A hearing aid lost on holiday
A patient phones. One of their aids fell out on a walk and was never found. They remember being told it was covered. Was it the manufacturer's loss and damage cover that came with the aids, the clinic's aftercare plan, or their home insurance? Is there an excess? Has the cover already been used once?
The receptionist does not know. The dispenser looks up the fitting, finds the paperwork, fills in the manufacturer's claim form, asks the patient to sign a statement, and sends it off. A replacement is ordered. The excess, if any, is taken later, if someone remembers.
Why loss and damage claims stall
- The type and end date of cover depend on what was sold with each device, which is not shown clearly on the patient record.
- Manufacturers allow a limited number of claims per device, and nobody knows whether one has been used.
- Claim forms and patient statements are completed on paper and posted or scanned.
- Excess payments are not always taken before the replacement is ordered.
- Patients using their own insurers need documents from the clinic, which are produced by hand.
- Nobody tracks the claim once it is sent, so the patient phones for updates.
What stalled claims cost
Patients without an aid for longer than needed. Excesses that are never collected. Claims refused because they were made after the cover ended or with missing details. Replacement aids fitted before the claim is agreed, leaving the clinic exposed. And a lot of phone time.
| Question | Answer comes from | Tracker step |
|---|---|---|
| Is it covered? | Device record and cover type | Cover and end date shown automatically |
| Has cover been used? | Claims history | Previous claims listed per device |
| What does the patient pay? | Cover terms | Excess worked out, payment link sent |
| What paperwork is needed? | Manufacturer or insurer | Statement completed online, form pre-filled |
| Where is the claim? | Nobody knows | Status tracked and shared with the patient |
How we build the claims tracker
- Each device record holds its cover: manufacturer loss and damage, clinic plan or none, with start and end dates and any claim limits set from the terms you enter.
- When a patient reports a loss or damage, the receptionist opens a claim from the device record. The cover, any previous claims and the excess are shown straight away.
- The patient is sent a link to complete a short statement of what happened and to pay any excess through Stripe or your card provider.
- The claim form for the manufacturer is pre-filled from the device record, and submitted by their preferred route.
- For patients claiming on their own insurance, a letter with device details, serial number and replacement cost is produced from a template for the patient to send.
- The replacement order is linked to the claim, so it can be held until the claim is agreed if your policy requires.
- The patient receives updates at each step, and the claim is closed when the replacement is fitted.
What is covered, and on what terms, is set by the manufacturer, your plans and any insurer. We record and apply the terms you give us. We do not advise patients on insurance.
What changes for patients and staff
The receptionist can tell a patient in one call whether they are covered and what they will pay. Paperwork is done online. Excesses are collected before the replacement is ordered. Claims are tracked to completion. And patients get updates without having to phone.
Is this how claims go at your clinic?
- Staff have to dig through paperwork to find out whether an aid is covered.
- You do not know whether a device has already had a loss claim.
- Excesses are sometimes not collected.
- Claim forms and statements are done on paper.
- Patients phone to ask where their replacement is.