Pet insurance proves valuable to many clients-veterinary medicine point of view by DVM magazine

September 30, 2021Boaz Man, DVM

Explore how pet health insurance enhances client satisfaction while ensuring you provide the best care.

As a veterinarian and the medical director of my veterinary practice, I have had to make the very difficult decision with clients to euthanize their pets. Unfortunately, many times these decisions were made because the associated costs of veterinary care were simply unaffordable. Many of these pets could have survived and lived longer with healthier lives had they been covered by pet insurance.

The family dog or cat in today’s world has many more opportunities to live a better life and take advantage of health care options that were previously unavailable or, in many cases, considered unimaginable for them. The human-animal bond has driven advances in medical research, specialized care, and innovation that have allowed pets to live longer, healthier, and pain-free lifestyles.

Our goal as an animal hospital accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association is to provide the best veterinary care possible for every animal that we have the privilege of serving. We also strive to give pets and pet parents the best experience possible by practicing fear-free methods that consider both the emotional and medical well-being of each pet. These are some of the reasons that clients with pet insurance are attracted to our animal hospital. When an insured pet comes in for a sick visit, the conversation changes from “How much will it cost?” to “How quickly can you figure out what is going on?”

During this day and age, pet parents have become used to “Amazon speed” instant gratification and immediate test results for their pets. One example of how technology has changed in our practice is with digital cytology. If you had asked me years ago if a lump or bump could be evaluated by a pathologist within minutes and then be removed by a surgeon at my practice the same day, I would have called you crazy.

Clients with pet insurance appreciate that we are getting them the most information in the shortest amount of time. They have developed a bond with their pet that overrides any potential issue with the cost of caring for their pet. They know that when they come to our practice and we take x-rays, they will have a radiology report within minutes so we can discuss the findings and best treatment options. These pet parents not only want but demand “concierge veterinary care.” They want to know immediately that their pet’s vital organs are working as they should. They are prepared for the costs because they see the value behind the information they receive and the beneficial outcome for their fur baby.

Another critically important aspect of having pet insurance is that it helps to ensure that no time is wasted during sick visits. Health insurance companies have made improvements to a preapproval process for sick visits to help expedite care for pets. Being able to preapprove a condition for insurance coverage results in a more efficient workflow and time saved, allowing the hospital team to manage cases more smoothly. When insured pet parents come in to our practice, we save the time that is usually dedicated to going over treatment plans as parents give us a green light to do whatever is necessary for their beloved pet.

In our profession we hear people say that their pet’s medical bills are as much or even higher than the cost of their own medical bills. People believe this is because they usually have their medical care bills paid through their health insurance. Imagine that you decided that if your children or family members ever suffered an injury, illness, or accident you would just pay out of pocket for their medical care. Some people might think you were unreasonable or irresponsible, unless you had a large amount of disposable income.

Most pet parents pay out of pocket for their pets’ medical expenses. This is easier to do if you bring in enough income to put money aside for your pets’ health care, but most Americans struggle to save money at all. More importantly, there is no way to anticipate what will happen in the future, so you cannot predict when or how your pets will get sick or how much it will cost.

Our pets’ lives come with uncertainties. No matter how careful or responsible we are, our puppies find and devour socks, our kittens climb and stumble off shelves, and we have a responsibility to provide them with the best treatment available. We love our pets, and pet insurance has become a necessary tool that enables us to care for them without excessive financial burden and added stress for pet parents.

At the very least, the average cost for an unexpected veterinary visit can range anywhere from $800 to $1500 or more. In many cases, a pet emergency visit leads to long-term care changes. When this happens, not only do you need to cover the cost of your emergency vet visit, you also have to factor in long-term costs to your budget. When a pet is seriously injured or develops a chronic illness, they will need regular treatment and medications to maintain their quality of life.

Considering that most Americans don’t have $1000 to spend in an emergency, it is troubling to think what could happen to a family if they were suddenly overwhelmed with expenses.

So the question you need to ask your clients is “Can you afford to have a pet without insurance?” If you are providing those clients with the excellent care that all pets deserve, the answer should be a resounding—no.

Today we commemorate World Animal Day (WAD), an international movement and campaign designed to elevate the status of all animals by improving welfare standards across the globe.¹ Government departments, community groups, animal welfare organizations, celebrities, and beyond coordinate empowering events including the awareness and education of all animal species worldwide.

Interested in discovering how your veterinary clinic can contribute to World Animal Day? Here are a few ways to demonstrate support:²

Display posters around the clinic or on social media using this printable World Animal Day flyer or creating your own highlighting the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare³

Make a social media post and use the hashtag #WorldAnimalDay
Submit an article to a newspaper or magazine emphasizing an animal welfare issue to raise awareness
Ask colleagues to sign the World Animal Day pledge board⁴ and proclaim a formal dedication to promoting animal welfare
Attend an event⁵ in honor of WAD and encourage colleagues to join (if there aren’t anyone in the area, there may be some online)

Additionally, check out these fun facts surrounding World Animal Day:

World Animal Day has been celebrated for 96 years⁶
Over 1,000 WAD events occur internationally each year⁵
Various celebrities across the globe support the campaign⁷
The organization currently has a team of 93 ambassadors representing 73 countries globally⁸
WAD broke records in 2019 by trending in 56 countries on October 4, 2019, and reaching 39 million people⁹

So, what are you waiting for? Today’s the day you can start making a change by supporting animal welfare and getting involved with World Animal Day, (though every day you can contribute to the cause!).

References

About World Animal Day. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/media_centre
Get an idea – veterinary practices. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/get_an_idea_for_veterinary_practices
American Humane. Five Freedoms: The gold standard of animal welfare. October 17, 2016. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/five-freedoms-the-gold-standard-of-animal-welfare/
Every pledge makes a difference. What will yours be? World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/pledges
Events. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/events
The origin of World Animal Day. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/img/resource/Origin%20of%20World%20Animal%20Day.pdf
Celebrity support. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/celebrity
Ambassadors. World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/ambassadors
World Animal Day 2019 broke all previous records! World Animal Day. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/world_animal_day_2019_broke_all_previous_records