petplan Insurance question

[myusernameisusername]

Had to get DDs ear treated without insurance so it cost me and DH £52 she now has insurance with petplan that kicks in the end of the month we have saved the receipt from the vets so can we claim back the £52 on the insurance ?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Firstly you can only claim for visits that occur after the date the insurance starts.
You need to be aware that if you try to claim for further ear problems they may not be paid as it could be classed as a pre-existing condition.
Finally the vast majority of petlan policies have excesses of more than £60 so the bill needs to be greater than £60 before you can claim.

[myusernameisusername]

no way so ive got insurance for her for nothing then the vet charges £45 ish for 15mins consultation and then charged us another £6 for her medication so unless he operates on her ear which he said is a last resort then im paying £50 per visit for her And her insurance premium that's disgusting

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The main reason for having pet insurance is for the bills that costs hundreds or thousands of pounds. Example dog hit by car 5 days inpatient treatment £2.2k.

[OliviaBenson]

I wouldn't say that you got it for nothing- you never know what will happen in the future. Hope your dog is ok

[moosemama]

Yep, it is disgusting, but it's the only way to ensure they're covered in the event of an emergency or serious illness and PetPlan are one of the better insurance companies, as they generally do pay up without messing the policyholder about.

For some reason, just about every appointment we have with our vet seems to come out just below the excess. So I have two dogs that are insured with a decent level of lifetime cover, but I still spend a ridiculous amount on vet fees every year.

Having had to cancel my dogs' insurance when we went through a bad patch and couldn't afford the premiums, then got complacent about them rarely needing to see the vet - other than vaccinations and annual check-ups - while they were uninsured, so not re-insured them when we could afford it again, we ended up with a terminally ill dog that needed a lot of care (££££'s which we had to put on a credit card) I will never leave my pets uninsured again.

[bilbodog]

that's why you need to have insurance BEFORE the animal needs to see a vet. Normally the excess is charged for each different illness - so you would only pay the excess once and subsequent check ups etc. would be covered. ALL insurance policies state they wont pay out on existing conditions - for humans and pets. You haven't got insurance for nothing you've got it for any future problems.

[moosemama]

Very true.

Of course if you've got a dog like mine, whose favourite trick is injuring himself, so he never actually needs ongoing care - just initial patching up/first-aid, you never actually reach the threshold for reclaiming the cost - it always seems to come to just a pound or two below the excess - or a pound or two more - which is hardly worth claiming.

[lougle]

Yes, insurance before you see a vet. Once you tell your vet about a problem, it's pre-existing.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Didn't you read anything about the policy you were signing up for? These two terms and conditions are right there on the main screens (not hidden or in small print in anyway) when you sign up for pet plan. It tells you the excess on the policy and also asks about whether the dog has been to vet before and says:

"I understand that pre-existing conditions will not be covered. Pre-existing conditions are illnesses and injuries which happened or your pet showed signs of before your policy starts." in the declaration bit which you have to tick.

Pet insurance is generally used for the big bills. We've used our Petplan cover for two £400-£500 bills we've had (we paid ~£70 excess on each bill).

Any other bills we've had ~£80-90 we haven't claimed (not worth the paperwork for £10-£20 when we still pay the excess).

[Floralnomad]

Another thing to remember is if you claim for the small things where you are literally going to be getting back £10-£20 because of paying the excess your premiums will go up so its probably not worth it . I only claim if the bill is £150-200 or more and I've made 3 claims in the 5 years I've had my dog , 2 for operations (leg and toe) and just recently for X-rays of his front legs . The total for these 3 claims would be about £2000 , so definitely worth having the insurance .

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Even though this vet visit will not be covered, I think you have done the right thing getting the insurance.

Ddog2 has just had to have two knee operations - she ruptured the anterior cruciate ligaments in both knees. Each operation cost us the best part of £3,000, and that's not taking into account the outpatient consultations and medication, and any rehab she may need.

Our insurance is with Petplan, and they have been really good - the vet hospital has billed them directly, and they have paid up very promptly - I can't fault them.

[Haggismcbaggis]

TBH, people need to factor in these ongoing small vet fees when they buy a dog. No insurance policy will cover amounts that small so you need to assume there will be a few of these a year.
Petplan make the insurance excess very clear when they speak to you on the phone. I'm surprised you didn't realise this.
Consider also that your insurance includes public liability. If your dog caused a car accident or injured another dog you would be very glad you'd paid your premium.
It would be very odd if they paid out retrospectively. No one would bother insuring would they. They'd just wait until a big vet bill and then take out a policy ....

[moosemama]

I never claim under £150.00 either. It's too much hassle and I don't want my premiums shooting up, although to be fair PetPlan aren't bad for that.

As others have said, niggling though it is paying the smaller bills yourself, the security you get from knowing any big, expensive bills will be covered is enormous and as Haggis said the public liability cover is essential to have as well.

[EnlightenedOwl]

I am expecting a bill this month of about £200 for bloods and dental work. Not sure the insurance will cover the dental anyway but even if it di will stand this out of my own pocket and save the insurance for a really awful bill.....
I like Petplan as the vet bills Petplan and the bill is settled between them less any excess so its really easy

[myusernameisusername]

im having her spayed in a few months so at least that will be covered and she needs her boosters and a dental check so least im covered for that i don't know how vets get away with charging those prices though its a wonder he can sleep at night

[OliviaBenson]

I'm not sure being spayed or routine jabs/checks are covered- you should double check. We have to pay for ours....

[Lonecatwithkitten]

If there is no medical reason for the spay I am afraid it won't be covered.
Pet plan don't cover boosters either as that is prevention not treatment.

[WeAllHaveWings]

I cant believe you are being serious now, but just in case you are.

Pet insurance does not cover elective surgery (spaying) or vaccinations and check ups.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Some vets do a health plan where boosters/dental checks/health checks/parasite treatment are covered. We get ours for £11/month.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

You are aware that suicide in the veterinary profession is at an all time high due to attitudes like yours. Not just qualified vets, but two student vets this year already ??.
We do care, but we are entitled to make a living. Believe you me if we were in for the money we would not be vets ??.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Lonecat I always wanted to be a vet when I grew up, childhood fantasy (but wasn't clever enough ).

With my adult head on now I can only imagine how difficult it is, yes satisfying helping animals when you can, but having to PTS, see neglect, and worse of all working with some owners! Add on long hours, running a profitable business, and the fear of being reported/investigated/sued.

Nothing like my childhood fantasy. Keep up the good work (especially helping all the MNer's too!)

[moosemama]

myusername stop and think about the overheads involved in running a veterinary surgery. They're enormous, vets have to be up to date on current best practise, have major league insurance themselves, then there's premises, extremely expensive equipment, salaries for all staff - not just the vet.

It isn't as simple as prescribing a few pills, they have to cover their expenses and try to make enough to live on.

[Floralnomad]

Did you not read what the policy covered before you bought it ?

[KatharineClifton]

You've not got it for nothing, as others have said. My girl got ill last year, we had 3k of insurance which I thought was plenty. It turned out she had mesothelioma cancer. Difficult to diagnose and we were referred to a specialist animal hospital for tests. Diagnosis came to just short of 3k. If the cancer had been treatable (it wasn't) the insurance would of run out. So, for a small premium a month I got a diagnosis for £60 instead of £3k, and knew what was the absolutely best thing to do for my girl as I'd seen the best people for her.

[Stinkersmum]

Is the op taking the piss?