Payment and Insurance...
Fee structure
We regret that we are not able to offer credit for Veterinary Fees. Please settle when collecting your pet or at the time of treatment. We accept cash, cheques, and major credit cards. We appreciate that Vets bills can be high, but this is reflected in our own costs, and so we do require payment at the time.
Pet Insurance for peace of mind
At this point we would like to bring Pet Insurance to your attention.
Taking out a new pet insurance policy:
Ideally, insurance should be taken out early in your pet’s life. Even if your pet is actually undergoing treatment, insurance can still be taken out. Normally the current condition will not be covered by the new policy (this is called a pre-existing condition), but you do not have to wait until your animal is better before taking out insurance. It is our experience that few pet owners realise this. If you plan to change insurer you may find suitable insurance at a reasonable price but any pre-existing conditions will almost certainly not be covered. So, think very carefully before making a change in insurer: it may be worth staying with your existing insurer, even if it is more expensive, just to continue with cover for an ongoing condition.
We do not sell insurance and we are unable to advise you of the merits of different insurers and policies. Our endeavour is to provide the best possible standard of veterinary care. Affordability for the owner obviously comes into this, and insurance may well take the pressure off you if you know any expensive bills could be covered by insurance. For most people, pet insurance makes very good sense, but do shop around carefully to find a policy which suits you and your pet.
Choosing the right pet insurance:
Firstly, as with any insurance policy, read the small print. Particularly look out for policies that have a time limit for payment for any one condition. These may be cheaper but if your pet needs long term medication and the insurance stops paying after a year, you could end up with a big bill. Also look at the way that excesses are charged. There is usually a fixed excess per year, but there may be a percentage excess as well and the percentage excess will often increase as your pet ages.
Secondly, make sure you are only paying for cover that you actually want. If pet insurance covers anything except pet insurance you need to consider whether this is in fact increasing your premium in a way you cannot see.
Making a claim:
If you need to make an insurance claim, we are happy to process the paperwork and for the payment to come directly to us. The excess must be paid when you provide us with your claim form. If claim payments are to be sent to you, the policy holder, we will be happy to submit the claim on your behalf once the bill has been settled in full. If you have an ongoing claim (e.g. if your pet will need treatment for the rest of his/her life), it is your responsibility to make sure that claims are processed regularly. Ideally continuation claims will be processed every three months or when the claim reaches £500. There is no charge for our staff completing and submitting pet insurance claims. We often have paper copies of claim forms if you unable to obtain one from your insurer - please ask at Reception.
Who to contact at Severnside Vets:
Insurance queries should be addressed to Caroline Turner-Russell, our non-clinical Practice Manager. She manages all insurance claims at the practice.