The average cost of colic referral treatment exceeds the maximum insurance payout, new research from the University of Nottingham and Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic has shown.
The researchers reviewed 248 colic cases at 18 UK vet hospitals in 2023 and found that while the average cost of colic surgery was £7,905, the maximum insurance firms would pay was between £5,000 to £7,500, depending on the company.
“This study highlights that horse owners may have to contribute a considerable amount of their own finances, even if their horse is insured,” the researchers said.
Cost of surgery decreased
The researchers compared current data to that from 2018 and found that, when adjusted for inflation, the cost of colic surgery had decreased — from the equivalent of more than £8,000 in 2018.
And while the monthly insurance premiums paid by owners had increased at a greater rate than inflation, the maximum insured amount had not changed in that period for three out of five companies.
The price of veterinary treatment and euthanasia, without surgery, had increased from £1,897 to £2,379 in the past five years, they found.
“Overall, the costs for referral treatment of colic in the UK have risen in line with inflation over the past five years, with treatment for medical cases increasing above inflation, and costs for horses euthanised during surgery now below inflation levels,” said Tim Mair from Bell Equine.
“[But] costs for most of the surgery cases and some of the medical cases exceeded the standard insurance veterinary fees cover limits for the five companies that were researched.”
The researchers also commented that insurance policies were difficult to read and understand.
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