Equine Medical and Surgical Endorsement
This Equine Medical and Surgical Endorsement adds vet-expense coverage to your mortality policy. For each scheduled horse, it reimburses you for reasonable and customary veterinary fees for treatment that’s needed because of a covered accident, injury, illness or disease—as long as the incident occurs and is reported during the coverage period.
What it Covers
- Eligible veterinary treatment performed by a licensed veterinarian, when treatment is necessary due to a covered accident, injury, illness or disease
- Treatment must be performed:
- During the coverage period, or
- Within 90 days after the policy period ends, as long as the horse was insured on the policy at the end of the policy period
- Limits of insurance: The most paid per horse is the limit shown on the Schedule/endorsements, including these special sub-limits:
- Diagnostics sub-limit: up to $2,500 per claim/reoccurrence, with $4,000 annual aggregate per horse (for all diagnostic claims combined)
- Lameness treatments sub-limit: up to $2,500 per claim/reoccurrence, with $4,000 annual aggregate per horse (for all lameness-treatment claims combined)
- Deductible: $400 applies to each claim (and each reoccurrence)
Coverage Limits Offered
- $7,500
- $10,000
- $15,000
Reporting Rules
- Immediate notice is required (per the base policy’s claim duties).
- For this endorsement only, the policy may reimburse eligible expenses incurred up to 90 days before you notify the insurer, as long as you acted reasonably and the delay doesn’t prejudice the insurer.
- Coverage under this endorsement is excess over the Colic Surgery Expense Endorsement (if you have it) and primary to other similar insurance/benefits.
- If the horse’s mortality coverage ends (expires/cancels/deletes), this endorsement automatically ends unless the mortality coverage is reinstated/restored.
Key Exclusions
This endorsement does not cover expenses for:
- Routine or maintenance care for a healthy horse
- Nutraceuticals (even if recommended by a veterinarian)
- Transportation, vet travel/call charges, and emergency fees
- Congenital birth defects and certain nutritional conditions
- Elective/voluntary procedures (examples include neurectomy, castration, caslicks, cosmetic procedures)
- Alternative therapies (examples include chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, hyperbaric chamber, etc.)
- Dental work unless caused by a visible external accidental/violent injury
- Farrier services (including corrective/therapeutic shoeing)
- Joint injections and related joint therapies (including corticosteroids/anabolic steroids)
- Complications arising from an excluded condition/procedure
- Postmortem/necropsy
- Treatment rendered more than 90 days before notifying the insurer
Practical Summary
Think of this as medical/surgical reimbursement for covered incidents, with a $400 deductible and important built-in caps for diagnostics and lameness-related treatments. It can be a strong fit if you want help with qualifying vet bills—but you’ll want to plan around common “out-of-pocket” areas like routine maintenance items, supplements, and elective or alternative procedures. Also remember: prompt reporting matters, and this coverage generally ends if the underlying mortality coverage ends.
Important: This summary is provided for convenience. Please refer to the actual policy wording for full details and exclusions.
- American Equine Mortality and Surgical Endorsement (EMP1220516)
Standard Mortality Policy and Automatic Coverages