Gastric ulcers - insurance

basilcob

basilcob

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Do any of you lovely people know the situation with claiming off insurance for gastric ulcers? Is it usually covered?

We've recently purchased a 3 year old pony from the breeder and sent him to be broken. Unfortunately he cribs which the breeder didn't disclose. He is a very sweet pony but has traits that has led me and the professional who has backed him to think he has ulcers. He doesn't like his girth or rugs doing. He's reluctant to go forward and really struggles to canter (I know he's a baby!).

I've done a bit of research and the treatment seems rather expensive!!! Could I claim. I've owned him 4 weeks and he's been insured for two!
 
basilcob said:
Do any of you lovely people know the situation with claiming off insurance for gastric ulcers? Is it usually covered?

We've recently purchased a 3 year old pony from the breeder and sent him to be broken. Unfortunately he cribs which the breeder didn't disclose. He is a very sweet pony but has traits that has led me and the professional who has backed him to think he has ulcers. He doesn't like his girth or rugs doing. He's reluctant to go forward and really struggles to canter (I know he's a baby!).

I've done a bit of research and the treatment seems rather expensive!!! Could I claim. I've owned him 4 weeks and he's been insured for two!
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Poor pony!
The insurance situation seems to be that companies will do their utmost to find any reason not to pay out. My friend's horse windsucked. She believed (and had been told when she bought him) that it was just his "funny little habit". We had a joint visit from an equine physio who commented on his overdeveloped neck muscles due to the windsucking, and asked if she had ever had him checked for ulcers. Friend had just changed insurance companies after many years with NFU. She spoke to the vet who suggested getting him scoped if she was worried, but at the time she had no transport, so opted to get a faecal occult blood test which was positive. The vet said that was sufficient evidence, together with the windsucking, to prescribe a course of Gastroguard. Friend contacted insurance who said to go ahead with vet's recommendation.
After the course had been finished and friend put claim in with new insurance, they said that since the physio visit was within two weeks of the start of her cover with her, they would not pay for the treatment. We have argued back and forth with them, pointing out that physios cannot diagnose, and that the horse was not known to have ulcers until the vet got the results of the test they did, over a month after she took out the cover.
So it appears she is going to have to pay all the vet bills and the cost of the Gastroguard, mainly as a result of being too honest and telling the insurance that the physio had mentioned ulcers as a possibility :(
If you hope to treat the pony, I would advice being 100% certain about what the insurance are willing to pay, and to possibly have written confirmation from them that they will pay, before starting treatment.
 
Insurance companies will pay out if it is within their policy.

All policies will have a 2 week external accident only clause. Think about it, those early days of owning a horse are high risk, especially if not vetted. Many horses are sold on with undisclosed 'problems'

If this horse had been vetted, insured from day of purchase and then 4 weeks later you started to notice symptoms then I would be confident insurance would pay.

But you have got horse home, seen some undesirable behaviours, then insured horse. It sounds fishy and I would prepar yourself for the insurance not paying.
 
I am with shearwater and it is noted that he cribs on my vetting however I said I moved yards and he's showing signs of ulcers, got stressed, lost condition etc and they paid out.
 
Mine paid out the maximum for gastric ulcers...however mine is not a cribber and the only initial sign of ulcers was anxiety under saddle. Vets may argue your case with the insurance if you ask them...ie something along the lines of lots of horses who crib don't actually have ulcers....
 
As above for the first 14 days of insurance you are only covered for cuts/ accidents. So if you have called the vet within the first 14 days or mentioned to the vet and the vet has placed on the horses records that's the problem was on going ie you bought the horse with the above symptoms then the insurance will not pay out. To save any confusion if you are not sure if the insurance will pay out. Phone the insurance company and ask to to a proforma. Ie they insurance company send you out a claim form the vet will fill it in prior to commencing treatment and can fax it to insurance company and the company will let you know within 48 hours if they will pay out for treatment. Once they confirm they will pay you can go ahead with treatment. Well mine will do the above( scottish equestrian insurance) I have done this before when worried if they would pay out for a expensive treatment. If you can't get the insurance company to pay for gastro guard go onto google usa search engine and google buying equine gastro guard or equine omeprazole. ( same thing ) you can purchase it from the states for about £1.5 per day and they can send it over. You are not supposed to get it sent from the states but hey!! In future a good tip when buying a horse is the moment you like it and the owner agrees to selling it to you set up insurance even before you vet it as that starts your 14 days running then usually by the time you vet it and get it home you are past the 14 day point. You only need a five star vetting re insurance if you are £5000 and above for horses value. ( I always get horses vetted no matter the amount they cost better safe than sorry) so the vetting dosent effect the cost of your insurance ie you don't get a cheaper policy if you have a vetting cert. if the vetting fails and you don't get the horse just phone up and cancel the insurance you have only lost a couple of weeks of premiums. Re googling the company in usa is called abler
 
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