Fear Free
One of the most stressful events for veterinarians, pet parents, and pets is when the decision to treat—or not treat—a pet is dictated by the cost of treatment. Too often, pet parents have a maximum out-of-pocket amount they are able to spend for their pet’s veterinary care—known as the Stop Treatment Threshold. In 2015, this threshold was $1,433, lower than the amount reported less than a decade earlier1. Treatment costs beyond this amount are often unaffordable for pet parents, which can unfortunately lead to economic euthanasia.
The cost of economic euthanasia hits everyone involved. Hard. It adds to the already heavy burden of compassion fatigue on an understaffed and overworked veterinary team. It is emotionally painful for pet parents, and an unfair consequence for pets who are already at risk of mirroring the stress that their family endures. No one wins. And all of that is antithetical to Fear Free’s mission of preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress.
Medical insurance for pets can eliminate the stress for everyone. When pet parents insure their pets, financial stressors are lessened and pet parents can go with “option A” right from the start if their pet becomes sick or injured. Veterinary teams spend less time discussing the cost of care and more time actually providing it. And the relationship between the veterinary team, pet parent, and patient is strengthened.
And the benefits don’t stop there. With Trupanion, payments can be issued directly to the hospital immediately at checkout, eliminating the reimbursement model and simplifying the claims process. Further, the ability to provide direct payments helps reduce credit card transaction fees for hospitals. The entire process is made less stressful for all involved. Plus, the ease of payment also means that clients are more likely to fill prescriptions in-house instead of taking their pharmacy business elsewhere.
The best medical option should be the only option. Everyone wins when pet parents are prepared for the unexpected by insuring their pets. Veterinary teams can focus on the medicine, not the money, and clients can focus on the care, not the cost!
This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.
1DVM360 2015 State of the Profession Survey
2Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners, Scientific Reports 9, published June 6, 2019
This article is brought to you in collaboration with our friends at Trupanion, which has paid over 220,000 single claims in excess of the stop-treatment threshold and $1.6 billion—and counting—in veterinary invoices.
