Would you claim vet fees on pet insurance?

[Caramac71]

My dog recently had some lumps aspirated. The first came back as inconclusive, and meanwhile I found more lumps so the vet took loads of samples second time around and sent them off to the lab. Fortunately all came back as fatty cells, nothing nasty.

My total vet bill (which I've already paid) is just over £210. My excess is £150, so if I put in a claim I will get back approx £60. Dog is 10 years old and insurance over the last couple of years has increased a lot. If I put in a claim, am I likely to end up paying more back next year than the £60 I will receive from the current bills paid?

Also, now we have found lipoma's on the dog, does this mean any future ones that may appear will be excluded as a pre-existing condition? Or is it just the lumps we are aware of that would be pre-existing?

I did phone my insurance company and made them aware of the first lump and vet visit but I've not yet updated them since as I've been waiting for my vet to sort out his bill.

 

[Britestar]

Can't answer re increase in fees, but regarding future claims, it depends on whether you have a 12 month rolling policy or a lifetime one.

If it is the former, then any claims relating to the lipomas can only be paid within 12 months, then will be excluded. If its a lifetime policy then future claims should be paid out.

 

[SusieT]

yes - because they will know about the lipomas anyway if you ever claim so you'd be doing yourself out of 60 quid if you dont claim

 

[Umbongo]

You may as well claim if you want the 60 quid back. Your insurance will probably continue to go up as the dog gets older anyway.
Regarding future claims, that depends on your insurance company, your policy, and whether the policy is yearly or lifetime.

 

[rara007]

You’ve got nothing to lose by claiming and £69 to gain for taking a form to the Vets. It’s what you pay for insurance for after all!

 

[{97702}]

Nope wouldn't bother claiming for £60 as your annual premiums will go up by far more than this per year! But at the same time, this is why none of mine are insured #tooexpensive

 

[SusieT]

dog insurance doesnt work the same as cars- it doesnt have a no claims bonus

 

[ycbm]

dog insurance doesnt work the same as cars- it doesnt have a no claims bonus

But premiums do rise if you claim.

As long as the OP realises that a future claim for the same issue will be refused, and is avoiding a premium increase rather than trying to maintain cover for that particular problem, then she could be well advised not to claim, exactly as car drivers are well advised not to claim for a minor knock, even if they are not at fault.

 

[planete]

It really depends on which company you insure with. Petplan are not the cheapest but they have not increased my premiums even after quite substantial claims.

 

[Aru]

Id claim....why have unsurance if you dont use it? the medical history will show the issue now anyway. Claims tend to go up yearly regardless of claims anyway

 

[rara007]

Nope wouldn't bother claiming for £60 as your annual premiums will go up by far more than this per year! But at the same time, this is why none of mine are insured #tooexpensive

This depends what company you’re with- many don’t increase the premiums based on claims.

http://help.petplan.co.uk/existing-...rease-my-premium-at-renewal-if-i-make-a-claim

 

[MyBoyChe]

PP increase the premiums with age rather than on claims history, so yes, I would and have, claimed for relatively small amounts. You do need to check the small print though as not all policies are the same

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Id claim....why have unsurance if you dont use it? the medical history will show the issue now anyway. Claims tend to go up yearly regardless of claims anyway

This. Don't pet insurers' ask to see medical history when considering a claim?

 

[shirl62]

I had 2 irish setter sisters with pet insurance. One of my girls had bloat/torsion 3 times in 8 months and other associated life threatening complications , her sister was never a problem. Both premiums went up the same every year anyway as they were getting older.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Do you end up with an exclusion on the insurance and a higher premium only if you claim? Or does that happen anyway based on medical history? That would be the crux for me. If you're going to get an exclusion and higher premium regardless of if you claim or not then yes definitely claim! If theres no exclusion if there's no claim (seems unlikely given what insurers are like) and you suspect that fatty lumps and skin issues will end up costing you more in the future then don't claim. As many have said, premiums go up with age anyway.

 

[Teaselmeg]

Wait until your next renewal comes through, then decide.

The claim normally only has to be made within the current policy year and the renewal comes through a month in advance. If you decide to claim and keep with the same company, you wont see any fallout from the claim until the following year's renewal. If the renewal is horrendous and you decide to cancel, then you can make the claim before the policy lapses.

 

[Britestar]

Wait until your next renewal comes through, then decide.

The claim normally only has to be made within the current policy year and the renewal comes through a month in advance. If you decide to claim and keep with the same company, you wont see any fallout from the claim until the following year's renewal. If the renewal is horrendous and you decide to cancel, then you can make the claim before the policy lapses.

Some companies now have introduce a time limit of 60 days to claim.

 

[rara007]

I had 2 irish setter sisters with pet insurance. One of my girls had bloat/torsion 3 times in 8 months and other associated life threatening complications , her sister was never a problem. Both premiums went up the same every year anyway as they were getting older.

Reassuring to know they stick to their word The misconceptions on this thread do highlight the risks of insurance being expensive for nothing when actually people havnt checked how each one works.