We are often asked to complete insurance forms following a horse's illness or accident. Obviously there are differences between different policies and insurances companies, but these guidelines should answer most of the questions commonly asked regarding making a claim. For a query relating specifically to your own policy, you are responsible for contacting your Insurance company directly. We would ask that you keep us informed of developments along the way.
How do I go about making a claim?
With any illness/injury which is likely to give rise to a claim, you need to inform your insurance company promptly – usually within 10-14 days. Failure or delay to do this may cause issues with your claim.
Once a claim is initiated, you need to either download or request a claim form from your insurance company. All 'owner' sections must be fully completed by yourself and then it is essential to sign the document and forward this to the practice. The 'Veterinary Surgeon's' section will then be completed here and along with the relevant invoices/clinical history, the form will be sent directly to your insurance company.
What do I do about the excess?
Our practice policy is at the time of processing a claim, you must have paid the insurance excess directly to us. This can be done when handing in the claim form or over the phone. Your insurance excess is determined by your Insurance policy but usually ranges from £145-£400.
We will endeavour to send you a copy of all documentation we send to your Insurance Company for your own records. We charge a small fee for completion of all Insurance forms and associated paperwork which is not covered by your policy - you will be liable for payment of this fee. A copy of all paperwork is kept here at the practice.
Will the insurance company pay the bill directly?
Our agreement for any work on your account is with you and not the Insurance Company. Therefore if a processed claim is denied (for any reason), it is still your responsibility to settle your account in accordance with our standard terms and conditions.
In most cases we will accept direct payment for your claim directly from your Insurance Company, however please clarify this beforehand with respect to your own account.
Outstanding accounts will be liable to account charges as per our standard terms and conditions. It is therefore up to you as the policy holder (with your Insurance Company) and account holder (here at the practice) to keep all parties informed, ensure documentation is passed along promptly and all information asked for is given when asked. Failure to do these things will result in delays all-round and will result in slower processing of your claim.
What if I need to make further claims for the same illness?
We will send you the invoices for any further treatment at the end of each accounting month for YOU TO FORWARD to the insurance company. Sometimes it is necessary for a continuation form to be completed. Please check with the insurance company if this is the case and forward the signed form to us.
Clinical records
Please note we have a legal obligation to forward your animal's complete history to the insurance company, if asked for this. If your horse was seen with another practice prior to registering with us, this practice will also usually be contacted to pass on their clinical records.
If, for example, your horse has suffered a minor bout of colic for which you have not claimed, your insurance company may automatically exclude you from this condition without a claim every being made. This is because, in their view, if the horse has suffered from a condition previously, no matter how long ago, this can be considered an increased insurance risk. Our clinical records are a legal document and as such, must show accurately all clinical notes and comments from the veterinary surgeon examining your horse.