Rabbit insurance - what are chances? They've PAID OUT!

I insured Artie a few months ago. He had surgery relating to bladder sludge/calcification two years ago and has ongoing treatment to control the sludge.

So, he's just had surgery for kidney stones. It wasn't known he had kidney stones when I took out the insurance. he was well albiet he had his other medical condition but it had been well controlled for over 18 months.

The big question is -

Would kidney stones be considered a pre-existing condition because calcification of the kidneys ties in with calcification of the bladder - one and the same - it's all urinary tract.

or

It's a completely new condition because it's nephrology not urology and his kidneys were well before this current episode.


It's Pets @ Home insurance so quite new and I don't know of how good they are at paying out. I'll be putting in a claim on the off-chance that they pay out but Artie was getting the treatment anyway as at the time I assumed he wouldn't be covered but I've been questioning it since.

no idea, but good luck i hope they do pay up :wave:

Mmmm tricky one, my feeling is that they would argue that it's a pre-existing condition because even though you didn't know about the kidney stones, it's likely to be related to the pre-existing bladder sludge problem which you did know about.

But having said that, if you don't ask, you definitely won't get, so there's no harm in putting in the claim and you may be pleasantly surprised!

donnamt said:

no idea, but good luck i hope they do pay up :wave:

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Thank you.

Santa said:

Mmmm tricky one, my feeling is that they would argue that it's a pre-existing condition because even though you didn't know about the kidney stones, it's likely to be related to the pre-existing bladder sludge problem which you did know about.

But having said that, if you don't ask, you definitely won't get, so there's no harm in putting in the claim and you may be pleasantly surprised!

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Yeah, that's entirely my take on it too. The kidney stones definitely weren't there in October as we have an x-ray to prove it but it wasn't until April that the policy started so they *could* have formed by then. Though he had no 'clinical signs' as their blurb puts it.

Let's just say it would be 'grand' (or nearly) to get the money back.

I dont think they will pay out Sorry but i think it would be classified as 'caused' by a pre-exsisting condition which would be excluded as it occured before the inception of the policy, i work in insurance but not pet insurance. Good luck though, i hope they do, let us know how you get on!

shelley said:

I dont think they will pay out Sorry but i think it would be classified as 'caused' by a pre-exsisting condition which would be excluded as it occured before the inception of the policy, i work in insurance but not pet insurance. Good luck though, i hope they do, let us know how you get on!

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Thanks. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

I've heard a scenario of if a parrot breaks it's leg and the owner then insures the parrot, that leg isn't covered but the other is. Parrot would have more chance of there being a problem with the other leg, something to do with weight bearing, so it would be worth having the insurance. I suppose once the insurance company spots a trend on this then can then make it an exclusion as you've described above.

I really don't rate my chances as very high but its with filling in the paperwork just in case.

Good luck I really hope they pay out!! A few of us now have P@H ins but I think you're the first of us to attempt a claim!!

Boudicca said:

Good luck I really hope they pay out!! A few of us now have P@H ins but I think you're the first of us to attempt a claim!!

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My claim isn't straightforward though so I definitely won't hold it against them if they don't pay out. I'll be amazed if they do really. Pet Plan have been good about paying out but they are taking ridiculously long about it at the moment.

I think that if FHB backs you up in saying it is not a symptom of his exsisting condition, but a condition in it's self, they will pay out, however if FHB states it as a symptom or an effect from his bladder sludge then they won't pay out,

Also what specifically did they say they wouldn't cover? Because Kidney stones certainly wasn't a pre-exsisting condition, but the cause for them may have been....

To be fair you can make anyone pay out if you use the correct terms and language.

Good luck, I think you have a 50/50 chance :wave:

Santa said:

Mmmm tricky one, my feeling is that they would argue that it's a pre-existing condition because even though you didn't know about the kidney stones, it's likely to be related to the pre-existing bladder sludge problem which you did know about.

But having said that, if you don't ask, you definitely won't get, so there's no harm in putting in the claim and you may be pleasantly surprised!

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If they were going to exclude claims for anything kidney related it should be on his form as an exclusion.

shelley said:

I dont think they will pay out Sorry but i think it would be classified as 'caused' by a pre-exsisting condition which would be excluded as it occured before the inception of the policy, i work in insurance but not pet insurance. Good luck though, i hope they do, let us know how you get on!

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I think it can really depend on the individual situation, how the vets write the notes and who's processing your claim at the insurers.

Poppy isn't covered for her teeth as it was a pre-existing condition. She was having penicillin injections to treat the teeth, had an injection site reaction and had to have surgery to remove the lump that developed-Petplan paid up no questions asked. So basically.... there is hope, your conditions seem to be more loosly connected than mine.

Good luck with your claim

Thanks all for your input.

I've more of a glimmer of a hope now than I did before. I'm hoping with the right wording from the vets we will stand a chance. I definitely wasn't expecting this as a result of his bladder condition so *hopefully* it won't be something regarded as a predictable result.

I shall update as and when.

Update

Artie had his stitches taken out today and felt a bit like a celebrity with staff asking after him

I asked NHB what he thought our chances were of a successful claim and he said that Artie didn't have kidney problems prior to insurance starting; FHB and Ruth see a lot of rabbits with bladder sludge that don't go on to get kidney stones - so there's no reason to link the two as the same condition - they should be able to put up a good case for the claim

Artie being mended from the pain he was in and potential damage to his kidney is the important bit but if I can get some/all of the money back then brilliant.

I'm not greatly convinced reading all the small print especially on the claim form that I downloaded. (It took them nearly a week to send a claim form when I left a message on an automated phone number); you only have 31 days to put the claim through from start of illness :? P@H say that if they despute the amount it cost or the treatment given they may pay less. I'm convinced if they do pay out they will pay out what it would cost for him having a kidney removed rather than the surgery to save it. The surgery itself was about £500 .. but if P@H had said before the surgery they would pay out for removal of kidney and I could pay the rest of settle for that then he definitely would have had the surgery he did have.

It might just be an interesting test case afterall.

I got a letter from P@H insurance today saying they want more information and that they want me to explain if there is a link between his bladder problems and his kidney problems. .... they've not said an outright no then.

As vets think they can put up a good case that there is no connection (the EC factor probably strengthens his case?). Anyhow, vets believe it's a separate issue, let's just hope that will be enough.

As he's now had the kidney out there might be more scope for assessing what caused the problem.

Anyhow, I'm now passing the letter to the vets for them to explain the position .. and also put in another claim for his more recent surgery.

*holds breath and hopes for best*

good luck :wave:

donnamt said:

good luck :wave:

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Thank you.

Success!!

Wow :shock:

I got a cheque on Saturday for £779

They've paid out

I never even considered that I had insurance when he went for his surgery as I just assumed it was part and parcel of his pre-existing condition. It was because of the great support from my vet practice team that I decided to pursue a claim as at the beginning I didn't think I stood a chance.

The cover is only annual so we only have £1,000 cover per condition but thank god we had that.

So guys, from this important test case, I can say I would recommend Pets at Home rabbit insurance :wave:

Woohoo!!! :wave: xx

Soooo pleased for you. Never ever thought I would say this but err..... good old PAH eh?

Fantastic news - really pleased for you! :wave:

Pleased to hear it. I have just insured Floppy and Millie with them. I haven't insured buns before so I am pleased to hear a success story. It's not that I don't love Starfish, I just reckon anything she goes for will be linked to existing conditions!