Pet Insurance or just another rip off!!

[Anonymous]

Well I reckon It's all a bit of a rip off...  here's what's happened to me!

I just received the annual renewal for my two dogs ‘pet insurance’.   

They’re going on 11years old in October and have been insured with the same company for 2 years since Sept 2012.

I was guaranteed at the time I bought the policy that their age wouldn’t become a liability because the dogs have been accepted as financial members before they reached the age of 9 years – 9 is the cut off age as the industry standard for insurance acceptance to cover the animal for illness.

The cost of insuring my two dogs in Sept 2012 was just over $800.

This covers accident and illness. – 80% of costs.

This renewal cost for my two dogs in Sept 2014 will be over $1300.

The reason is because they have decided to make their policies age and breed relative.

Here’s the curve ball... Pet insurance isn’t portable like human health insurance is so no point in shopping around to find a better price because my dogs are over the age of 9 years and uninsurable for any form of illness cover - only accidental insurance cover.

I’m furious because my agreement was a guarantee to purchase their product for my two dogs in the understanding I am protecting them in old age and me financially knowing not to expect any surprises other than reasonable price increases.  I didn’t take out a policy with Woolworths Pet Insure to pay $500 higher premiums and for them to change the product they guaranteed me when I signed up.

I’ve contacted Insurance Law Services; they suggested I also talk with QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. I’m waiting on a call from a supervisor from the pet insurer on Monday to have a chat – so I’ll see where that leads. I hope this will be sorted out without going any further.

My mind is strong but the body isn't so up to the task anymore. 

Consumer beware!

[lyndal1838]

I have to admit that my experiences were just the opposite.

When I took out Pet Insurance many years ago the animals had to be 2 or under.  My dog was insured for 11 years right up till he died of cancer.  The Pet Insurance paid for 11 months of Chemotherapy (thousands of $$$) after paying $70+ per month for about 7 years for medications for chronic skin problems.  The premiums were high but we were still well ahead...we paid something like $4000 in premiums over the life of the policy but received in excess of $14,000 in benefits.

My cat was insured for all of her 13 years...in the last year we had in excess of $5000 worth of bills for a respiratory illness for which we received over $4000 back.   When the renewal became due we found that she would not be covered for anything to do with this illness but the premiums did not increase.   We decided not to renew as she was not expected to last too long but the little b*gger struggled along for over a year.   The Vet only charged us cost price for her medications so we really did not miss the insurance at the end.

In my experience the Insurance paid for all illnesses while they were on going but once that illness was over they would exclude it in the next renewal.  They can and do change the rules as and when they want to.

[i-need-a-martini]

I wish I had been smart enough to have bought pet insurance for all of my dogs over their lives. Would have saved me tens of thousands of dollars...

[boris1gary]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

I wish I had been smart enough to have bought pet insurance for all of my dogs over their lives. Would have saved me tens of thousands of dollars...

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not if the insurer could "prove" that it was a pre-exisiting condition - they don't need any medical proof to back that up, they just state it and thats enough. 

[Anonymous]

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@boris1gary wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

I wish I had been smart enough to have bought pet insurance for all of my dogs over their lives. Would have saved me tens of thousands of dollars...

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not if the insurer could "prove" that it was a pre-exisiting condition - they don't need any medical proof to back that up, they just state it and thats enough. 

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maybe that depends on the insurer. i had

one claim rejected on the grounds of pre exiting condition

which was reversed when disputed with the vet's report.

shop around.

[flashie*]

I wish we had pet insurance when we had Silly Tilly...........she may not have been nicknamed the six million dollar cat.....

But she was worth every cent.

[Anonymous]

 "When the renewal became due we found that she would not be covered for anything to do with this illness but the premiums did not increase."

Hi lyndal, what if your renewal was due 2 days after you found out your cat had cancer and they told you she wouldn't be covered -

Would that have been acceptable to you?

My point is;

It's not the way an existing policy should work... you're not taking out a NEW policy - you're being notified of the annually adjusted premium to continue with your existing policy. Sure, terms and conditions may change but the MAJOR cover entilements ARE the policy.

I would certainly be questioning removing a non existing pre condition POST policy. That's just wrong on so many levels IMO!! 

Sorry you went through all of that with your beloved pet. 

I'ld love to hear from anyone in the insurance industry with inside knowledge please.

The invisible ink shows the insurer in my original post.

[debra9275]

Geez Dixo, it sounds like you've been had there.I s it in writing about the cut off age?? Did you have to sign an agreement at first?

vet bills are so expensive these days

[Anonymous]

Hi Deb, 

It was all done over the phone, as seems to be the norm these days, but the calls are recorded.