Fighting a Vets Bill?

sjp1

sjp1

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Just wondered if anyone had because of bad advice - ie. young vet in large practice, not properly overseen - on the back foot from the start? Am not sure I would be contesting meds because I have used them - albeit they didn't work and were prescribed over and over again - inexperience - but more the fact he insisted on visiting twice a week. I have just changed practices because of mistake with amount of meds - and very expensive meds - which were going to be the last ditch attempt to save him. No apology - it was me that worked out the doseage was wrong and when speaking with a partner in the practice after having tried to get an answer all day - no-one came back to me and I spent all day ringing, it appeared the young vet had got the doseage wrong but 'he is going to be a really good vet and he is young' Not helpful when your horse is probably going to have to be put down if this med doesn't work. On this basis there was absolutely no point in staying with the large equine vet practice - they were never going to not back him and a friend who has the same practice who had a very protracted issue with a youngster of hers and who has used that practice for years and years feels that because there was a young vet in that practice that attended her horse she paid way more than she should have because the vet was too inexperienced. Luckily for her, her horse was cured, I am not sure that mine will be. So has anyone fought a vets bill and won? Am so livid really - my poor poor horse may have to be put down because the young vet was not aggressive enough in the start and when I queried the doseage after a whole day of querying it - on Friday - he finally came back saying that the horse was not on the highest doseage, so perhaps he should come out early this week and re-assess. So basically he would have left the horse on the lower doseage over the weekend to cover himself, not knowing I had spoken to a senior vet earlier in the day who admitted that the young vet had got it wrong. Is it worth fighting?
 
I'd start by putting your complaint in writing. The best complaint letters stick to the facts and try to leave the emotion out of it - hard to do when your horse is suffering tho.
 
i would put it in writing with bullet points on a time line. Clearly mention what happend when, keeping to the facts and as brief as possible. At the end of the letter, id clearly state what out come i would like.

Good luck
 
Is it that you dispute the cost for visits and medication or that you think a different therapeutic approach should have been taken? If you agree the money charged is that which is owed for the number of visits and the medications prescribed - but that you dispute the approach taken - you should pay the bill. They have charged you for what they did and that is fair. You then taken the matter to the Royal Collage to dispute the competence of the vet and claim damages for the loss of the horse.

You can only really dispute the bill if they have charged you for something not done or not necessary. This seems to suggest that all actions taken were necessary - but not enough? So if anything you should have been billed for more not less?
 
I'm so sorry to read this

I think you should definitely put everything in writing, starting with a list of events in chronological order, including the date/time, and everything you can remember that was said and done.

Be very clear about exactly what you are unhappy about. Be specific. Highlight which parts of the bill you are happy with and which parts you are not. They need to know exactly what you want and how they can make it better for you.

Maybe let the practice know by phone that you're going to send the letter, before you send it.

I would really try to keep things polite and civil as much as possible, i know this is difficult as it's an emotional situation for you. but the horse world is small, and maintaining good relationships is much more productive and will serve you better in the long term.
 
Put in writing why you are not paying. Keep to the facts ie not emotions. Say you expect a reply within x days. Send it recorded delivery and I doubt you will ever hear from them again. If you have insurance, they could help if it does go further. I doubt it will. I used Petplan.
 
A vet practice that I had used for many years changed hands and employed new vets. The one that came to me gave every indication of having severe mental health issues and I found his aggression and sheer animosity towards me intimidating and frightening. I phoned the practice as soon as I got home and discussed it with the director who was most apologetic. When I received the bill I paid for the element that had been carried out in a professional manner, taking a blood test, and wrote as suggested in these other posts outlining my reasons for not paying the remainder. The bill was written off by the director who took the opportunity to apologise again.
 
I have fought one once and won, not the same situation though as I did pay part of my bill.

I would put everything in writing and let your practice know you wish to make an official complaint. Let them know which part of the bill you are disputing and go from there.
 
Friend of mine had to have her horse PTS after some treatment went wrong (a known small, but possible side-effect) and the vet took a massive amount off the bill.
 
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