PET INSURANCE - WHO DO YOU USE AND ARE THEY ANY GOOD?

[willow]

That's it, essentially. Used Pet Plan before with the cats, but blimey they are pricey where a Ridgeback is concerned. Considering vetsmedicover. Want lifetime cover, rather than a set limit per condition. Be grateful for any responses/reviews.

We will be getting a dog soon so have been investigating insurance. Which? rated john Lewis pet insurance quite highly, iirc it came out top. Check out which? website, they have a comparison chart for most of the top insurers.

EandI insurance
They were very good and prompt when RubyDog broke her leg. Really reasonable price too

Purely pets - £35 a month for a Rottweiler (where the rest of the quotes from everyone else started at £48) for £7500 a year lifetime cover with a £99 excess. They do have a limit of £1500 for cruciate repair though...but I decided it was enough of a difference in the payments to be ok with that.

I do have to pay my vet upfront then claim it back, but do far it's been about £3000 they've paid out, with no problems and cheques arriving within 2 weeks of a claim.

Be really aware that in the vet world the other name for E&L is evil and lying they will worm and squirm to find any way possible to not pay out on the claim.
The very best I have every dealt with are NFU.
But IMO pet insurance is very much a you get what you pay for product.

Pet Plan good if you can afford it. We've claimed back many thousands (maybe £25k, haven't totted it up!) over our boy's 11 years. Not so much claimed back for our girl, but hey, glad that she hasn't had the stress of the ops. I know some people put money aside, but there's occasions where you may want to go for a CT scan for example - not absolutely essential, unlike RTA, gastric torsion, broken limb etc. - but something that you may want to do for your dog. Our insurance is about £76 for each dog now that they're getting on, but all the time I can afford it I'd rather pay it.

I have just been recommended Animal Friends by a relative. Apparently they have always paid out for her dogs without any quibbling and even paid out without hesitation when their dog had to have inpatient treatment while they were on holiday in Ireland.

Not had any personal experience of them, but the reviews online look ok.

I have used both Pet Plan and Pet Protect in the past and wouldn't use either again, as their premiums shot up ridiculous amounts every single year and once the dogs were over a certain age we had to pay 20% co-insurance on top of the excess for every single claim.

We use the PDSA insurance. They've paid out so far without quibbling and are cheaper than some for equivalent cover. Our vet files the claim directly with them and we only pay the excess after the claim has been settled.

Anyone know which would be good for a King Charles Cavalier? They are prone to health problems. We have been looking after one for someone. The owner has just said we can keep him but the insurance has now run out.

Don't know who's good but will never touch E&L ever again.

When BigDog broke her leg, E&L paid out within a week of us sending off the claim.

LittleDog then ripped her tail open a few weeks later, again paid straight out.

(The girls are NOT going where they can get under portacabins again!)

Staffies have NO sense when chasing Rabbits!

Thank you all.

I considered vetsmedicover a week or so ago - it seemed a good deal: one price, lifetime. But I couldn't find any reviews. People urged caution because it is a new company/new concept, and I didn't want to be caught out.

I agree that pet insurance is horrendously expensive. Kennel Club wanted £53 per month for golden retriever puppy. I actually found that PetPlan were the cheapest (huh! everything's relative) at £35 for the same cover.

I changed my 3 collies to Vetsmedicover before they turned 8 as I wanted lifetime cover. I'd been paying a fortune to Directline and the premiums increased significantly every year. I'd never claimed, but a week after changing a wanker cyclist went into one of them, breaking her leg necessitating specialist surgery amounting to over £4000. They paid without question. Subsequently I claimed for something they wouldn't pay for but that's because I'd forgotten I'd been to the vet years before about similar so that's standard. And this year was bracing myself for a big hike but had no increase whatsoever on what is already a comparatively reasonable premium. So I am most definitely glad I changed.

Took us 9 months to settle a £2500 claim with E and L, sooooo. I am with Marks and Spencer, have not had a problem yet :). Protect your bubble were alright and Direct line were also very good.

I'm with John Lewis, pay £28 per month for lifetime cover (£7k) plus a separate amount for eye cover (if I remember correctly). Not had to use it yet but I went with them from recommendations on here!

I used tesco before but premiums kept going up, claimed £1800 when my cat was run over with no probs. Worrying now as I'm in the middle of a claim for my dog with E+L :(

I don't insure my dogs and cat but buy an ISA each year and earmark the fund for vet emergencies. So far have not had to use it.

Vet bills seem to have escalated excessively recently and I think the insurance industry is partly to blame. Young vets are taught to push the latest treatments without considering whether the animal's quality of life will be improved.

Oldandcrabby I would have to challenge you on that, I think it depends on what type of practice you go to. To be frank with the chains all the individual vets have targets so yes there are benefits to them encouraging owners to pursue definative diagnosis.
However, this is not the case in my practice and many other family practices around the country we offer the 1.,2.,3. approach. 1. gold standard all singing and dancing option, 2. middle of the road approach 3. basic low cost approach and this could be euthanasia. We discuss whether the all singing all dancing approach is going to change our treatment plan or not, we then allow owners to make their own decision.
Yes our bills have risen recently, but then so have our costs dramatically in particular heat and light. We face drug price rises every 6 months and some of these can be between 6 and 14% at a time - we have no control over this as we are legally required to not use generics. My practices turnover has risen 12% in the last 4 years the profit has stayed exactly the same so in truth we are absorbing some of these additional costs.
I will now get off my soap box.

Lonecat, perhaps I was a bit sweeping in my criticism. I applaud your approach and it is what I have received in the past. I did not know about the prohibition on generics and understand the costs of running a practice.I have been going to the same vets for ages and it is not a chain but a well established country practice. I always used to see the senior partner, very old school, who has just retired and I have to be quite assertive with the young vets to get them to discuss all the options.
My animals wellbeing is my priority and I will pay what is needed. I do not believe in putting an animal through painful interventions unless the outcome is very likely to be beneficial. One vet suggested removing the kidney of an elderly cat, I refused, referred back to the senior partner, and the cat lived comfortably for a further 2 years with a change of diet and medication. When his condition deteriorated, I knew he needed euthanasia.
Pet insurance can be very costly and I was floating the idea of putting the money aside rather than shelling out large sums in premiums could be a further option.

I use NFU, really easy to deal with, just pay £50 excess to the vet, and give them a claim form. Probably not the cheapest, but worth it. Putting money aside is good if you have the option to set aside a couple of thousand in an account somewhere, but I can't afford to do that.

I use www.just4compare.com/home-and-pet-insurance/home-insurance-pet-insurance-compare.php to compare pet insurance. I do it every year to make sure I get the best policy and the cheapest.

Avoid More Than and any other pet insurance underwritten by RSA
you only know how good lifetime cover for you pet is when you actually come to need it, by that time it is imposable to change to another insurance company on renewal as all existing medical conditions are excluded.
More Than have trebled my premium to £7500 in one year to basically make me go away!
As you may be aware More Than pet insurance is underwritten by RSA which has substantially increased its profits this year and increased its share holder’s dividends.
RSA have introduced new referral restrictions and no longer pay for probiotics or non prescription items supposedly to keep pet insurance affordable?
I have now referred my complaint to the FOS
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-5403419/Our-insurer-gave-PUSH-cover-pet.html