STOP – Read this before you change your pet insurance!
This is Olive the French Bulldog. She is an almost two-year-old bundle of joy. 
Olive has been a very healthy dog, but her health insurance premiums rose substantially and her owner decided to swap insurance companies. STOP. WARNING. WARNING.
Pet insurance is not like our health insurance. If your pet has had health problems before starting insurance, all related health problems will not be covered by pet insurance. Olive had had some skin and ear problems at one-year-old. This had been covered by her original insurance but is unlikely to be covered now she is insured with a different company. 
So what should have been done differently?
- If you wish to change pet insurance companies take a deep breath and do it slowly.
- Don’t drop your cover until you know it will be worth changing to the next insurance company. (Cheaper premiums are of little benefit if all your claims are rejected.)
- Once you have chosen your new insurance company, write to them and ask if you sent your pet’s history could they explain in writing if any conditions will not be covered by insurance.
- Your vet can send the history straight to the insurance company.
- If you receive a reply with a clear answer you can then decide if swapping pet insurance providers will be worthwhile. If you get something in writing save it as important information.
- Never accept a verbal assurance that something will be covered. You will need written correspondence from the insurance company.
Pet insurance has been a fabulous bonus especially for on-going conditions and for major health problems. If you understand how it works and insure before your new pet has any health problems, you will get the best results.
More about adorable Olive in our next post.
