How Do I Make a Claim?
The first thing you must do is to pay your pet’s vet bill. You can use money you have on hand, a credit card such as Care Credit or your consumer credit card, or, in very rare situations, you can make payment arrangements with your vet. The last option is something that should only be done in dire situations where there is no way for you to come up with the money otherwise. This arrangement is not something that should be done for lesser situations, nor should you expect your vet to agree when there are other options.
Secondly, you must keep all of the invoices you receive from your vet; your insurance company will need to see these. Be sure to make copies for your own records. You should check your policy to make sure the claim you are submitting is eligible for coverage and then contact your insurance company. It is important that you do this as soon as possible because most companies require you to make a claim within a certain period of time.
Next, you should obtain a claim form. Claim forms are available on each company’s website. Some companies will have you log in to review a claim form specific to you and your pet, while others have a generic form that you must fill out. Follow the instructions carefully as a form that is uncompleted or completed incorrectly may cause delays in the process, or it may even cause your claim to be denied. If you have trouble with finding or filling out a form, most companies are happy to help you out if you contact their customer service.
When communicating with your insurance company, you should document everything you can. If there is a problem with your claim, keeping records can save you a lot of headache.
Typically, your insurance company should give you some sort of response, such as a reimbursement check or a reason for the denial, within two weeks. If you have not received any sort of response, you should contact your company to see what is going on.
