Cost of referral treatment for colic in the United Kingdom-What has changed in the last 5 years?
Authors: Wilson F E, Mair T S, Freeman S L
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Referral Colic Treatment Costs in the UK (2018–2023) Wilson, Mair and Freeman's 2025 analysis of UK equine referral hospitals reveals a widening gap between treatment costs and insurance protection, with significant implications for treatment decision-making in equine practice. Surveying 18 referral centres on their colic caseloads between 2018 and 2023, the researchers documented mean costs of £1200 for euthanasia without surgery, £2379 for medical management, and £7905 for surgical cases with survival—notably, whilst surgical costs have decreased in real terms, medical and euthanasia-related fees have climbed above inflation-adjusted 2018 figures. Simultaneously, maximum insurance cover has stagnated or contracted when adjusted for inflation (remaining between £5000–£7500 across five major insurers), whilst monthly premiums have risen above inflation across all providers, ranging from £42.76 to £97.23. Perhaps most concerning for informed decision-making, insurance policy documents remain difficult to interpret, with readability scores (Flesch Kincaid 31.2–54.8; Gunning Fog 13.6–20.6) far exceeding recommended thresholds. For farriers, vets and other equine professionals advising owners, these findings underscore the critical importance of early pre-insurance cost discussions and highlight a genuine affordability crisis whereby routine surgical colic cases now commonly exceed maximum insurance payouts by thousands of pounds.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Horse owners should be informed that referral colic treatment costs often exceed maximum insurance cover; discuss realistic financial expectations and payment options during pre-treatment consultations
- •Review insurance policies with clients, as premium increases outpace inflation while actual cover has stagnated or decreased in real terms—recommend adequate coverage before colic occurs
- •Help clients understand that insurance documents are difficult to read; encourage them to ask insurers for plain-language explanations of policy limits, exclusions, and what their premium actually covers
Key Findings
- •Mean costs for surgical colic cases that survived were £7,905 (range £3,023-£20,343), representing a decrease when adjusted for inflation since 2018
- •Medical treatment costs increased to a mean of £2,379 (range £683-£13,762) and euthanasia without surgery costs increased to £1,200 (range £500-£4,389) compared with inflation-adjusted 2018 data
- •Maximum insurance cover (£5,000-£7,500) now frequently falls short of actual referral treatment costs, with 4/5 companies reducing cover value after inflation adjustment
- •Insurance premiums increased above inflation to £42.76-£97.23 monthly, and all insurance documents scored outside recommended readability ranges (FKRE <65 and GFS <12)