Warning for insured clients
I want to start by saying that our vet, Benjamin, was absolutely excellent, this review in no way reflects on the clinical care my cat, Nia, received. Benjamin was kind, thorough, expert, and clearly dedicated to the wellbeing of his patients.
However, I was incredibly disappointed by the practice’s stance on insurance claims. I’m insured with PetPlan and have one of their top-tier policies. One of the key benefits of this is being able to make a direct claim, where the insurer pays the vet directly.
When I asked if I could make a direct claim, I was told point-blank that the practice does not do direct claims. It was only after I challenged this, explained my background, and pushed back, drawing on my 20 years of experience as a veterinary nurse, dealing with hundreds of practices, none of which have ever refused a direct claim with Petplan, that the member of staff eventually said I could put in a direct claim after all. But let’s be clear: this would never have been offered if I hadn’t known exactly what to say.
Most clients wouldn’t have that knowledge or confidence to argue their case, and would simply be left paying out of pocket, often for significant amounts. And that’s what really concerns me. Pet insurance exists precisely because many people don’t have thousands of pounds sitting in their bank account. To be told initially that a direct claim isn’t even an option is, in my opinion, appalling.
For that reason, and despite the excellent clinical care, I wouldn’t recommend this practice to anyone who isn’t in a position to pay up front, or fight to be allowed to use the cover they already pay for.
