How to Make Pet Insurance Claim

Wait Time for a Claim Payment:

The time to get your reimbursement varies with every insurer. So far as your paperwork is adequate, claims will be paid between 5 to 14 days.

But the corona pandemic stretched out claim payment times. “In the last year, the pandemic has made the biggest impact on turnaround times for claims,” says Alex Stone, founder, and CEO of PetInsurer.com; a pet insurance comparison site.

“Because some insurers weren’t set up for a remote work environment, it took a little while to have staff fully set up at home.

This slowed the claims process down, and then, as millions of more pets were adopted during Covid, it only made the process more clunky.

Happily, claims processing times have now pretty much returned to pre-pandemic levels,” says Stone.

How to Avoid Pet Insurance Claim Problems:

“Fundamentally, the reason to buy pet insurance is to use it. So, knowing that you’re going to have a claims process that’s efficient, simple, and is going to work, gives consumers peace of mind and confidence in their purchase,” says Walter Haugland, a spokesperson for Pets Best.

There are a few things you can do to ensure the claim-filing process goes without any problem and they are:

Be confident that your claim is valid: “Before you submit a claim, make sure it’s for a new condition that occurred after any waiting period expired,” says Stone.

“If your pet was showing signs or symptoms, had been to the vet, or was taking medication for this condition, then understand it’s likely not covered by the insurance company.”

Follow the claim instructions: The processes involved in the claims process differ with every insurance company. It is important you avoid cutting corners and follow the claims process.

Submit your claim right away: It is in your interest to start the claims process as soon as possible since some insurance companies limit the time, they pay out claims after treatment. Check your coverage to verify the plan’s deadline.

Provide all medical records: “Often, there are multiple vets involved in pet care, and insurers may require all medical records from all vets.

Therefore, whether it’s your first or fourth claim, you may need to ensure all medical records are sent to the insurer,” says Haugland.

“If you don’t provide all medical records upfront, the insurance company will likely reach out to you and the vet directly, which usually slows down the claim-filling process.”

Be communicative: Try to send any documents the company requests promptly. Ask your insurer what the waiting period is and how you fast-track it.

If you’re not satisfied with a claim denial, you could always appeal.

There is a state insurance department that in every state that monitors and regulates insurance companies and that is the best place to express your grievances if you have any against an insurance company.