Some insurance companies as a bad example
Just recently, reports about Epona animal insurance went through the media, in which it was reported that in one case it was said not to have been particularly revealing with either the reimbursement of costs or information. In this case, a customer from the canton of Zurich waited several months for the reimbursement of around 1,500 francs, the insurance company was not available to the customer. Other victims described a similar case, but the insurance company has now sent some apologies and taken over the benefits. However, the question remains: How long does an insured person who regularly fulfills his obligation to pay contributions have to wait for benefits to be reimbursed?
With all animal insurance, the aim is that the insurance takes over when the animal needs a major intervention, which in turn will cause high costs. The animal keeper insures himself against such a case with the insurance and pays his premiums regularly.
The excuse of the mentioned insurer was an outdated IT system that was probably not able to process the large number of cases promptly. It was then probably a matter of gaining more personal support for processing the cases and also introducing a new claims system that would work more reliably and serve the insured more quickly.
How much longer will it take?
Many pet owners are rightly angry: They pay their often not exactly cheap contributions, which can be between 300 and 500 francs a year for just one dog. If they then approach the animal insurance company with the request to provide a service, they are ignored or put off. The animal owners must first bear the costs, often in the four-digit range, since the vet or veterinary clinic usually insists on immediate payment on site. The invoices must then be submitted to the insurance company, and the insurance company then transfers the set cost rate to the animal owner and thus to the insured person. Normally this should work immediately, especially since it is advertised that the processing of so-called hardship cases should only take two to three weeks.
It is important that the pet owners interested in animal insurance take a close look before taking out insurance. You should be particularly interested in the exclusions: In which cases does the insurance not cover any benefits and the pet owner is left with the costs? The processing times are also given at least roughly. If not, you should definitely ask here! Otherwise, the insurance companies claim that there were no agreements in this regard and take their time with processing. The insured person then has no leverage in hand.
But what must also be clear: every pet owner must first raise the necessary money and bear the costs themselves first anyway. Few insurance companies offer direct payment to the service provider, especially since more and more veterinarians do not want to rely on it. You are asking for money in exchange for treatment: if you have no money with you, you cannot claim treatment. This certainly does not refer to pure emergency care, but it is also a sign of respect for the veterinarian to pay the costs for the treatment of the beloved four-legged friend even in an emergency.
Conclusion: some insurance companies as black sheep in the provision of services
Quite a few insurers show themselves to be black sheep and avoid providing services for as long as possible. Even with large insurers, from which customers would not have expected, there have recently been problems. However, these short-term difficulties are certainly no reason to question the entire insurance policy. Customers should only find out about their rights to claim benefits in good time and, in an emergency, follow up on the relevant legally founded questions.
