Insurance Price Hike!

[debbie321]

I'm with healthy pets and they have been fab over Bens claims - he's not yet 3 but I've claimed far more than I've paid    One of the posts was right saying they don't cover lifetime problems but they have a limit per claim - a few thousand I think 

I've now added two cats to the gold cover insurance so I pay about £14-£15 per month for all three.  One of the cats has cystistus problems so that is exluded - along with preventative stuff such as vaccinations and dental work .  I think that is standard?

I would recommend them from personal experience but I haven't had the new renewal quote yet - when I do there will be problems with Ben that they will absorb - another insurerer wouldn't touch them so I'm happily stuck with Healthy Pets 

[speedyjaney]

I have 2 of mine with M&S one direct with AXA.

The 2 with M&S will stay with them now - they both have pre-existing conditions which will require medication for life. They are covered on M&S but if we move insurers then we will have them excluded - so even tho the prices are hiked up with M&S it is still cheaper than paying for all the treatment....!!

Both Bailey and Jessie have treatment for conditions that to date have costs over £4k each. If the limit was 5k per illness then I would be scuppered...with M&S its £7k per conditon per year!!! so phew we are all ok....

Saffi is with AXA direct - much cheaper but cover isn;'t as comprehensive.

[Helen]

Halifax is also underwritten by AXA, so I don't understand why M&S has increased so much but not Halifax. 

Healthy Pets is also Underwritten by AXA

An Accountant's guide to basic underwriting, cheap prices = lots of customers

With lots of customers comes lots of claims  Inevitably the price goes up.   Accountant backtracks 

The problem was M&S were TOO cheap and their scheme with AXA has suffered as a consequence, so much so that it would appear that AXA aren't writing it for M&S anymore.

Strange though that AXA arent putting their prices up across the board ala Halifax & Healthy Pets    probably because it was underwritten (price wise) differently.

I do feel sorry for the people who have had claims on the M&S policy and basically have to 'put up' with the price hike or go elsewhere and have no cover  .  In my opinion it is bad underwriting - but thats just my view. 

Michelle - are you referring to pre-exisiting illnesses with M&S?  We've only claimed once and that was for HGE which is not a recurring illness so I was assuming this wouldn't be a problem?

Helen, not sure what a HGE is  hope I'm not being a complete moron    Generally, Insurers will err on the side of caution as much as is possible - if they can get away with excluding things for at least 12 months, they will.   

I added Charlie onto my existing Healthy Pets policy - I was ENTIRELY honesty with them, told them that he was overweight and (as informed by the vet) has a skin problem which is due to his weight - I think it was through boredom    anyway, I informed HP and both were excluded, as I imagined they would be - I was however slightly narked because within the exclusions it says that they will consider lifting the endorsement following 12 months free of any vets advices/consultations regarding the issues.   I e mailed them to specifically question them on this point as we are taking Charlie for monthly weigh ins, therefore looking after his health and being pro active - I was told that this would class as "advice" and therefore he would have to be "advice free" for 12 months before they could consider lifting the endorsement.    It makes you laugh that for  being pro active and wanting to combat the problem we *could* be penalised       

I am at an insurance meeting early June so if I bump into the AXA man I will question him to within an inch of his life    although I am sure that I will be told that "it's not my department"   
 

HGE - Haemorrhagic gastroentiritus, a one off (and I put HGE cos I hate trying to spell it...)

Hunt that AXA man down and question him 

(thanks for all the info  )