Insurance and Declined Claims: Our First Declined Trupanion Claim
The reason for your denial should be spelled out clearly. And it should reflect one of the exclusions to your policy.
It is important that you know what your dog’s health insurance policy covers, what are the exceptions, deductions, and limits. A friend of mine, for example, had a policy that did cover arthritis, however, the annual limit was $150! She was in a state of shock when she submitted a bill for stem cell therapy. They cover the treatment but only up to $150.
Our pet health insurance
We jumped on the pet health insurance wagon late in the year 2012.
After our experiences and the huge expense with Jasmine’s medical care, we decided to ensure JD. He was still perfectly healthy with no medical record, it was time to do that.
Having our dogs fully covered became a high priority.
We would not have been able to cover any more medical disasters out of our pockets. We’re still trying to get out of all the debt we got into.
It was so important to us we even decided to pass on the first girl we were going to adopt. All because of her murky medical records. There was too much there which could make almost anything she’d come down with later on a pre-existing condition.
Getting ahead of pre-existing conditions
Cookie had a clean slate and we insured her immediately after adoption.
While I do feel that the premiums are relatively high, I like that with Trupanion coverage EVERYTHING is covered. Any diagnostic or treatment you can come up with is covered. Our extended plan includes alternative therapies such as
- acupuncture
- chiropractic
- laser therapy,
- physical therapy
- even hyperbaric chamber therapy
If you can think of it, it is covered.
Our claim experience
We have made a number of claims for both Cookie’s and JD’s medical care. We claimed the cost of
- pancreatitis treatment
- lameness
- advanced diagnostics
- mast cell tumor treatment
We received reimbursement for all our claims. Until we claimed Cookie’s chiropractic treatment.
Why our claim was declined
Here is the interesting bit. It was declined not because chiropractic treatment isn’t covered, or because it was not a treatment indicated for Cookie.
It wasn’t covered because “the chiropractic work was not done by a veterinarian or in a veterinary clinic under the supervision of a veterinarian.”
Unfortunately, up we don’t have much choice. There is only one chiropractor doing animal chiropractic far and wide. She is a medical doctor and human chiropractor who is licensed for animal chiropractic. She studied at the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Centre, where, as it happens, our last chiropractor teaches.
But, she indeed is not a veterinarian and does not provide the treatments in a veterinary clinic.
Rules are rules
I tried to argue my point but I didn’t have much success with that.
Rules are rules, I guess, and with large corporations, they don’t bend. I don’t really blame Trupanion for sticking strictly to their rules even though I might not agree with them. I can see why such a rule would be in place.
There isn’t much we can do about this. Cookie does need chiropractic care and this is our only option and we are thankful to have it available.
If you do have a choice, though, be careful not to get caught in such a technicality.
Related articles:
Trupanion Health Insurance Review: Our Claim Fulfillment With Trupanion
Further reading:
My pet insurance denied my claim, what can I do?