We know and understand that going through treatment for your pet can be a worrying time. Insurance claims can add to this, which is why we are proud to support our clients with both direct and indirect claims.
What is a direct claim?
A direct claim is where your insurance company reimburses your practice.
We are one of the only vets in the area that handles direct claims on behalf of our clients. This means we take care of everything, including holding monies owed so that you don’t have to pay your vet bill immediately following treatment.
What is an indirect claim?
An indirect claim is where your insurance company reimburses you directly.
What changes are St Kitts Vets making?
To support us in continuing the provision of this service for clients, we are introducing a small £10 admin fee with each claim made. This will come in from 1st January 2024.
We understand that you may have some questions regarding the changes so, to help, we have answered some of these below.
When will the admin fee need to be paid?
Owners will be asked to pay the admin fee at the time of handing in the insurance form / making the claim request. Payment will be taken alongside the insurance excess payment, if applicable.
Is the fee applied to pre-authorisation requests?
Yes. As processing a pre-authorisation requires the equivalent amount of work and attention to detail as processing a standard claim, the admin fee will apply.
The fee will be charged at the time of the pre-authorisation request and includes the processing of the associated claim if authorisation is granted. The fee is not refunded if authorisation is not granted by the insurance company.
If my pet has multiple conditions that need to be claimed at the same time, will I be charged for each?
If multiple claims are processed for the same pet at the same time, just the one admin fee (£10) will apply.
If I have more than one pet that require claims to be processed, will I be charged for each?
Yes. Our admin fees are charged per pet, i.e. £10 invoiced for Bill and £10 for Ben.
My claim was submitted before treatment had been completed. Will I be charged for every continuation claim?
No. The insurance admin fee covers the submission of a new claim and 1 subsequent continuation claim within 6 months OR for ongoing claims, the fee covers 2 continuation claims within 6 months.
N.B. Where there is a previous agreement between the Insurance Team / Practice Manager and client to automatically process low value (under £100) continuation claims, e.g. regular repeat dispensing of Loxicom, our Insurance Team will continue to process these claims FOC until the policy year renews. At this point, an admin fee will then be due alongside the insurance excess payment.
I submitted my claim directly to the insurance company, who have contacted St Kitts Vets for a clinical history and invoice. Will I be charged the admin fee?
Yes. Our Insurance Team are still required to check the claim details, provide the requested information, answer any additional questions and track the progress of the claim therefore, the fee is still applicable.
If the claim is not direct (payment is to be made to the policy holder), will I be charged the admin fee?
Yes. This is because our Insurance Team are still required to check the claim details, provide the requested information, answer any additional questions and track the progress of the claim.
If you have any further questions about the admin fee, please get in touch with the team at your local practice.
St Kitts Vets Hartley Wintney: 01252 844044
St Kitts Vets Basingstoke: 01256 844944
Crookham Park Veterinary Centre: 01252 913990
Firgrove Veterinary Centre: 01252 877799
