Insurance again!

[Holly]

Sorry to start another insurance topic but has anyone any experience of insuring rescue dogs? 
Beatle is insured with Healthy Pets and I have just added Mouse to her policy.  I was concerned because we have no history for Mouse apart from the fact that she was spayed when she was in the rescue centre.  She has been with us for eight weeks now and as far as I can tell she is fit and healthy. 
My vet did an MOT as soon as we got her and couldn't find any problems. 
The online section for adding another dog just asked if there had been any vets visits in the last year.  I have no idea .  So I rang the company who said it was no problem they accepted rescue dogs  and treated them on the information the owner had. 
I hope this is all OK.
The lady I spoke to didn't ask for my name or policy number just said to fill in the form as no treatment in the last year.  I have written on the back of my policy the date and time I spoke to her and what she said but somehow I don't feel very comfortable with this. Am I just being a neurotic spaniel owner???    
I don't want to have to put in a claim and discover there is a problem.  I'm wondering if I should e-mail the company so that I have something in writing?
Holly

[Colin]

I'd definitely try and get them to put it in writing, just to be on the safe side. I had terrible trouble with Healthy Pets over a claim, they questioned and quibbled every last penny and it took a year to sort out - I never did get the full amount, they ground me down into submission. I think I was just unlucky though as many COLers have posted saying how good the company is... maybe they just select a claim at random now and again to query - but just in case it's you, get it in writing.

[Holly]

Thanks Colin
I have e-mailed them and asked for written confirmation. 
It doesn't seem to matter which insurance company you are with it seems as though people have had good and bad experiences!
I would be interested to know what experience other people have had when insuring rescue dogs. 
If you look at the issue they can sometimes make over minor treatment for your existing dog it seems odd that they accept a dog without history with no question.  I thought they might want to try to contact the previous vet which would be possible with some rescue dogs.
Don't think I'll ever understand the wonders of insurance.  Due to our postcode it looks as though we will have serious trouble with our house insurance.  We didn't flood and although near the rivers our house is higher up and the water stayed well away but obviously our postcode rules!!

[R&R]

hi Holly,
Ruby is a rescue and ive got her insured with Healthy Pets.There wasnt a problem, i just insured her like any other pet, I dont know if Ruby has any previous treatment, problems, so like you said, they will just go off the information given to them.

[Holly]

Thanks Dawn. It helps to know someone else has been accepted on the same terms.  They are sending me a full confirmation within the next week.  I shall wait and see what the premium will be!

[Anita]

Re the insurance for homes in flood affected postcodes that haven't been flooded - contact the Environment Agency. We should be able to provide details of the extent of expected flood risk areas (Ones which we know or predict is at risk of flooding).
Your local authority should be able to provide details to insurance companies about the fact you haven't been flooded.

If you get stuff in writing - you should be able to argue the case. The Environment Agency always says that flooding doesn't depend on your postcode! Its much more complex than that.

Start off by looking at the website

environment-agency.gov.uk

And use the whats is your backyard as a starter.

Good luck!!

[Holly]

Anita
You're a star!!!!!!!!   Many thanks for the help. As you can imagine this is a huge worry when you live a high risk area but if we flooded lots of the rest of the town would have completely disappeared!
Being without water and being cut of from the rest of the world I can cope with but without insurance really worries me.   
The dogs didn't go much on not having a single walk left. Up and down the High street several times a day without a rabbit in sight didn't quite do it for them

Many thanks for this
Holly

[Maria]

When we insured both of ours we said on the form that we had no knowledge of any prior medical history, and we've never had a claim quibbled for either of them (we're with M&S) .
Probably best to get them to confirm in writing if you're unsure though.

[michelle123]

I had a query on cover related issues with Healthy Pets before I went on cover.  I was well impressed by the speed of their response, which from memory was in between the Christmas and New Year period when most Insurers work a skeleton staff.