to insure or not???

brianj12 · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2016 3:16 am

Yea, who you insure with really does matter. That's why it's really great to get some recommendations from people who have filed claims. My first insurance company, Trupanion, turned out to be a bunch of sleazeballs. But Healthy Paws has been great. All of Gaga's seizure problems they've always paid up on, even spanning multiple years.

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

I agree about TruPanion being sleazy. They had a way out of every claim. I paid out way more than they ever paid back. The thing that really irritated me about them was that they said unrelated illnesses were preexisting to get out of paying. Everything had to be disputed and the vet had to get involved. They use it as a stall tactic and try to wear insured people down with red tape. I don't have the time to play games and moved on.

1crazymum · **Joined:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:25 pm **Posts:** 48

Thank you again for some great advice, I did some research and I found that pet plan were just too expensive at 67 pounds per month for my dog and 2 kitty's, Marks and Spencer had good cover but when I compared it to Tesco insurance they were very similar and Tesco were much cheaper at 25 pounds per month. Unfortunately it has come down to my disposable income so although Pet plan looked great I just couldn't stretch to that. I have had a few people recommend Tesco so I hope (A) that i don't ever need them and (B) that if I do that they are reliable and not a company that try to argue every detail. Thanks again all xx :razz:

Clare&magic · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:44 pm **Posts:** 707

Before signing up for this one I would check with your vets that they accept this company, as I said my vets only accept Pet Plan and Marks and Spencer.

Skyblue · **Joined:** Sat Dec 05, 2015 9:24 pm **Posts:** 42

Great that you've found one that suits you.

Just one final point that comes to mind, as you've not had insurance before: it's really worth making sure that the policy is the "covered for life", ongoing type, and not one that is annual cover only. Both types can be renewed each year, but with the latter kind any illnesses or injuries in the previous years of the policy are counted as pre-existing, and not covered in future years.

It can also be helpful, but obviously not essential, if they offer the option to pay the vet directly. That means the vet and the insurance company handle all the paperwork between themselves, which can be very beneficial in a crisis when there is enough stress already, and/or if your finances won't stretch to cover the bill whilst waiting for a claim to pay out.

If your vet doesn't accept Tesco insurance it means you'd have to pay the bill yourself, and then put in an insurance claim later.

Clare&magic · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:44 pm **Posts:** 707

I have found that some vets have got very picky which insurance companies they will deal with as I know from mine, I think it wrong that people are not finding this out until you have a huge bill and the vet then refuses to do a direct claim, my mum had this and she didn't have the money to pay and then her put in the claim, so in the end the vets had to do it or they wouldn't have been payed.

One of my friends had this also, the vets point blank refused, so my friend had to change to another vets half way through treatment to one that excepts the insurance company.

Skyblue · **Joined:** Sat Dec 05, 2015 9:24 pm **Posts:** 42

Yes, I suspect it says something about the ease of dealing with a company and the speed of payout when vets won't work directly with them. Definitely a good idea to check that one's preferred vet will deal with one's preferred insurer, unless one can afford to pay and wait/hope.

When I first got insurance I asked my vet for recommendations, and they also suggested PetPlan or Marks & Spencer; reading around on forums before choosing, those two did seem to be consistently satisfactory for people (and their animals), whereas there were a few horror stories about others.

Pet insurance is a bit of a minefield, in more ways than one.

brianj12 · **Posted:** Fri May 20, 2016 6:32 pm

In the US, I've yet to find a vet that direct bills any pet insurance companies. There just seems to be no expectation of that, so they simply don't do that. It does make it easier to choose an insurance I suppose because that isn't even a factor, because the vet's only involvement in the billing process is providing the usual detailed receipt. It's not all bad... you put the bill on a credit card (preferably one that has rewards) and then pay it off when you get the check back around 1-2 weeks later :wink:

Although I suppose if the bill were large enough it could cause a short-term problem, but I'd bet the vet would be at least a little accomodating.

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

Clare&magic · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:44 pm **Posts:** 707

Ours will only claim direct from the insurance company when the bill is £300 or more.

Problem being if you couldn't have the vet claim direct and it was a huge bill (like some of mine were) you might not have a credit limit high enough on credit card, mine is only £1.500 that wouldn't necessarily be any good and most insurance companies I find don't pay out for around 6 weeks, what would you do in that situation, my vet doesn't do ant deals where you pay in installments.

LennonTabitha · **Joined:** Wed Apr 27, 2016 8:45 am **Posts:** 80

Lennon Tabitha and Ringo are all insured with Sainsburys. Both Lennon and Tabitha have had huge vets bills (over £1000+) and from our experience Sainsburys paid out very quickly.

Seraph · **Joined:** Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:24 pm **Posts:** 308

I personally tend to stick with Petplan these days, I've tried most of the others in the UK and the issue I have with them is that vets don't trust them so I always have to pay 100% myself and then claim it back off them. I have found though that if it's a high bill most vets will accept claiming off Petplan themselves so it works out easier. Also I've found they didn't have as dramatic changes to my policy every year unlike some others who bumped up my excess and changed me more every time.

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Thankfully, I'm in a position to self-insure. Any medical condition Raiden ends up with, I have the funds to cover. If it is possible to put a few dollars away each paycheck, it can add up over time and help cover any costs. You just need to remember not to get into the funds unless it is an emergency. I started an account 12 years ago for my sister putting in a minimal amount of money each month and it's over $15,000 at this point. She has added to it as she has funds, but it has come in handy when she's been hospitalized and the rent is due. What I like is that the funds stay in MY pocket and not the insurance company. I understand the need for health insurance for humans, car insurance and homeowners insurance. But I doubt I would ever purchase insurance for my pet.

to insure or not???

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