Annual insurance administration fee

[siam]

When I was paying after Alfie saw the vet today, the receptionist handed me an Insurance letter. I queried what it was about and was told that the practice has now introduced an annual insurance administration fee which is a one off payment of £25 each year. I haven't claimed anything for Alfie over the past year as unfortunately his skin condition is not covered by our insurers but I wondered how many others have this annual fee? The additional costs seem to have no stopping these days 

[elaine.e]

Do you mean they're charging every dog owner (and presumably cat owners too) £25 even if you don't make any insurance claims? Or have I read that wrong?

What a nice little big money earner for them

[ollie nathan's mum]

I have never heard of this practice but, if my vets start that malarkey they will soon loose my custom.

[Emilyoliver]

My practice charges about £6/ claim processed. I don't resent paying that as they have a specific person employed to process insurance forms (some can be quite complicted) and send them off.  Although a standard charge regardless seems a bit rude.

[siam]

Do you mean they're charging every dog owner (and presumably cat owners too) £25 even if you don't make any insurance claims? Or have I read that wrong?

What a nice little big money earner for them

Sorry my initial post was misleading. As I haven't claimed for Alfie this year I've been out of the loop re insurance claims. It is a newly introduced £25 administration fee for each policy holder, regardless of the number of pets in the household and it only applies if you make an insurance claim. I must have been given it to forewarn me that this charge would be applicable if I made a claim for Alfie this year.

[JennyBee]

We don't have anything like that at our vet, I just hand in the form... Until recently all I had to do was sign it and they did everything else, but then I think it started getting a bit much for the person who deals with the claims so now I have to fill in my side of the form... Apart from that, no mention of any charge (yet!)

[lescef]

It will no doubt only be a matter of time before they all jump on the bandwagon! As more people refuse to have boosters then they have to find other ways to maintain their income. Just had Maddie's booster and health check reminder but I am going to stand my ground and refuse the booster.
How much should a titer test cost me?
Last year the vet tried to convince me that they were SO expensive compared with just having the booster instead. They quoted me something in the region of £150!

[elaine.e]

It will no doubt only be a matter of time before they all jump on the bandwagon! As more people refuse to have boosters then they have to find other ways to maintain their income. Just had Maddie's booster and health check reminder but I am going to stand my ground and refuse the booster.
How much should a titer test cost me?
Last year the vet tried to convince me that they were SO expensive compared with just having the booster instead. They quoted me something in the region of £150!

Depends if you can find a local vet practice that does titre testing. Mine doesn't so I found another one that does, told my own vet what I was doing and got on with it. The testing cost £45 per dog and the results were phoned through to me on the same day and then passed on to my usual vet to be added to William's and Louis's records. They both had good levels of immunity (last had boosters 3 years ago) so didn't need vaccinating.

Whereabouts are you? The vet practice I used is in the New Forest, Hampshire. It's probably worth doing an internet search to see if there's a practice near you offering the service.

[Emilyoliver]

It will no doubt only be a matter of time before they all jump on the bandwagon! As more people refuse to have boosters then they have to find other ways to maintain their income.

I don't think it's that. Filling out insurance forms is time consuming for everyone at the practice - including the vet who often has to fill out parts of the form explaining treatment and conditions treated in some detail. My insurance company apparently demands the dog's full medical history every time I make a claim (despite them already having had it numerous times). I don't think the claim charge is a money-making racket - it's reflective of extra cost incurred by the practice for non-core business activities. Many people claim for every illness and that can mean literally hundreds if not thousands of forms to fill out and post. In the case of the practice I use, it has meant hiring extra staff to focus on this on its own.

[linda c]

I suppose it does take the vets time to process each claim form and as they charge by the minute at my vets for any procedure they carry out, it's to be expected that they'll charge an administration fee for completing an insurance claims form.
Similar if you want them to write a prescription for an item that you can buy cheaper elsewhere, they can charge whatever they want.
Just one of those charges that will be made at a lot of practises now.

[lescef]

Elaine -I am miles away up on the Wirral, but had positive visit to vets today, going to post in Health