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

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 pound (range 459.72- pound 1471.51) pound, and for surgical treatment and survival more than 24 hours was 6437.80 pound (range 3178.87- pound 9100.00) pound. Insurance cover for veterinary fees ranged from 5000 pound to 7500 pound, and monthly premium rates for a standardised case ranged from 27.06 pound to 47.06 pound. 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.