healthy pets insurance?

[lopey99]

we've had cassie for 3 months now and i still havent insured her mainly because everytime i sit down to research it i get so confused over all the terms and policies but i'm determined over next day or so to sort it out!

i've looked at all the big players but i'm drawn to healthy pets mainly because of the reviews on here and also the fact that money is a bit tight at the moment and their gold cover is only £5.15 per month!! My question is to all those out there with healthy pets - the details state £5000 per condtion but is this per year and if you use your £5000 up in that year is it renewed for the same condition the next year?

in their FAQ this is stated;

What is the maximum Veterinary payout per year? We can pay up to the policy limit (£1000, £3000, or £5000) for each condition. There is no limit on the number of conditions in a year.

it also states that: Am I covered for ongoing conditions? YES - Healthy Pets will cover you for ongoing conditions up to the maximum benefit of your policy (£1000, £3000 or £5000) subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

But i'm really confused... i'm sure if something serious happens £5000 would mount up very quickly and if this limit wasnt renewed i dont know how i would afford treatment

please help!

[*Jay*]

Once you use your £5000 for that condition, then thats it.

[Jeanette]

It is £5000 per condition, hence the price of the cover is cheaper than other insurance companies who offer lifetime cover.   You get what you pay for.   

[lopey99]

hmmm not what i wanted to hear  i'm not happy going for it for those reasons as i would hate to think what would happen if i couldnt afford any illness cassie may encounter in the future but silly OH has tempted fate and said 'what can happen' he seems to think because his childhood dogs were never insured and never had any conditions that cassie will be the same but i'm a 'just in case' kinda person.

decisions decisions decisions

thanks everyone!

[Cob-Web]

OH has tempted fate and said 'what can happen' he seems to think because his childhood dogs were never insured and never had any conditions that cassie will be the same but i'm a 'just in case' kinda person.

Even if you are lucky and never need to claim for veterinary care, dog insurance is well worth it for third party cover - society is a lot more litigious than years ago, and many dog owners have faced legal action over damage or injuries caused by the dog.  For instance, if your dog runs across a road and caused an accident - the drivers involved might claim from you 

[Countrygirl]

OH has tempted fate and said 'what can happen' he seems to think because his childhood dogs were never insured and never had any conditions that cassie will be the same but i'm a 'just in case' kinda person.

Even if you are lucky and never need to claim for veterinary care, dog insurance is well worth it for third party cover - society is a lot more litigious than years ago, and many dog owners have faced legal action over damage or injuries caused by the dog.  For instance, if your dog runs across a road and caused an accident - the drivers involved might claim from you 

Quite a few years ago now, just up the road from us, a labrador ran into the road and knocked someone off their pushbike.  I don't know how badly the man was hurt or how much the damages were, but the owners had to sell their house to help pay them.

Most of the time when I tell people about needing third party cover, their answer is 'well I never thought of that'.

[happydog]

Jay's right. Gold option with Healthy Pets is a maximum of £5,000 per condition. It's good enough for me. That's still a lot better than £5,000 per year maxmum for everything, or any condition only covered for the first year as is the case for some policies.

I couldn't possibly afford the sort of premiums that would, give me higher cover than that and IMO it's still a lot better than having no insurance at all. As Cob Web says having third party cover is pretty important too.

[Mrs T]

I have had dogs (all cockers of course) for 38 years but have never had pet insurance.  I've been lucky in that none of them to date have needed treatments costing vast amounts of money.   However, if I have another after Harry goes to the Bridge (he is 14 now) I will definitely buy insurance because costs have increased significantly (and possible disproportionately) over the years.

When my first boy Jasper came to live with me at six weeks (that was the norm back then) I took out separate public liability insurance to cover any accidents which might have been caused by him, in addition to my household insurance.   Three years later, I discovered that I didn't need this extra cover because my household insurance included public liability.  Over the years I have changed insurance companies several times but always check that this cover is included.  (Needless to say, I have just re-checked my current insurance to confirm this before posting!)

[VickyG]

Hi I was just wondering as I haven't got my pup yet, once he is insured does the Insurance cover 'replacement value' if he is stolen    I know this is probably a daft question, but just curious 

[happydog]

Hi I was just wondering as I haven't got my pup yet, once he is insured does the Insurance cover 'replacement value' if he is stolen    I know this is probably a daft question, but just curious 

That depends upon the policy you decide to take out. The ones I have looked at do- up to a certain age -8years I think  . They also help pay for advertising if your pet is stolen.

'tis very important to read all the small print as benefits and terms and conditions can vary widely  .

[lopey99]

Thanks for all the posts, they have been a great help, i know a lot of people on here recommend healthy pets but i suppose i'm just worried that something serious would happen and £5000 wouldnt be enough.

On the other hand i just dont think we could afford the higher premiums such as penplan - its nearly as much as my car insurance! I'll talk it over with OH when he gets back at the weekend but i know he'll push me towards healthy pets and hopefully nothing will happen in her first year and i may be able to upgrade up a better policy if situations improve by this time next year.

thanks again to all the posters!

p.s. Vicki G - as far as i know healthy pets gold covers up to £750 for theft or straying and same for death due to accident or illness - its £250 on the silver and £0 on bronze. I'm sure you'd have to provide some sort of receipt for the dog showing how much you paid which unfortunately i dont have.

[LucyJ]

I was with Petplan before, and it cost over £55 a month for 2 dogs.  I've changed to Healthy Pets which is £15 for both of them, and am trying to save a bit each month too, just in case the £5000 per condition isn't enough. 

In all of the other terms and conditions that mattered to me, HP were as good as PP, so I was happy with this as a compromise.

[Cob-Web]

hopefully nothing will happen in her first year and i may be able to upgrade up a better policy if situations improve by this time next year.

Bear in mind that any trips to the vets in the fist year, even if you don't claim from Healthy Pets, will need to be disclosed to a new company if you plan to change; and they will decide whether to add exclusions to a new policy  This can be a pain in the neck, if, for instance, your pup has diarrhoea or sickness, as you may face exclusions relating to digestive problems when you try and change policies

[tiamaria]

hopefully nothing will happen in her first year and i may be able to upgrade up a better policy if situations improve by this time next year.

Bear in mind that any trips to the vets in the fist year, even if you don't claim from Healthy Pets, will need to be disclosed to a new company if you plan to change; and they will decide whether to add exclusions to a new policy  This can be a pain in the neck, if, for instance, your pup has diarrhoea or sickness, as you may face exclusions relating to digestive problems when you try and change policies

Oh what a nightmare!
I too have to think about insurance this time. Obviously with what happened to Charley i was keen to get the 6 weeks free insurance with this new pup. I know £5000 seems a lot of money, but vets bills can really mount up, and i think going off how i felt with Charley's treatment and the restrictions we had regarding how far we could take his treatment, i would rather pay the extra to ensure that my dog could get the treatment available without us having to worry about cost. But if the incident hadnt happened, i too would be quite happy with £5000!

But i still dont know who im going to go with yet? What is the company the breeders use to get the 6 weeks free? Are they any good, to carry it on with?

[Bluebell]

I am with Healthy Pets, always helpful and pay out promptly.