Do you have a 'for life' insurance policy? Step this way please

[Champneys]

I am about to insure my puppy.

Experience has told me that I would rather have (I think) a for life policy.

Who are you with, and would you recommend.

Have been with direct line for a long time with all my dogs so far, with a limit of 4 grand or one year. I have had to continue paying myself for an illness as the year ran out. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. I want the right policy in case this should happen again.

We are with pet plan. It's the company that our breeder used for the 6 weeks free insurance we got.

Thanks, have you had to claim yet? And are they quick on paying out? And does tyhat mean there is no limit on any condition?
I read the small print on one of my direct line policies. Something about if I had a problem with one back leg the other would not be insured. Cannot remember the wording, but I have had cruciate ligament done on an older dog, so if the other one went then he would not be covered, in other words that would be a thousand out of my pocket for the op.
This is the sort of thing I really want to avoid.

No, we haven't had to claim yet but my Mum also uses them and she says they pay out very quickly.

They have a few policies but the for life ones cover for life providing you renew each year. So if your dog has arthritis then they will always pay for treatment. You can choose from up to £4,000, £7,000 or £12,000

Here is the page with the info on it.

We have had all our cats insured with PetPlan, and now both dogs are too - on 'for life' policies. We have had to make claims in the past, for both the cats and the dogs, and they do seem to be pretty efficient about paying out the claims. The one thing we did find, with the cats, was that as they got older, the excess went up and up, to the point where it was not worth claiming for most things. But both the dogs are young - 3 and 4 - so I can't tell you now whether that will happen with their policies.

Overall, though, I would recommend PetPlan.

We have our dogs insured with pet plan. We had several claims with our previous dogs when they became old and ill and pet plan were fantastic. Paid out promptly without any arguments.

Both my young dogs have for life insurance. Dog 1 is with Vets Medicover I have had to claim from them and they were great, claim over £200 was settled direct with the vet with a £80 excess. Dog 2 is with John Lewis I haven't had to claim. Off the top of my head I think they're cover for £10 k per year. Dog 2 is with JL because it wasn't as expensive as Vets Medicover and I will probably move to JL for both.

I have one with Animal Friends, one with Direct Line (they do a lifetime policy as well). Of the two I prefer the communication and speed of payout of Animal Friends. They also had a lot more options - something like four different yearly policies and three for life, with varying max vet fees etc. to choose from.

Mines with John Lewis, up to 7500 per year, not had to claim so can't help you there!

Mine is with Axa - for life £7,500 for our labrador. Cost has come down each year (started at £20.00 per month, now £15.00). We claimed £800 approximately 8 weeks after starting the policy as the stupid mutt ate a stone. They paid out very quickly directly to the vet.

Mine is with M & S, they are brilliant I cannot praise them enough. My dog is only 3 and she has been very unlucky health wise. I think we have spent about £4500 in total.

They settle claims very very quickly and have been really helpful.

Thanks all.

Next question. The for life policies have a figure say 5,000 or 10,000. Is that per condition per year. i.e dog breaks leg, costs 5,000 to sort. If I renew my policy the 5,000 starts again the following year?

I couldn't find the direct line for life policy. ?

Argos Platinum level Pet Insurance.

Insured for life, up to £7k per year, they will continue to cover if she gets problems further down the line as a result of anything we have claimed for already.

We pay £13ish per month, have had the policy for nearly a year and had to claim on it already as she got run over by a tractor 6 weeks ago and they have been brilliant, couldn't fault them. Claim settled within a week of submitting the forms, more forms to submit at some point as treatment is currently ongoing and they've been very good.

toboldlygo I have just been on the phone to direct line. The 'for life policy will only cover £6000 for the entire dogs life for that condition.

I.e broken leg uses up 6 grand with all the treatments and its left with arthritis etc for the next 10 years or so, you are not covered. So I am looking for a policy which will start the amount again each year.

The wording on these policies needs to be throughly scrutinised or one things they have cover for life when it is not really.

The problem is 6 grand seems alot but I had one covering 4 grand for the year and it was gone in a jiffy. By the time one has been referred on to a speciallist and back there is not much left.

Animal Friends starts the amount over every year - sorry, forgot to specify that as another difference between the two! The only reason I haven't changed the one dog over to AF as well is because I've claimed on her Direct Line policy and would have exclusions on any new one, whereas she is covered for life (albeit only up to £6000 for that condition) currently.

AF's three lifetime policies are £2000, £4000 and £6000 annual condition limit per year (refreshed each year) with lifetime condition limits of £20,000, £30,000 and £40,000 respectively.

Their non lifetime policies have an annual limit of 3, 7 and 10 thousand.

ah that makes sense.

I am now trying to find out if kennel club and petplan do the same (fresh amount each year) and then get a quote for each. Need to decide within the next week.
Direct line were a bit off on the phone. Was chasing a payment (they received the claim 5 weels ago) and asked about the refreshed amunt each year. She said I doubt any insurance company would do that. Oh yes they do I said and I shall be insuring pup elsewhere. Been with DL for donks . They are ok, but at times a bit slow on the payout. Fastest 3 weeks slowest 6.

We had a good experience with m+s lifetime cover up to 7k.

Over two years they paid out over 13k for 3 different ops and rehab.

No longer with them tho as the premiums became astronomical- understandably.

Same as TBG, I am with Animal Friends, they have a big range of policies and are very quick and efficient paying out.

HW x

I would only ever go with Petplan. A lot of the other insurance companies look good on paper but as soon as you start claiming they really start to hike the price up. I have claimed quite a lot from Petplan from my dog and it has only ever gone up a couple of pounds a month.

Slight hi-jack: does anyone have a pet on a for life policy that they've wanted to then change - either a different level if cover or new provider? Our dog currently costs more to insure than our car...

We rid make one £800 claim and ongoing £20-£30 claims for ongoing issue - does that mean we're stuck with them forever?

Incidentally if it's a new pup get the policy started 2 weeks before you bring it home if you can. We nearly got stung by relying on the breeders' 2 weeks free cover, then starting our own policy. Took pup to vet for 1st check up and he had some loose poos (normal with change of environment obvs) but insurer nearly refused to pay out £800 digestive problems treatment on the basis that the first 'symptoms' (completely unrelated) showed in the first 2 weeks.

Pat, I do believe you've sleep-walked into a thread about dog insurance with your well revised advertising spiel.

I'll let MNHQ know for you.

Lougle, already done mate

So Pat, in your personal opinion, should my dh simply ensure me for life? What about 3rd party cover in case I bite another another spouse? Or loss or theft? He is concerned that Dave at No. 32 my try and steal me to breed from.

RSPCA pet insurance has stood my three in good stead. For life policy with excess which has not increased even though they are all old crocks now!

I claim horrific amounts due to one dog having Addison's disease for the last 5 years and arthritis for the last 3 years and the other one being allergic to pollen and dust mites since I got him 5 years ago requiring ongoing Meds at £172 a month and also having had 2 bouts of auto immune meningitis.

All paid with no quibbles. Worked it out last month and both dogs have cost the insurers over £15,000 between them. And still they pay. That said the collie now costs more to insure than my fully comp car at £300 a year but that is purely due to her very old age I am told by the insurers. They do not penalise my dogs for being medical wrecks, or making so many claims which is as well really...

I can only say I have never when periodically searching to see if I am locked in to an expensive policy managed to find an alternative policy so comprehensive for the price.