Vet Invoice - Health Plan Payment Shortfall

ZorbaTheSmall

Hi.

I signed up with my vet for the Vetsure Pet Health Plan in February 2024. Terms and conditions can be found here: https://www.myvetshealthplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PHP-Terms-and-Conditions_Final_SPOT-Website-version_Apr19.pdf

The purpose of the plan is to pay a monthly direct debit to obtain regular preventative treatments for your pet, at a discounted rate.

On the 8th July 2025, following a disagreement with my vet, I was told I was no longer welcome at the practice. At the same time my vet cancelled my Vetsure Pet Health Plan (without any written notice) - See section 10 of the Vetsure T&Cs. However they cancelled it on the basis that I had cancelled. Untrue - They have no evidence of any request from me.

On the 21st August I chased my now ex vet for a refund discrepancy for less than £20 and in response I was issued an invoice from the vet for "Pet Health Plan Payment Shortfall" and in the accompanying email I had a breakdown of all the treatments and costs and a note of the payment made.

Vetsure claim it's nothing to do with them, they only collect the direct debits and my contract is with the vet. I personally disagree with that, since it was Vetsure that emailed me with the welcome email and pointed to their T&Cs, but whatever.

I've read the T&Cs and I can't find any reference to having to repay the difference (as invoiced).

I've told the vet I'm not paying it and raised a formal complaint with them about this invoice (amongst other things).

Can anyone suggest, based on the T&Cs or other reasoning, if I should be paying this invoice?

eskbanker

It's clearly stated in the Ts & Cs that it's not an insurance product, and effectively seems no more than a prepayment or budgeting facility for specified services, and anything beyond that is chargeable, so it'll presumably come down to how much credit you'd built up versus the cost of the services you'd used?

MyRealNameToo

Vetsure are just acting as an agent of the vet, they administer the process on behalf of the vet but as an agent you are effectively dealing with the vet when you deal with vetsure

Both you and the vet can cancel the policy with notice so it makes no difference who cancelled it, there are no punitive clauses if it's cancelled by them rather than you. 

From what I understand you simply pay a monthly fee so build up a nest egg with the vet and then burn through that each time you visit the vet. For the benefit of them sitting on your money they give you a discount -v- the normal fees. 

Does the invoice show they have recalculated any of the bills without the discount as a consequence of the cancellation or is it just you have withdrawn more money than you've paid in and now you are no longer paying in they want you to pay up on your debts? 

screech_78

I pay for similar for my dog with pet health club. The plan is only valid at the vet you’ve registered with and in the case of my plan, the cost per month can vary depending on which vets you have the plan with. 

If it’s cancelled throughout the year, it also makes clear that there may be a balance to pay if you’ve received more than the plan covers prior to the cancellation e.g vaccinations, worming and flea treatment. You’re basically paying for all of this monthly and will only be fully paid up after 12 months of payment. 

ZorbaTheSmall

MyRealNameToo said:

Vetsure are just acting as an agent of the vet, they administer the process on behalf of the vet but as an agent you are effectively dealing with the vet when you deal with vetsure

Both you and the vet can cancel the policy with notice so it makes no difference who cancelled it, there are no punitive clauses if it's cancelled by them rather than you. 

From what I understand you simply pay a monthly fee so build up a nest egg with the vet and then burn through that each time you visit the vet. For the benefit of them sitting on your money they give you a discount -v- the normal fees. 

Does the invoice show they have recalculated any of the bills without the discount as a consequence of the cancellation or is it just you have withdrawn more money than you've paid in and now you are no longer paying in they want you to pay up on your debts? 

The invoice simple states "Pet Health Plan Payment Shortfall" and the value plus a VAT amount.

The email details treatment costs but no indication of any discounts.

Section 3 of the T&Cs states:

The monthly amount which you pay entitles Your Pet(s) to receive the

specified routine preventative healthcare, services and products described in

the new membership notification you receive from Vetsure PHP on activation

of your Plan (“Treatments”).

So that indicates that while the plan is active I'm entitled to the treatments as prescribed. As far as I can make out there's no indication that any shortfall is re-payable.

molerat

If the shortfall charge is for the preventative treatments discount I don't see they have a leg to stand on.  That charge can only be levied if you cancel.  They have also breached the T&Cs by not giving you one month written notice.  I do though agree this has nothing to do with the health plan as they are only a payment facilitator.  It looks like a "see you in court" reply if they push for payment. If you feel they have breached professional standards there is a complaints mechanism, they should have their own complaints procedure. https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/app/uploads/2021/08/Raising-a-Complaint-VCMS.pdf

ZorbaTheSmall

molerat said:

If the shortfall charge is for the preventative treatments discount I don't see they have a leg to stand on.  That charge can only be levied if you cancel.  They have also breached the T&Cs by not giving you one month written notice.  I do though agree this has nothing to do with the health plan as they are only a payment facilitator.  It looks like a "see you in court" reply if they push for payment. If you feel they have breached professional standards there is a complaints mechanism, they should have their own complaints procedure. https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/app/uploads/2021/08/Raising-a-Complaint-VCMS.pdf

The shortfall is for the preventative treatments - Otherwise I would have been billed at the time for any treatments that have fallen outside of the plan.

I've told them I'm not paying and that they should take advice before progressing further and that "I do not believe the courts would rule in your favour"

The vet mediation will come after they respond to my complaint letter, assuming it's not to my satisfaction.

ZorbaTheSmall

screech_78 said:

I pay for similar for my dog with pet health club. The plan is only valid at the vet you’ve registered with and in the case of my plan, the cost per month can vary depending on which vets you have the plan with. 

If it’s cancelled throughout the year, it also makes clear that there may be a balance to pay if you’ve received more than the plan covers prior to the cancellation e.g vaccinations, worming and flea treatment. You’re basically paying for all of this monthly and will only be fully paid up after 12 months of payment. 

Nothing like that in the T&Cs for the Vetsure Pet Health Plan - Even if there was, I'd argue that by being informed that I'm no longer welcome at their practice, even if I was to pay I wouldn't be able to receive any benefit. 

In fact, section 11 describes the additional actions I need to take if the plan is cancelled. You would imagine that it is this section where mention of shortfall repayments would be noted.

11 If the Plan is cancelled, do I need to do anything else?

• You must collect all products prescribed under Your Plan within 3 months of

the end of the Plan. If you fail to collect any prescribed products in this time,

you will not be entitled to collect any prescribed products afterwards.

• In order to comply with dispensing regulations Your Pet(s) will need to have

been examined by a veterinary surgeon within 6 months prior to collection of

the prescribed product, otherwise you may be required to book a consultation

which will be charged at the vet's normal rates.

Okell

Seems to me that you've agreed a course of preventative treatment for your pet at a cost of £nnn and that you've agreed to use Vetsure as a way of funding that treatment.

Seems obvious to me that if you (or your pet) has received £nnn worth of treatment but you have paid less than £nnn into Vetsure then you are liable to make up the shortfall.

Rather than playing secret squirrel why don't you tell us the value of the treatment your pet has received versus what you have paid in.

Seems simple to me.

eskbanker

As well as the simple common sense in the above post, I'd also suggest that the second paragraph of clause 1 envisages potential shortfalls:

If Your Vet prescribes, and you choose to receive, one of these treatments or services, Your Vet will use the sums which you have paid by direct debit towards payment for the treatment and service. 

and it seems clear to me that if more services are received than have been paid for, the vet has a reasonable claim for recovery of the difference, even if there isn't a clause explicitly spelling this out.

Undervalued

But....

The OP cannot comply with term 11 of the contract as the vet refuses to have them as a client and the vet has failed to give the required notice to end the contract.

Also we don't know why the OP has been "struck off" by the vet or if the vet is guilty of any breach of professional standards. 

I would imagine if the OP files a professional standards complaint with the RCVS, win or lose it will cost the vet a lot more than the value of this dispute!