Pet Insurance Information
Pet insurance helps cover the cost of unexpected veterinary treatment. However, most insurance policies require you to pay part of the bill. The two most common costs are excess and co-payment.
Whether you pay excess and co-payment on each claim depends on the type of policy and the
insurer’s terms. In most UK pet insurance policies:
EXCESS
You usually pay the excess once per condition, per policy year.
Lifetime conditions incur a new excess at each policy renewal.
CO-PAYMENT
A co-payment % is usually applied to every claim amount.
Some policies require both an excess and a co-payment to be paid.
WHAT IS AN EXCESS?
An excess is the fixed amount you pay firstbefore insurance contributes. Think of the excess as the entry fee to use your insurance.
Example:
Vet bill: £1,000
Your Insurance Policy Excess: £200
You pay the Practice: £200
Insurance pays the remaining: £800 (if covered)
WHAT IS A CO-PAYMENT?
A co-payment means you pay a percentage of
the claim, while the insurer pays the rest. Think of this as sharing the bill with your insurer.
Example:
Vet bill: £1,000
Your Insurance Policy Excess: £100
Your Insurance Policy Co-Payment: 15%
You pay the Practice: £100 (Excess) plus £135
(Co-Payment)
Insurance pays the remaining: £765 (if covered)
It is important to note that ACE Vets CANNOT guarantee insurance cover
The client remains responsible for:
• Excess payments
• Co-payments
• Any costs not covered by their policy
HOW WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR CLAIM
We keep your pet’s policy schedule on file so we can process insurance claims more quickly and check key information such as the policy limit, excess, co-payment (if applicable), policy start date, and any exclusions to make a quick & smooth claims process, should the time come to make a claim.
We offer two ways to claim on your pet insurance. Please read carefully to understand your responsibilities & which option is best for you.
1. CLAIMS PAID DIRECT FROM INSURER TO YOU
You pay your bill in full to the practice at the time of treatment & make a claim on your pet
insurance. To support you in submiting your claim we will;
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Provide you with your pet’s medical history & invoices.
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Complete a claims form if required electronically.
You handle your insurance claim submission personally.
2. CLAIMS PAID DIRECT FROM INSURER TO ACE VETS ADMIN FEE OF £25 PER CONDITION APPLIES
Some insurers allow us to submit a claim on your behalf & send payment directly to us. This service depends on your insurer & we can confirm if we can do this for you in clinic. You can find a list of insurance companies we commonly work with below.
OUR COMMITMENTS
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Complete & submit the claim within 2
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weeks.
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Attach invoices & medical records as required.
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Contact you if payment is not received after 4–6 weeks.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
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Pay the policy excess & admin fee.
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Complete and sign a claim form pe condition.
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Pay for any non-insured treatments at the time of visit.
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Inform your insurer in advance we will submit your claim on your behalf.
Important to Know
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Direct claims are an agreement between you & ACE Vets, not your insurer.
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Invoices for treatment ultimately remain payable by the client until settlement of the claim
has been received by ACE Vets from your insurer. -
Any unsettled amounts remain payable by the client to ACE Vets.
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Any dispute of claim with insurer remains the policy holder’s responsibility.
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Most insurers will only speak to the policy holder unless written permission is given.
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An admin fee for submission of direct claims is payable per condition.
OUR TEAM ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP
sharoninsurance@acevetsni.co.uk
Tel: 02891 248591
stephinsurance@acevetsni.co.uk
Tel: 02891 225119