A guide to Insurance claims

Indirect claims
This is when your insurance company reimburses you directly.

What we need from you:

• Full payment of your invoice(s) before your claim can be processed.
• A claim form signed by the policy holder, with the relevant sections filled out correctly.
  A separate claim form for each condition you with to claim for.
• Your insurance company may instead ask you to complete your claim online through a portal system, processes will be different with each company.

What we will do:

• Complete our sections of the claim form and have it signed by the vet in charge of the case or other authorised staff member.
• Attach the clinical history along with a copy of any payments you have made. (We do not need your receipts)
• Aim to send it promptly to the insurer by post or electronically.
• Provide any information requested by your insurer during the processing of your claim.

Direct claims

This is when your insurance company reimburses your practice. It is at the discretion of the practice whether they accept direct claims or not, as the responsibility to pay for treatment lies with the owner.

It is important to contact us directly to clarify if we can process direct claims with your insurance provider before you start a claim. Direct claims are approved in advance via a practice Director. You should allow a minimum of one week prior to scheduled treatment when making a request for a direct claim.

What we need from you to start a direct claim:

• A covering letter or certificate of your policy which shows the policy limit, excess amount, start date and any exclusion(s) that may exist on the policy.

At the time of the procedure, we will then need:

• A claim form signed and dated by the policy holder with all relevant sections completed correctly, including authorisation to pay the practice directly.
• An administration fee of £20 for the processing of the claim form per condition should be paid on submission of the claim form.
• Payment for any un-insured work carried out at the time of treatment and payment of the excess and/or co-payment prior to treatment.

What we will do:

• Complete our sections of the claim form and have it signed by the vet in charge of the case or other authorised staff member.
• Attach the clinical history, along with a copy of any payments you have made. (We do not need your receipts)
• Aim to send it promptly to the insurer by post or electronically.
• Provide any information requested by your insurer during the processing of your claim.
  Contact you if payment has not been made within four weeks as you may need to query this with your provider.
• Please note if the insurer declines to settle the insurance claim, it is your responsibility to settle the account in full within 30 days.
• By offering a direct claim we are not creating a contract between ourselves and the insurer. Any disputes regarding the claim will remain your responsibility and we are not required to investigate for you or deal with queries. We do aim to help whenever possible, but most insurers will only speak to the policy holder.