Pet insurance

[booktigger]

I've been looking for pet insurance for Lucy this morning - it's the first time I've ever insured a cat under the age of 10, so there are more options than I'm used to!! The cheapest with decent excesses are Tesco and Argos - has anyone used them, and if so, good or bad experiences?

[meriad]

The one main thing to look for as far as I'm concerned with any insurance is "cover for life"... and I don't think either Tesco or Argos have that; or do they?

I've got all mine insured with PetPlan and yes, they probably are a lot more expensive than most others but they are very good, and most vets will deal directly with them so you don't end up having to pay out a huge amount and then claim it back etc...

A big bug bear I do have with all insurances though is that they all insist on annual vaccinations so if you don't do that then check with the insurance company what their stance is re potential exclusions.

[booktigger]

The one main thing to look for as far as I'm concerned with any insurance is "cover for life"... and I don't think either Tesco or Argos have that; or do they?

I've got all mine insured with PetPlan and yes, they probably are a lot more expensive than most others but they are very good, and most vets will deal directly with them so you don't end up having to pay out a huge amount and then claim it back etc...

A big bug bear I do have with all insurances though is that they all insist on annual vaccinations so if you don't do that then check with the insurance company what their stance is re potential exclusions.

I did the comparison for lifetime cover. As I foster, my cats do have to be vaccinated annually. It's only a couple of pounds more for petplan and I could get a month free

[MarkB]

We are with Petplan now too. The vet next door said they seem to be the only company with staff that have some kind of medical knowledge - also the only company they do direct claims with. She said so many of the others seem to be more about what they can avoid paying out.

One of the reasons we decided to opt for a company that only does pet insurance is because we came unstuck twice -the first time when Lloyds pulled out of pet insurance and later when Axa did.

Who do you volunteer for now Desley? - CP volunteers can get a 10% discount.

[booktigger]

We are with Petplan now too. The vet next door said they seem to be the only company with staff that have some kind of medical knowledge - also the only company they do direct claims with. She said so many of the others seem to be more about what they can avoid paying out.

One of the reasons we decided to opt for a company that only does pet insurance is because we came unstuck twice -the first time when Lloyds pulled out of pet insurance and later when Axa did.

Who do you volunteer for now Desley? - CP volunteers can get a 10% discount.

I volunteer for CP, but Lucy isn't a CP cat, not sure if I'd still get the discount

[MarkB]

I don't think it makes any difference whether they are CP cats or not. You could always ask. I will ask Sharon tomorrow. I don't volunteer with them any more and didn't use Petplan when I did.

[MarkB]

I don't know if it has changed, but I googled and found an old post on Purrs from 2009 - it says 20% discount

"
I'm sure the majority of you CP bods know this already but thought it was worth posting in case anyone didn't! If you are a Cats Protection volunteer you can get a 20% discount on any petplan insurance policy. This is obviously quite a good discount and makes what is normally quite expensive (but very comprehensive) insurance accessible. If you haven't already considered this offer then you can find out the code to use by contact BSU (Branch support unit) at the NCC and they will tell you your unique branch ref no. "

[MarkB]

Sharon doesn't think it matters whether you have adopted from another rescue. She said just give them the branch code and they will apply the discount. Maybe I am naturally suspicious, but if it were me, I would get them to quote BEFORE mentioning that you are a CP volunteer to see is the discount is genuine!

[booktigger]

Sharon doesn't think it matters whether you have adopted from another rescue. She said just give them the branch code and they will apply the discount. Maybe I am naturally suspicious, but if it were me, I would get them to quote BEFORE mentioning that you are a CP volunteer to see is the discount is genuine!

I forgot to update this, it's a 20% discount, I already had an online quote, the phone one turned out to be £2 a month cheaper so seems about right.

[Nicole]

I think that however cat insurance is a very good thing

[shazxx50]

Hi, i use tesco, at the moment i have a on going claim, i paid my excess and tesco pay my vet direct, only filled in one form, up to now ive had no problems and claim is in excess of 1500.
sharon

[HelenaPatrick]

Hey booktigger

Tesco is known for being a low cost provider so you’ll save money going with them but you get what you pay for. Their ratings at pet insurance review are a dismal 2.5/5.

Argos has better quality plans but their review score is just 3/5 and the customer’s reviews I read mostly complained about uncalled for premium increases. Someone even said their premium got increased by 67%!

Obviously since you’ve insured all your cats you’re pretty well versed in the basics of pet insurance and just need to review and compare plans.

As you already know, no pet insurance provider will cover pre-existing conditions and I’m guessing you probably faced some exclusions and limitations when insuring your 10+ year old cats? Pay attention to reimbursement policies and try to find a plan that reimburses a % of the actual bill instead of one that pays out a predetermined amount (which Is always inadequate). Percentage-based plans generally let you choose between 70 to 100 percent of the bill to be reimbursed and set benefit schedules give you a set amount for each condition, regardless of how much you actually pay.

I’ll include some additional resources that can help you review plans and compare coverage features. This saved me a lot of time and made it easier to compare the benefits and disadvantages of each insurer.

http://files.dvm360.com/alfresco_images ... 710968.pdf
https://www.petinsuranceu.com/compare-pet-insurance/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/insurance/pe ... -pay-less/

[shazxx50]

My little girl passed away, in June, i was with tesco, they were brilliant i can not fault them, they even paid up to £200 for her cremation. All her treatment costs were over 2000 i paid 120 excess... (my monthly cost was under 8 a month cant remember exactly) it was covered and paid direct to my vet, I had only been with them 7months as i changed from argos as they increased to a stupid amount. I would recommend them without hesitation. I will definitely use them again
sharon