Pet Insurance News

Pet insurance fraud rises four-fold

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:49:00 GMT

Insurers have reported a dramatic rise in fraud in the pet insurance market. It appears the grim economy has led many people to desperate measures.

According to the Association of British Insurers, the total value of fraudulent claims that are detected has risen to just under £2 million a year -- up from just £420,000 the previous year.

The cases involve a wide variety of tactics, most commonly exaggerating vet bills, or claiming for pre-existing conditions, which are not covered by pet insurance. Other cases included policies and claims for non-existent pets, with one owner claiming to have handed an insured dog over to the RSPCA -- a claim that was quickly disproven. The most distressing cases included owners deliberately wounding or even killing high-value pets to claim a payout.

Insurers say they are discussing the idea of setting up a register of claims across all companies, similar to those used in home and car insurance. The register would help track customers who wrongfully make multiple claims with different companies or those who build up a suspicious pattern. It would also make it much harder for those who make fraudulent claims to take out new

Pet insurance more important as vet bills rise

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:38:00 GMT

The cost of the average pet insurance claim has risen by more than a third in the past year. It's been caused by rocketing vet bills for treatment.

The figures, from Sainsbury's Pet Insurance, cover all claims made in 2010. The average claim for crossbreed dogs was £416.35, compared with £333.83 in 2009. The average claim for crossbreed cats was £327.54, up from £253.84.

There were also steep rises for pedigree pets. The cost for dogs averages £469.20, up from £416.33, while the average for cats was £419.92, up from £327.55.

That difference may seem odd if you think of pedigree pets as "superior." In reality though, the fact that both parents are of the same breed means there's a much greater chance of a pet having a hereditary health problem.

Sainsburys also revealed that around a third of pet owners now take a policy out almost immediately after getting the animal. It also found that around a third of those with policies have annual limits of £2,000, which may prove inadequate for some

"Lifetime" shocker for Petguard policyholders

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:48:00 GMT

A major pet insurer has cancelled lifetime policies for customers, giving some just three weeks notice. The issue is being taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

In the case of Petguard, the "lifetime" referred to the fact that annual limits for payouts for particular conditions would be reset each year if coverage was renewed. However, the small print stated that each year's policy was a standalone contract and thus the insurer was under no obligation to renew.

In this case the big problem was that Petguard's policies were underwritten by a third party firm, which has now pulled out of the pet insurance market. As a result Petguard won't be renewing policies for customers who have made a claim in the past. They'll now be left to find new coverage elsewhere, likely at considerably higher premiums.

The FOS has received complaints and says it will investigate whether both the policy contracts and the marketing material were clear enough. It notes that in most cases the insurer is obliged to provide cover for the duration of the existing contract even once it's decided to quit the

Pet insurance survey finds pets are still loved but proving costly

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 20:32:00 GMT

Humans love their pets sometimes as much as people, which may be why they put up with the damage they cause! That's the conclusions from two separate insurance related surveys this week.

According to the Co-operative Pet Insurance, 28% of people believe a pet dying could be as emotionally painful as a family member's death, while 34% likened the experience to the death of a friend. It also found dog owners were most likely to be particularly hurt by their pet dying.

Meanwhile Confused.com found that the average pet owner reports £690 of damage caused by their pet each year: a nationwide total of £3.3 billion. Around one in five pet owners described the damage caused to their home by a pet as "significant."

The company noted this was a particular problem as major insurers don't currently cover accidental damage caused by pets and is running a petition to redress that. The Association of British Insurers says the publicity caused by the petition might encourage some insurers to offer such cover to help gain a competitive

Co-operative launches new range of pet insurance

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:27:00 GMT

British pet owners will spend more than £100 million on presents for their animals this year, one insurer says.

According to a survey by The Co-operative Insurance, the average figure of £11.78 per pet owner is 10% higher than last year. That's in contrast to another survey question which found that 45% of people planned to spend less on gifts for human friends and family.

In what is not exactly a coincidence, The Co-Operative has just launched a new range of pet cover products starting at £10.69 a month for dogs and £6.32 a month for cats. There are two variants: Classic cover pays up to £2,000 per condition for 12 months after diagnoses, while Select Plus covers conditions for as long as the customer continues renewing the annual policy.

There are also two optional add-on bundles: Additional benefits covers risks such as the pet being lost or stolen, while Pet Travel covers treatment overseas and any resulting quarantine

Government scraps dog insurance plans

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:20:00 GMT

The Government has backed down on plans to force all dog owners to insure their pet against damage caused by it attacking someone else. The climbdown comes just a week after the scheme was announced.

The plan had come under widespread criticism, including a Conservative party poster using the Churchill insurance advert character, dubbing the measure a dog tax. Insurers dubbed the scheme unworkable, saying few firms would be willing to offer cover at affordable rates.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn said "We can rule out compulsory insurance for all dogs. The idea of compulsory insurance was something that was raised with us because of the horrific injuries some very dangerous dogs can cause... We don't want to penalise the vast majority of responsible dog owners because they're just as concerned as everybody else about that small minority who mistreat dogs, get them involved in dog fighting or use dogs as weapons."

He noted that the Government might still bring in powers for a court to order owners of a dog involved in an attack to get pet insurance against future incidents.

An Association of British Insurers spokesman warned this week against bringing the plan back in any form. Nick Starling said compulsory insurance could

Government plans compulsory pet insurance for dogs

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:19:00 GMT

The government is planning a scheme by which all dogs in the United Kingdom would have to be insured. The mandatory pet insurance coverage would be designed to pay compensation in the event that the dog attacked a person.

The scheme is part of a package of rules designed to cut down the number of attacks and make it easier to deal with those which do occur. It stems from concerns that with most breeds of dogs, an attack on private property makes it legally difficult to successfully take action against the owner.

Surprisingly insurers don't back the idea. The Association of British Insurers said that while pet insurance can cover such an event, it was unlikely firms would want to offer attack cover to all dog owners. That's because insurers believe the likelihood of a payout is too high to make it profitable in all cases. At the moment most pet insurance specifically excludes some breeds such as those which are legally classed as dangerous.

The ABI noted that the plans in their current form are flawed as they require dog owners to get insurance, but don't require insurers to offer such cover. It also noted that there was no explanation

Pet insurers offer winter survival tips

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:12:00 GMT

This year's bitterly cold winter has made pet insurance even more beneficial according to specialist firms. One company says a customer saved more than £5,000 by being suitably covered before an icy disaster.

PetPlan says a pet poodle belonging to a customer was playing in the garden, slipped on ice and wound up crashing into a patio door, suffering both internal bleeding and a broken spinal cord. The bill for the resulting surgery and aftercare cost a total of £5,600.

The firm also said there are extra risks resulting from the way animals cope with the icy conditions. Dog owners should check the paws while walking their pet to make sure that grit isn't causing irritation which can cause the skin to split. They should also wash the paws as soon as they return home as this limits the danger of the dog licking grit from a paw and then suffering stomach upsets.

It's also important to take care to make sure pets aren't left unsupervised near a garden pond which has frozen over as the ice can easily crack under the animal's weight.

Another problem to watch out for is anti-freeze which has been spilt on the floor. One of its

Increase in pet poisonings reported

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:56:23 GMT

UK pet owners are being urged to prevent access to medications following a large increase in pet poisoning reports according to Marks and Spencer pet insurance.

The growing problem of pet poisonings has resulted in a 34% year-on-year increase in reported cases to Vetfone, a 24-hour advice line available to M&S Pet Insurance policy holders.

One of the major increases of poisonings has been caused by nicotine based products, such as patches, chewing gum and inhalers. Nictoine becomes toxic to dogs at five milligrams per pound pet bodyweight and a 10mg/lb dose can be fatal.

An indication of the strength of nicotine products is seen when comparing a cigarette which contains 15-25 milligrams of nicotine to nicotine patches which can
contain far more at between 8-114 milligrams of nicotine. Even nicotine inhalers contain around 10 milligrams of nicotine. Symptoms of toxicity are dose-dependent and include tremors, weakness, depression and vomiting.

Louise O’Dwyer, Vetfone Operations Manager & Senior Emergency Vet Nurse, commented... "It's very concerning that there has been such a large increase in reported pet poisonings. Nicotine poisoning can be particularly serious. Remember prevention is better than cure, so ensure products such as cigarettes, nicotine patches and gums and even ashtrays containing cigarette butts are kept away from your pets reach."

If you suspect that your pet

New Post Office pet insurance policy launched

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 17:13:23 GMT

The Post Office has today increased it's growing range of financial services products with the addition of a new pet insurance policy.

Underwritten by Axa, Post office pet insurance is designed to meet the real needs of UK cat and dog owners with a comprehensive policy that covers vet bills up to a maximum of £5,000 per condition. With the majority of pet insurance claims under £5,000 most pet owners don't need to pay extra for higher cover limits.

Unlike many policies, Post Office Pet Insurance won't stop paying out after 12 months, so pets can be covered for long-term health conditions. And with no age limit, cats and dogs of all ages can be covered against illness and accident.

Head of per insurance at the Post Office, Emma Baunach commented... "Dogs and cats are often a huge part of the family - with 11% of people saying they would re-mortgage their house to pay for a vital vet bill! To avoid such drastic measures, owners should look for a suitable pet insurance policy. But they must remember to check the cover features of policies rather than just choose the cheapest option, as this may not offer the right level

Marks and Spencer Pet Insurance Gets Added Benefits

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 17:15:23 GMT

Marks and Spencer Pet Insurance is being overhauled with changes designed to give customers greater choice and control over their cover.

A new Premier plan has replaced the existing policy and is available to new customers and existing customers at renewal plus a Standard policy for pet-owners who need a more basic policy but still require the protection of lifetime cover.

Marks & Spencer was the first high street retailer to offer lifetime cover on pet insurance for cats and dogs. This means that even if a pet becomes ill, they will continue to be insured for the rest of their natural life as long as the policy is renewed.

The Premier and Standard policies now include the following extra benefits:

Vetfone - free and unlimited access to a 24 hr advice phone line, staffed by qualified
veterinary nurses.
Best Pet Pharmacy - 5% discount on prescription and non-prescription medicines
and specialist pet food.

The Premier policy now also includes:

Cover for vet fees up to £7,000 a year for illness and injury
No time limit on the duration of treatment provided the policy is renewed

Sainsbury's Bank reveals the cost of owning a pedigree pet

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:17:23 GMT

Research by Sainsburys Pet Insurance has shown that the cost of owning a pedigree pet can be up to 34% more expensive than a cross-breed.

The supermarket bank found that a pedigree dog owner will typically spend around £537 a year compared with £430 for cross-breeds, and pedigree cat owners £427 compared with £319 for cross-breeds.

Sainsbury's Bank says that one of the main reasons for this difference in expenditure is the amount spent on vet fees. Pedigree animals may incur higher vets bills because certain breeds are prone to various hereditary conditions. In fact, more than 350 inherited diseases have been identified in pedigree dogs alone.

Head of Sainsburys Pet Insurance, Steve Johnson, said: "Certain breeds, after generations of selective breeding, can be prone to various hereditary conditions which can require long term treatment. It's therefore best to insure a pedigree puppy or kitten as soon as you take it into your care and select a policy which provides adequate levels of long term cover. Once a condition becomes apparent it may be impossible to get it covered under a new policy."

"Despite the fact that we spend a small fortune on our animal companions, only around 12% of the

UK pet owners trust their vet more than hospital doctors

Thu, 4 May 2006 16:20:23 GMT

A survey released by Pet Plan Pet Insurance, the UK's largest pet insurer has found that UK pet owners trust the advice and knowledge of their local vet more than doctors at their local hospital.

The results are released as Petplan is asking people all over the UK to nominate deserving candidates for any of the four categories in the Petplan Veterinary Awards 2006.

The survey undertaken by NOP, asked 1,000 people which professional opinion they trusted most. Over a quarter of all pet owners interviewed said that they trust their vet (26%) more than most human health professionals. People trusted their vet over their optician (24%), hospital doctor (24%) and dentist (23%).

Further findings revealed that pet owners look after their pet more than they look after their own health. 51% of the pet owners interviewed are more likely to take their pet to the local vet at the first signs of ill health, but would wait for further symptoms in their own health before going to the GP.

Dr June McNicholas, psychologist, and one of Europe's leading researchers in the field of relationships between people and animals says, "I am not surprised at all by these findings. When people

More pets suffering from food intolerances

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:22:22 GMT

A new study by More Than Pet Insurance reveals that an increasing number of UK pets are suffering from food intolerances and allergies.

Almost 10% of pets suffer from food intolerances, mirroring the trend amongst humans estimated at 40-45% of the population. Contrary to popular belief, food intolerance is likely to be associated with the food that is most commonly eaten. Pets are most often allergic to wheat (e.g. biscuits) and beef; other common allergens include pork, chicken, milk, soy and fish.

Recognising dietary intolerance is difficult for pet-owners as recurring signs are often passed off as minor illnesses. Once diagnosed, healing the problem is not so easy either. This is made worse because of a lack of legislation governing pet food labelling, which means pet owners cannot always clearly identify what they are feeding their pets.

Pet food manufacturers are currently not obligated to name actual ingredients and some pet food labels use general terms such as 'meat by-products? and ?cereal or animal derivatives?. More Than is calling for those pet food manufacturers to use more accurate labelling to help pet owners and vets in diagnosing and preventing food intolerances. Nowadays 87% of UK vets are recommending more specialist