Do you advise pet insurance?
We strongly recommend pet insurance. We are authorised representatives for Pet Plan insurance. We can provide free, instant, 4-week cover Pet Plan insurance to any puppy or kitten (aged between birth to 12 months) following a health check by one of our vets.
How much does pet insurance cost?
The cost of insuring your pet depends upon your pet’s age, breed and sex and the level of cover you require. You may get a multipet discount if you have several pets covered by the same insurance provider. Howver, you should still choose the best policy and provider to suit each individual pet.
Does pet insurance cover everything?
Many insurance companies exclude common veterinary treatments. These are called exclusions. Exclusions are usually against routine and preventable issues and treatments including: vaccinations, neutering, microchipping, worming and flea treatments and breeding.
Insurance companies will also exclude any condition that your pet has had noted or treated before the policy was taken out.
What is an excess?
This is the amount you will pay toward each separate condition before the insurance company reimburses you as part of a claim. You will pay an excess for each separate condition every time that the policy renews (usually annually) if you continue to make claims for each of these conditions. Your excess may increase as your pet ages or if you make numerous claims on the policy.
What is a policy year?
The policy will renew exactly one year after it was first taken out and every year on this date onwards. The policy year is the time between these dates, before it is renewed again.
Can any pet be insured?
Most pets including dogs, cats, rabbits and exotic pets can be insured. However, some insurance companies will not start to insure an animal once they reach a certain age. They should continue to honour an existing policy if they are insured prior to reaching this age.
I have found a cheaper company – should I change?
If you are considering switching insurance providers, make sure you check what will be excluded from your policy first. If your pet has had a condition noted or treated previously, it is very unlikely that this will be covered by any new insurance provider. This is true even if your current insurance company have been paying out for this condition.
What are the different types of policy?
Time limited: provide cover against a particular condition for a set amount of time (usually 12 months) from when the condition was first noted or treated at the vets.
Maximum benefit: provide a specified amount of cover (money) for treatment of a particular condition. Once this specified amount has been used up, the condition will no longer be covered.
Lifetime cover: provide a specified amount of cover against a particular condition every year for your pet’s life. This usually renews annually so that you can continue to claim for ongoing conditions every policy year, even if you used up the specified amount during the last policy year. The lifetime cover is the premium policy for pet owners and provides the best peace of mind that your pet will be protected in their time of need.
Do I need to do anything now my pet is insured?
You should bring your pet for a routine health check up at least annually and ensure your pet remains fully vaccinated to prevent any exclusions being placed on the policy. You must remember to renew your policy annually otherwise cover will lapse and exclusions for exisiting conditions may be placed on your pet’s policy.
Do I need to let my insurance provider know before my pet receives treatment?
Some companies ask you to inform then before your pet is treated; it is important that you check your policy documents carefully. Some companies also allow us to pre-authorise treatment. This means we can submit an authorisation claim before treatment is carried out to check if your pet will be covered for that treatment or procedure. This can delay treatment for your pet but may give peace of mind to you if urgent treatment is not required.
How do I claim?
Standard claims: If your pet receives veterinary treatment from us, you pay us for your pet’s treatment and claim the costs back from your insurer, minus your excess and other excluded treatments.
Direct claims: in certain circumstances we can claim the costs of your pet’s treatment directly from the insurance company. In this situation, you would pay us the excess and the insurance company would pay the remainder of the costs directly to us. However we cannot accept direct claims from all insurance companies so it is important that you check with one of our team before you consent to veterinary treatment for your pet.
How do I get a claim form?
You can ring your insurance provider who will post out a claim form. You can usually download and print a claim form from many insurance provider websites. We also carry blank Pet Plan claim forms at each of our branches.
What do I do with my claim form?
Fill in the customer side of the claim form following the instructions provided. Make sure you have provided correct information and that you have signed and dated the form. Hand your claim form in to your nearest branch. We will process the claim form centrally and we will post the completed claim to your insurance provider and post a copy of the claim form back to you for your records.
What should I do if my insurance company won’t pay?
Ultimately, the insurance provider reserves the right to decline to settle a processed claim and payment to us for your pet’s treatment remains your responsibility. If you have any questions regarding your claim, do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.