Direct Line Insurance

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Kate Dawes — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:22:14 GMT

Slightly off topic as I don't think this was direct line, (can't remember which company) but we had a client in recently complaining that her insurance wouldn't pay for out of hours treatment she had had. There was a bit in the small print saying that they would only pay for OOH for life threatening conditions! - I agree that a lot of things seen out of hours aren't life threatenting, but it is sometimes only when they are seen by a vet that this judgement can be made.

We are going to try and argue her case in this instance - she has a pug that has severe BOAS. It developed severe sudden onset pruritis, and was really distressed. In most cases wouldn't be life threatening but I'm not sure it would have taken much to push this one over the edge.........

Certainly seems like insurance companies are putting more and more exclusions/conditions on treatment which makes it very important for clients to read the small print before taking out policies.

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Rob Loxley — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:42:10 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Amazing how most of my core clients then end up on Pet Plan[/quote]

They still complain when PP put up the premium, the excess and add in a 20% extra excess.
And when they realise they only have a budget PP policy and thought because they were insured with PP their policy was gold-plated.

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:50:26 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

How do I pay my nurse even minimum wage, let alone time and a half (which is what I actually pay if she spends time at night in the surgery ), and still keep the cost below £35 inc VAT-can't be done, and I won't leave an animal overnight without supervision-if it's ill enough to be hospitalised, it's ill enough to be supervised-I'm not prepared to stay up all night for this sort of pittance (I bet the directors of Direct Line wouldn't ), so the owners will just have to pay the excess

Wynne

[/quote]

I have 2-3 levels of keneling /hospitalisation. I charge £35 for a daily fee for a routine admission so the staff are there anyway its difficult to argue and houry charge. Same rate for kenneling overnight but that is literally what it is, not hospitalisation, so its just a check before closing and B&B. If they require overnight care more than that then it becomes an intensive care charge which starts at £65. I don't see that they would actually argue with it given that name rather than just plain 'hospitalisation' and then I cant see why they wouldn't pay for an out-of-hours surcharge to cover additional staffing costs overnight. Maybe we're all getting on our high horses before we need to but the way to overcome it if necessary is to itemise a charge for everyone's time and every single procedure: nurses' and vet's overtime, injections, monitoring equipment, temperature taking, drip checking, heated pad etc etc. Mind you there are some clients who can't understand why they should pay hospitalisation fees once they've paid for a procedure. I had one client who refused to pay hospital fees but I think it was more because he was pissed off it was his wife's cat and he didn't approve of the unfortunately, ultimately, unsuccesful treatment yet he had to pay the bill!

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Hannah Wynne Richards — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:25:40 GMT

By the time employers NI and VAT have been added, Direct Lines rates will just about pay for about 2 hours of OOH nursing care

Wynne

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Hannah Wynne Richards — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:21:35 GMT

Wynne

Re: Direct Line Insurance

nikki — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:11:43 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="nikki"]

one of my dogs is with Direct Line unfortunately - they take weeks and weeks to pay up! and just had to pay the extra for the histology fees over what they'll cover. our hospitalisation is more than what they'll pay too.

[/quote]

I'm surprised that knowing what we do as a profession that you took out insurance with Direct Line in the first place Nikki.

I know that apart from the very few who signed up to whatever you had to sign up to we can't legally recommend an insurance company, we can nontheless be a big influence on which provider clients choose by simple sharing our experience: "In my experience, ****** **** insurance company are very poor at handling claims and very slow to pay, but *** **** don't argue or put on restrictions or exlusions and pay quickly. As in everything if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, however I can't influence you, it has to be your choice". Amazing how most of my core clients then end up on Pet Plan.

[/quote]

unfortunately he is 8yrs old and we took out his insurance long before i even started seeing clinical EMS from uni so had no idea of their poor reputation. i wouldn't be going there again!

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Rob Davis — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:29:21 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]They also state that they do not pay prescription charges under the policy and encourage owners to buy medication and other pet care products through a registered on-line pharmacy to save money.[/quote]

That's hilarious - we would like you to go through more hassle to purchase prescriptions online so that you can save us money and cost you more! At least that should encourage clients insured with Direct Line to purchase their medications from us!

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:46:46 GMT

[quote user="nikki"]

[/quote]

I'm surprised that knowing what we do as a profession that you took out insurance with Direct Line in the first place Nikki.

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Laurence Webb — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:13:38 GMT

Also 'By buying on-line , you may be able to claim for more medication or other necessary vet fees within your policy limit'.

[/quote]

Of course if pets are on long term/expesive medication they could run out of insurance cover, but it seems at unfair for owners to go shopping around for cheaper medication, saving the insurance company money, but then to make the owner pay prescription fees for having done so.

Vets takings will be lower, the owner has to pay more but the insurance company is richer.

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:34:04 GMT

Nikki, you know Idexx do a 50% discount on all lab test done on a Vets own dog?

Re: Direct Line Insurance

nikki — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:12:38 GMT

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Bob Russell — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:54:59 GMT

Our charges also fall below these (except high dependency hospitalisations). The increase in VAT due in January may be an issue.

The lab fees side of things already look tight.

Apparently a simple GP appointment costs £55 (no VAT involved, no injections and prescriptions extra) so vets fees look good value!

Interesting that they have decided not to pay for our professional time completing a prescription form.

We will have a copy of this fact sheet available to anyone considering insurance so they can make an informed decision.

Re: Direct Line Insurance

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:13:34 GMT

I do believe one of the other insurance companies tried this, More Than if my memory serves me right although someone may correct me, but it died a death probably because they realised that vets would advise people against taking a policy with them. I have to say my charges are all well within these guidlines but there are principles at stake so Direct Line you've just shot yourselves in the foot, not that I ever rated them anyway and I refuse to make direct claims with them as they are so slow to pay.