Vet won' deal with insurance company

ashleyrossuk

Hello i was just wondering if thier is anything that i can do!

I have just signed up with m and s pet insurance, i was at the vet yesterday getting the cats jabs. The vet nurse said that they would not deal directly with the insurance company, and if the cats ever needed treatment then i would have to pay up myself and then claim back from the insurance company!

I was just wondering is this standard practise!

My husband is disabled (MS) and cant work and i stay home to look after our little boy, so we are on a really low income. We are just about able to afford the pet insurnace monthly payments but we cant afford to pay out hundreds of pounds incase of an accident and then wait for the insurance company to refund us!

Justie

that's what ours do too - we pay by credit card with the 56 days interest free thingy and it's usually settled well before that.

JennyW_2

Yes it's standard practice. we pay by credit card too then pay it off when the insurance money comes through. Could you have a word with the surgery and explain your situation? They may come to some arrangement with you

ashleyrossuk

Thanks, good to know it is standard practise!

I will try writing a letter, but dont hold out much hope.

Eels100

Most practices are the same - if they do a lot of treatment and then for some reason the insurance won't cover it, the vets are left with a big unpaid bill and some clients are dishonest enough to just refuse to pay up. The outstanding amount is always the client's responsibility to pay.

In some practices you may be able to make a special arrangement, for example if your dog was hit by a car and you had a very big and unexpected bill they may be sympathetic but it is asking the vet to take a big chance on you so they won't all do it. As has been mentioned, most clients get around this by using interest free periods on credit cards.

It may sounds really harsh but it's incredible how many people own animals but will not pay their veterinary bills. That's part of the reason costs can be high - most practices have huge bad debt lists.

bulchy

When we first registered with our current vet, we would pay up front and make the claim ourselves. We dont now, as one of our dogs is there almost every other week, and every now and then the receptionist will ask me to bring in a claim form. I couldnt see our last vet doing this for us, they were asking for there money before they started treatment, which is why we use our current ones.
Sue

quidsin

We had to do do this aswell with our insurers - took 4 months to get our claim. Cancelled the insurance once the claim was paid in disguist. We now put aside £20 / month in a saving account.

Fleago

Our policy runs out at the end of the month and we've decided not to renew it again. We're going to put what we've been paying in premiums into an ISA every month. This was prompted by the realisation that during the term of the insurance for our dogs we've paid out more than £3000 and claimed back the princely sum of £180! OH discussed it with the vet and he said they'd actually been talking about that very subject in the practice and had concluded that for most people it was probably a better idea to save a monthly amount.

That being said, it was a big decision to make but we were convinced by the fact that we are very fortunate and could gather the money together in case of a big, expensive accident or illness in the near future. Plus, we have a very long standing relationship with our vet practice and know that they would try be helpful if the situation arose that we needed a little time to get the money.

Should our dogs be blessed with illness or accident free long lives, when the last of them trots off to the great rabbit hunting ground in the sky we've promised ourselves a lovely holiday on the strength of the savings, in memory of our wonderful Fleagohounds.

meesha_2

It was comforting to know i am not the only person experiencing problems with vets and insurance. The vet suggtested my dog be referred to an eye specialist - the specialist wants nothing to do with insurance and all money upfront - not interested in personal circumstances either - receptionists word "we do not know you". I don't have it - the idea of pet insurance was to save all this grief. I have since had a second opinion from another vet re the condition and i am trying a different treatment which I hope works. When you are on a low income it is hard if not impossible to pay up front.

Good luck to anyone else having problems.

spankymonkey_2

my cat was just recently run over and being on benefit and no insurance was looking to have a huge bill,(she didn't need surgery thank god). when i asked if there was payment plan they said they do a loyalty card which you use like a credit card. high interest though, but a good idea if you cant pay it off all in one go.....