a steer on that sort of thing, Mikey.

I find private medical ins. particularly difficult too - partly as you can't look into a crystal ball!

You're making decision based on hypothetical situations - also, I've never been in the hospital system, so out of all the options open to include, it's difficult to grade them in terms of what's most/more important, and what I can happily not pay for. And as I've never had to make a claim, I'm not sure if I've got the level/type of cover right or not.

Back on topic - the one thing I would go for would be a lifetime policy - nothing worse than your dog having an ongoing condition for which he'll need treatment for the rest of his life, and finding that the insurers will only pick up the zillion squid tab for 12 months.

[veggiechicken]

Here ya go Mikey http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nce_70967.html

[Seahorse]

I got some really useful advice in the thread VC has linked Maybe not such an issue for you as your lad is a baby and my girl is middle aged but I decided that, as Hazel says, a lifetime policy is well worth it. I know of people whose pets have developed long term but not necessarily fatal conditions that treatment costs have run into the thousands and thousands for. On the strength of personal recommendations, I went with M&S. Happily, I haven't had to claim yet but they seem to be about the best around.

[Hans Mum]

I'm with Petplan lifetime cover & honestly its the best thing Ive ever done (not affliliated with them in any shape or form honest)
Doug has had nearly £6k paid out for a chest condition which has plagued him since I got him and they have paid out every time, he is now on a drug which is £5 per tablet (1 per day!!!) and they are paying this no problem. I was dreading renewal time but it only went up a very small amount my vet said they dont load individuals and I have direct payment to my vets set up so dont have to fork out and reclaim its all done for me. Its the best £20 something a month ive ever spent and so glad I took insurance out.

[WendyC]

We insured our kittens with More Than. They underwrite the M&S policy but there was a better discount for two animals with them than M&S, plus we get a staff discount.

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm with Petplan lifetime cover & honestly its the best thing Ive ever done (not affliliated with them in any shape or form honest)
Doug has had nearly £6k paid out for a chest condition which has plagued him since I got him and they have paid out every time, he is now on a drug which is £5 per tablet (1 per day!!!) and they are paying this no problem. I was dreading renewal time but it only went up a very small amount my vet said they dont load individuals and I have direct payment to my vets set up so dont have to fork out and reclaim its all done for me. Its the best £20 something a month ive ever spent and so glad I took insurance out.

With Petplan I had nothing but increases each year and NEVER claimed off them. Tansy's pet insurance went from £22 per month to £47pm in four years so I switched to M and S life with two dogs I had a discount. When she was PTS with cancer, the whole lot was paid and DD cancelled and amended to one dog - Rooty, with no phone calls or prompts from me. It seemed they really cared and sent a touching card too. Trivial I know, but at the time they just did what they are paid to do, in a nice and sympathetic way, without hassle for me.

[Glutton4...]

I asked my Vet, who said they weren't allowed to give recommendations, but the supermarket beginning with T were very good to deal with, as were Em and Ess. Like you, I was bug-eyed from reading all the 'blurb' to the point that I never bothered to do anything about it!

I have an in-built loathing of Insurance Companies. The one time I wanted to make a claim for my old Springer, who had arthritis in her pelvis and spine, they didn't want to know, so I wrote them a stinking letter (just as you knew I would! ) and told them to shove their policy. (I'm happy to name and shame - they were called 'Pet Protect' and 'Protect-a-Pet.')

I suppose I should think about it...

[salome2001]

this is as much as I can tell you without running afoul of the FSA

Pet insurance is accident and illness cover. it does not cover routine pet care like vaccinations and worming. Most do not cover prescription diets apart from one well known premium company that will pay out if your cat needs a diet to control urinary stones.

All policies will have an excess, which is how much you must pay before they start contributing. Sometimes this is a fixed amount (eg £65) or it may be a fixed amount plus a percentage (eg. £65 plus 10% of the rest of the bill). Added percentages are more commonly applied to older animals.
Policies will vary in how much of an excess they charge.

There are three main types of policy and is it *really important* to make sure you know which sort it is before buying a policy:

1. "12 month policies" usually the budget end of the market. Will cover up to a set amount but ONLY FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS. Which is fine for something like a cat abscess that is quickly resolved, but not so good if your animal develops something like diabetes which will require lifelong treatment. (and no, you can't just get a new plocy with a different company: that's fraud and they do talk to each other).
Budget policies often only cover pets up to a certain age, like 8 or 10 years. After that you're on your own or will have to try to get cover elsewhere (and many companies won't issue new policies to older pets)

2. Fixed amount of cover: these policies offer £xK medical expenses with no time limit BUT once you've spent the money that's it. Obviously, you have to keep paying the premium to keep the cover. The money is usually per condition, but read the policy fine print.

3. "lifelong" or premium policies: these will cover a condition for life, usually with no monetary limit (although some may have a yearly allowance per condition). They will usually also allow you to maintain cover for the term of your pet's life, although they may not allow you to start cover over a certain age. They are generally the most generous, but also the most expensive.

Other things to look out for are small print such as "you must call us before incurring any expenses" or "you must ring our emergency vet line before taking your pet to the after hours clinic".

It's not really like house insurance because there is a lot of variation between what policies will cover.

My last recommendation: certain companies are often touted by price comparison sites as best buys because they are cheap. BEWARE. There is one particular company that is cheap because they do everything in theit power to avoid paying out. I am not allowed to say more. Do a google search of your shortlisted companies for reviews- it will flag up