When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Bob Russell — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 12:24:28 GMT

Still not had confirmation that the premium is as agreed on the website with voluntary excess 10%.

So far all paperwork states 20% excess so your system is not right yet!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Anna Blakemore — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 12:11:12 GMT

We had identified the issue after a small mid-month change to our website and were checking the extent when Dr Russell highlighted the situation. We are confident only 5 new members were affected and we have now contacted them all, explained the situation and confirmed that, as this was our error, we will of course honour the terms of the policy they purchased.

We also apologised profusely as we pride ourselves on doing things well – although occasionally, as in this instance, we don’t always get it right. This is especially important with campaigns like ‘Amnesty’ which has proved hugely popular with the owners of older pets that are too old to normally start a pet insurance policy.

For this reason, we would reinforce Dr Russell’s advice and ask vets to keep their eyes open just in case one or two pets did slip through the net.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Stuart Jackson — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 18:27:06 GMT

[quote user="mariette asselbergs"]

I am sure Michael and Supervet can, but us mere vet mortals?

Off we go to Vet Festival, then to Holland to get my own dog laparoscopically neutered by only removing the ovaries (not insured, but I can't do it....)

Mariette

[/quote]

I'll do it for for you for nothing!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Bob Russell — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:23:34 GMT

Nice to see others are insuring. I did not for years but (fairly) happily do now! Advanced imaging (including very high standard ultrasound) does not come cheap and can be the difference between an educated guess and a diagnosis.

I don't like treating my animals that much and it can be difficult to separate science and emotion so insurance provides me with peace of mind.

It does have its limits (especially premium wise) so I don't insure the cats. I would get a loan if necessary as it would be cheaper than paying five premiums and cat bills tend to be lower than some dog ones!

Meeting with Agria this morning to discuss the apparent computer glitch!

Just be aware that there may be an issue with clients if they have taken advantage of Agria's age amnesty! Premium quoted and premiums actually charged may not match!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 09:08:24 GMT

I've got my dog insured. Purely for the peace of mind that whatever happens I will be able to afford it. I don't have huge sums of money in the bank spare, we're saving for a wedding and will be moving house in the near future.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Eilidh Corr — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 22:22:55 GMT

Yep mine's insured. I'm happy to deal with her in a veterinary sense (no problems spaying her for example), but since she's turned out to be atopic (cue a 170 mile trip to our nearest dermatologist for intradermal testing and eye-watering immunotherapy vaccine), she has crap joints (just a matter of time before she needs some sort of orthopaedic intervention) and is bordering on requiring pharmacological help with her neuroses, I'm so far feeling the benefit of insurance.

I am reasonably competent and experienced, and for clients who have financial limitations I'll always come up with an option they can afford, but for my own dog I want to be able to go to the best person and get the best help without hesitation. The friendship of the little brute is the crutch which helps me through the very worst, most despairing times and it's good to know that what she needs, she gets, with no regard to whatever my current financial situation may be.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Lucy Fleming — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 21:48:01 GMT

I'm another in the 'my pets are insured group' - when it was just the dog, she wasn't; now there is a cat too and I decided it was time to get both covered in case large bills came for both at once. Of course, being traditional 'lemon' veterinary pets they do have a list of pre-existing conditions that aren't covered. Like others, I find I struggle to be objective with my own (I was a state when I had to anaesthetise the asthmatic cat for a dental), and as an employee I have to pay something (it only seems fair!) though less than the general public.

Additionally, I consider myself a competent GP but not much of a surgery fan and not an internal medic - if they get anything really weird (which they will, being vet's pets, almost as bad as nurses' pets) I want referral to be an option. I can't imagine putting a £1000 limit on their lives - it cost that much to get the dog back to the UK from NZ!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Stephen Courtney — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 21:40:38 GMT

I insure my dog, and I don't operate on her, and if she were to become seriously unwell i would not be her vet - I tried that with the last dog and had serious problems being realistic and sensible, and to this day have regrets about how things went.

I'm not short on confidence, but one thing this profession has taught me is humility, and i am well aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I'm a medic not a surgeon, also as has been mentioned before, as an employee I cannot have free treatment , and I have to pay for things that other staff members also have to pay for.

I practice what i preach - i insure my dog's health, at least for now. there may become a time when it doesn't make sense.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Joyce Whitehead — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 20:48:26 GMT

I insure my dogs, I hate orthopaedics and am no good at it as a result so if they break a leg/prolapse a disc etc they will be referred. And I would prefer to send them to a specialist for the best result, and that is expensive. And I wouldn't want to pressurise the referral centre by having the owner present.

A few years ago we decided to take our summer holidays visiting my parents in Scotland as we were saving money prior to 2 children at university in the same year. Unfortunately one of the dogs got a severe corneal ulcer on the way up (we think hit the car crate or one of the other dogs). It quickly became eye threatening so we got the local practice to get their eye specialist to see, and subsequently corneal graft her. She is fine and kept her eye, but our cheap holday would have been 1500 more expensive without insurance. I suspect we are currently behind on claims compared to premiums, but the peace of mind is there. And I certainly would not choose to euthanase any of mine if they were treatable but more than £1000.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

David Shepherd — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 20:35:56 GMT

Re the insurance question, one way of looking at it (which I'm sure has been discussed here before) is to say that I would be willing to pay up to a certain amount (in my case maybe £500-1000) after which I would opt for PTS. Depending on your personal limit and circumstances you can then make an assessment if insurance is for you. This works for vets deciding on referrals and chronic conditions as well as for our clients with general vet costs.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

John Wessels — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 20:17:16 GMT

you misquoted me Anthony, those are not my words.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Rob Loxley — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 19:36:47 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Insure large breeds ![/quote]

Pity those small daschunds needing spinal surgery then!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 18:24:23 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]I think all of us have the wit to realise when a referral is a good idea, after all in a lot of cases, it's just an expensive second opinion.[/quote]

That used to be the case, but I don't think it remains so. These days, we frequently refer for advanced imaging, heart echos, advanced orthopedic repairs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy for neoplasia etc.. We have reached a diagnosis (or have a good idea of what/where the problem is) but don't have the necessary facilities in-house to either confirm or treat it.

Unless you have managed to become expert (in the strictest sense of the word) in multiple disciplines, as well as have hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of equipment at your disposal, then you should be offering referral to a small percentage of your patients.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Kate Richardson — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:40:06 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]I am with Michael on this. Sounds like some vets lack a fair bit of self-confidence[/quote]

That's a bit unfair. Some vets simply find it difficult to treat their own pets and keep emotion out of the equation and prefer someone to treat them objectively. I don't think it's necesarily to do with self confidence. Equally it may be a time factor- my horse is insured partly as I no longer do horse work so don't have access to the necesary drugs/equipment, but equally if he needed more intensive treatment, I can hand him over to the vets and say 'get him better'- do what you need to do (within reason)

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Stephanie Wellings — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:14:16 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]I am with Michael on this. Sounds like some vets lack a fair bit of self-confidence[/quote]

I don't lack self confidence but I know that a specialist orthopaedic surgeon would do a better repair on a broken leg/pelvis than I would, and I don't work in a practice with facilities for radiotherapy, radioactive iodine, or CT scanning, so I can think of a fair few eventualities in which I might use insurance.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Anthony Todd — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:09:41 GMT

My advice for pet insurance was, for small breeds, put the premium behind the clock or invest it and, chances are you'll be well ahead and can pay for referral, if ever, out of the savings and interest.

Insure large breeds !

[quote user="John Wessels"] 1. Those conditions you cannot diagnose or treat as well as they might be[/quote]

I think all of us have the wit to realise when a referral is a good idea, after all in a lot of cases, it's just an expensive second opinion.

[quote user="John Wessels"] 2. Not resorting to amputation, steroids or euthanasia[/quote]

Judging by the current star of vetTV I assume you are referring to referral clinics?

Referees always do as much as possible even when others may think #2 should apply, and be applied!!

[quote user="John Wessels"]5. Your wife wants you to.[/quote]

Yep, women are more cautious than men, and who would argue.....?

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

John Wessels — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:07:18 GMT

[quote user="J G Wray"]

[quote user="John Wessels"]Sounds like some vets lack a fair bit of self-confidence[/quote]

“I have great faith in fools - self-confidence my friends will call it.”
Edgar Allen Poe

[/quote]There's one.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

J G Wray — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:02:27 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]Sounds like some vets lack a fair bit of self-confidence[/quote]

“I have great faith in fools - self-confidence my friends will call it.”
Edgar Allen Poe

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

John Wessels — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 16:48:55 GMT

[quote user="J G Wray"]

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I still don't understand vets insuring their own dogs. You can fix 99% of problems yourself..... [/quote]

Really? I mean really?

Reasons to insure your own dogs:

1. Those conditiions you cannot diagnose or treat as well as they might be

2. Not resorting to amputation, steroids or euthanasia

3. If involving referral practice, then no question of having anything more complicated than a client-referral ver relationship

4. Not being a monumental hypocrite when discussing insurance with clients

5. Your wife wants you to.

Now I know that Yorkshire is a denial, irony and hypocrisy free zone but:

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I still don't understand vets insuring their own dogs. You can fix 99% of problems yourself [/quote]

Really?

[/quote]

I am with Michael on this. Sounds like some vets lack a fair bit of self-confidence

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Francisco Gomez — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:54:43 GMT

[quote user="J G Wray"]

1. Those conditiions you cannot diagnose or treat as well as they might be

2. Not resorting to amputation, steroids or euthanasia

3. If involving referral practice, then no question of having anything more complicated than a client-referral ver relationship

4. Not being a monumental hypocrite when discussing insurance with clients

5. Your wife wants you to.

[/quote]

6. Do you want your client in theatre while you're operating? Me neither.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:31:51 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I still don't understand vets insuring their own dogs.[/quote]

Depends how much money you have. If you have enough money in the bank to pay whatever you need to, I agree! (I don't insure mine either.) It is the same as all insurance - you should only insure what you couldn't afford to repair/replace.

I tell the clients the same thing. If you can't afford to pay the bill, get insurance. If you can, you don't need to. On the whole, you'll be on the right side - but you have to be prepared to take the risk.

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

Bob Russell — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:33:46 GMT

Chronic problems are not a concern but two years ago I was faced with a dog with lymphoma and a dog requiring spinal surgery within weeks.

I have done the sums and at the rates I was paying the insurance company won by a small margin but that is what insurance companies should be getting, a small margin.

As premiums escalate the decision to insure becomes less sensible and much more of a luxury.

It turns out there is a computer glitch at Agria!

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

mariette asselbergs — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:57:10 GMT

On a more serious note:

Even if I work in a practice, I cannot just scan or do surgery on my own dog for free. I'll get a discount but it is still quite a lot of money involved, so insurance would be a good thing.

When I first was in the UK I did neutering of my own cats on the kitchen table at home, but then (mainly through this forum) I became aware of all the rules and regulations and ideas about "standards" here in the so-called civilised world, so I abstained from these things and accept that i will need to have them treated in somebody'else's practice.

Also if my pets ever get a chronic disease like diabetis or cushing or addison's etc.

Mariette

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

mariette asselbergs — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:38:16 GMT

I am sure Michael and Supervet can, but us mere vet mortals?

Off we go to Vet Festival, then to Holland to get my own dog laparoscopically neutered by only removing the ovaries (not insured, but I can't do it....)

Mariette

RE: When does a bill of £630.30 become £806.40? When you insure with Agria!

J G Wray — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:25:41 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I still don't understand vets insuring their own dogs. You can fix 99% of problems yourself..... [/quote]

Really? I mean really?

Reasons to insure your own dogs:

1. Those conditiions you cannot diagnose or treat as well as they might be

2. Not resorting to amputation, steroids or euthanasia

3. If involving referral practice, then no question of having anything more complicated than a client-referral ver relationship

4. Not being a monumental hypocrite when discussing insurance with clients

5. Your wife wants you to.

Now I know that Yorkshire is a denial, irony and hypocrisy free zone but:

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I still don't understand vets insuring their own dogs. You can fix 99% of problems yourself [/quote]

Really?