Insurance company won't pay!!!

karas mum · #1 13-07-11, 05:19 PM

My boy jenson is still scratching after 3 weeks of medicated shampoo. Just got back from vets and she wants to put him on prescribed food for 6 weeks to try and isolate a food allergy.
I phoned my insurance company petplan to double check they would pay out for it and they said no!

We only pay for food if it's for bladder crystals.
Is this normal practice for most insurances if any one knows?

I don't know what to do now, I can't afford prescribed food!
I'm gonna phone vets again tomoz and talk it over with them.

wolfman · #2 13-07-11, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karas mum

I'm gonna phone vets again tomoz and talk it over with them.

That might just be the best and ONLY idea. Hopefully the vet will come up with something to help you out.
Just another good reason why I have absolutely NO USE for insurance companies. Damn Leeches.

zetstaff · #3 13-07-11, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karas mum

My boy jenson is still scratching after 3 weeks of medicated shampoo. Just got back from vets and she wants to put him on prescribed food for 6 weeks to try and isolate a food allergy.
I phoned my insurance company petplan to double check they would pay out for it and they said no!

We only pay for food if it's for bladder crystals.
Is this normal practice for most insurances if any one knows?

I don't know what to do now, I can't afford prescribed food!
I'm gonna phone vets again tomoz and talk it over with them.

You need to look at the policy schedule mate + any renewal notices you've had, a pain in the bum I know. Insurance company tried it on with me once, + they couldn't point to anything in the policy to back up what they were saying, so I won

You MUST read the policy though xxx

Bonniesmummy · #4 13-07-11, 05:57 PM

Oh how scary that is, I think we sometimes just assume because we have insurance then most things are covered!
Hope you get it sorted hun

keep us posted xxx

RstuS · #5 13-07-11, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfman

That might just be the best and ONLY idea. Hopefully the vet will come up with something to help you out.
Just another good reason why I have absolutely NO USE for insurance companies. Damn Leeches.

Absolutely agree, anything not to pay out.
Bodie has his "own" account and the money I would be spending on insurance is going into that for him

MARYLOU30 · #6 13-07-11, 06:33 PM

Hi

I'm with Tesco and I know that one of their exclusions is food.

Good luck.

Louise

Caryll · #7 13-07-11, 06:39 PM

When Dempsey twice had to have prescription food the insurance company paid because it was deemed a necessary treatment by the vets.

J&J · #8 13-07-11, 06:54 PM

I would double check your insuarnce, and see what the vets says... If this fails I would be very tempted to actually move to an raw diet... If it's a food alergy then likely to be the grain based rather than meat... But if it's meat it would be easier to swap out meat to see if it's a problem than trying to find if it's a particular meat, grain or additive

Overlook · #9 13-07-11, 07:38 PM

Most insurance won't cover food but perhaps your vet could write a letter suggesting that this is an elimination excercise, rather than just an ongoing food allergy which needs special food. I doubt they would pay in the long term if you do need specialist food, but in the short term I would certainly push it as an elimination recommended by the vet. Do not be afraid to be pushy on the phone and you can ask with call centres for an operator ID or for the operator that you are speaking to indentify themselves (which they then have to provide) and if not satisfied with a response from the initial operator you can also ask for the call to be escalated to a manager where you may get a more favourable response. Personally I would impress on them the short term saving if it is found that it is a food allergy as they probably won't cover it in the long term.

Not that Ive become a pushy middle aged person or anything.......

Caryll · #10 13-07-11, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overlook

Most insurance won't cover food but perhaps your vet could write a letter suggesting that this is an elimination excercise, rather than just an ongoing food allergy which needs special food. I doubt they would pay in the long term if you do need specialist food, but in the short term I would certainly push it as an elimination recommended by the vet. Do not be afraid to be pushy on the phone and you can ask with call centres for an operator ID or for the operator that you are speaking to indentify themselves (which they then have to provide) and if not satisfied with a response from the initial operator you can also ask for the call to be escalated to a manager where you may get a more favourable response. Personally I would impress on them the short term saving if it is found that it is a food allergy as they probably won't cover it in the long term.

Not that Ive become a pushy middle aged person or anything.......

Very good advice !

And I'm sure you're no more pushy than me!