Here are some of the most frequent concerns regarding your insurance claim.
Your insurance policy belongs to you, and only you will know the exact terms of the policy. We can ask for details from the insurance provider but you should bear in mind that if you need to check the terms you should ask that question direct to your provider. You should know your excess and what is covered before your horse is seen by our vets.
What happens about my excess?
Excesses will either be a set fee (Fixed Excess) usually around £140.00 – £200.00 or a percentage of the final invoice (Percentage Excess) which is often around 15%. You will be required to pay your fixed excess to the first veterinary practice that has seen your horse about the claim condition (that’s either the referring vet or Hambleton Equine Clinic). If you have a percentage excess policy, we will require this excess to be paid up-front to us on the day of arrival against an estimated cost.
Will the insurance company pay Hambleton Equine Clinic direct?
In most cases that can be arranged. You will need to ensure that this is stated on the form that you submit and that we are aware of this. If this is not stated then you will be invoiced for the full amount and be expected to pay in full in line with our Terms and Conditions of Business. Interest may be applied for late payment and you will be responsible for paying this.
What is a Pro-forma?
Some insurance companies require that an explanation of procedures and their costs is submitted to them prior to Hambleton Equine carrying out the work – this is called a pro-forma. Common procedures that require this are MRI, bone scan, anaesthesia or surgery. Your insurance company will provide you with the relevant form.
What happens with my claim form?
After you have filled in your section and submitted this to us, the vet in charge of your horse will complete the form and this will be emailed directly to the insurance company. We try to ensure this is done within 30 days of your horse being seen. During busy periods this is not always possible and may take a little longer.
What about continuation claim forms?
Please check with your insurance company if they require continuation forms to be completed each time the horse is seen for the same condition. If this is needed please bring a continuation form with you to the appointment or email it to info@hambleton-equine.co.uk
I haven’t heard anything about my claim?
If more than 30 days has elapsed and you have heard nothing about your claim then please contact the accounts department at the clinic to ensure that we have your claim form and it is in process.
Why do I keep receiving invoices when my horse was insured?
If you are waiting for settlement of a claim please do not worry that you are still receiving monthly invoices from Hambleton Equine Clinic. This will continue until the claim is settled and the balance is cleared. Remember that you are responsible for your excess and certain charges relating to hospitalisation, livery, post-operative care and other issues in your insurance policy terms. These charges must be settled in line with our Terms and Conditions of Business.
Why is there a charge for a claim form and how much is it?
We charge a small fee for filling in the initial claim form for you. This is to go towards the costs of administration of this claim form. Our vets have to spend time filling in the form, our accounts department have to format all the costs and send these to the insurance provider, liaise with them regarding any questions they have, chase payment for the claim and calculate excesses and costs for items not covered. For this we currently charge a small fee. Please ask reception or accounts for details of this charge.
Similar paperwork is required for continuation claim forms. These take up a similar amount of time but, as it is a continuation, we will only charge half our insurance claim form fee for these continuations.