insurance question

[harrihjc]

Hi all, have a question about claiming on insurance, not sure whether to claim or not and how you go about it. Flash was at the vets last week to investigate lameness, and is starting treatment on his fetlock joint this week, and I was going to wait until I see the cost before deciding whether to claim or pay myself and still have that leg covered in case of future more expensive bills! But I have been told that you can only claim if you tell them immediately after and can't wait until I know what the bill is, but I know someone who did this and then decided to pay themselves and even tho they didn't claim that leg was listed as an exception on their insurance the next year. It's ridiculous having insurance if you don't use it, but because it's a complicated injury and we don't know whether the treatment will work and where to go if it doesn't, I don't want to claim for this then find I have a bigger bill for the further treatment... or does any subsequent bill for the same injury count as the same thing?? I'm confused, does anyone follow this and care to enlighten me?! Thanks

 

[indi4]

Any treatment related to this lameness will be covered for 12 months, so the insurance will pay out for all treatmeant incurred in the next 12 months for this injury. I would put a claim in with your insurance, and have a full invergation done now, as insurance company's are allow to request vet records off your vets, and if they do this and see the horse as already recieved treatment for this injury you won't be covered for it.

 

[cbmcts]

When you reinsure you have to declare any treatment, even if you don't claim.The Ins Co will ask to see your horses records before they pay out any future claim and will refuse to pay for any linked injury/treatment more than 12 months after the first treatment/illness.

You can claim at any point in the 12 months after the injury/illness occurred - that isn't the same as the first vet visit btw - and they should pay for any quailifing claim.

However, IME it is better to inform your ins co asap, they tend to pay out quicker and at least you know in advance if they are going to argue about any aspect of the claim.

 

[harrihjc]

ah ok, so best to contact them asap and claim, and any further treatment on the same injury in the next 12 months is included in that claim, have I got that right?

 

[cbmcts]

[ QUOTE ]
ah ok, so best to contact them asap and claim, and any further treatment on the same injury in the next 12 months is included in that claim, have I got that right?

[/ QUOTE ]


Yes

 

[chestnut cob]

You still need to tell you insurers about it whether you make a claim or not.

If he's being investigated for lameness then it will be more than your excess pretty much straight away. I would call your insurers and ask them for a claim form. You usually have 30 or 60 days (I have 60) in which to tell them about it, after that you can't claim.

If you don't tell them about it (even if you don't claim), they can refuse to pay out in future for other things.