Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: unseeliechylde on May 06, 2008, 15:39:50 PM
-
Ok, I know this is a much-discussed topic here, but I recently read an article in "your cat" (OH bought it when we were catfood shopping because it had a "buyers guide to cat toys" section! lol - yes, slowly but surely he is becoming a crazy cat-man ;)) about adopting older cats. It was a very good article - covering the benefits of a more laid back cat, the fact that cats now live longer so old doesn't mean you won't have them for long, etc.... However, it toched on insurance, and recommended getting a "lifelong" policy, which should cover the cat from birth to death, with all the old / geriatric years in between. It said that these policies are only offered by some companies (didn't specify which), and that although they are a little more expensive in the short term, its cheaper in the ong run as you don't have to keep switching as the cat gets older, with the associated higher premiums as they age.
Great, thinks me, that sounds fab - but I've never come across any companies that offer this, to my knowledge. Has anyone heard of / got one of these types of policies? What companies offer them, how much is it, and what sort of cover do you get? I would ber very keen to switch to this once Riley and Skye are up for renewal - but I've no idea where to go, or whether the cover offered is actually any good, especially for age-related, chrobic, or ongoing illness.
-
I think they mean the policies where it gets renewed every year (ie per condition, per year) which means that every year you 'start from scratch'. So for example if you take out a policy that covers for £7000 per condition per year (I know AXA does this) it means that every year you're covered for that amount, which will help you if your cat develops certain conditions that needs continious treatments and medication. I also think Petplan and Petpals do this policy. If its the same one.
-
Ah, right! Thanks ;) I wasn't sure - I think to be honest, they could have made it a little clearer, but as the article was principally about adopting older cats, rather than insurance, I guess they had to keep it brief. That makes sense though - here was me thinking there was some kind of cat insurance holy grail that I'd never heard of! Oh, well - if wishes were fishes, I'd never have to buy cat food..... :evillaugh:
-
I think what you're referring to are lifetime policies. That means that the company guarantees to renew the policy each year, regardless of claims, provided you pay the premium each month/year. Therefore, if a cat becomes ill with a chronic condition, you won't find the insurer refusing to re-insure when that policy is due for renewal. Neither will they refuse to insure because the cat reaches a certain age. I think most of the big players provide lifetime cover. Petplan certainly do.
-
I have just been looking for a quote for my newly adopted oldie - ET. Petplan I have to say is rubbish they will only offer £2500 per year, a Guildford vet could easily charge more than that for a single condition. they won't offer the "extra" cover for oldies, if they join them as oldies. Gone with AXA £7000 of cover for £21 a month. High-ish premium but peace of mind.
-
Petplan are naughty then, I thought they offered cover equivalent to AXA but obviously not.
You are right its best to be insured although that is quite a high premium I think. However dont think you would get one equivalent from any where else.
-
There are other PetPlan policies. I know Suzanne has higher than that, but they dont insure cats over the age of 8 (or maybe 9) - even the highest is still £1k less than AXA though, and their premiums are also higher.
-
I have just been looking for a quote for my newly adopted oldie - ET. Petplan I have to say is rubbish they will only offer £2500 per year, a Guildford vet could easily charge more than that for a single condition. they won't offer the "extra" cover for oldies, if they join them as oldies. Gone with AXA £7000 of cover for £21 a month. High-ish premium but peace of mind.
I didn't think petplan insured cats over the age of 8 (or is it 10?) - by which I mean insure for the first time. Have they started doing a special policy for oldies? My two are with petplan. Jaffa has the budget policy which offers £4000 per year and Mosi has the Cat policy which offers £6000 per year.
-
Yes I think it is new - but no good unless you go to a very cheap vets indeed. AXA do seem best bet for little ET.
-
I think you made wise decision with Axa ;D