Pet Insurance
Please complete this form if you would like to start a claim. Our insurance team may contact you for further information. Due to the volume of claims submitted, it can take us up to 2 weeks to submit your claim.
At Acorn House we work hard to support you caring for your pets. Many of you will already be familiar with our dedicated insurance team, Michelle and Clare. They work with you to check the eligibility of your pet's treatment against your insurance policy, process insurance forms, and liaise with your insurance company if there are any queries or difficulties with your claim.
Insurance claims can be settled in different ways
- ‘Pay client’ – where you have settled your bill for treatment for a condition in full.
The Insurance team will collate your invoices and send these and a copy of your pet’s clinical history, to your insurance company who settle the claim by reimbursing you directly.
Our insurance team will submit your claim within 2 weeks of notification of your intention to claim on your insurance or your pets final post operative check (where applicable).
- ‘Direct Claim – pay vet’. In some cases, we may be able to claim directly from your insurance company for treatment of your pet. Direct Claims must be arranged in advance of treatment. Their availability depends on our veterinary team’s assessment of your pet's history and policy cover. Conditions apply – please see the Direct Insurance claim information here https://www.acornhousevets.co.uk/documents/direct-insurance-claim-july-2026.pdf
If you’d like to make a Direct Claim you will be asked to email your policy schedule and certificate to info@acornhousevets.co.uk for assessment by our team. Once a Direct Insurance Claim has been agreed you will only need to pay your policy excess and the Direct Insurance administration fee, once per policy year, for each condition claimed. The administration fee covers the claim approval process, processing and management of the outstanding balance until your insurance company settles the claim.
In order to maintain our insurance service, our fees are as follows:
- ‘Pay Client’ claims £12.50 per condition, per policy year
- Direct Claims - £50 per condition, per policy year
Please note administration fees are not covered by insurance policies.
Please continue to follow your insurance policy guidelines for notifying the company of an impending claim.
Some insurance companies can perform a ‘pre-authorisation claim’ to indicate that they are happy to cover upcoming treatment. Should you wish to make a pre-authorisation claim please speak to the veterinary surgeon overseeing your pets care or directly with our insurance team. There is no charge for this service.
We understand that insurance claims can sometimes feel complicated, and we’re always happy to guide you through the process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our insurance team.
Fees apply if you or your insurance provider asks us to provide invoices, statements, pet's clinical history, or veterinary authorisation to support a claim that you have submitted yourself.
What is pet insurance?
People tend to think it's only older pets that get ill and therefore younger pets don't need pet insurance
but we know from the patients we see each day that that is not the case.
In fact, the younger your pet is when you insure them the better as it means you are less likely to have
any existing conditions, which may not be covered by the policy and you can then receive more help
covering the cost of any future treatment your pet needs.
It is important to note that not all pet insurance is the same. There are many different types of policy
available and the level of cover provided can vary considerably. The four main types of policy are as
follows:
- Accident: provides cover for accidents only and no cover for illness
- Time-Limited: provides cover for a set amount of time (usually 12 months) and after this period the condition is excluded
- Maximum Benefit: provides cover up to a maximum amount of money per condition and oncethis limit is reached the condition is excluded
- Lifetime: provides a set amount of money each year which is refreshed each time you renew your policy allowing you to continue to claim for ongoing conditionsprovides cover for accidents only and no cover for illness
As you can see from the information above, the type of policy you choose can have implications for the
veterinary care of your pet and the costs you will face so it's important to choose the right cover.
Sometimes, the cheapest insurance can cost you more in the long run. When shopping around for a
policy, we suggest that you ask the following questions to allow you to compare the overall value you are
getting, not just the price:
- Does this policy cover congenital, hereditary, hip-related, dental and behavioral conditions?
- Is there a time or monetary limit on how long this policy will cover ongoing conditions for?
- If I claim, will my premium increase?
Unlike other forms of insurance it is not easy to switch pet insurance in the future as any pre-existing
conditions your pet has are likely to be excluded so it's important to do your research and choose the
right cover from the start.
If you would like to submit a claim you can email our insurance department at insurance@acornhousevets.co.uk
