Abbotswood Veterinary Centre

Our thoughts

 

We never want money to be an issue should your pet require treatment but there is also no doubt that the provision of high-quality veterinary care can be costly.

 

We hope your pet stays in good health but, ask yourself, could you afford an unexpected veterinary bill of £2000? In the absence of a Pet National Health Service, lifelong pet insurance may offer the best solution for pet owners.

 

It is for this reason we suggest all our clients take out a good quality pet insurance product.

 

What we look for

​

There are a number of different policy types which can make things confusing when it comes to choosing a policy. 

 

There are four general types of policy: 

• Lifetime: your pet will always be insured for all conditions covered by the policy if they remain with this policy and company 

• Annual: your pet will be covered for a condition for a policy year and then it will be excluded when it comes to renewal 

• Accident only: your pet will be covered for accidents (e.g. if they were hit by a car) but not for any illnesses 

• Maximum benefit: each condition is covered up to a certain amount over the course of the policy 

​

Exclusions should also be considered. If your pet has been seen for a condition before the policy has been taken out or during the first 14 days then the condition will most likely be excluded on the policy and you will not be able to claim for it. Similarly if you change insurance companies once your pet has had a condition then that condition will be excluded by the new company. 

 

Co-payments are percentages on top of the excess which you need to pay towards treatment, most companies will introduce these when your pet gets to a certain age but some policies have them for younger pets too. Sometimes policies will state they only cover certain amounts towards different treatments or procedures so always check the small print. 

 

We are unable to recommend specific companies or policies but are always happy to help explain things so just give Tracy a call on our usual number if you have any questions.

 

Leave it with us

 

Visiting the vets can be stressful enough without worrying about the paperwork. We work with most major insurers to process claims directly, meaning we will not need full payment from you up front. We will require the following at the time of claim: 

• Email or hard copy of your insurance policy 

• Payment of your fixed policy excess

• A signed claim form, email link or policy number so we can process the claim. We can advise which is needed based o which company you are insured with 

• Your pet’s full history from any previous vets if they have not been with us their whole life 

• Your email address for correspondence 

​

We are also happy to advise you on the process if you prefer to handle this yourself and will provide any information needed.

 

Please be aware that you will be liable for any treatment costs not covered by your policy and if your insurance company does not pay in a timely manner then we may have to ask you for payment and process the claim indirectly.

​

​

Can I manage my own claim?

 

Yes. If you'd rather manage your own claim we are happy to support you. Similarly, if we are unable to deal with your chosen insurer we will support and guide you through the process. To support you, we have also put together a list of useful information including website links and claim forms (online and pdf) here. If you cant see your insurer on the list, let us know and we will do our best to add  it for you.