The situation traumatizing the pet parents of a cat named Stewie happens all too often in the world of pet insurance. The pet is insured then the company providing coverage later refuses to pay up, even though the charges are legit.
Derek McLaughlan and his partner Debbie Forsyth of Lanarkshare, Scotland took out pet insurance last October with Perfect Pet on their 14-year-old cat Stewie for a cost of £10.66 a month. They had the opportunity to take advantage of the insurance back on May 8 when Stewie was hospitalized after being diagnosed with feline pancreatis.
The bill came to £4312 but now Perfect Pet isn’t covering the bill stating the moggie had previously been treated for the same condition. Derek stated during an interview with Daily Record
“The way I see it, Perfect Pet are using any excuse not to pay out. My own vet has written to them, stating he has not been diagnosed with pancreatitis before. What more do they need? And what’s the point in having insurance if it lets you down when you need it most?”
Derek says Stewie was lethargic and was seen by their local vet the same day his condition was noticed. The poor kitty ended up at a 24-hour emergency pet hospital in Glasgow because his condition was serious enough to need round-the-clock care. Stewie was treated and was well enough to come home on May 13. He’s been fine ever since.
The Perfect Pet policy was supposed to provide up to £4000 of vet costs for new conditions. But the firm rejected the claim in July when the company claimed Stewie was treated for a previous condition. Derek says Stewie was given a blood test at the vet in 2016 and he had normal pancreatic levels.
Despite this being stated in a letter by their vet, a rejection letter arrived on September 17 saying it wouldn’t pay “where a condition or ‘signs or symptoms’ of it were present prior to the inception of the policy.” Derek was told he’d have to settle the bill direct.
The refusal of Perfect Pet to pay has left Derek and Debbie is a financial bind, as their first child is due this month. The couple says they tried to discuss the case with Perfect Pet by phone and email and were ignored. The company has even denied a claim complaint ever being filed and says they’ll take the Daily Record article as an acknowledgment and will respond directly with the couple.
An investigation has been started. If the claim isn’t ruled in favor of Stewie’s vet expenses being paid, Derek can contact the office of the Arbiter for Financial Services in Malta for a decision directly from the policy underwriter. Since the policy stated it would pay up to £4000, the couple should only be responsible for £12.
Have any of the readers had difficulty getting a pet insurance company to pay as agreed on? Please sound off in the comment section.
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