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AUTUMN 2015 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
14
INSURANCE
Making an insurance claim
If you have a horse that is unwell or injured then you may need to make an insurance claim. This is
a fairly simple procedure and we will help make it run as smoothly as possible but here are a few
simple tips to help get your claim under way.
1. Insurance companies are happier if you inform them about a procedure before you have it done. Obviously this is not always
possible, especially in the case of the midnight colic or wound. However, if your horse is going to have an elective procedure
like a lameness investigation then it is best to forewarn the company. They should always be informed if your horse is going to
undergo an elective anaesthetic.
2. If you discuss making a claim with your vet and decide to go ahead then you need to get in contact with your insurance
company and request a claim form. At this stage you may not have a diagnosis but can give them an idea of the type
of problem.
3. Once your claim form arrives, fill in the owner section and make sure you sign it. Decide if you wish the insurance company to
pay your vets directly or whether you are going to settle your bill and then reclaim the money from the insurance company.
4. Hand or post your claim form in to your vets. This allows the vet to complete their section and get the form sent away to the
insurance company.
5. Continuations of claims – some companies will require a continuation form each time we issue an invoice. Others will allow
us to submit the invoices without you having to do anything. If your company requires a form we will get in touch and let you
know. You will need to request the form from the company and fill in your section as before and forward it to us.
6. Excess – you are likely to be expected to pay the excess for your policy at the time of treatment. The excess is usually a set
amount of the claim or a percentage that your insurance company will have agreed with you when you started your policy.
You may also be required to pay part or all of any livery or hospitalisation fees for your horse depending on your insurance
policy, they are all different so please refer back to your policy terms and conditions.
7. Some policies do not cover the cost of supplements and alternative therapies that your horse may require. Again please refer
back to your policy for your terms and conditions.
8. Most insurance companies will cover any one condition for a 12 month period or until the limit for that claim is reached. If your
horse has suffered from a related condition, even if you have not placed a claim, then exclusions may have been placed on
your policy. It is worth checking this before proceeding with treatment where possible.
9. For loss of use claims you are often allowed over 12 months from the onset of the problem to make this decision; check your
policy details.
Veterinary fee cover
In the unfortunate event that your horse is ill
or injured vet fees cover means you will
be reimbursed for non routine veterinary
treatment and means you can concentrate
on getting the best available veterinary
treatment. It is important to check the level
of vet fees cover that you are buying, this is
commonly capped at £5,000 and modern
treatments or repeated surgeries do mean
that complicated cases can result in vets‘
bills higher than the cover provided.
Premiums can be reduced by having a
higher excess.
You will often be asked to provide a recent
five stage vetting certificate which is another
good reason to have a full vetting done
when you purchase a horse. Remember
anything significant mentioned on the vetting
certificate, i.e. a pre-existing condition will
be excluded by the insurance company and
this needs to be discussed when the policy
is taken out.
Complementary treatments such as
physiotherapy or remedial therapy may also
be covered which again gives your horse
the best chance of making a full recovery.
We are keeping our horses into old age
more often now; vet fees cover may only be
provided to a certain age depending
on the company. Some only cover for
accidental injury after 20 years of age.
Again check the small print.
Loss of use cover
This is the cover you will need if you want
to insure the value of your horse should he
become unable to do the job you keep
him for.
The cover usually provides a percentage of the
value of the horse in the event of a successful
claim. It is important to specify what activity
the horse is kept for and to keep this cover
and value updated as your horse progresses
through his career for example in affiliated
eventing. You can also often specify the
percentage of the value you want to insure
to help reduce the premium.
It can take a period of time to process a loss
of use claim, i.e. to show that the horse has
not recovered. It is now routine procedure to
have a horse freeze branded with an L in a
circle on the left saddle area to show it has
had a loss of use claim made on it.
Bloodstock insurance
High value animals and racehorses are often
dealt with by specialist companies and have
different policy terms and conditions.
Similarly new born foals may be insured but a
neonatal mortality insurance certificate may be
required detailing the foal’s health status and
vital parameters.