A direct claim is the process by which Abbey House claims the veterinary fees directly from the insurance company.
A charge of £15+VAT is payable per condition for all claims for that condition within a 12 month period. All direct claims must first be agreed by the Insurance Claims Department. There are some insurance companies that we do not accept direct claims for so it is important that you contact the insurance department as soon as you aware of any impending treatment.
A pre-authorisation may be submitted to your insurance company prior to treatment being carried out which can take up to 5 working days to process. Please be aware that not all insurance companies offer a pre-authorisation service. Direct claims are processed upon discharge of your pet or after your appointment. Copies of the invoice submitted to your insurance company will be emailed or posted to you on submission.
Policy Excess
The policy excess is payable at the time of your request for a direct claim. If the excess amount is unknown, a deposit of £100 will be requested and any overpayment will be refunded to you. Any fees not covered under your policy are payable upon collection of your pet. Many insurance companies also exclude or cap fees for food, euthanasia, cremation, CT/MRI scans and some laboratory tests. Excluded fees must be paid for at the time of treatment.
A direct claim may include fees that you have already paid for. This is one of the conditions of making a direct claim and you will be informed of any credit upon settlement of your account. If a claim is declined the outstanding fees must be paid by you within 7 days of notification. The Direct Claim facility may be suspended or withdrawn if outstanding fees are not paid and the account referred to our Credit Control department.
Direct Claim Process
- The policy holder must give permission for Abbey House Vets to speak to their insurance company on their behalf so that we can obtain policy information for a potential claim.
- Abbey House must have your insurance company details, policy number and any names/addresses that are different to your registered account.
- All of your pet’s clinical records will be requested from any practice your pet has been treated at. The records will be needed to support your claim.
- Our insurance administrators will determine if the current condition is likely to be covered under the policy. Whilst every effort is made to clarify if a claim will be successful, ultimately the final decision lies with the insurance company.
- The claim will be submitted between 7 and 14 days after the completion of treatment and you will be notified by email or post.
Terms and Conditions
At the onset of a direct claim, you will be asked to read or sign our Terms and Conditions Agreement.
Contact details
To contact our insurance department: call the Morley Hospital on 0113 2525818,
