Making an Insurance Claim
We're here to help guide you through the process of making an insurance claim
If you are paying for your pet’s treatment through insurance, then you need to liaise closely with your insurance provider throughout your pet’s treatment. You should be aware of the terms and conditions of your policy and let us know if there are limitations.
When you attend the hospital with your pet, please make sure you bring the following:
- Insurance claim form
- Your policy document
Referrals
Your insurance company will require a claim and medical history from the practice that referred your animal to us. Some insurance companies will not process our claim until they have received the claim and medical history from the referring practice. It is therefore important that you ensure your referring practice has submitted their claim form to your insurance company.
Excess
This is a payment which must be paid by you, regardless of whether you are making an indirect or direct claim.
- It is charged per condition
- If your policy runs into a new policy year whilst making a claim you may be required to pay another excess
- Some policies charge a percentage excess on the total of each claimed amount as well as a fixed excess
There are two main ways to claim through your insurance provider, indirect claim or direct claim.
Indirect claims
When your insurance company reimburses you What we need from you
- Your treatments must be paid for before your claim can be processed
- No admin fee will be required from you for an indirect claim
- You must provide a claim form, or an email link from your insurance company
- Claim forms must have all relevant policyholder sections completed
What we will do
- We will complete your claim form and have it signed by an authorised member of staff
- We will aim to send it to your insurance company within five working days from payment of your invoice, if you have completed the relevant insurance form as requested or provided your claim reference for ongoing claims
- We send notes, case report and any other required information to the insurance company
Direct claims
When your insurance company reimburses us What we need from you
- An admin fee is charged per claim and is payable every three months
- You must provide a claim form, or email link from your insurance company, for each visit.
- Claim forms must have all policyholder sections completed
- All forms must be signed and dated in the relevant sections stating that payment comes direct to us (Langford Veterinary Services)
- At your initial visit you must provide us with a copy of your valid insurance certificate or schedule, which shows the limit on the policy, the excess amount, the start date and any exclusions that may exist. You will also be asked to pay any excess.
- Prior to your first Langford Vets visit we ask that you contact your insurance company to give permission for us to speak with them about your policy and outstanding claims
What we will do
- We will complete your claim form and have it signed by an authorised staff member
- We will write to you and inform you if we have not received payment from your insurance company.
- We send notes, case report and any other required information to the insurance company
- We will facilitate your claim with your insurance company to ensure it is progressing
Please note
It is your responsibility to settle your account after 60 days if the insurance company has not reimbursed us by then.
By offering a direct claim we are not creating a contract between ourselves and the insurance company – responsibility for any amounts not paid by the insurance company remain with you, and accounts are required to be settled promptly after insurance monies have been paid, in line with our standard terms of business (included in your welcome pack).
Preauthorisation
This is when your claim is pre-agreed with the insurance company before treatment of your animal commences.
- If your insurance company allows pre-authorisation and time permits, you should obtain pre-authorisation for your peace of mind
- Some insurance companies insist on pre-authorisation before any treatment, or if treatment is expected to be over a certain value
- It takes 10 working days to process a pre-authorisation with your insurance company
- Some insurance companies do not allow you to do a pre-authorisation; you should seek advice directly from your insurer
Preauthorisation
This is when your claim is pre-agreed with the insurance company before treatment of your animal commences.
- If your insurance company allows pre-authorisation and time permits, you should obtain pre-authorisation for your peace of mind
- Some insurance companies insist on pre-authorisation before any treatment, or if treatment is expected to be over a certain value
- It takes 10 working days to process a pre-authorisation with your insurance company
- Some insurance companies do not allow you to do a pre-authorisation; you should seek advice directly from your insurer
You have completed your client journey Return to the Small Animal Referral Hospital Page
