Pet Insurance

[waffle]

I'm with PetPlan and they have actually been really good so far. We'd only been with them for a couple of months when my pup got sick and needed to go to the vet several times and needed surgery. We claimed for illness and they paid it, no questions asked. They weren't too slow in paying it either so yeah that's a plus. So I don't know about everyone else but i've only had good experiences with them so far.

[KJ]

Henrietta, who is 2 is insured with Pet Plan and I have only good things to say about them! They have always been great to deal with and I have claimed probably around over $18,000 since insuring Henrietta at 12 weeks old.

Putting money away in a piggy bank would have never prepared me for all of Henrietta's vet expenses and I will insure all my future pups

[newfsie]

Yep, and I had it from the time he was about 10 weeks old, to the time he was 2. What a huge waste of money.

Yea! That's what I think about...what if nothing ever happens or if it does you arent covered and youve forked out thusands over the years...that would rip my knickers big time

I figured that keeping a piggybank and depositing $30 into it yourself would be more effective than taking out insurance (in most cases). Especially if you've got a hardy breed that doesn't usually have many illnesses to worry about. For, say, a CKCS, insurance would probably be worth getting insurance knowing how many severe illnesses are reportedly associated with the breed, but for a cattle dog or something like that.. Best off with a piggybank.

even the tougher/hardier breeds can have an accident that will require many $$$$'s. Our work dogs seemed to spend quite a bit of time at the vets with injuries

[princesszelda]

We have paid about $350 for a year's insurance with Pet Insurance Australia & have nothing but good things to say about them. Recently our 15-month old Berner wasn't drinking and was throwing up. $800 bill later (including xrays, rehydration, antibiotics & an overnight stay) she was all better & PIA paid up within 2 weeks, no questions asked. We chose the $250 dedultable, but even so, the insurance has paid for itself already.

Very happy customer!

[Edenishy]

I am with Medibank private however can't really comment as I have not had to make a claim yet....although I am about to put in a claim for routine care (which comes with my plan) which I suspect and hope it will go through without an issue.

I went with them for a few reasons.

I found the price fair for what I was covered for. Up to 100% cover.

I like being covered for up to $15000 a year with only a $100 excess.

It comes with Routine Care which covers a certain amount for things like vaccinations, council rego, desexing, training, flea and worming control etc. Its about $120 a year, all up that it will reimburse to cover such things. (about $70 for dental and training and desexing etc and about $50 for worming etc).

Otherwise, I liked the policy in regards to aging dogs and the fact that I got a discount for being a Medibank Private customer already.

I hope you can come to your decision easier than what I did when searching for the right insurance company that suited me....I found it all so confusing etc!

Fingers crossed that if I ever need them to pull through after some serious vet costs, they do so without much drama etc. There are so many insurance horror stories out there!

[Kaffy Magee]

I am wiht Pet Insurance Australia. Never had to claim though. It costs me about $35 a month for 2 bullmastiffs. I am about to increase this and add 2 more which brings me to a question. Does anyone know how to add new dogs to your policy or do I have to take out a new one. I was under the impression the more dogs you have on it the more discount you get, however I can not find anywhere I can add extra dogs?

My gripe with them has been they are not good communicators. I paid to have both my girls checked at the vets for any cruciate damahge so I could claim cruciate coverage straight away rather than wait 6 months before cover. I sent the vet signed forms off for both girls and recieved just one letter back saying one of my girls was covered, no mention of the other. I rang a few times to ask about it but everytime I was put on hold for so long I gave up. I then emailed them and got no response. Cant say Im happy with that side of things. I just hope they make good when I need them.

ETA: I just went through a new application for two more dogs with PIA and its telling me it will cost me about $64 a month for them for the same policy I have for my 2 girls and I only pay $35 for them. How the hell does that work??

Edited October 12, 2010 by Kaffy Magee

[OSoSwift]

MAybe only one is covered??? I hope that is not the case, but $35 is about what I pay for one a month.???

Hope it gets sorted soon.

[Kaffy Magee]

Definitely for both girls, the have their own policyand little tag etc and that's for major medical cover. One is about $17 something and the other $16 something. Might try and call tomorrow, see what's going on.

[Golden Rules]

Definitely for both girls, the have their own policyand little tag etc and that's for major medical cover. One is about $17 something and the other $16 something. Might try and call tomorrow, see what's going on.

I've just taken out cover with PIA for my pup - it's $38 per month, so $64 for two dogs sounds about right (including discount). I'd be thinking they have made a mistake with your first two! Unless you only have part cover, not accident AND illness?

[shelby-001]

We pay $84/month for 2 amstaff's one male and one female, that's $15000 per year Accident and Sickness with a $100 excess per condition. Also I get routine cover to the value of $165 per year per dog.

[shel]

I've just cancelled my PetSecure policy after they put my premium up more than $200 for the year (3 x dogs). This was non-negotiable and it was only my second year with them. If you're with them, check your renewals!

Edited to add

Have just joined Pet Insurance Australia as they got a good review in the Choice magazine comparison last year.

Edited October 14, 2010 by shel

[Kaffy Magee]

http://www.petinsuranceaustralia.com.au/ht...se-cover.html#c

If you scroll down and go to major medical cover $500 per condition excess and look to the left at the little diagram thingy it says monthly premium $16.70 (per dog). Thats what I have and what I pay, however when getting a quote for my new pups it sasy its now $31.70 per dog per month. Does anyone know if they have raised the prices?. I took out my policy in Feb this year, needless to say if prices have doubled Im none too impressed.

ETA: Have just sent off an email to them, hopefully than can help me out.

Edited October 14, 2010 by Kaffy Magee

[ILoveBoundaries]

I think the entire pet insurance industry is a scam. For every story of something being covered, there's another one that is the opposite - just look at this thread. I'd also question the monthly subs - seem like massive overs to me compared with human health insurance.

Not everyone can do this, but we stick our tax returns in a dog account, and we also put $50 a month into the same account - self insure. If I cop a $5000 bill, then that's my bad luck and it goes straight on the Visa, but at least I know where I'm at and there's no ridiculous Pet Insurance rulings. If our dog lives a healthy life, then I'll have a nice little pot to buy the next little treasure.

[Kaffy Magee]

Does any one have much to do with Medibank Pet Insurance? Just did a quote thingy from them and for 2 dogs it will cost me about $38 a month, with silver paw cover(500 excess), which is all I need. They also pay higher for tick treatment and emergency boarding fees than PIA. Im still waiting to hear from PIA, but if I dont hear from them this week, Im seriously considering joining my other dogs up with medibank.

[MsKatie]

I was with Petplan bit changed to PIA when we got our Bloodhound as he was not listed on their restricted breed list but I was told that he was on the list?? They were a bit dismissive and I wasn't happy with that.

i am about to make my first claim with PIA so hoping it goes through easily - we have a $250 excess

[matilda1]

I am with petPlan and I am also a nurse in an Emergency Centre.

I see lots of claims being processed from emergency surgeries and treatments. petplan consistenly pay out where-as some other insurance companies give owners some grief. And I am talking about some 5-8k bills. Just my experience in Emergency.

[Golden Rules]

I am with petPlan and I am also a nurse in an Emergency Centre.

I see lots of claims being processed from emergency surgeries and treatments. petplan consistenly pay out where-as some other insurance companies give owners some grief. And I am talking about some 5-8k bills. Just my experience in Emergency.

How do you get to see (being a vet nurse in an emergency centre) if an insurance company pays out or not? I don't know of any insurance company that pays a vet directly. In my experience, a client pays for all treatment up front and claims from the insurance company (which then takes a week or two for payment to be processed).

[OSoSwift]

Petplan will pay a vet directly if it has been okayed by the vet and signed, there is a spot on the form for it.

Being a receptionist in a vet hospital quite often people tell you if the insurance company has paid, or giving them the run around.

[FionaC]

I'm another happy Petplan customer - my oldest boy (2.5yrs) has been insure with them since he came home with the free 8 week breeders cover they offer which we just continued with - so far (touch wood) we've not had to make as single claim for him

My youngest boy (almost 12mths old) has been insured since he came home to us as well and 1 week after the waiting period was over he was diagnosed with an Iris Melanoma and he has since had almost $3000 in claims (CT scans, x-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests all prior to the Diode Laser treatment) - they paid for everything, quickly, easily, no fuss - at the time we were really stressed as it seemed at the very least our boy would be blind after the treeatment, worst case was that he would be put down as the cancer had spread... I couldn't have stood for any added stress and they didn't add any at all - they were brilliant

(end result is that he still is with us, still has his eye and amazingly enough (due to the phenomenal skill of his Opthamologist) has vision still remaining in that eye and he got the first all clear 10 weeks after surgery and is going for his 6mthly checkup in December)

I was going to change to PIA before we got Archie home as they offered a discount for 2 dogs together - I contacted them 8 times, each time I got the answering machine, left them a message and I only got 1 returned phone call - when she called me back she left the general switch number again and when I called back I once again got the answering machine - this went on for a week with only that single returned call... I tried emailing them - sent 3 emails, got 1 back - a very curt and (I felt) rude response, it didn't answer any of my questions in the body of the email just attached me the policy document and basically told me to read that and if I had any questions to call them to discuss it over the phone (even though I'd written that I'd already tried that and appreciated that they must be busy and thought that corresponding via email may work better for them) - so I gave up and kept Petplan and took it out for Archie when he came home ... best decision I ever made!

[bianca.a]

I went with Medibank and so far I am not impressed with their service. Molly had a really bad hotspot that resulted in 4 vet visits in 4 days. I had to take her to a different vet for 2 of the visits as my vet wasn't open. So I sent off the claims and waited a month then called them and they said Oh we sent you a letter requesting her full medical records 2 weeks ago. Strangely I later received the letter with a date on it from the same day I called. I then sent off her full records AGAIN two weeks ago and have not heard a thing. Guess they will be getting another phone call :D