Pet Insurance Claim Help - Maximum Benifit

We have been with Petplan almost 10 years.

Recently our eldest cat diagnosed with large cell lymphoma in her stomach, been doing chemo for ever since.

The plan we chose for our cat is the petplan cover for life Classic 1
https://www.petplan.com.au/cat-and-kitten-insurance

and here is the PDS
https://www.petplan.com.au/FileReference/ServeFileType/5348/…

“Maximum Benefits” - P.11
means the most We will pay for the relevant level of cover You have chosen during the Period of
Insurance as set out in the Certificate of Insurance, subject to exclusions of the Policy and subject to
the Policy Aggregate less the applicable Excess.

"Policy Aggregate" - P.12
means the total amount payable for all Veterinary Fees and Alternative or
Complementary Treatment for Injuries and/or Illnesses occurring during any one Policy
Year as specified in the Certificate of Insurance.

What happened is after 2 claims for the lymphoma
Petplan advised we have reached maximum benefits this period ( April 2019- April 2020).

Our Maximum is $9,000
Fixed excess is $125
Age excess is 35%

and our total current bill from vet is $9,036.85 (Already paid to vet)

which bring us the excess of $3,288 of age excess (35%) + $125

So Petplan will paid us $5,748.95

and the balance of the maximum = $3,251.05

Here is problem, Petplan said our total bill which is $9,036.8 has already reach the limit and they refused to pay anymore which we certainly cannot agree.

We are getting our dispute/complaint escalated to their Internal Dispute Resolution on the 17th Dec 2019 and advised a response will be given before the 6th Jan 2020.
When we called today asked for updates, they started arguing with us on phone and insisted we are wrong.

We have been stress out for the last few two months and we still have another 10 chemo sessions ahead of us, we would be appreciated we can get some ideas/suggestions/advices from all OZbarginer see if we actually right on this one or not.

Feel free to ask any question if i missed any info from above. Cheers.

Comments

  • +12

    Your limit is $9000
    But you have a reduced claimable amount due to the pet age excess.

    The example below is given in the PDS
    Claimable Veterinary Fees
    $10,000
    Less the Fixed Excess
    $150
    Revised claimable amount
    $9,850

    Less Optional Pet % Share Excess 25% (on revised claimable amount
    $2,462.50
    Total claimable amount
    $7387.50

    So in the example above, a person with $10,000 cover with a 25% age excess after their fixed excess would only be able to claim a total of $7387.50

    They spent $10,000 in the example
    Got $7387.50 back
    They have effectively claimed their entire $10,000 for the year.

    Age excess is the same method of calculation as above.
    Claimable Veterinary Fees
    $10,000
    Less the Fixed Excess
    $150
    Revised claimable amount
    $9,850
    Less Age Excess loading 20% (on revised claimable amount)
    $1,970
    Total claimable amount
    $7,880

    In this case $10,000 cover would mean they would pay $7,880 but the entire $10,000 would be considered claimed.

    So based on that pet plan has paid you the max you are entitled too.

    Your total claimable amount is $5748
    But the $9000 is considered to have been fully claimed.

    saying that I can still see how the wording in the PDS might give another impression. The pet insurance industry is fraught with dodgy wording and exclusions left right and centre, this is why we save our premiums ourselves and have PI the flick a long time ago

    • That is dodgy as fk!

      Ok you can claim up to $10000 with your policy.

      But if we pay you $7000, thats the same as $10000 claimed.

      lol dirtbags - (not directed at the commenter above but the insurer!)

    • I understand what you tried to say.

      But we still focusing on the 2 things from the

      “Maximum Benefits” - P.11
      means the most We will pay for the relevant level of cover You have chosen during the Period of
      Insurance as set out in the Certificate of Insurance, subject to exclusions of the Policy and subject to
      the Policy Aggregate less the applicable Excess.

      1. "the most we will pay" - they didn't pay for the excess
      2. "Subject to the the Policy Aggregate less the applicable Excess"
        Policy Aggregate the vet fees which means the maximum benefit = Policy Aggregate - applicable Excess

      Correct me if i misinterpreted.

  • -6

    Sorry to hear about your stress.
    Luckily its a forst world problem.

    • looking forward to your inevitable ozbargain post if you ever have a pet with medical issues

      • He wouldn’t have a pet. Too busy buying high yield investment cars.

      • -2

        Pet insurance is a mugs game that pulls on the heart strings of the owners.
        It doesnt make economic sense to spend $10k on a cat for cancer.
        Think of the pain and suffering the animal is going through. Sometimes its best to let nature take its course.

        • If the cat is suffering you get it put down. Letting Nature take its course is putting it through unnecessary pain.

  • +2

    Petplan said our total bill which is $9,036.8 has already reach the limit and they refused to pay anymore which we certainly cannot agree.

    Last time I looked your $9,036.80 pet bill is greater than $9,000? Then yes you have reached your limit. These limits are always before excesses etc. Its not they will pay out $9,000 after excess fees are removed etc.

    • BUt they didnt pay for the excess, we did

      • +2

        Which insurance company does not require the policy holder (you) to pay the excess when making a claim?

        It's no difference to home insurance or car insurance.

        • +3

          Yes I think the OP doesn't understand what excess is and how it works. The numbers balance up as per my post below. Petplan hasn't done anything wrong.

          • @JimmyF: “Maximum Benefits” - P.11
            means the most We will pay for the relevant level of cover You have chosen during the Period of
            Insurance as set out in the Certificate of Insurance, subject to exclusions of the Policy and subject to
            the Policy Aggregate less the applicable Excess.

            can you help me to understand this part?

        • I know, im talking the maximum benefits
          say the maximum benefits they will pay is $10,000
          excess is 30%

          so we paid 3000
          they paid 7000

          therefore the maximum benefits we got left is $10,000-$7,000 = $3,000

          isn't it?

          • @anthony1106: Max they pay (-) less applicable excess= total benefit

            10,000-3000=7000 they'll pay to vet.

      • BUt they didnt pay for the excess, we did

        Thats how EXCESSES work, YOU pay them, not them….. Say a 23yo crashes your car, and its written off. The car was insursed for $10k. But you had a $800 excess and then a $800 under 25yo driver excess. The insurance company will only pay you $8400 for your car. ($10k - $1600).

        This is what has happened here, They will pay your upto $9000/year for treatment, MINUS any excess. Which as you said is

        Fixed excess is $125
        Age excess is 35%

        Your vet bill was $9,036.85, of which only $9000 is claimable. Anything over is paid 100% by you, so straight up, that $36.85 is 100% paid by you.

        As you said above, take off your 35% age excess and $125 standard excess, which you said was a total of $3288 dollars. Means the maxium they will pay out is $9000-$3288 excess is about $5712.

        As you have been paid by Petplan $5,748.95, then this seems about right with your policy.

        and the balance of the maximum = $3,251.05

        This is your 'excess' amount from the $9,036.85 vet bill.

        Ie your excess amount of $3,251.05 plus what Petplan has paid being $5,748.95 equals $9000 aka your maxium payout allowed.

        • Just an update. We was right and they are wrong after AFCA involved.

  • +3

    still have another 10 chemo sessions

    Have you thought about putting it down instead of torturing it?

    • we had the same thought before but different react differently and luckily our one is reacting really well, so far she only have a few diarrhoea which manageable after special diet and probiotics

  • Sadly, this is the case. Any insurance company works the same way. The total “amount” is then discounted by the excesses, in whatever form. Our last kitty was on Petplan before they brought in the age discount. Her vet bills were, roughly, $12,000 and we got, roughly, $9000 back from Pet Plan.

    It might be time to think about if you are doing the right thing by the cat, and your wallet. You need to have a frank discussion with the specialist on quality of life. Our kitty had heart trouble, kidney trouble and a duodenal ulcer. She was only 12 so we gave her the benefit of the doubt. After spending 6 weeks feeding her through a neck tube, and a frustrating time after that trying to find a food she would eat, she finally had an almost complete collapse and we had to put her down. We bought, roughly, another 5 months for her. She was, pretty fine, in herself but I’m a touch miffed the specialist weren’t more honest about what was happening. If they’d told us, up front, what we were facing we may have made a different choice for our girl. I’m a firm believer you owe them a good life and a good death. When it comes, the hard decision is one you need to make to ensure your cat isn’t suffering. We are on our 7th and 8th cats and putting one down is never the easy decision, and frankly it shouldn’t be, but we have the ability to relieve their suffering. This is a choice a number of us are denied for ourselves.

    My heart goes out to you and your sick kitty.

    • She has been looking after by the best oncologist from Sydney U and improved a lot after 4 chemo sessions already, tumour has reduced 2/3 to 1cm.

      • been looking after by the best oncologist

        Well this doesn't come cheap.

        • no, it wasn't cheap and we willing to pay

    • finally, we was right and they are wrong after AFCA involved.

  • +2

    Next time, open a side account for your animals & put it into that account; not into dodgy AF pet insurers pockets
    I am sorry about your cat, I have a cat as well & I know how you would feel about them

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