Assessment of costs and insurance policies for referral treatment of equine colic

Barker, Isobel; Freeman, Sarah L

Abstract

Colic is the most common emergency problem in horses. The aims of this study were to survey costs of different referral treatments and to review insurance policies relevant to horses with colic. Data were collected retrospectively from nine equine hospitals for case costs, categorised into four different outcomes: admitted and euthanased; euthanased during or immediately after surgery; medical treatment and survived more than 24 hours; and surgical treatment and survived more than 24 hours. Data from five UK equine insurance companies were extracted and analysed using a standardised case example. Costs were obtained for 108 cases. The mean cost for horses admitted and euthanased was £873.89 (range £459.72–£1471.51), and for surgical treatment and survival more than 24 hours was £6437.80 (range £3178.87–£9100.00). Insurance cover for veterinary fees ranged from £5000 to £7500, and monthly premium rates for a standardised case ranged from £27.06 to £47.06. The terms and conditions for the insurance policies ranged in length from 2098 to 17,701 words; Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease scores ranged from 21.6 to 57.7, indicating a high degree of complexity and low readability. This study highlights the complexity and challenges for decision-making in critical cases of colic.

Citation

Barker, I., & Freeman, S. L. (2019). Assessment of costs and insurance policies for referral treatment of equine colic. Veterinary Record, 185(16), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105415

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 26, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Oct 25, 2019
• Publication Date: Oct 25, 2019
• Deposit Date: Sep 3, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 3, 2019
• Journal: Veterinary Record
• Print ISSN: 0042-4900
• Electronic ISSN: 2042-7670
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 185
• Issue: 16
• Pages: 1-6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105415
• Keywords: General Veterinary; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2554379
• Publisher URL: https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/185/16/508