Good Medical Insurance Products For Australian Dogs

[UltimatePup]

Hi

I like the idea of medical insurance for my dogs but have not yet found a good product in Australia. Has anyone had experience with good/bad pet insurance providers/policies? Please tell.

(I looked at HCF's product which is via Manchester Unity, but it appears pretty useless. The clauses cut out all the really serious diseases that you'd want to insure a dog against getting. It only really covers accidental injury, and even then the cause of the injury must be on their list of acceptable causes! It's quite diappointing for an HCF product.)

Thanks

[labsrule]

Hi

I like the idea of medical insurance for my dogs but have not yet found a good product in Australia. Has anyone had experience with good/bad pet insurance providers/policies? Please tell.

(I looked at HCF's product which is via Manchester Unity, but it appears pretty useless. The clauses cut out all the really serious diseases that you'd want to insure a dog against getting. It only really covers accidental injury, and even then the cause of the injury must be on their list of acceptable causes! It's quite diappointing for an HCF product.)

Thanks

Click on the "Search" option at top right hand corner and type "pet insurance" (include the quotation marks to filter the search) and you will see a myriad of threads regarding pet insurance that discusses pros and cons of the various pet insurance policies on offer and the experiences of dolers with these companies.

I actually have a couple of comparison reports/docs on the various pet insurance policies out there so if you want a copy of these, just PM me. My lab youngster is insured with PIA currently.

[Blakbelgian]

Try petplan.

They cover all medical conditions as long as it isn't pre exisiting.

If you have a puppy they have 6 weeks of free insurance.

Good luck

BB

[missmoo]

I use Bow Wow Meow.

up to $8000 coverage for non pre existing

[CareyJ]

PIA paid out our $7000 claim within 10 days of recieving it.

[Erny]

I am with PetPlan. Although we had a bit of a rocky start I think due to some misunderstanding, they have been really good since, to deal with. I also understand they are if not the only, then one of a few, who don't add your dog's health issue as an "exclusion" in the next year's policy renewal.

[Quickasyoucan]

I am with Medibank Private, I like that they pay 100% of cost (after deduction of excess).

They have paid within 5 days of me submitting claims. Their gold paw cover also gives you back approximately $165 towards preventative care or alternative treatments, I have claimed for a dog training seminar, physiotherapy, worming, and an amount towards vaccinations under the "preventative" label.

No rise in my premium on renewal this year (after a claim for several thousand dollars) and no new exclusions.

Very happy so far.

Pays to read the PDS closely though and be aware what you are signing up to with any insurance provider. Note that skin is often regarded as one condition (regardless of what is wrong with the skin), so is cancer, and bilateral conditions are also treated as one eg cruciates, luxating patellas.

That should put you in the picture for exactly what you will and won't be covered for.

[RubyStar]

Although many have good experiences with PetPlan, I'm one of the unlucky ones who has had nothing but trouble. First (and only) claim with first dog, they hit me up with 2 excesses (won't go into it now, but this dog is now with Medibank Private).

First claim with second dog took an age to process, and it took for me to chase them up for them to say they couldn't process it yet cos they need more info and could I sent it to them Hmmm thanks for letting me know!

Then they changed their payment system over which caused my monthly debits to not come out, to which they said I had to pay those missed months in full so my policy won't be cancelled. Sure I said *sigh*. Fast forward 10 months later, I notice no debits from my credit card from them (how often do we scrutinise statements for missing payments?!) so I contact them for them to tell me my policy was cancelled due to non-payment My dog was unknowingly not covered!!!! Soooo lucky she was in good health!!

To reinstate my insurance with no lapse in cover, I must backpay 10 months worth (and remember, I opted for monthly installments because I am better off financially that way!) I begrudgingly did so (it ended up more cost effective in the end to just pay the annual fee at that stage). They said when policy is up for renewal 2 months later, they will send me the monthly debit forms. Nope, nothing arrived. I contact them to ask about it so they make a note in my account not to cancel my policy as I am waiting on forms and will resend the forms. 2 weeks later, still no forms. Find out they have my address wrong (despite me giving the correct one on my enquries, etc.) Send forms out again after me stating numerous times I want to pay by monthly installments - the forms they send out are not for monthly installments. 2 months later after policy should have renewed, I am STILL struggling for them to take my bloomin' money so my dog is not currently covered!! I am soooo over PetPlan. But they know they have me stuck, go elsewhere and all of a sudden there will be pre-existing conditions that won't be covered with someone else

Edited December 14, 2010 by RubyStar

[giraffez]

are there any that cover the annual vet checkup and desexing? just went to petplan but it seems they only cover accidental vet costs

[cointreau]

I'm with Petplan they cover illness and accident, I haven't had any problems with them. I don't think any will cover desexing.

RubyStar have you spoken to the same person each time with your problems or different people? I think my policy has the name of someone in the company and if I ever had any problems that would be who I would contact.

[jensgreys]

Then they changed their payment system over which caused my monthly debits to not come out, to which they said I had to pay those missed months in full so my policy won't be cancelled. Sure I said *sigh*. Fast forward 10 months later, I notice no debits from my credit card from them (how often do we scrutinise statements for missing payments?!) so I contact them for them to tell me my policy was cancelled due to non-payment My dog was unknowingly not covered!!!!

Sounds a familiar story with PetPlan. A friend of ours has had her dog insured with them for about 5 yrs with no claim at all and then recently she lost her credit card and had to cancel that account until a new card was issued. The direct debit from her card was due the next day and of course wasn't honoured but PP never notified her, by the time she realised they had cancelled the insurance but would not let her back pay the payment they said they had to start a new policy which they wouldn't do because the dog was 8 yrs old. So that dog is no longer insured with them or can be insured with anyone else

[whippets]

Are you disciplined with money? Just get a regular CC and put the amount, you'd pay to an insurer, into the CC each year (or whenever you make payments). Keep it there and use it when an emergency arises. Don't have to worry about pre-exisiting illnesses and all that garb....You have to disciplined though and not use the CC for anything else.

[Blakbelgian]

Late last year into this year PetPlan did change over their computer programes so some info did not

move from one system to the other.

The staff were always friendly on the phone.

BB

[megan_]

are there any that cover the annual vet checkup and desexing? just went to petplan but it seems they only cover accidental vet costs

They cover illness too - I have made a successful claim for this ($4000!).

There are some that cover check ups and vaccs - but the extra you pay = the cost of paying for these things yourself so it isn't really worth it.

[Braithwaites]

Sorry to ask, but can anyone give me a ballpark figure on what it would cost to insure a border collie pup?

[RubyStar]

Late last year into this year PetPlan did change over their computer programes so some info did not

move from one system to the other.

The staff were always friendly on the phone.

BB

Friendly maybe but useless as all buggery. Spoke to them initially and ok'd them to take my payments out that had been missing due to their system error, and gave them a new credit card number in the process. Woman told me that unless I hear from them, then all should be fine. Didn't hear from them, all wasn't fine.

Been dealing with the same woman since I noticed no debits coming out and she still can't get it right.

Then I had another person contact me stating my insurance has expired and I need to pay before it gets cancelled. I had to explain to her who I had been dealing with and gave her the story over again. Asked her for monthly debit forms, no, she sends me out annual one. Sigh. STILL waiting. And of course now, I need to backpay again a few months because of their constant screw ups.

Tell you what, I am tempted to put aside the money I am paying to them in case of emergency and give them the flick, but it would be my bad luck that a real costly emergency arises very soon after and I don't have enough set aside as yet to cover it! And after backpaying an entire year for no benefit other than having no lapse in cover (didn't make any claims last year), I feel I have just given away $420 for nothing, so not too keen to start that plan just yet.

[RubyStar]

Then they changed their payment system over which caused my monthly debits to not come out, to which they said I had to pay those missed months in full so my policy won't be cancelled. Sure I said *sigh*. Fast forward 10 months later, I notice no debits from my credit card from them (how often do we scrutinise statements for missing payments?!) so I contact them for them to tell me my policy was cancelled due to non-payment My dog was unknowingly not covered!!!!

Sounds a familiar story with PetPlan. A friend of ours has had her dog insured with them for about 5 yrs with no claim at all and then recently she lost her credit card and had to cancel that account until a new card was issued. The direct debit from her card was due the next day and of course wasn't honoured but PP never notified her, by the time she realised they had cancelled the insurance but would not let her back pay the payment they said they had to start a new policy which they wouldn't do because the dog was 8 yrs old. So that dog is no longer insured with them or can be insured with anyone else

Disgraceful

[OSoSwift]

I have Petplan and have made claims without any problems. The only thing I have to get is when I renew the policy they ask for the previous 12 months medical history. While none of my claims have been huge-thank goodness- there has been a few up to the $500 mark and have not had any issues with them.

I pay mine yearly so have not had any experience with having to do monthly direct debit. One thing I like is that a medical condition that has long term treatment/consequences is covered for the life of the dog to the yearly limit EVERY year, not just to the limit once then it is no longer covered like some of them.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I've just put in my first PIA claim (2 invoices) so we'll see how we go.

I think it comes under accident anyway so fingers crossed it's all good.