Vet bills?

[chocolategirl]

Just a musing really, but I’ve literally spent thousands with my vet over the last few years, I don’t have the 3 of them insured, my choice, but I’m always very prompt to pay, like as soon as the bill arrives, no matter how much it is. My thoughts are, do any of you get any discount for prompt payment? If it goes through an insurer, I’ve heard some claims can take months to get settled, does the owner pay it up front, or does the vet have to wait for the insurance company, surely that’s the point of having insurance, because most people can’t afford to pay large vet bills. For example, just recently, I’ve had one MRI scan and necessary medication bill, £1500, another bill for another horse £650, then ones just arrived today for the horse who had the MRI, was still lame so had to have further blocks done to establish why, it’s just arrived, which I’ve already now paid, £768. So in the last 3 months alone, that’s quite a tally?been with this practise approx 7 years. In my position, would any of you approach the subject with your vet to ask for a prompt payment discount? I probably won’t anyway, but like I said, I’m just curious ?

 

[FlyingCircus]

Nope. Some practices I've been with expect the insurance to reimburse the owner too, not the vets.

I guess in the same way I wouldnt expect a prompt payment discount for any other kind of service.

 

[Red-1]

No, IME the vets bills to insurance companies tend to be a little (unofficially) higher than if you tell them up front that you aren't insured. That is possibly why they are prepared to wait.

 

[Foxglove]

I’m afraid I can’t agree with discount for settling an correctly issued invoice within the payment terms. The costs have been incurred and therefore billed accordingly.

Most vets will agree to deal with Insurers who are known to be good to deal with, and realistically once the vets send their bit and the claim is agreed, payment is made reasonably quickly. Any delay in payment by an (good) insurer needs to be considered the cost of doing business

The ones that are known to be bad payers usually require a client to pay the invoice and seek reimbursement direct, therefore I’m sorry but I think your argument is flawed

 

[Akkalia1]

I'm in the same position as you and have 3 uninsured horses. It is a risk that you will then be hit with a lot of expensive bills and in my experience it always tends to come at once!

I too pay my bills as soon as I receive them and have never even considered the idea of a prompt payment discount. Surely it is just doing the correct thing by paying your bills within the payment terms?

 

[rabatsa]

No discount but my vets charge 10% extra for late payment.

 

[Umbongo]

I think that so long as you have been correctly invoiced, the cost is the cost. I would not expect a discount for paying quickly for any other service, why should veterinary services be any different? Most practices will actually charge an extra fee for late payment.

There are a lot of insurance companies that vets will not deal with directly as they are slow to pay. In these cases the vets require payment up front by the owner. However sometimes there is no choice but to deal directly with the insurance company if the owner cannot afford to settle the bill first. Some companies are good to deal with, but most practices will still charge the client a direct claim fee as full payment will still be delayed.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

No discount but my vets charge 10% extra for late payment.

Mine do too and 15% if unpaid after 21 days.

 

[laura_nash]

Yes, my current vet gives a prompt payment discount for some things, and also offers a bigger "cash on the day" discount sometimes. I've never asked for it though, they just offer.

It was a bit of a surprise the first time.
None of my UK vets ever did. They were equine vets, and she's a general farm vet.

 

[wiglet]

I get 10% discount if I settle the bill within one week of visit/treatment and before they send the invoice out. I get a receipt of payment of course - it is all legal and above board!

 

[MurphysMinder]

My equine vets offer a discount for prompt payment. I've not had an insurance claim with them but currently have , hopefully, a claim going through for a dog with a different practice. I haven't paid the vets they are dealing direct with the insurers, but it is a well known company, I know with some insurers vets will ask for payment first from the client.

 

[AandK]

5% discount if you pay the fees before they are invoiced. 1.5% interest added each month for balances over 30 days old.

I tend to pay first, then claim from the vets. My last few claims have taken several months to get paid by my insurer, so good job I can really!

 

[Birker2020]

Same as AandK - mine were 1.5% interest added every month for balances over 30 days but the vet always told me paying weekly was fine, and just pay what I could afford each week. They knew I was good for it and after literally paying every week for the past five years due to one issue after the other, they didn't mind in the slightest as they sympathised. I think I paid over 30K on Bails over the years and for the past six years when uninsured probably financed £6K myself.

I know a few people on our yard who use the same practice and are also afforded the same as I was.

 

[Jumoro]

My old equine practice (sadly now closed down) gave 10% discount for settlement by the 1oth of the month and charged interest on late payments.

 

[chocolategirl]

I get 10% discount if I settle the bill within one week of visit/treatment and before they send the invoice out. I get a receipt of payment of course - it is all legal and above board!

That’s fantastic! So all those who jumped on me for even bringing it up, hmmmm?

 

[Haniki]

My vet gives 5% discount off the bill, if it is paid within 28 days of invoice date.

 

[TPO]

A couple of practices around here offer 5% off if paid in full on the day of the visit

 

[Pippin and Poppy]

No discount for prompt payment with the practice I use. I don't know about paying late because I haven't done it yet. No insurance involved though.

 

[MuddyMonster]

That’s fantastic! So all those who jumped on me for even bringing it up, hmmmm?

I don't think anyone jumped on you, just expressed they wouldn't expect an early payment discount for a professional service.

I have to pay for my shopping before leaving the shop or a builder when work is complete, so it wouldn't cross my mind to expect a discount for prompt payment for a veterinary service.

If a practise offers it and people want to make use of it, great.

 

[Upthecreek]

If they offer a discount for prompt payment of course you should take advantage of it, but I definitely wouldn’t ask if they don’t.

 

[paddy555]

That’s fantastic! So all those who jumped on me for even bringing it up, hmmmm?

I can't see anyone has jumped on you. No other firm offers me a discount for prompt payment so I don't see any difference with my vet. I work on the basis that if I have a problem I expect a vet to drop everything and get out here quickly which they do, within the hour. In return I expect to pay them promptly so they can continue to provide me with that service.

 

[flying_high]

A couple of practices around here offer 5% off if paid in full on the day of the visit

Mine does this I think. Not that I have ever really understood as invoices can take 2-8 weeks after the visit to arrive.

I get an invoice 2-8 weeks after the visit. (Longest delay was 5 months!) Terms of the invoice are payment within 30 days of the invoice date. I set a reminder on my phone for day 28 or 29 and phone and pay on this date. If it is an insurance claim bill, I then put it on my credit card, where is can stay interest free for a further 30 days. Hopefully by that point the insurance will have paid.

I dont pay immediately, as those are not the required terms on my invoice.

 

[TPO]

Mine does this I think. Not that I have ever really understood as invoices can take 2-8 weeks after the visit to arrive.

I get an invoice 2-8 weeks after the visit. (Longest delay was 5 months!) Terms of the invoice are payment within 30 days of the invoice date. I set a reminder on my phone for day 28 or 29 and phone and pay on this date. If it is an insurance claim bill, I then put it on my credit card, where is can stay interest free for a further 30 days. Hopefully by that point the insurance will have paid.

I dont pay immediately, as those are not the required terms on my invoice.

I was never able to make it work because the vets didn't make payment and the office couldn't tally a bill until the vet was free to advise what had taken place.

 

[Northern Hare]

The vet practice I used gave 5% discount if paid for on the day of treatment.

They also had an excellent scheme for older horses and ponies, whereby you paid around £160 for a year, which included 2 x six-monthly checks including full blood and soundness workups, teeth checks with sedation, worm counts and tailored wormer package for the year, and 10% off any medication for the year. It was a great way to catch any problems before they became bigger issues.

Many years ago when I had my first proper horse, you had the horse treated and the vet claimed direct from the insurers! That was before the concept of policy exclusions and wiggling out of paying a claim was even thought of - those were the days!! ?

 

[Chianti]

Just a musing really, but I’ve literally spent thousands with my vet over the last few years, I don’t have the 3 of them insured, my choice, but I’m always very prompt to pay, like as soon as the bill arrives, no matter how much it is. My thoughts are, do any of you get any discount for prompt payment? If it goes through an insurer, I’ve heard some claims can take months to get settled, does the owner pay it up front, or does the vet have to wait for the insurance company, surely that’s the point of having insurance, because most people can’t afford to pay large vet bills. For example, just recently, I’ve had one MRI scan and necessary medication bill, £1500, another bill for another horse £650, then ones just arrived today for the horse who had the MRI, was still lame so had to have further blocks done to establish why, it’s just arrived, which I’ve already now paid, £768. So in the last 3 months alone, that’s quite a tally?been with this practise approx 7 years. In my position, would any of you approach the subject with your vet to ask for a prompt payment discount? I probably won’t anyway, but like I said, I’m just curious ?

My vets give a 5% discount for prompt payment. I always try to pay the day after a visit and if the invoice isn't ready they will note that I tried to pay and make the deduction when I call again. I suppose they reason that it's worth losing a small amount to ensure a steady income.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My vets don't do any discount for prompt payment but do have a % (can't remember what it is atm) for any invoices that go over 30 days. I pay as soon as I get the bill but one month I completely forgot to pay and when the reminder came the next month I rang full of apologies to pay including the extra but was surprised and very grateful that because of my payment record they waived, without me saying anything, the extra.

 

[Flyermc]

It was cheaper to pay cash on the day for things that they knew the price off (eg vaccinations) ive no idea about invoicing T&C or reduced costs as id just pay the bill when i got it. They were never fast to send it, it could be months after.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

My vet, will fill in the forms, but I have to pay vet first, then get refunded, if I am lucky by Insurance

 

[Umbongo]

I don't think anyone has jumped on you, just expressed their opinion. I must admit, I have not worked anywhere that has offered % off for prompt payment, most of my experience is with small animal practices. I actually think it is really sad that some practices have had so many bad debtors that they need to offer an incentive to get people to pay their bills on time.

 

[chocolategirl]

I don't think anyone has jumped on you, just expressed their opinion. I must admit, I have not worked anywhere that has offered % off for prompt payment, most of my experience is with small animal practices. I actually think it is really sad that some practices have had so many bad debtors that they need to offer an incentive to get people to pay their bills on time.

Ok, maybe jumped on wasn’t the right wording, but it was suggested my ‘argument was flawed’ by one poster? What argument? I wasn’t arguing with anyone, I was literally musing, and confess to being curious as to whether or not it was ‘a thing’, and as it turns out, it is ?‍ I’m probably being a tad sensitive (I blame menopause), but some of the comments made me feel bad for even mentioning it in the first place ?