We understand that having your pet referred to a specialist veterinary hospital can be a daunting time and we are here to help and support you at every stage.
Below you will find lots of information about payments and insurance, should you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01388 777 770.
Insurance Direct claims (Insurance pay directly to Wear)
If your pet is insured and you would prefer us (if possible) to settle the costs of treatment directly with your insurance company, you will need to give your insurer verbal authority for Wear Referrals to discuss your policy and find out finer details of your policy.
We review this alongside your pets complete medical history to see if the symptoms/condition being treated are likely to be covered by your insurance company.
Please note that every care has been taken to understand your policy however, the check it is not a guarantee of cover, ultimately your insurer will have the final say upon receipt of the claim.
If your insurance company make any deductions, decline your claim or you go over your policy limit the outstanding balance on your account will need to be settled by yourself.
Insurance policy excess is the amount your insurance company will not settle and which you must pay. It can be a fixed amount, a percentage of the bill or a combination of both. It is your responsibility to be aware of the policy excess to be settled.
Excesses which involve settling a percentage of the bill can result in a significant sum, so we ask you are aware of the costs likely to be incurred when agreeing to treatment. Any shortfall in the cost of treatment which is not covered by your insurance company will be payable to Wear Referrals by you.
Insurance Preauthorisation
Some insurance companies offer a preauthorisation service. This is a more detailed check from the insurance company, which may give you further peace of mind as to whether your pet’s treatment will be covered. Keep in mind that this still is never a guarantee of cover. Please check with your insurance company if this is something you may be interested in and let us know as soon as you can as some insurance companies require 7 days’ notice for a preauthorisation to be submitted.
Insurance In-Direct claims (You pay for treatment and insurance company pay directly back to you).
In some circumstances, such as the clinical signs were first noted within the policy inception period, there are exclusions in your policy, or you have already exceeded your policy limit, we may not be able to offer a direct claim. In these circumstances a deposit will be required upon admission of your pets to the hospital. The deposit will be 50% of the upper treatment estimate given by our clinician after the consultation. We will submit a claim at the end of hospitalisation or treatment, on your behalf to your insurance company for monies to be reimbursed to yourself. Your insurer will have the final say on what is and what is not covered upon receipt of your claim.
Insurance administration fee
A non-refundable administration fee of £50 is charged to enable our insurance team to liaise with your insurance company, run extensive policy checks to authorise a Direct claim, process your claim and deal with any quires that may arise. An additional administration fee of £50 is charged when either reaching a new policy year, or treatment is initiated for a new condition for my pet, subject to another check.
Inner limits and exclusions
All insurance policies are different, during our checks we get as much information as we can, however it is advisable for you to review your insurance policy, as some policies have inner limits for treatments such as MRI/CT scans and therefore may not cover the full cost of some procedures or consultation fees. Any exclusions on your policy will need to be covered by yourself. Please contact your insurance company if you have any questions regarding your policy inner limits.
Submitting your claim
There are several methods of submitting claims to insurance companies. For paper claim forms, you will be asked to complete a form at each appointment or bring a signed form with you. We can print these for you on the day of your appointment if needed. When we receive a form, we will complete this for the insurer to pay the policy holder. Some insurance companies provide online claim processing. If your insurance company uses an online claim service, we may require a claims link, or authority to submit these on your behalf. Please ensure if you have these, you send them to us within 7 days of treatment.
