Sail_Away Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) Since receiving my renewal letter from PetPlan where my premiums have gone up nearly double to $902 per annum for one dog and reading similar stories from others here on DOL, I decided to shop around for another pet insurance policy. As most people here on DOL know there are two major players in pet insurance; Allianz (PetPlan) and Hollards (everyone else) - There were many reasons I originally went with PetPlan as they had the better coverage... covering chronic conditions for life up to the annual benefit EACH year, paying 100% bill and no sub limits per condition to name a few. Since researching some of the Hollards companies again I was pleasantly surprised to find that in 2014 they have all had a huge overhaul of their policies to now align with the type of cover offered by PetPlan. Chronic conditions are now covered for life to the annual limit EACH year, no sub limits on conditions (except Tick Paralysis - Prosure has limit on cruciate ligament) and pre-existing conditions can be reviewed after 18 months if no signs/symptoms have occurred in that time. I thought I would share some of the quotes I received when comparing a few different insurers against my 2 year old Hungarian Vizsla: RSPCA Economy: Monthly = $50.54 Annual = $606.42 Excess = Nil % Cover = 75% Annual Limit = $11,000 Ticks = $1,000 Ultimate: Monthly = $54.94 Annual = $659.32 Excess = Nil % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $11,000 Ticks = $1,200 Routine Cover = Yes Bow Wow Meow Comprehensive: Monthly = $44.27 Annual = $531.19 Excess = $100 (optional nil, 100, 200) No claim bonus = Yes % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $12,000 Routine Cover = Optional Major: Monthly = $31.25 Annual = $374.98 Excess = $500 % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $12,000 Prosure Gold: Monthly = $51.24 Annual = $614.89 Excess = Nil % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $12,500 Ticks = $500 Dental = $1000 Cruciate Ligaments = $3,000 (per lifetime pet) Platinum: Monthly = $61.24 Annual = $734.89 Excess = Nil % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $14,500 Ticks = $1,000 Dental = $2000 Cruciate Ligaments = $4,000 (per lifetime pet) Medibank Silver: Monthly = $41.59 Annual = $491.93 Excess = $100 (optional nil, 100, 200) % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $12,000 Ticks = $1000 Gold: Monthly = $59.46 Annual = $706.32 Excess = $100 (optional nil, 100, 200) % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $15,000 Routine Cover = Yes Pet Insurance Australia Comprehensive: Monthly = $39.78 Annual = $477.37 Excess = Nil (optional nil, 100, 200) % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $15,000 Ticks = $1000 Major: Monthly = $47.70 Annual = $572.37 Excess = Nil (optional nil, 100, 200) % Cover = 80% Annual Limit = $15,145 Ticks = $1,200 Not sure if anyone would find this helpful but hoping it will and I thought it was good to see the different prices (based on my breed) compared, especially to PetPlan which is wanting $902 if I renew with virtually the same policy as what Hollards now offer... I am still not sure which one I will go with, I'm leaning toward BWM and PIA Edited January 8, 2015 by Sail_Away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 This is super helpful, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Sail Away. Thanks so much for your research. This is very informative and helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stressmagnet Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Really helpful. I wish I'd had before I signed with Bow Wow Meow but upon reading this; they aren't too bad. I opted for Comprehensive with Routine Cover. I have a lab, after all. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm so glad some of you have found this helpful It took awhile to get all the quotes and write them out, I hoped people wouldn't mind me sharing... From this PIA are the cheapest with No Excess... but BWM have the best reviews online... Stressmagnet - have you not been happy with BWM? What does everyone think about paying a little more for no excess? I can't decide whether this would be better then I could claim on most vet bills regardless of price but if I have a $100 excess then that limits how many claims I could submit - although I'm not at the vet very often... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm so glad some of you have found this helpful It took awhile to get all the quotes and write them out, I hoped people wouldn't mind me sharing... From this PIA are the cheapest with No Excess... but BWM have the best reviews online... Stressmagnet - have you not been happy with BWM? What does everyone think about paying a little more for no excess? I can't decide whether this would be better then I could claim on most vet bills regardless of price but if I have a $100 excess then that limits how many claims I could submit - although I'm not at the vet very often... If they only cover 80% of the amount, I'd prefer to have no excess - it's like a double whammy otherwise - paying excess AND 20% of the costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm so glad some of you have found this helpful It took awhile to get all the quotes and write them out, I hoped people wouldn't mind me sharing... From this PIA are the cheapest with No Excess... but BWM have the best reviews online... Stressmagnet - have you not been happy with BWM? What does everyone think about paying a little more for no excess? I can't decide whether this would be better then I could claim on most vet bills regardless of price but if I have a $100 excess then that limits how many claims I could submit - although I'm not at the vet very often... If they only cover 80% of the amount, I'd prefer to have no excess - it's like a double whammy otherwise - paying excess AND 20% of the costs. Yeah that's what I'm thinking. I think there is only about $100 extra a year to have no excess, so if I go to vets at least once and claim It would virtually work out the same... PIA is impressive price without excess but they don't have the best reviews... hmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Unfortunately one of my dogs has a chronic condition (IBS) and the other is 7 so I have a feeling that I am stuck with PetPlan. (I don't have insurance on my GSD, but after what I've been through with the other 2 I think I will always take out insurance in future.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labadore Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 My 5 year old Lab boy is insured with Pet Insurance Australia (PIA) and has been since a pup and they have been very easy to deal with, process and pay claims quickly, acknowledge receipt of claim by txt and always send out the annual renewal details in a very timely fashion. I did originally insure him with Petplan but they took so long to acknowledge and approve the application when I lodged it online in Dec 2009 as this was whilst they were in the process of implementing a new system and they were in utter chaos (and obviously haven't learnt from that debacle implementation by the sounds of recent events ). Whilst waiting for the application to be approved, I obtained a copy of the Choice report comparing the Pet Insurance Companies at the time and noted that Petplan "reduced their benefit for older dogs when they turn 10 years of age down to 65%" and this concerned me as this is the time when chronic illnesses like Cancer start becoming prevalent. Having lost one of my Lab boys at 10 years of age to Cancer, this reduced benefit was a sore point with me, so I decided to insure with PIA who had full 100% cover for older pets. I realised that Petplan was the only insurance company at that time that had "no limit cap" on benefit limit per condition for the life of the pet and they will pay up to the annual limit each year, unlike PIA, where the annual limit of $15,000 per condition was the limit for the life of the pet and I figured that if my boy was ever unlucky enough to have a chronic illness that needed more than $15,000 paid, I would have to seriously consider his quality of life. Having already gone through this with my Lab boy who had cancer and his treatment for this included emergency surgery and chemo , I would not have put him through any more treatment not because I couldn't afford to (didn't have insurance with this boy) as I could afford whatever treatment was necessary, but his quality of life was more important to me and I wasn't going to prolong his suffering. PIA processed my online application very quickly and I received the approval and Certificate of Insurance a couple of weeks before I received Petplan's acknowledgement, even though I had lodged the online application with Petplan a good 3 weeks before I lodged the online application with PIA. Petplan had a cooling off period so I was able to cancel the policy with them. Since taking out the insurance with PIA, the only time it really increased was in the 2nd year and and that was only by a small amount due to some reasonably small claims and in 2013 I reduced the excess to $200 as haven't had a claim since 2011 and majority of my vet visit costs have been below $150 and also saves me having to complete claim forms for small amounts which could potentially increase the following year's policy costs. This year however is different, as I received his renewal notice in December and policy renewal kicks in tomorrow and it has increased by 29%, but they have made significant improvements to the Policy cover, primarily the change to the Chronic Condition Limit by removing the Limit and the pet will now be covered up to the applicable annual limit which essentially brings it in line with Petplan I pay my boy's insurance monthly through direct debit and a summary of the costs of his insurance (including GST and stamp duty) over the years is as follows: 2010 - $36.60 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover 2011 - $41.85 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover 2012 - $41.45 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2013 - $40.01 per month - $200 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2014 - $41.93 per month - $200 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2015 - $54.15 per month - $200 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) The increase in 2011 was due to claims in 2010 as he was pulling up lame a few times and then had xrays done by my vet who subsequently incorrectly diagnosed HD, so had his xrays and my boy checked by breeder, breeder's vet and orthopaedic specialist who were all aghast at incorrect positioning of boy for his xrays . HD diagnosis disputed by his breeder, breeder's vet and orthopaedic specialist and when he turned 18 months old I had both elbow and hip xrays taken by breeder's vet and I also had both hip and elbow xrays scored with excellent results. Anyway thought I would share my positive experience with PIA and relevant details :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm with PIA This year's annual premium (November 2014) is 444.42 it has $200 per condition excess (ie no claiming unless it's over that) and 80% cover up to $15,000 (per condition - and both eyes (or anything else she's got two of) count as one and not sure if that's a life time limit or an annual one) So I'd have to have a vet bill over $250 before claiming would be worth while - but I'm good with that. What was weird - medibank private offered me a significant discount on their policy but it was still significantly more expensive. also if I fed different breeds eg she's currently Australian Heeler x but cattle dog x, blue heeler x etc all get different quote amounts. Ie the drop down list had about six different variations on cattle dog x and 6 different prices. Bit hard to play that game with a vizsla tho. I originally took PIA up because Choice recommended it but my first renewal (no claims ever) went up by over 60%. I was shocked but I paid because I could not get a better deal elsewhere - they were all just as bad. If I do need to claim - I've got no idea how easy they will be to deal with. I do know I will be phoning first and asking how much I will get back - and recording that call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Sounds like some positive experiences with PIA too Hmmm decisions decisions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Sounds like some positive experiences with PIA too Hmmm decisions decisions... Very informative thread. I am with Petplan but feel very uncomfortable after their actions this year. Our account had no deductions for two months, then double deductions. On paper, they say we are up to date. My bank account tallies but it's a concern. All other insurance policies run like clockwork with deductions on time. Thanks to the info and reviews, I will consider changes as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) When I first joined Bow Wow Meow about six years ago they were difficult with reimbursing claims but now I have no complaints at all. The last claim I filed with them was reimbursed within five days. They are very efficient now but their premiums are expensive. efs Edited January 10, 2015 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) I have my two Rottweilers insured with Medibank. Both dogs are covered for vet expenses for life as the cover was taken out when they were younger than 9 years old. They are both on Silver Paw Cover (Accident and Illness cover, not Routine Care like vaccinations, worming etc) with $100 excess and now 80% cover. The Annual Benefit Limit is $12,000. I get a 10% Medibank Private discount and 5% additional pet discount on Zeph, and the 10% Medibank Private discount on Dee's policy. I pay both dog's insurance monthly through direct debit and a summary of the costs of each policy since January 2011 (including GST and stamp duty) over the years is as follows: Dee - born July 2008, desexed female (not covered as it is considered an elective procedure associated with breeding or obstetrics) 2011 - $43.11 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover, with a claim this year for accident, foot through window 2012 - $40.18 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover 2013 - $48.04 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2014 - $61.59 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2015 - $75.63 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) Zeph - born April 2009, entire male 2011 - $40.74 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover, with a claim this year for illness, lump removal 2012 - $38.17 per month - $100 excess and 100% cover, with a claim this year for illness, toe removal 2013 - $42.81 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2014 - $54.28 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) 2015 - $67.04 per month - $100 excess and 80% cover (20% co payment) As you can see they are getting more expensive the older they get. Edited January 10, 2015 by grumpette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I just got a quote from Pet Insurance Australia for the exact cover that they are on with Medibank, except the annual limit is $15,000 not %12,000 and: Dee would be $90.91 per month Zeph would be $83.01 per month I am guessing that Rottweilers are more expensive than Labradors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I just got a quote from Pet Insurance Australia for the exact cover that they are on with Medibank, except the annual limit is $15,000 not %12,000 and: Dee would be $90.91 per month Zeph would be $83.01 per month I am guessing that Rottweilers are more expensive than Labradors. Thank you for sharing - You have had fairly big increases over the years too... makes the PetPlan increase I got to $75/month seem reasonable? However, I still think that $90/month with PIA seems like too much to me... that is more than I pay for my own private health... I expect though with any of the companies the premiums will continue to rise each year which is going to make outlaying for multiple dogs very hard in the future. Right now PIA has the cheapest cover, I expect it to rise each year of course but I want to go with the one that is easy to deal with and settles claims without hassle.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosepup Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Great post S_A! I have spent most of the afternoon doing comparisons and this is what I came up with (Chihuahuas). I'm currently with Pet Plan but looking to change after the 50% premium increase last year. PIA is looking like a good option. Has anyone that's changed policies applied to have the cruciate ligament 6 mth waiting period waived? Not sure whether to apply or just risk it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchnauzerMax Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Great post S_A! I have spent most of the afternoon doing comparisons and this is what I came up with (Chihuahuas). I'm currently with Pet Plan but looking to change after the 50% premium increase last year. PIA is looking like a good option. Has anyone that's changed policies applied to have the cruciate ligament 6 mth waiting period waived? Not sure whether to apply or just risk it. Yes. We went to Medibank from Petplan for Remy. It was a form the vet filled in to declare that they had examined Remy and that there were no existing problems cruciate / joint wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Great post S_A! I have spent most of the afternoon doing comparisons and this is what I came up with (Chihuahuas). I'm currently with Pet Plan but looking to change after the 50% premium increase last year. PIA is looking like a good option. Has anyone that's changed policies applied to have the cruciate ligament 6 mth waiting period waived? Not sure whether to apply or just risk it. Thanks Moosepup! Your table is much easier to read than my layout! I couldn't get it to look like that in this forum! haha I still haven't decided. I've been busy with work so going to make the decision today or tomorrow.. I was leaning toward BWM because of the great reviews they are getting of late... although PIA is the cheapest with the best cover - $15,000 plus no excess = cheaper than BWM with excess... although I don't know whether to risk going to a company with far less reviews/good experiences just because they are cheaper. I just know that all of them are going to continually raise their premiums so starting off cheaper might be better... Does anyone know if there is any truth in the fact that if you make more claims = higher premiums next year? Just thinking if I have no excess than I would claim more smaller vet bills but won't bother if it means I will get penalised in premium hikes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stressmagnet Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'm so glad some of you have found this helpful It took awhile to get all the quotes and write them out, I hoped people wouldn't mind me sharing... From this PIA are the cheapest with No Excess... but BWM have the best reviews online... Stressmagnet - have you not been happy with BWM? What does everyone think about paying a little more for no excess? I can't decide whether this would be better then I could claim on most vet bills regardless of price but if I have a $100 excess then that limits how many claims I could submit - although I'm not at the vet very often... SA, I am very happy with Bow Wow, their customer service has been terrific. I think it's more that when I see everything laid out like that, I worry that maybe there was a better one, for cheaper. Like always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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