Quick question re insurance claim/paying vets

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wills_91

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I have had a nightmare 8 weeks with 2 of my horses and currently sitting with about 7k worth of vets bills. My horses are registered with 2 different surgeries and today one has called and is insisting I need to pay the bill and claim it back from my insurance. I cannot afford to pay it all upfront - hence why I have insurance - I have paid my excess and the claim has already started being processed by my insurance company. Surely this is the whole point of being insured or am I wrong??
 
you vets can refuse to wait, their contract is with you not your insurance company but most vets will do a direct claim as long as you insurance company is not one of the few that is known to take months to pay out. Who are you insured with.
 
twiggy2 said:
Who are you insured with.
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^^ that's possibly the critical question.

Most practices will ask you to pay up front if you are a new customer, even if it's an insurance claim. Similarly, most practices will ask you to pay up front if you are with certain insurers who have a reputation for being tricky or reluctant to pay out. Do you have a credit card you can use in the meantime?
 
maybe ask to speak to the owner of the surgery about it?

I've been with my vet for years and they have been happy to wait for the insurance company to pay! to be fair they've slowed down the process a lot themselves, have held onto the claim for weeks before sending it to the insurer! where as I returned it them claim form for them to complete the day I received the invoice!
 
SEIS. Have been with the same vet for years now and always pay for treatment as and when it's done but I cannot afford to pay this upfront and I was open with this from the start.
 
wills_91 said:
SEIS. Have been with the same vet for years now and always pay for treatment as and when it's done but I cannot afford to pay this upfront and I was open with this from the start.
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in that case I think they are being unreasonable! speak to the owner! I some times find that the receptionist can be a bit off but the owners are more understanding! especially if your bill is £7k, not many people have credit cards with that sort of limit! and you've told them that up front!
 
Thanks I will pop in tomorrow and discuss it with them in person, I can pay up but that would take longer than the insurance will take to pay out. I have 4 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cat's with them and as previously stated have always always paid at time of treatment.
 
Nothing you can do about it now, but an increasing number of vets won't just make the claim for you these days. What if it all goes wrong and the insurance doesn't pay out? And even if not, running their business £7k short of income for the 6+ months it may take insurance to pay out may not be very easy, particularly if they are a small business. If you can't pay your bills upfront you need to find a vet that has a agreed policy of being ok with waiting. Most of these will have a preferred insurer that they want you with. My vet has a clear policy that they set out in writing and the first time the vet visits that payment is expected upfront every time.
 
gnubee said:
Nothing you can do about it now, but an increasing number of vets won't just make the claim for you these days. What if it all goes wrong and the insurance doesn't pay out? And even if not, running their business £7k short of income for the 6+ months it may take insurance to pay out may not be very easy, particularly if they are a small business. If you can't pay your bills upfront you need to find a vet that has a agreed policy of being ok with waiting. Most of these will have a preferred insurer that they want you with. My vet has a clear policy that they set out in writing and the first time the vet visits that payment is expected upfront every time.
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If you read my posts carefully I have already said I told them at the start I couldn't afford to pay this upfront, they know I am insured and who I am insured with and where happy to proceed at the time so to back track now is causing me a right headache! I am quite sure I am not the only horse owner out there who doesn't have instant access to thousands of pounds.
 
wills_91 said:
If you read my posts carefully I have already said I told them at the start I couldn't afford to pay this upfront, they know I am insured and who I am insured with and where happy to proceed at the time so to back track now is causing me a right headache! I am quite sure I am not the only horse owner out there who doesn't have instant access to thousands of pounds.
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Most horse owners would find it difficult to cover a bill of that size, however it means that the vets have to carry a debt that by rights is not theirs.
If the insurance does not pay out gnubee then the owner has to pay.
Op it wont hurt to speak to your vets, is there a reason the horses were seen y different vets or any reason you are aware of that the insurance wont pay out? did you ok treatment in advance with your insurance company?
 
twiggy2 said:
Most horse owners would find it difficult to cover a bill of that size, however it means that the vets have to carry a debt that by rights is not theirs.
If the insurance does not pay out gnubee then the owner has to pay.
Op it wont hurt to speak to your vets, is there a reason the horses were seen y different vets or any reason you are aware of that the insurance wont pay out? did you ok treatment in advance with your insurance company?
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I live in a rural area, the local vets do not tend to deal much with horses, it is pre agreed between myself, this practice and the other practice that the local one will deal with routine treatment/emergencies etc and more specialised things will go to the out of town practice. All treatment has been pre agreed and there is no reason for insurance not to pay out nor have they indicated that they won't.
 
I would contact your vet and offer to set up a payment plan. This way you are showing willing and they will get a little of their money without bankrupting you. Hopefully this will keep them happy until the insurers pay up.

I'm lucky as I had a massive claim last year. My vets were happy to wait and the insurer (KBIS) settled with them directly. It was a worry though at the time.
 
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