£12 Blood test - Insurance company say this is reasonable!

dazanteney4

dionne_clark wrote: »

Animal Friends are very poor when it comes to claims, I had my horse insured with them for 3 years and when he was diagnosed with Cushings I completed a claim form, excess is £450 which is steep but I paid it, then when he was getting further blood tests and medication etc it was the same, they limited the claim on vet call outs, blood tests, wont pay postage or prescription charges, so they have ended up paying out very little indeed, now they are saying its a new year so new excess? I complained and said I could understand it being per condition and for a year from claiming but if its per policy year then if I claimed in March and paid excess but my policy renewed in April then I would have to pay excess again as its my bad luck in the timing of my horse being ill - they said yes - that's how it works so pot luck when your animal is ill, you might be alright if it falls ill right at the start of your policy year! I cancelled immediately, what's the point in having it I would have to have another bill over £450 to claim again, and I would have to pay for all the medication in the mean time. I told them as well I was going to post on forums and put a notice up at our yards tea room where we have over 100 horses so no one else gets caught out - a complete con as far as I am concerned, when your animal is ill or dying the last thing you need is hassle with insurance.

I'm not defending any insurance company but you should always read the T & C's.... I have my two cats with them and it clearly states this.
I would imagine they limit call out charges to try and stop vets charging £1000's because its the middle of the night or xmas day etc...

rising_from_the_ashes

dionne_clark wrote: »

I complained and said I could understand it being per condition and for a year from claiming but if its per policy year then if I claimed in March and paid excess but my policy renewed in April then I would have to pay excess again as its my bad luck in the timing of my horse being ill - they said yes - that's how it works so pot luck when your animal is ill, you might be alright if it falls ill right at the start of your policy year! I cancelled immediately, what's the point in having it I would have to have another bill over £450 to claim again,

Sorry your horse has been unwell and you've been having issues with AF

However, re the excess, that's standard with ANY insurer - certainly not just AF - it will be clearly stated in the T&Cs

It's actually beneficial for those that have long term conditions as you pay 1 excess (per condition) per policy year (as long as it's life time cover)

The timing of the illness has unfortunately meant you've slipped into 2 policy years - that's sadly 'sods law' and not the insurers fault

If you have taken out a new policy with another insurer, I suggest you read their T&Cs carefully - as they will say exactly the same thing

pinkcandyflossprincess

my vet wanted to charge £800 to run tests on my cockatiel, i had to rehome him to a rescue as couldnt afford it , sadly he passed away just before rescue lady arrived.
I dont think theres reason for some prices they charge, £12 compared to £800 seems cheap!

dawnie1972

andybonny wrote: »

Hi,

We've recently had to have our beautiful Boxer Dog put to sleep after she had been diagnosed with cancer. A huge shock to us and our kids.

We're now receiving our insurance claim from our Pet insurers: Animal Friends.

Unfortunately they have made a number of deductions which weren't listed in our policy schedule or policy document. I called them and they pointed out that the Policy booklet states that they have put a number of caps on things. They told me that they can't let their customers have a list of these caps. I always thought that the policy scheduled listed all the caps and fees up front so the customer could weigh up the effectiveness of the cover.

They have reduced the consultation fee by £44.50 (they say they have a cap of £200). They also reduced the Diagnostic Nurse fee by £58.67 (they say a cap of £50)

My biggest worry tho is they have a limit of £12 for a blood test!

What I would like to know is it possible to get a dog blood test for £12? Animal Friends tell me that that’s a reasonable amount to be charged but I believe that there is nowhere in the UK that would charge so little.

As this amount in my option is so low I do wonder if there other deductions are reasonable or not.

I have been promised a call back from Animal Friends management on Monday to discuss. It would be great if any other forum members cold let me know what they've paid for dog blood tests in the past so I could let Animal Friends know if they are being fair, reasonable or are out of touch from the veterinary world which they are supposed to be working alongside.

Thanks,

Andy

I wish blood tests were only £12! The very basic blood test at my vets for a dog is £30, the full blood screening is £100.

sheramber

Have you advised your vet of what Animal Friends consider a reasonable charge for a blood test.

They may be able to give you some ammunition against that claim.

oystercatcher

I've just discovered the itemised bill for my dog's lump removal on 30/3/15
She had basic 'pre-op blood tests'
Blood sampling charge £9.85
External lab packaging and interpretation fee £6.79

We are due repeat blood tests this week due to some abnormalities so I will try and remember to update those fee's.

We are within commuting distance of London and our vet has a reputation for being expensive , I trust them though.

So sorry you lost your dog

dionne_clark

I am assuming from your reply you work for Animal Friends, regardless you are completely wrong, I always check T&C's and in fact when I read them again after this argument found that the excess per policy year is a complete lie as it is not in the terms and conditions at all, I was left on hold for ten minutes whilst someone at Animal Friends tried to find it and failed. They have since backed down and I quote 'as a gesture of goodwill' are paying the vets after all and will not apply another excess to this claim.