I have insurance on my horse, too (In SoCal). Mortality, full medical ($10,000). I think mine is around $500 a year.
However, some horses can't be insured - at least, I couldn't find a company that would insure my old fellow, who was 25 when I lost him (and not to colic or any other geriatric complaint). Most insurance companies won't cover a horse over 18 years in age, and there are horses quite a bit older who are competing in AERC rides. If AERC pursues this idea, and opts to have an insurance company administer such a plan, this would be an issue that would need to be addressed.
I agree with those who said that AERC should not administer the policy itself, but it would remain to be seen whether an insurance company would be willing to provide such insurance. However, the basic reason for this suggestion needs to be clarified by the committee before looking for insurance carriers, as it will most likely have an impact on how much and what type of insurance is being discussed.
For example, I would think that such a policy could reasonably be limited to two applications:
a) Transportation, stabilization and evaluation. The intent would be to provide monetary assistance so that ride vets are not put into the position of trying to stabilize a horse in the field, when such stabilization requires the facilities of a hospital. The insurance would not be intended to cover medical procedures such as colic surgery. (I'm making the assumption here that group insurance which covered major medical such as colic surgery would end up being prohibitively expensive.).
b) Necropsy. In the event that the owner opts for euthanasia, or efforts at intervention fails, this would allow AERC to have a necropsy performed. The owner would still have the right of refusal, but would not be required to pay for it.
If AERC wanted to provide group insurance for all members which covered mortality, surgical and major medical, that would be a whole 'nother animal.
I came in on the tail end but, I have insurance on my own horse. Now this is in southern California (not the cheapest state) Full mortality($5000) full medical (stiches, run into fences etc.) full surgical $7500 (5000 surg 2500 post op/rehab) $250 dediductible [pper occurance) vet of my choice, for $450 a year. That is $37.50 a month 9.35 a week. Is he or she (your horse) worth not visiting Starbucks once a week? They let you make monthly ded from checking account. not a fly by night company,
Donna and "Bud"
From:k s swigart <katswig@xxxxxxx> To:ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent:Thu, October 22, 2009 10:21:37 PM Subject:[RC] Emergency Treatment Fund (was: Research Committee News...)
Elizabeth Walker said;
> Concern #3: Really good idea of a rider-supplied > emergency fund for helping to subsidize the cost > of emergency surgery. (yes - more fees, but I am > all for this one.)
While, on the surface, this may sound like a "good idea" to some people...it really probably is not. Even if you are not opposed to the idea because you think that riders should be responsible for the cost of treatment of their own horses, you should be opposed to the idea because it would be fool-hardy, to say the least, for the AERC to become an insurance company.
Which is what this proposal amounts to. Collecting fees (premiums) from a large pool to cover possible risks of a minority of the people being collected from is the definition of insurance.
If anybody needs a list of reasons (of which there are many) that the AERC should not get into the business of underwriting emergency medical insurance for endurance horses, I am willing to provide them....but I would hope that these reasons would be obvious.
One of the most obvious one being: WHO is going to play the role of insurance adjuster?
I would hope that nobody would be crazy enough to think that you can underwrite insurance without having somebody in that role. But if the AERC management doesn't realize that you have to have an insurance adjuster if you are an insurance company, then all the more reason for AERC NOT to get into the insurance business. People who know how to run insurance companies know that you need insurance adjusters. So if you don't know that you need an inurance adjusters, you don't know enough to know how to run an insurance company...so you shouldn't try to do it.
The only responsible way for the AERC to have such a "fund" would be for the organization to get a quote from real insurance companies on what such coverage would cost and then buy it from one of them...and charge the necessary fees to cover the cost.
