It is easy to say, “if you can’t afford a pet you shouldn’t have one.” But it just isn’t that simple. There are many animals who are deeply loved by their families, but that family’s inability to afford veterinary treatment – especially emergency or surgical treatment — doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of love or attentive care. Nor does it imply that they are a “bad,” irresponsible or neglectful pet owner.
When is a payment plan not really a payment plan? Our blog post explains! Make sure you get the details when a new payment option seems like the answer to all your client payment problems. No client payment option is perfect, and your practice should offer a variety of financial solutions because each client’s needs are different. Find out why it’s essential to know exactly what you’re getting.
According to a VetBilling survey, pet owners prefer payment plans to discounts. If your practice offers discounts, you may be giving away money unnecessarily. Small, one-time discounts don’t motivate pet owners to agree to higher priced services because they don’t appreciably reduce “sticker shock.” Our survey offers insights about how pet owners perceive veterinary costs and how they prefer to manage them.
Practice manager Carrie Bowgren told us that her clinic has done everything over the years to encourage client compliance with dental recommendations. They’ve offered discounts and promoted them during Pet Dental Health Month, they’ve pushed messaging on social media and their website. No matter what they did their dental compliance didn’t budge until they began offering easy payment plans through VetBilling®.
Without regular dental care your pet may end up suffering from a variety of serious dental diseases, but dental cleanings for pets can be expensive. The average cost of a dental cleaning ranges from $300 to $700 but can exceed $1000 depending on the extent of disease. Pay-in-Advance Plans from VetBilling® help you manage costs by allowing you to make installment payments starting a few months before your pet’s appointment.
Smokey, a rambunctious 3 month old Toy Australian Shepherd, wriggled out of his big sister’s arms late one night. He went flying across the room and shrieked in pain when he hit the floor. Funds were short so Smokey’s mom called every emergency vet in the Pittsburgh area looking for a payment plan. She was turned away by all of them. Finally, one receptionist told her about a vet hospital 90 minutes away that might help.
Please join the VetBilling® team in welcoming the newest member of our Advisory Board, Beth Meyers. Beth is currently the Client Service Manager at Frisco Emergency Pet Care in Frisco, TX. Frisco has been a VetBilling® partner since 2017. Working in a specialty and critical care facility is where Beth first observed the painful gap between what some clients were able to afford and the cost of the medical care their pet needed.
The keys to working out a financial arrangement for veterinary care with your veterinarian are to 1) have an established relationship with a veterinary practice; 2) be proactive in securing funds to cover the cost of your initial veterinary visit; 3) have a financial action plan in place before you ever need it; and 4) honor your payment obligations if you are offered a payment plan, and let your veterinarian know if you run into trouble.