Charging clients to process their insurance forms

RE: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Sal the 1st — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 19:17:25 GMT

I think you will find that the insurance company will refuse to pay an admin fee - so even if you add it on the bill when you submit the claim it usually gets excluded. It happened so many times when I was at a previous practice and caused so many problems with clients. I can recall one client who had the admin fee refused, overnight stay refused (which I can partly understand as the overnight stay was primarily for the clients convenience) and half the anaesthetic refused on the grounds that we had removed a mass on her dog's nose but as an incidental had removed a retained deciduous incisor (after contacting owner for permission) and dentistry was not included in the policy. Not sure how it was resolved or if it ever was - I do know it went on for months

RE: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Steph Smith BSc(hons) RVN — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 17:16:08 GMT

Just curious as to whether you add the admin fee onto the Ins claim or whether the client has to pay it?

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Sian Pasquale — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 07:18:07 GMT

Thanks for all the responses guys, it does seem to be acceptable to charge for the initial claim but wouldnt feel comfortable continuing to charge for ongoing claims. We always used to be strict about doing claims but then so many clients are struggling with money we figured better to do a direct claim to try get some money sooner rather than later.

I like the idea of clients giving insurers permission for us to discuss claim with them, i might come up with an extra form they have to fill in and sign that states exactly what their limit is and the excess etc.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Steph Worsley — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 19:11:14 GMT

[quote user="Jennifer Laming"]

if they cannot afford the bill upfront we get them to sign a payment agreement, ,

[/quote]

just be a bit careful about doing this as you can be classed as a loan company by doing it. and could potentially get in trouble with the FSA about it

Back to the OP, we have just started charging for insurance claims (all ours are direct claims) we charge a fee of £15 per each new referral, not for every claim we submit.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

elaine elder — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 19:03:44 GMT

Not every vets now charges cause we never used to. In my new job we charge £10 this is the first time I've ever seen any practice charge. Insurance firms are a pain. My particular favourite was coming in to find an insurance form with only the patients name written on it! Luckily I knew who it would be however I did feel like sending it back and making the owner complete the section they were supposed to.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

jojofruits — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 15:55:59 GMT

I was charged by a practice once to do a claims form a total of £41.00!!

Not only that, it took them 12 weeks to bloody send it.. I was fuming and refused to pay

I think a small admin fee up to about 15 quid is acceptable for a direct claim.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Hannah25uk — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:41:33 GMT

We dont charge for completing the claim form. We do however charge £15 to do a direct claim.We will only do direct claims for claims over £500 and these must be ok'd by a partner and the client has to give insurance company their permission for us to talk to them so that we can confirm there policy is upto date etc.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Nicola Russell — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:49:22 GMT

Vets Now charge an admin fee of £14.40 to fill out insurance forms

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Sal the 1st — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:23:18 GMT

I have worked places where a charge was made for insurance forms anywhere between £3.50 - £5.00 but nothing near £10.00. Initially we did this because most insurance companies do not pay postage and neither does the client which was costing the practice a considerable amount during the course of a year, not to mention the time taken completing forms, phone calls etc . The practice I am in now makes no charge for this. We dont like doing direct claims unless it has been previously agreed and as with another poster there are some companies that are an absolute no no for direct claims because we have been stung a few times where insurance claims have not been accepted and then the client refuses to pay. Trying to explain to a client that their argument is with the insurance company and not with us doesnt work.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Nicola Smith — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:27:51 GMT

We do direct claims but only by prior agreement and for big amounts after seeing insurance paperwork. If there is any doubt then no and certain companies are a big no!! We dont charge but I am getting increasingly fed up of clients getting stroppy because their form hasnt been sent off the same day it was dropped in, and also people expecting you to fiddle and say things are all under one condition when they arent. People are just expecting so much done for them, expecting us to chase claims etc etc when really they should be doing it themselves. I feel the more you do the more they expect. Most neighbouring practices are charging about £10 per claim regardless of whether direct or not.

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

chris beasley — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:29:24 GMT

Strange this one. In my first practice 15 years ago we used to charge. After 6 years out to have babies , I came back and they didn't charge. But they also will not do direct claims

Re: Charging clients to process their insurance forms

Jennifer — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:28:37 GMT

We where in the same boat, Insurance companies not paying for direct claims, forms being "lost in the post". Then clients refusing to pay because they don't have the money as they thought the insurance company was going to pay. So we now no longer do direct claims at all, if they cannot afford the bill upfront we get them to sign a payment agreement, and once the total amount in paid in full, we do the claims form and we give it back to the client to send off themselves so they 100% know it has gone.