# forced to stay in insurance policy?



## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

Hi. We need to insure our pedigree puppy. When we registered with our vet, they gave us 4 weeks free insurance. During that time, our puppy managed to hit his head pretty hard. We didn't claim on the policy but we did take him to be checked. The receptionist told us we would now be forced to stay with this provider as nobody else would pay out for future claims once they saw on his records that he'd hit his head. This policy is prohibitively expensive, twice as much as other quotes we've had. Is the receptionist right or can I ignore their comments?


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## Dogsabouttown (Jan 25, 2017)

Hi there, I would call some other insurers and see what they say. If I remember correctly most of them ask if you have had to make a claim which you haven't. We shopped around quite a bit and found MoreThan to be very competitive and when Rosie hurt her leg they were fabulous, paid out quickly and we had only had the insurance 6 months.


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

If the policy you have is Petplan then I'd try and stick with it, they pay out without any problems. It might seem expensive now but they don't put their prices up every year like others do. Also, some others will give you a cheaper policy at the beginning then put it up so much once you've claimed its unaffordable. 

There is a very helpful insurance link but I can't find it at the moment, hopefully someone will post it for you later.


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## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

Jannor said:


> If the policy you have is Petplan then I'd try and stick with it


Yeah it is, but it's £127 a month - that is absolute insanity.


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## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

Dogsabouttown said:


> We shopped around quite a bit and found MoreThan to be very competitive and when Rosie hurt her leg they were fabulous, paid out quickly and we had only had the insurance 6 months.


They are who we want to go with actually, it looks like a good deal. When you claimed, had she hurt herself previously and would have been on your records?


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## bogdog (Jan 1, 2014)

Whether you made a claim or not, the treatment, or at least the consultation is on your puppy's record and therefore a preexisting condition. If this was an accident and therefore not likely to be repeated, you could ask for the exclusion to be reviewed and lifted in 6 - 12 months time. If you are with PetPlan. Not sure if other insurers remove exclusions.

PetPlan is expensive but bear in mind that you get what you pay for. PetPlan do not increase premiums following a claim unlike other insurers. Choose a wrong insurance and following a claim or two, you could be paying as much or more per month than if with PetPlan. 

Also PetPlan, if you go for the life cover, tops up your pot of cash at every renewal to the amount of the agreed cover - which is £4000, £7000 or £12000. So if in one year you spend everything in the pot, at renewal, you'll have the same amount again for the next 12 months. Not sure which other insurer does that. So worth checking if your prospective insurer.

Many people are seduced by the low monthly premiums only to discover later why they were so low.. Been there, done it.....


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## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

bogdog said:


> Whether you made a claim or not, the treatment, or at least the consultation is on your puppy's record and therefore a preexisting condition. If this was an accident and therefore not likely to be repeated, you could ask for the exclusion to be reviewed and lifted in 6 - 12 months time. If you are with PetPlan. Not sure if other insurers remove exclusions.
> 
> PetPlan is expensive but bear in mind that you get what you pay for. PetPlan do not increase premiums following a claim unlike other insurers. Choose a wrong insurance and following a claim or two, you could be paying as much or more per month than if with PetPlan.
> 
> ...


Really helpful, thank you.


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## bogdog (Jan 1, 2014)

What breed is your puppy?


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## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

bogdog said:


> What breed is your puppy?


French bulldog.


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## bogdog (Jan 1, 2014)

They seem to have quite a few health issues, hence the high quote. If you choose a cover that does not meet your needs, changing later will be difficult as the new insurer will not cover preexisting conditions, whether claimed for or not. PetPlan will keep you covered (to the yearly maximum) unless you cancel.

I think you can download PetPlan policy brochure which is written in clear English, not confusing gobbledygook. If your current cover is with PetPlan and you transition to full policy without a break, head injuries shouldn't be excluded.


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## bogdog (Jan 1, 2014)

photosynthesize said:


> French bulldog.


The one in your avatar? Gorgeous.


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## photosynthesize (Jan 9, 2017)

bogdog said:


> The one in your avatar? Gorgeous.


That's him! 
Thanks for the tips, really appreciate it.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

photosynthesize said:


> Hi. We need to insure our pedigree puppy. When we registered with our vet, they gave us 4 weeks free insurance. During that time, our puppy managed to hit his head pretty hard. We didn't claim on the policy but we did take him to be checked. The receptionist told us we would now be forced to stay with this provider as nobody else would pay out for future claims once they saw on his records that he'd hit his head. This policy is prohibitively expensive, twice as much as other quotes we've had. Is the receptionist right or can I ignore their comments?


In my experience insurers tend to group types of illness. So as examples if a dog as a stomach upset that doesn't settle and you take him to the vets and it goes on his/her records, when you take out insurance or change insurers you will quite likely find you have a total disorders of the digestive tract exclusion put on and anything to do with the digestive tract may well be classed as pre-existing which you cant claim for. one of mine got a simple bacterial eye infection from sticking his head in a pile of leaves that only needed antibiotic drops and when I changed his insurance the company put an eye disorders exemption on his policy. It may be possible that they will look on it as an accident and treat it as a one off, but it also may be possible that should he develop any later complications or anything neurological they could also quite possibly try to say that that it may be connected to the blow on the head and therefore pre existing so you cant claim. Some insurance companies are even worse then others at trying to wriggle out of claims.

If there is nothing else on his records though, apart from this and other routine general check ups vaccinations and worming that are not covered anyway then you would be covered for anything else that occurs and is new. Most insurers wont let you claim for illness or conditions that occur within the first 14 days of the policy, and if any do these too will be classed as pre existing conditions, some do though cover you for accident from day one.

If and when you do take insurance though, I would insure that you get a lifetime or lifelong policy. Some policies are limited usually to 12 months from illness or incident, and after this time you cannot claim for them again. Bearing in mind they often group types of illness rather then look at them as totally individual cases too, If you get a 12month limited policy and after the time
the illness/type re-occurs, you get later complications, or the dog develops an ongoing condition requiring meds or regular monitoring tests then again after 12months you can no longer claim.
With lifetime you can as long as you stay with the company and renew, and it also doesn't matter what claims you have had the previous year, the yearly monetary amount will be re-instated in full each and every year to spend again on vets bills.

There is a third type of policy which some companies do that give you an amount to spend on each condition or illness, these often have no time limits, but once you reach the total moneatary amount for that type of illness then again you cant claim anymore.


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## Dogsabouttown (Jan 25, 2017)

photosynthesize said:


> They are who we want to go with actually, it looks like a good deal. When you claimed, had she hurt herself previously and would have been on your records?


No she pulled a muscle in her shoulder while running about on holiday. I will have to double check but I think we have just renewed our policy and I don't think the premium increased a lot.


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