Can you all share your experience with mortality insurance coverage for neurodegenerative illnesses like EDM and eNAD? Has anyone been successful without having done a necropsy? What have insurance companies required?
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Had one with EDM…we were required to have the necropsy by the insurance and the clinic did samples of the brain and spinal cord (they also are doing active research on EDM, and I told them to take as many samples as they wanted in hopes that one day they will have better diagnostic or treatment options). We did do a myelogram before I decided to euthanize because I wanted to make sure we had exhausted every possible option (he was just 5). I don’t think they required the myelogram as he had enough neuro and behavioral signs.
Definitely an agonizing month plus wait to get the answers. My gelding did have bilateral cerebellar degeneration. Because the results were so clear, the insurance was actually very easy to deal with regarding the claim once the results were in.
Not sure you could get the claim through without that necropsy info since there is no other way to conclusively diagnose EDM/ENAD.
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Same experience as Critter with my EDM mare. My attending vet called my insurance company prior to euth and got preauthorization to do so (same day); we then necropsied, confirmed, and they paid the claim.
(They also extended to me their sincere condolences, which meant more to me than I would necessarily have expected. They were absolutely great.)
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Insurance will always require a necropsy even if the cause of death is evident. I had a horse with kidney disease who we euthanized once he was no longer comfortable/enjoying life. His BUN and creatinine were off the charts, his urinalysis was completely in line with the diagnosis, and they still insisted upon the necropsy and refused to pay out until the final pathology report was back. When they did the necropsy, they found he had a single horse shoe kidney that was severely deformed. Yet we still had to wait almost 12 weeks for the finalized histopathology report. It was honestly incredibly frustrating and exhausting.
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This was my understanding as well, but the vet at the animal hospital said that they shouldn’t require necropsy or confirmation of diagnosis as long as the horse meets the AAEP guidelines for humane euthanasia. I am going to check with my insurance but wanted to gather intel first. I am curious what people do if they don’t have access to somewhere that can perform necropsies. I technically do, but would rather put my horse down at home rather than at a hospital - which poses a bit of a dilemma.
I was able to put my boy down at home and then have a removal company come and take him to the university for the necropsy. It was no different than them removing him to go to the crematorium. Maybe this could be an option for you? I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this awful situation.
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