Comparing pet insurance policies – is it time to switch or should you renew?

With most types of insurance, if you’re not happy with the price, the customer services or the level of cover, you can just switch to something more suitable. 

While that’s also true of pet insurance, it’s not quite so straightforward and there’s a bit more you need to think about when you’re comparing policies to see if they might offer more than your current one.

We’ve looked at some common areas of confusion to help you decide whether you should renew with your existing provider or switch to a different pet insurer.

Assess your current pet insurance policy

First, evaluate your current pet insurance policy. Does it cover all the needs of your pet? Are you satisfied with the customer service? 

If you’re generally happy, it might be best to see if there’s anything you can change, for example adding or removing optional extras, that would make it more suitable.

This is especially true if you’ve had to make a claim on the policy.

Think about pre-existing conditions

If your pet’s been ill in the past and you then switch providers, it’ll usually be considered a pre-existing condition by your new provider, which usually means it won’t be covered. That’s often the case, even if you haven’t made a claim for the condition as it’ll still be on your pet’s veterinary records.

That doesn’t mean you can’t switch, but you do need to be aware that if you do and your pet suffers from the same condition again in the future, you’ll have to foot the bill.

At ManyPets we do things a bit differently and if your pet’s had a condition in the past that ended two or more years ago, we’ll cover it as a new condition if it crops up again.

We also have a policy that’s designed to cover more recent pre-existing conditions.

Make sure you compare like-for-like

Lifetime cover, accident-only, time limited… the types of pet insurance can be pretty bewildering and you need to be careful you compare like for like if you’re shopping around for an alternative to your current provider.

At ManyPets we keep things simple and only offer lifetime pet insurance. It has a vet fee limit that refreshes each year when you renew. Vets agree that lifetime cover is the best type for long term illnesses your pet might get, as well as immediate conditions.

As well as they type, make sure you’re comparing policies with similar vet fee limits and also think about what cover they include. For example, our complete policy includes dental cover for accidents and illnesses, theft and straying cover, behavioural treatment and complementary therapy cover as standard – many others don’t.

Be careful switching mid-policy

There’s nothing to stop you switching pet insurance at any time, including in the middle of your policy term. Just be careful – you might end up with a gap in your cover or your old provider might have a clause that you need to pay a cancellation fee – so check first.

If you switch to us at ManyPets, we’ll waive the 14 day ‘wait period’ (the time at the start of your new policy when you can’t claim for illnesses) if you’ve switched from a previous provider you’ve been with for at least 12 months. It doesn’t matter if you’re switching mid-term or at your renewal time.

So should I switch or renew my pet insurance?

As we’ve seen, deciding to switch or renew isn’t just a financial decision, especially if your pet’s had pre-existing conditions in the past.

If you’re cat or dog is currently insured with us and you’re considering switching, get in touch and we can see if there’s any way we can help you get the most from your policy, perhaps seeing if you could save money with our Multipet discount or helping you decide of our MoneyBack option is a good fit for your pet.

And if you’re considering switching to us from elsewhere, have a look at how we do things differently with pre-existing conditions and check out all our cat insurance and dog insurance cover levels and policy options.