Need A Good Dog Insurer!

[danakay9]

Hi Everyone!

So i have decided that i want to get insurance for my little girl. The only thing that's stopping me is knowing which companies are good in aspects such as claims and/or paying out money etc etc etc. I know a lot of people are against having insurance but i currently study and in the event that something happens to my dog i want to have peace of mind that i'm insured. Money is not an issue for me when it comes to spending on my girl but right now i just want to relax knowing she has insurance.

If any of you could please give me recommendations on good insurance companies... it'll be much appreciated :D

[aliwake]

Petplan have traditionally had the best coverage. However, they have had some big premium increases lately, and a lot of people are unhappy with them.

I would still recommend them, even though they have been a hassle to deal with lately.

[Stressmagnet]

I'm with (cough) Bow Wow Meow.

I'm happy with everything but the stupid name.

[teekay]

There are lots of threads on here about pet insurance but a quick summary:

Petplan (Allianz) have the best coverage and pay out 100% less the excess, of any claim. They are expensive and can be a bit slow to pay out but I have always had all my claims paid eventually. I haven't had to claim recently though, and they have been in a bit of a administration mess since all the policy pricing changes.

All others are underwritten by Hollards and tend to be very similar. They only pay out 80% of a claim.

[cavNrott]

The only way to decide which insurer suits you is to research the various insurers and read their PDS carefully.

[cointreau]

PetPlan have paid my vet directly very quickly for the last claims I have had to make they have both been since April when premium increases and admin problems started. One thing to remember with PetPlan is that after your dog is considered a senior you will have to pay 35% of the claim and the first $125 (I think that is the amount now) for each condition during the policy year.

I will probably stick with PetPlan when a new pet arrives.

[Little Gifts]

Hi everyone - resurrecting an older thread because I am actually considering pet insurance and am starting from scratch. I have less cash on hand these days if something major was to happen so am considering this as a preventative, ongoing measure.

I have an SBT who is 7.5 and who has no ongoing health issues. I also have an almost 3 year old shar pei with no ongoing health issues. Had some skin allergies for a couple of months last year out of the blue but all has cleared up. She had entropian surgery as a pup and gets dirty ears but no infections and we keep on top of it. Despite her young age when I got a quote for insurance on her it was far more expensive than the SBT!

I can see that others have recommended PetPlan. I think my house and car is with Allianz so I will definitely check them out. I was also thinking of Medibank Private as I have my health insurance with them and will get a discount. But what am I looking for in pet insurance? I know I worry about Stussy needing a teeth clean sometime during her life but all that routine stuff can also add up. And when does an excess apply - is it just hospitalisation (like for people)?

Thanks for any advice you can offer so I know what to look out for in their policy disclosures.

[SchnauzerMax]

You need to read the fine print because routine procedures like vaccinations or dental might not be covered.

Medibank has the option of covering some of that but it is for a fixed amount and very specific items.

If I remember correctly, PetPlan doesn't cover routine stuff at all (?)

The other trap is things like cruciate surgery where the first one is covered but if the other leg goes, it is not...

[aliwake]

I read the Pia policy recently, and it doesn't cover any dental, or any complications for parvo or any other common diseases, even if your dog is vaccinated. For that reason I'm sticking with Petplan. All the hollards policies only cover 80% of treatment costs, but Petplan cover everything bar the excess. The excess is charged for every unique claim. So if you see the vet 3 times for one condition you only pay the excess once (per policy year).

[cavNrott]

BWM doesn't cover dental work either. Neither does it cover any illnesses that we vaccinate for irrespective of vaccination status.

I'm with BWM and as aliwake explained, my dogs have 80% cover with a $100 excess.

[westiemum]

Here's the link to the 2014 Canstar Report on Pet Insurance - makes interesting and surprising reading. I'm with PetPlan - have been for years and can't move now as my westies are too old to insure elsewhere - but PetPlan didn't rate at all.

Friends with a new Mini Schnauzer puppy have gone with PIA Accident and Illness cover - their thinking is that insurance is for stuff they would struggle to pay for - so didn't want cover for routine stuff.

Anyway hope it helps.

[Little Gifts]

Thanks Westiemum! I'll read the report tomorrow when I'm not so tired.

[pirate]

Bupa have also started offering pet insurance.

[Brookestar]

Petplan. They cover the most things. They will cover things like chiropractic and acupuncture, they will cover physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, behavioural consults. Petplan will cover dentals for an accident, my dog broke a tooth that needed to come out, as it was not due to dental decay, then it was covered. If a dog is up to date on recommended vaccinations in the area you live in they will pay for any treatment that results from the dog contracting the disease. There are dogs that contract parvo that are vaccinated, and it can costs thousands of dollars.

No insurance really covers routine care, like vaccinations, wormings, etc. There are policies in which you can pay an extra premium and they will pay you back x $ for the said thing, but if you work out what you pay in the extra premiums, verses what you get back, at most you get about $5 per year. Some you pay more in premiums for the routine care than they will pay back.

Petplan has had increases in premiums recently, but they have also had a massive improvement in how quickly claims are paid back. On average things are now paid back within 10 days, usually a week.

Petplan has an excess per condition per policy year, that is now on average $150. Yes it means that if you have small things you cannot claim, but it also means you are not being forced to find 20% of costs, which does happen if you are with other companies. Other insurers will only pay 80% of costs maximum.

Petplan remains the only insurance company that will pay vets directly, although vets have to agree with this, not all do.

I am on a low income and I use petplan because I can know exactly what my costs will be and budget for them. I also get all the extra's that I need. I can and do budget for routine care, like vaccinations, etc, as any responsible dog owner would do. It is unexpected things I cannot plan for. I can find $150 if I need to, I cannot find a few hundred or few thousand dollars if I need to. My normal vet, does claim directly for me.

In December my dog was diagnosed via an MRI with an IVDD, which was treated conservatively with 8 weeks of strict crate rest. The MRI was done on a Friday (we put the claim in the mail on the way home), the cheque was in my mail Monday week after it, so in less than a week, they had paid a claim of $2,000. During that 8 weeks, my dog had Acupuncture each week, which is the only thing that can assist with nerve regeneration, and pain as well, all of that was paid for. She has ongoing appointments with the veterinary neurologist. She is now having weekly physio AND twice weekly hydrotherapy, which is also all being covered. If she had required surgery, or if she has a relapse and then requires surgery, it would be a minimum of $5,000 for the surgery and hospitalisation, not to mention rehab costs. I have to date paid $150. I will only pay another $150 if she is still requiring support when the policy is renewed, later this year, but that is incredibly unlikely. On any other policy, the acupuncture, physio and hydro would not be covered, and I would have had to pay 20% of costs, so at least $200, plus 20% of all follow up appointments with her specialist. I have had to pay these costs up front as specialists are involved and they will not claim directly, but I got a credit card for that purpose and have had it all paid back, before I even get a bill. On my income I could not pay off a credit card debt of that amount. It has also meant that I could give my dog everything she needed, rather than what I could hope to afford. I have attempted to rehab dogs myself in the past on advice, etc, yet I can see the immense benefits, the physio and hydro are having and would never do it any other way.

My petplan policy did double in price last year and I strongly considered cancelling it. Given what has occurred over the last few months, cannot be more relieved of my decision to maintain it. Petplan has in the past been slow to pay back, but in the last year that has all changed. The average turn around for me over the last few months has been just over a week.