Despite their thoughts to the contrary, a lack of insurance may mean that many Britons are out of pocket when paying for treatment to their pet.
In a study carried out by Sainsbury's Finance, it was revealed that some 11 million consumers do not have an insurance policy in place to cover their dog or cat. Out of such people, one in ten reported that they view getting a premium as being too much of a financial burden to warrant purchasing. Six per cent of those surveyed - equating to some 709,452 - claimed that they were unable to afford cover. An estimated eight per cent state that they do not have insurance for their animal because their four-legged friend is currently in a state of good health.
Meanwhile, one of the main reasons for consumers not having insurance was that it was viewed as being unnecessary. Some 42 per cent of respondents - the equivalent of 4.61 million - think that getting pet cover is not important. These figures come despite the financial services firm reporting that 150,000 claims are filed for medical treatment for cats and dogs each month.
However, for those consumers who lack cover and find that they have to take their pet for veterinary treatment, they may find they have to meet the cost of medical treatment by themselves. And if their animal requires especially complicated treatment or major surgery, this could impact upon their ability to manage other demands on their spending in areas such as credit and store cards, mortgage repayments, personal loans and utility bills.
Among the areas the firm revealed that insurance can provide cover for repeated treatment for worms and ticks, damage to kennels or baskets, illness and vet fees.
Commenting on the report's findings, Steve Johnson, head of pet insurance for Sainsbury's Finance, said: "Regarding pet insurance as unnecessary and discounting it just because the pet is currently healthy are probably the two most alarming responses to report. Dogs and cats are just as likely to get ill and require treatment as we are but there's no NHS for them. Pet insurance really is essential if you don't want to get caught out by costly vet bills - the average claim for vet's fees is around 300 pounds with one in every 26 trips to the vet costing over 1,000 pounds."
Mr Johnson went on to report that consumers who choose not to take out insurance for their four-legged friend may find that they are "left with crippling bills to pay" should their pet require expensive surgery and then post-operative care such as physiotherapy. Meanwhile, animals which develop a chronic skin condition which needs treating on a regular basis were indicated to be another area of high expense. He added that those who decide to wait until their animal becomes ill before getting insurance will discover that they will not be covered. The Sainsbury's chief claimed that any conditions which started ahead of a policy being taken out will be excluded.
For those consumers looking to buy a new pet - and in particular an expensive breed - taking out a personal loan to fund such a purchase may be advisable. In addition, the extra financial assistance that a loan provides could also help consumers to get a comprehensive insurance policy to help with medical treatment and other animal-related expenses. This may be particularly recommended after a study by Saga showed that the average vet bill for a dog comes to just under 321 pounds, while cat costs come to about 258 pounds.
Monday, 11 May 2009
Pets suffer as pet insurance falls prey to the credit crunch
Concern is rising that Brits are trying to economise by cutting back on their pet insurance premiums, or cancelling them altogether.
Petplan insurance says it is increasingly concerned that pets will suffer the effects of the recession as their owners cut back their spending by reducing the care they can receive.
While it understands that many consumers are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, Petplan insurance urges them not to sacrifice the wellbeing of their pets in the process, or potentially create even bigger financial problems for themselves.
Pet insurance is a much cheaper alternative to paying expensive vet bills, it says, and owners should carefully consider cancelling their pet insurance if it means they would be unable to pay for their pet's care if it needed treatment.
The pet insurance provider works closely with rehoming charities to promote responsible pet ownership, and Clarissa Baldwin, from the Dogs Trust charity, told Petplan: "Sadly we are seeing the results of the deepening recession at some of our rehoming centres, and especially an increase in dogs with medical problems whose owners have been unable to pay for ongoing treatment.
"We fully appreciate that it's really difficult for people not to make cutbacks in their spending, but we would urge the public not to see insurance for their pets' health as a non-essential."
Alison Andrew, marketing manager from Petplan , said that the company pays out more than £2 million pounds every week in claims, which shows "how much cheaper it is for people to keep paying insurance than run the risk of losing their pet or watching it suffer."
"It's genuinely worrying to us when we hear people talking about cutting insurance as a moneysaving tip," Ms Andrew said, "because we understand the heartbreak people can suffer if they suddenly find they can't afford to treat their pet any more."
Petplan insurance says it is increasingly concerned that pets will suffer the effects of the recession as their owners cut back their spending by reducing the care they can receive.
While it understands that many consumers are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, Petplan insurance urges them not to sacrifice the wellbeing of their pets in the process, or potentially create even bigger financial problems for themselves.
Pet insurance is a much cheaper alternative to paying expensive vet bills, it says, and owners should carefully consider cancelling their pet insurance if it means they would be unable to pay for their pet's care if it needed treatment.
The pet insurance provider works closely with rehoming charities to promote responsible pet ownership, and Clarissa Baldwin, from the Dogs Trust charity, told Petplan: "Sadly we are seeing the results of the deepening recession at some of our rehoming centres, and especially an increase in dogs with medical problems whose owners have been unable to pay for ongoing treatment.
"We fully appreciate that it's really difficult for people not to make cutbacks in their spending, but we would urge the public not to see insurance for their pets' health as a non-essential."
Alison Andrew, marketing manager from Petplan , said that the company pays out more than £2 million pounds every week in claims, which shows "how much cheaper it is for people to keep paying insurance than run the risk of losing their pet or watching it suffer."
"It's genuinely worrying to us when we hear people talking about cutting insurance as a moneysaving tip," Ms Andrew said, "because we understand the heartbreak people can suffer if they suddenly find they can't afford to treat their pet any more."
Pet Insurance gives you peace of mind....
I checked out the online approach for this service....the website is easy to use...it outlines all the relavent material you need. It gives the information needed to decide if Sainsbury's Pet Insurance is indeed the best for you and your pets needs.
At the moment they are offering a 5% discount on premiums if you book it online...something to be considered... It offers you continuous cover for your pets illness or injury to the value of £6,500....
Here is an brief outline of what the Insurance covers....
It provids cover for veterinary fees, complimentary treatment, emergency boarding kennels and cattery fees, advertising and reward costs, theft or straying, accidental death, holiday cancellation and third party liability cover for dogs only.
There are conditions too as you would expect.....
You need ensure that your pet has received the required vaccinations, failure to comply with this may seriously jeopardise your claim or cover. There are more obviously, too many to impart here,
The Insurance cover is pretty comprehensive....from paying for the advertizing of your lost or stolen pet to Quarentine costs up to a specified amount.
The cost is relavent to the type of pet/s you have and its age and state of health.
EXCLUSIONS
Any pre-existing medical problem is not covered, costs incurred within the first 14 days of start of cover.
Continuation of an ongoing claim unless the premiums are paid.
Any costs for obesity diets, dental or gum treatment and complementary treatments not carried out under the direction of a vet.
Any costs resulting from vaccinations, spaying castration, pregnancy or giving birth.
These are just a few and it is always a wise practice to ensure you are fully aware of exactly what is on offer before you make your final decissions.
It is a very good idea to be fully aware of the likely conditions that your pet is likely to come across, checking against the Insurance cover....
Legal liability....
Legal liability up to £2,000,000 if someone is injured or killed or their property is damaged as a result of an incident involving your pet.
This is to an important factor to consider.....
Its easy to make a claim, if in the event it is necessary. Always read you policy first to make sure that the problems your pet is experiencing is indeed covered. You will need a claims form, once completed and sent into the relavent address, it is assessed and hopefully approved, inwhich case once they receive your application they are in the possition to send you a cheque.
Pets can and do cost a fortune in vetenary bills and having your pet insured can give you peace of mind knowing that these bills can be taken care of for a relatively small outlay in comparison. Taking care of ones pets by having Pet Insurance has got to be a good thing ultimately.
At the moment they are offering a 5% discount on premiums if you book it online...something to be considered... It offers you continuous cover for your pets illness or injury to the value of £6,500....
Here is an brief outline of what the Insurance covers....
It provids cover for veterinary fees, complimentary treatment, emergency boarding kennels and cattery fees, advertising and reward costs, theft or straying, accidental death, holiday cancellation and third party liability cover for dogs only.
There are conditions too as you would expect.....
You need ensure that your pet has received the required vaccinations, failure to comply with this may seriously jeopardise your claim or cover. There are more obviously, too many to impart here,
The Insurance cover is pretty comprehensive....from paying for the advertizing of your lost or stolen pet to Quarentine costs up to a specified amount.
The cost is relavent to the type of pet/s you have and its age and state of health.
EXCLUSIONS
Any pre-existing medical problem is not covered, costs incurred within the first 14 days of start of cover.
Continuation of an ongoing claim unless the premiums are paid.
Any costs for obesity diets, dental or gum treatment and complementary treatments not carried out under the direction of a vet.
Any costs resulting from vaccinations, spaying castration, pregnancy or giving birth.
These are just a few and it is always a wise practice to ensure you are fully aware of exactly what is on offer before you make your final decissions.
It is a very good idea to be fully aware of the likely conditions that your pet is likely to come across, checking against the Insurance cover....
Legal liability....
Legal liability up to £2,000,000 if someone is injured or killed or their property is damaged as a result of an incident involving your pet.
This is to an important factor to consider.....
Its easy to make a claim, if in the event it is necessary. Always read you policy first to make sure that the problems your pet is experiencing is indeed covered. You will need a claims form, once completed and sent into the relavent address, it is assessed and hopefully approved, inwhich case once they receive your application they are in the possition to send you a cheque.
Pets can and do cost a fortune in vetenary bills and having your pet insured can give you peace of mind knowing that these bills can be taken care of for a relatively small outlay in comparison. Taking care of ones pets by having Pet Insurance has got to be a good thing ultimately.
Insuring your little precious
About a year ago we had to have our old dog put down, it was as I'm sure you will appreciate a heartbreaking experience, and one I thought I'd never have to or want to go through again. We had not taken any insurance out on Tara and a few months before she passed away she developed a growth on her side. After taking vetinery advice we left things as they were. The growth unfortunately got larger and our next visit to the vet resulted in the fees for removal and treatment being extortionate. There was no way we could afford the fees and in hindsight should have had the growth removed at the first visit where it would have been far cheaper. With even greater hindsight we should have done what we have done with our new little puppy Tasha, and insured our little precious.
I searched the net for days looking for a good deal on pet insurance and even went to vets and got additional information to help us with our decision. Most policies were offering coverage of vets fees per injury/treatment of £2500. So when I investigated Sainsbury's policy I was more than pleased to find out that their vets fee coverage was for a staggering £6500 per claim. This would have be a godsend in Tara's case.
My policy cost me £6.20 per month which is also substantially cheaper than other quotes I received, which increased up to £9.79 per month. The policy is underwritten by AXA plc.
POLICY SUMMARY
1. The £6500 vets fee coverage no matter how long it takes to treat.
2. £2500 cover for treatment overseas
3. £200 toe cover cost of dietary treatment for treatment of illness.
4. Legal liability up to £2,000,000 for accident of injury caused to persons due to your pet.
5. Up to £100 per week to a maximum of £1000 in a member of your resident family has to go into hospital or for paying someone to look after your pet.
6. Advertising costs up to £1000 to find your lost pet.
7. £250 reward for information leading to the finding of your lost pet.
8. The purchase price of your pet up to £750
9. The purchase price of your pet up to £1500 if it dies or needs put down after an accident.
10. The purchase price of your pet up to £1000 if it dies or needs put down after an illness.
11. Up to £3000 for cancellation of a holiday should your pet be in an accident or suffer illness 28 prior to your holiday.
As you can see from the summary above the policy is quite comprehensive and is very competitively priced. I have been looking since taking up the policy and have as yet failed to find any that compare favourably with this one.
Sainburys can be found at the following address http://www.sainsburys.current-offers.co.uk/petinsurance/index.php?tracker=gspi
Application online saves you an additional 5%. I applied online and the process was fairy quick and very straightforward. Application is accepted on the conditions that your pets' vaccinations are up to date. Shortly after applying you will receive and E-mail confirmation followed about a week later by the policy documents and welcome pack. I think £6.2 is an excellent deal and a very small amount to insure that Tasha gets the treatment we regrettably could not afford to give our dearly missed Tara.
I searched the net for days looking for a good deal on pet insurance and even went to vets and got additional information to help us with our decision. Most policies were offering coverage of vets fees per injury/treatment of £2500. So when I investigated Sainsbury's policy I was more than pleased to find out that their vets fee coverage was for a staggering £6500 per claim. This would have be a godsend in Tara's case.
My policy cost me £6.20 per month which is also substantially cheaper than other quotes I received, which increased up to £9.79 per month. The policy is underwritten by AXA plc.
POLICY SUMMARY
1. The £6500 vets fee coverage no matter how long it takes to treat.
2. £2500 cover for treatment overseas
3. £200 toe cover cost of dietary treatment for treatment of illness.
4. Legal liability up to £2,000,000 for accident of injury caused to persons due to your pet.
5. Up to £100 per week to a maximum of £1000 in a member of your resident family has to go into hospital or for paying someone to look after your pet.
6. Advertising costs up to £1000 to find your lost pet.
7. £250 reward for information leading to the finding of your lost pet.
8. The purchase price of your pet up to £750
9. The purchase price of your pet up to £1500 if it dies or needs put down after an accident.
10. The purchase price of your pet up to £1000 if it dies or needs put down after an illness.
11. Up to £3000 for cancellation of a holiday should your pet be in an accident or suffer illness 28 prior to your holiday.
As you can see from the summary above the policy is quite comprehensive and is very competitively priced. I have been looking since taking up the policy and have as yet failed to find any that compare favourably with this one.
Sainburys can be found at the following address http://www.sainsburys.current-offers.co.uk/petinsurance/index.php?tracker=gspi
Application online saves you an additional 5%. I applied online and the process was fairy quick and very straightforward. Application is accepted on the conditions that your pets' vaccinations are up to date. Shortly after applying you will receive and E-mail confirmation followed about a week later by the policy documents and welcome pack. I think £6.2 is an excellent deal and a very small amount to insure that Tasha gets the treatment we regrettably could not afford to give our dearly missed Tara.
Peace of mind for your furry friends
I’ve insured my dogs through Sainsbury’s for the past 8 years now and I thought I would share my experience with you. Despite the problems with my old dog’s health my experience has been very good with Sainsbury.
Why I initially chose them
I actually had a policy with Petplan but when my German shepherd hit 8, regardless of the fact I had only made 1 claim before, they ceased to insure her. I believe this is different now though. I was faced with trying to find a company that insured older dogs but didn’t charge such large amounts to make it pointless. My vet couldn’t help... they have one of these kickback schemes where they only recommend Petplan and get a cut of the policy fees I suppose.
It wasn’t an easy search, believe me, most insurers only seem to want young, fit and healthy dogs. Sainsbury did give me a reasonable quiote and the policy appeared to be good so I signed up but the proof of the insurance can only be assessed when you make a claim.
My white shepherd was a reasonably healthy dog for her age so I had no need to visit a vet until we noticed she seemed to be in a pit of discomfort with her hindquarters. An x-ray showed she had some arthritic changes and a blood test showed she was safe to take some medication for it.
You are sent a claim pack when you get your policy through. You fill in the section ‘presenting problem’, sign the form and leave it with the vet who fills it in and sends it off. You have 2 choices regarding payment: you can either pay the vet the full amount and claim it back or they can pay the vet direct. I personally choose to pay the bill and claim it back
The first claim took about 10 days and they send you the value of the claim minus the excess you pay under your policy. In our case this was £50 per illness. This is actually quite good, she needed regular medication with a repeat prescription every 3 months but you only pay the excess once on the first diagnosis claim.
She was well maintained on the tablets and we weren’t out of pocket so it was all good until everything suddenly changed. Just before going to bed one evening she went into the garden for her nightly constitution but came back in limping badly on her front right leg and couldn’t weight bear at all, I was obviously really concerned. The vet advised keeping her quiet, giving her an extra dose of her anti-inflammatory and seeing how she was in the morning.
We slept downstairs with her and in the morning she was worse. The leg was very swollen and she was in pain so the vet came in their transport and we went with her. The obviously had to X-ray her leg under anesthetic so we went home to wait. The news was terrible; she had a bone cancer in her leg and the bone had just snapped straight through it and there was nothing they could do really except amputate her leg and try chemo. This wasn’t an option as her quality of life would have been dreadful so we agreed with the vet and allowed euthanasia. We went back so we could be with her , making decisions at a time like this is dreadful but they have to be done, so we chose to have a cremation and signed the various forms including the insurance one. This bill we didn’t pay though, we were to upset so the vet completed it and sent it off on our behalf.
Sainsbury dealt with this really quickly and sent us a nice letter of condolence to terminate the policy and asked us to pay the £50 excess to the vet but amazingly they had actually paid for the cremation as well as the tests and euthanasia. We weren’t expecting that at all.
When we had our new pup I decided to insure her with them too as the service we had with our white girl was superb. This pup is also healthy but she has had a nasty eye infection (caught while swimming in the canal we think!) we have had no problems with getting money paid back on her either.
I’m not going to write all the details here because they vary by animal and the area you live in but Sainsbury has an easy to use website here http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/insuring/ins_petinsurance_pet_skip.shtml
They will give you an internet quote and the main details of the policy are there. As with an insurance product you should read the small print but Sainsbury’s policy is clearly written and not hard to understand.
The main benefits though are : cover for veterinary fees up to £6,500 for each accident or illness , complimentary treatment, emergency boarding kennels and cattery fees, advertising and reward costs, theft or straying, accidental death, holiday cancellation and third party liability cover for dogs only.
You must ensure that your pet has received the required vaccinations, failure to comply with this may jeopardise your claim or cover.
This insurance though won’t cover you for breeding except the first time. Any pregnancies after that are excluded. It also doesn’t cover conditions existing before the policy was taken out
I really would recommend Sainsbury pet insurance to dog owners as not only is their policy really good, with quibble free pay outs but also because of their human touch. Each time I’ve spoken with a representative they have been so good, their attitude helpful and instructive.
We pay our policy monthly by direct debit so it isn’t a great amount to pay out and its worth it for your peace of mind.
Why I initially chose them
I actually had a policy with Petplan but when my German shepherd hit 8, regardless of the fact I had only made 1 claim before, they ceased to insure her. I believe this is different now though. I was faced with trying to find a company that insured older dogs but didn’t charge such large amounts to make it pointless. My vet couldn’t help... they have one of these kickback schemes where they only recommend Petplan and get a cut of the policy fees I suppose.
It wasn’t an easy search, believe me, most insurers only seem to want young, fit and healthy dogs. Sainsbury did give me a reasonable quiote and the policy appeared to be good so I signed up but the proof of the insurance can only be assessed when you make a claim.
My white shepherd was a reasonably healthy dog for her age so I had no need to visit a vet until we noticed she seemed to be in a pit of discomfort with her hindquarters. An x-ray showed she had some arthritic changes and a blood test showed she was safe to take some medication for it.
You are sent a claim pack when you get your policy through. You fill in the section ‘presenting problem’, sign the form and leave it with the vet who fills it in and sends it off. You have 2 choices regarding payment: you can either pay the vet the full amount and claim it back or they can pay the vet direct. I personally choose to pay the bill and claim it back
The first claim took about 10 days and they send you the value of the claim minus the excess you pay under your policy. In our case this was £50 per illness. This is actually quite good, she needed regular medication with a repeat prescription every 3 months but you only pay the excess once on the first diagnosis claim.
She was well maintained on the tablets and we weren’t out of pocket so it was all good until everything suddenly changed. Just before going to bed one evening she went into the garden for her nightly constitution but came back in limping badly on her front right leg and couldn’t weight bear at all, I was obviously really concerned. The vet advised keeping her quiet, giving her an extra dose of her anti-inflammatory and seeing how she was in the morning.
We slept downstairs with her and in the morning she was worse. The leg was very swollen and she was in pain so the vet came in their transport and we went with her. The obviously had to X-ray her leg under anesthetic so we went home to wait. The news was terrible; she had a bone cancer in her leg and the bone had just snapped straight through it and there was nothing they could do really except amputate her leg and try chemo. This wasn’t an option as her quality of life would have been dreadful so we agreed with the vet and allowed euthanasia. We went back so we could be with her , making decisions at a time like this is dreadful but they have to be done, so we chose to have a cremation and signed the various forms including the insurance one. This bill we didn’t pay though, we were to upset so the vet completed it and sent it off on our behalf.
Sainsbury dealt with this really quickly and sent us a nice letter of condolence to terminate the policy and asked us to pay the £50 excess to the vet but amazingly they had actually paid for the cremation as well as the tests and euthanasia. We weren’t expecting that at all.
When we had our new pup I decided to insure her with them too as the service we had with our white girl was superb. This pup is also healthy but she has had a nasty eye infection (caught while swimming in the canal we think!) we have had no problems with getting money paid back on her either.
I’m not going to write all the details here because they vary by animal and the area you live in but Sainsbury has an easy to use website here http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/insuring/ins_petinsurance_pet_skip.shtml
They will give you an internet quote and the main details of the policy are there. As with an insurance product you should read the small print but Sainsbury’s policy is clearly written and not hard to understand.
The main benefits though are : cover for veterinary fees up to £6,500 for each accident or illness , complimentary treatment, emergency boarding kennels and cattery fees, advertising and reward costs, theft or straying, accidental death, holiday cancellation and third party liability cover for dogs only.
You must ensure that your pet has received the required vaccinations, failure to comply with this may jeopardise your claim or cover.
This insurance though won’t cover you for breeding except the first time. Any pregnancies after that are excluded. It also doesn’t cover conditions existing before the policy was taken out
I really would recommend Sainsbury pet insurance to dog owners as not only is their policy really good, with quibble free pay outs but also because of their human touch. Each time I’ve spoken with a representative they have been so good, their attitude helpful and instructive.
We pay our policy monthly by direct debit so it isn’t a great amount to pay out and its worth it for your peace of mind.
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