ANIMAL LOSS INSURANCE PROGRAM

The Vice President for Research has approved a Self Insurance Plan for University Animal Care animal users. A special fund has been set aside for this purpose. Monies placed into this account come from a surcharge which is levied upon all animal purchases and per diems, therefore, users of any species of animals can be eligible for reimbursement for loss of animals which have died or been destroyed because of a spontaneous infection, equipment malfunction, or other cause which is not research-related.

Claims due to infectious disease:  To be eligible for reimbursement due to infectious disease, the infection must be recognized greater than 7 days following entrance into the animal facility. Animals lost due to infections which are recognized in the first week post-arrival can be replaced by the vendor. After this period, most vendors will not provide replacements; thus, the Insurance Plan will go into effect.

The researcher must have made contact with a University Animal Care veterinarian to notify them of the disease at the time of the recognition of signs of infection or other abnormal condition, such as an unexpected change in research results. The disease may also be identified by UAC personnel, with notification to the researcher. In the former case, UAC must participate in the process of disease identification, such as necropsy, microbiology, serology etc., which is performed on affected animals. Once the disease is identified, if animals die spontaneously, must be destroyed due to potential spread of infection, or are euthanatized because the effects of the organism will render the animals useless for the particular research project, the researcher can apply for compensation. In some cases, a definitive diagnosis may not be possible, and if so, the facts of the case will be presented to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for their decision.

Claims due to accidental injury or death:  To be eligible for reimbursement for non-disease-related loss, UAC personnel must be informed in time to be able to investigate and/or verify the cause of the loss or injury of the animals.  If the animals have died, or have been injured or stressed to an extent that they are useless for the particular research project and must be destroyed, and the cause is determined to be from an event or accident unrelated to the research protocol or related activities, the researcher can apply for compensation.

The process of application and review is initiated by the Principal Investigator through completion of the Insurance Application Form. These may be completed at any time during the calendar year and submitted to the IACUC.  The IACUC will request that the UAC clinical veterinarian verify the accuracy of the claim, including cause of animal loss and relevant dates of loss.  The IACUC also requests that UAC Business Services verify the amount of the claim based on project billing records.  When these verifications are complete, the IACUC will review the claim at the next regularly scheduled meeting to determine the whether compensation is appropriate, and if so, the amount.  The primary purpose of the Animal Loss insurance Program is to reimburse investigators for the original purchase price of the animals lost. If the insurance fund does not contain adequate monies to compensate each loss at full value, the IACUC will appropriate the funds in an equitable manner to investigators whose losses were approved for compensation. Reimbursement of other costs related to the loss, such as per diems, will be considered on a case-by-case basis and be subject to availability of funds.

The Loss Compensation Insurance Form (Word Format) can be accessed here.

revised 6/07