Insurance exclusion on ALL bone diseases after hock arthritis?

[spacie1977]

I had my horses hocks fused earlier in the year, as he had developed osteoarthritis in them and injections were no longer working. The results have been fantastic; he's a now a new horse and I'll never have to worry about hock arthritis again. Yay! HOWEVER, my insurance company (Animal Friends) has now put an exclusion on the policy for 'all bone diseases'. Vet thinks this is bonkers because having had arthritis in the hocks doesn't mean he'll develop it anywhere else, and it's unfair there are so many other unrelated bone issues that won't be covered now.
So I'm now looking at changing his insurance to a company that won't put a blanket exclusion over all bone diseases. Is there anyone here who've had arthritis in their horse but found their insurance will still cover other bone related diseases? If so, please share which company it was.

 

[cobgoblin]

Have you had a word with the insurance company? Some years ago one of my horses developed dust allergy which never developed into copd and never required any treatment. I informed my insurance and they said they would exclude all respiratory system. I was furious, I asked if they would pay out if he got something stuck up his nose, they said ' of course'- I pointed out that that was respiratory system! A few minutes later the exclusion was copd only.
They will try and get away with whatever they can because they assume people are stupid.

 

[Cowpony]

I had something similar with the insurers I was with a few years ago. On vetting my horse the vet said she was slightly stiff in her neck and named the precise bones. The insurers excluded neck, back, spine and all associated soft tissue. She had also had a tendon injury (she was an ex racehorse) so they excluded tendons and ligaments on all four legs. I rang them and said this was ridiculous, they were only insuring her ears and her tail! They said if I had no claims for 6 months on her legs and 12 months on her back they would remove the exclusions. Sadly she proved to have kissing spine and I sold her as a field ornament, so I never found out whether they would make good on that.

 

[MuddyTB]

My boy is with KBIS. He's just had his first set of steroid injections for hock OA.

They have put an exclusion on conditons caused directly or indirectly by both hocks, excluding external accidental damage, and associated back pain, (as he presented with secondary back pain initially).

So he would still be covered for arthritis elsewhere I believe.

 

[spacie1977]

Thanks for the replies. I have heard KBIS is one of the best for paying out for things so maybe I should look into switching to them. Having said that though, I haven't challenged the exclusion so maybe you're right cobgoblin and cowpony, and I should give them a bell about it. The exclusion does seem ridiculous, and they probably think the won't be challenged on it. I guess that's how insurance companies make their money - they try to take the mick and see what they can get away with :-(

 

[Notimetoride]

KBIS are the absolute worst for exclusions. They put an exclusion on at the drop of a hat ! After 10 yrs with them it got silly do with new horse I went with NFU who are far more realistic

 

[spacie1977]

Oooh that's interesting, thanks Notimetoride. I've just had someone tell me they bought a horse in November and KBIS wanted the last 5 years history. She asked how can they expect her to provide that and they said she wouldn't be covered if she didn't. I'm wondering if it's just because she didn't get him vetted.

 

[applecart14]

Yep, my horse had arthritis in his coffin joint, but the insurance company were still were happy when he developed bone spavin and covered all my treatment. The company was NFU Mutual.

 

[spacie1977]

That's fab thanks applecart14. BTW it's just occurred to me when you replied to my message (ages ago now) asking you about ethanol fusion, I don't think I said thank you. Sorry! It was hugely appreciated though. I hope your horse is doing well.

 

[little_critter]

Mine was diagnosed with hock spavin and only the hocks were excluded. I'm with Petplan.
Since that exclusion they have paid out for an off fore check ligament with no quibbles.

 

[spacie1977]

Is Petplan super expensive to insure with? They came back with the most expensive quotes for my dogs when I was hunting online.

 

[little_critter]

Is Petplan super expensive to insure with? They came back with the most expensive quotes for my dogs when I was hunting online.

I haven't really shopped around since I first took the policy out 4 years ago, I'd assume they can't have been bad otherwise I'd have insured elsewhere.
The policy has gone up a bit as I've had quite a few claims, but they've been good and always paid out with no quibbles.

 

[Velvet82]

I vote Petplan too. My horse was kicked in the hock (Robert Jones bandage for weeks) and Petplan were fantastic.

 

[BBP]

Petplan were awful with me. Pony had a mouth ulcer when vet came to do teeth - pp excluded all oral conditions. Pony had sacroiliac injury - pp excluded all back conditions including supporting tissues. Pony had suspected tendon injury in off fore, later confirmed no injury, and possible suspensory injury behind, later confirmed no injury - pp excluded any lameness in all 4 limbs. Pony had high liver enzymes - pp excluded liver (that one is fair enough).

They told me only way to lift them was full vet inspection and report for each and every condition (which would cost hundreds) then 12 months clear of injury and another vet report to confirm at that point...even for the ulcer and the legs that the vet stated weren't injured!. I was furious, cancelled my insurance and will not insure with them again.

 

[Illusion100]

Get your Vet to write a letter explaining why their exclusion is *ridiculous* and send it in with your policy number/recent claim reference.

Not much point imo in discussing it with claims as it's the underwriters that deal with exclusions and they don't tend to have any direct contact with policyholders.

 

[noblesteed]

I am with Equicover (Amtrust Equine) and they paid out for hock spavin. They then excluded ALL types of degenerative joint disease regardless of where it is.
I think they just make it up as they go along!
They also excluded laminitis as a vet wrote on a report that the horse 'may have had laminitis in the past' and had raised pulses!

 

[Tobiano]

My Harry had the same operation as yours OP and it worked wonders. I am with NFU and they just excluded hocks as far as I am aware / can recall. (though I stopped insuring him last year when we 'retired' him…. though he is now coming back into work!)

 

[Bede]

Mine has coffin joint/pastern joint arthritis; I told them about it but haven't made a claim.
They have now excluded 'all arthritic conditions'. SEIB.

 

[JLD]

I think it's all bonkers I gave up with pet plan after the neck spine and all tissues connected exclusion, and all 4 legs after mild arthritis in one hock and a bit of neck stiffness. Am trust equine were more reasonable with me and after setting a bit of hoop jumping came up with a far less limiting exclusion list - it's worth talking to them.

 

[Cowpony]

I've been down exactly the same route as JLD. Amtrust have paid out without quibble twice in two years and the exclusions have been entirely reasonable.

 

[Tapir]

Petplan have only excluded arthritis in the knees for my horse's policy.

 

[Laafet]

KBIS are the absolute worst for exclusions. They put an exclusion on at the drop of a hat ! After 10 yrs with them it got silly do with new horse I went with NFU who are far more realistic

Cannot disagree with you more strongly on this. NFU excluded basically everything on my horse after he had an op for PSD in his hinds and hock injections for arthritis, I phoned them and queried it, nope he was only really covered for colic. So I went to KBIS, they reviewed the vet records and only excluded his hocks and suspensory ligaments in his hinds!

 

[harveysmom]

Insurance companies are rip-off merchants
My friends horse chipped a splint bone so informed her insurance company that the horse was going to be operated on on the Wednesday they wrote to her cancelling her policy on Tuesday so when she told her vet what had happened he operated on the Monday so that she was still covered

 

[Elbie]

Insurance companies are rip-off merchants
My friends horse chipped a splint bone so informed her insurance company that the horse was going to be operated on on the Wednesday they wrote to her cancelling her policy on Tuesday so when she told her vet what had happened he operated on the Monday so that she was still covered

On what grounds did they cancel her policy? They can't cancel a policy because you've notified a claim.

 

[cobgoblin]

Insurance companies are rip-off merchants
My friends horse chipped a splint bone so informed her insurance company that the horse was going to be operated on on the Wednesday they wrote to her cancelling her policy on Tuesday so when she told her vet what had happened he operated on the Monday so that she was still covered

A

Did they pay out?

 

[applecart14]

That's fab thanks applecart14. BTW it's just occurred to me when you replied to my message (ages ago now) asking you about ethanol fusion, I don't think I said thank you. Sorry! It was hugely appreciated though. I hope your horse is doing well.

Spacie 1977 - my horse is doing very well on it, and hasn't looked back. He's moving much better now, still drags the toe when he is lazy, but if you gee him up a bit he doesn't do it, its just laziness rather than anything. OH came to help me jump on Sunday at the yard, he is a course builder anyway and it was really appreciated. He said on the saturday doing my dressage test he had seen him dragging his toe in the warm up but not in the arena! On the sunday he noticed he wasn't dragging his toe - it was because I had my spurs on and was riding him more from my leg and seat!

 

[chestnut cob]

Insurance companies are rip-off merchants
My friends horse chipped a splint bone so informed her insurance company that the horse was going to be operated on on the Wednesday they wrote to her cancelling her policy on Tuesday so when she told her vet what had happened he operated on the Monday so that she was still covered

For what reason? The only reason they could cancel the policy was if your friend had broken her side of the contract, ie not made her monthly payments. I suspect your friend may be slightly embellishing the story. An insurance company cannot just cancel your policy because they feel like it.