Insurance exclusions

[Montyforever]

Have just had my renewal through from KBIS. Madam has had colic in the past (2 years ago, cause found (high liver enzymes) and treated so no reoccurrence) laminitis 5 years ago, was diagnosed with cushings in august last year.

Insurance has excluded - Cushings and laminitis which i think is fair enough as that will be a life long risk.
Colic - was pretty serious so understandable, but any chance of getting that lifted due to no reoccurring episodes?
Liver - this is purely due to high liver enzymes being detected in bloods no treatment or investigation and bloods retested recently with perfectly normal liver enzymes. Any chance of that being lifted?
But they've excluded EMS!? She doesn't have that, has never even been tested for it .. I totally don't understand that one!

Will be contacting them about the ems one anyway, but i just feel its gotten a little bit ridiculous. I don't have enough savings to cancel it, but what exactly am i paying it for!?

 

[Deseado]

I don't have enough savings to cancel it, but what exactly am i paying it for!?

Well, exactly! Have never insured my horses.

 

[Sukistokes2]

The very reason I gave up, in the end I was paying for most of my horse to be excluded! He had pin worm which bought on a mild infection around the bum...bum excluded..........he had a sore eye, prob caught it on a twig, eye excluded, had a splint, whole leg excluded, so on and so forth ..........I gave up.

 

[Merlin11]

It can be difficult to get exclusions removed. My pony has a colic exclusion because he had mild runs at the vetting. Never had colic or any gastro illnesses. He has to be clear of any gastro problems for a year before they will remove the exclusion. Your insurer may have excluded EMS as it is linked to laminitis. Once there are a lot of exclusions you do have to seriously consider if it is worthwhile.

 

[ihatework]

EMS, laminitis & cushings can all be interlinked so that doesn't surprise me.

You might get the colic & liver lifted if you can get a vet on side to support you.

 

[milliepops]

Colic - was pretty serious so understandable, but any chance of getting that lifted due to no reoccurring episodes?
Liver - this is purely due to high liver enzymes being detected in bloods no treatment or investigation and bloods retested recently with perfectly normal liver enzymes. Any chance of that being lifted?

The colic one you will possibly be able to get lifted - speak to your vet. My vets are quite happy to help argue the toss with insurance company. I'm also with KBIS, and Armas is also covered with them. He had a gassy colic about 6 months ago, had no reoccurance and the vet & insurers agreed that if he had no further episodes in the next 12 months they would lift the exclusion at the following renewal.

I'd also discuss the liver thing with your vet and see what they think.

Millie has some whacking exclusions on her legs at the moment, but both problems were due to traumatic injury so my vets feel we should be able to get some of them lifted if she remains in full work with no soundness problems for 12 months after sign off. Only another 10 months to go then!

I've kept the cover on Millie for the same reason as you. If she had another big injury I couldn't cough up a big amount at once, and I'm fortunate that she is still covered for colic.

I'd say you stand a chance if you can get your vet on side

 

[lottiepony]

Again another who doesn't insure due to the fact the exclusions just keep growing. I do however pay the same amount into a savings account, it's a gamble at the beginning as if something were to happen you wont have a big pot of money to dip into!

 

[skint1]

I've just done the same, was paying nearly £100 per month in premiums for my 3, I had a big bill for my mare, they didn't pay it as they felt it was generally related to something that would've been excluded. This caused me to review the exclusions in place for all three and I concluded the risk was not shared equally and i was paying them money for almost nothing. If I had saved my premiums every month instead of paying them I could've paid that bill off in one go.

 

[Michen]

Well, exactly! Have never insured my horses.

Accidental injury? My friends horse ended up with a 4k vets bill from it getting injured in the field.

 

[Cortez]

If horses need the vet then we pay the bill. If the bill is going to be too large, the outcomes not promising or the treatments too invasive then we PTS. Insurance companies are EXTREMELY profitable businesses, and they make their money out of YOU. One of the reasons that vet bills have become so extremely expensive is directly because of insurance, also why vets now do so many tests and "investigations"; not always the best thing for the animal IMO (and in the opinion of many of my less mercenary vet friends, BTW).

 

[Fuzzypuff]

Personally I will always insure, when I lost my previous horse I worked out I had gotten back what I paid in premiums.

Current horse I've had 3 claims in 3 years - gastric ulcers, broken tibia from a kick and an emergency call-out for what turned out to be an abscess but started as a fat leg.

Speak to your vets and ask them to write to the insurer, I would have thought with clear liver bloods you should be able to get that taken off, and they may remove the colic exclusion if you have been clear of gastric issues for a year.

Re the EMS, it seems like you are still within the claim period? If so it might be worth getting her tested for EMS now.

 

[thinkitwasjune]

My gelding is insured with KBIS. He has had both hocks injected for bone spavin, hence after the end of this month they will be excluded - fair enough. However, they have also excluded both front feet as the vet wrote on the initial form that he was also bilaterally lame in front due to long toes (his feet grow very quickly and I knew he needed shod). I phoned KBIS to query lifting the exclusion but they said they would need photos of his feet and a written statement from the farrier and vet. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and I'm not sure about renewing his insurance this year...

 

[Carrots&Mints]

I have Mr M insured with KBIS and they have been fab throughout his Sarcoid treatment - he needed an operation at Leahurst and they soon paid out for it all. Obviously I havent had any other dealings with them other than this, but i would seriously consider ringing them up and talking politly with the girls on the phone as they are brill.

Hope you get it all sorted. x

 

[Montyforever]

Personally I will always insure, when I lost my previous horse I worked out I had gotten back what I paid in premiums.

Current horse I've had 3 claims in 3 years - gastric ulcers, broken tibia from a kick and an emergency call-out for what turned out to be an abscess but started as a fat leg.

Speak to your vets and ask them to write to the insurer, I would have thought with clear liver bloods you should be able to get that taken off, and they may remove the colic exclusion if you have been clear of gastric issues for a year.

Re the EMS, it seems like you are still within the claim period? If so it might be worth getting her tested for EMS now.

I'm not even halfway through the excess yet for the Cushings claim so would still cost me a fair bit and probably still not go over the excess so no point really! Have spoken to them today and they are saying its the "link" between the three.
Colic and liver could "possibly" be lifted if they receive full clinical history.

 

[3OldPonies]

If horses need the vet then we pay the bill. If the bill is going to be too large, the outcomes not promising or the treatments too invasive then we PTS. Insurance companies are EXTREMELY profitable businesses, and they make their money out of YOU. One of the reasons that vet bills have become so extremely expensive is directly because of insurance, also why vets now do so many tests and "investigations"; not always the best thing for the animal IMO (and in the opinion of many of my less mercenary vet friends, BTW).

Well said.

 

[PStarfish]

But insurers make very little from vets fees cover. The average claim for this is £3,000. They make money of loss of use cover. This is why they now exclude the slightest thing. It's worth challenging though your vet is onside. I've just had an exclusion written back in but also one declined (colic which occurred over 3 years ago)
It is a pain paying out each month if you never make a claim, but that one kick in the field can suddenly turn into thousands. I pay iro £30 a month over last 5 years and have claimed about £2,500 (one claim still open and could get pricey) so for me is worth it.