Wellness Plans, Savings Plans and Surprises. Why your vet NEEDS to be your best friend.

Me and  Loon,,
a cat brought in to be euthanized because she wasn't using the litter box.
Our resident cat for 7 pus years now, she reminds me everyday why I am here.
...and PS she has never missed the box since arriving,,
Yes, of course, love can cure everything!

Surprises are not welcomed in veterinary medicine. Surprises in veterinary medicine end up with big decisions, somewhat tenuous consequences and all too often unplanned big price tags. As a veterinarian I know the realities of these surprises all too well. I also know that many clients are not prepared for them. If your pet lives long enough it is almost inevitable that a surprise will find you because somewhere down the twists and turns of life you will be thrown a curve ball.

In the last month at Jarrettsville Vet we have seen our clients scrambling to find funds to manage the following surprises;

1. Abdominal mass from a splenic tumor that needed emergency surgery ($1200).  

   

   This is Buddy. His whole belly is almost one splenic tumor.

2. Jumping out of truck bed and breaking femur ($3000).
   

   

   Read Henry's story here.

3.      Aute pancreatitis causing vomiting, anorexia, lethargy and painful abdomen ($1000). Required 6 days of iv fluids and hospitalization.

   

   Lilly gets her catheter to start her week of iv fluids

4. Newly adopted shelter cat falls apart within one week of being at new home. Diarrhea, anorexia, respiratory infection, corresponding diagnostics and hospitalization for one week, including placing a feeding tube ($1500).

Cuddling with Minnie after placing her feeding tube.

One of the most important parts of being a veterinarian is to educate my clients. A world class veterinarian will provide their client with helpful advice so that most of the time they don’t need us. We will provide a well laid out plan for optimal health and longevity. In essence great vets are both excellent communicators, educators, and personally invested in your pets healthcare now and also a decade from now.

A worried patient awaits her knee surgery, $1500 at JVC.

Successful pet parenting is no small task. The planning for today's activities; the walking, feeding, providing exercise and mental health balance and trying to plan for the unknowns lurking somewhere down the road. Pets share almost every medical and emotional need that we pet parents do. Every possible ailment, disease, accident, injury and treatment option that the human medical options offer. It is not inconceivable for an average pet to cost over $10,000 in their lifetime. If there is cancer, organ failure, or complicated disease you can burn through that price tag in a few weeks.

The best advice that I can give you is to be prepared;

• Get pet insurance. Hope you never need it, but being able to care for your pet when they need you most is worth the monthly payments. Know what the plans limits are, but, be prepared for those too.
• Plan ahead. The advent of assigning typical pet visits into a yearly cost divided up into small payments was the ingenuously profitable brain child of corporate veterinary America meets budget conscious Americans who have difficulty saving for that someday rainy day. The success of these Wellness Plans has brought many private practice veterinarians into also trying to provide clients some basic wellness options broken into monthly fees and a contract.

I am a skeptic of Wellness Plans for a few reasons;

1. Your pet is not a numbered entity cast by a cookie cutter. Every pet has individual needs. The way a typical wellness plan addresses a participant is as a “typical” case. For example, if you have a dog like my pit bull you will never need ear cytology. Never mind need it twice a year  which many plans provide. If you are however my beagle, you will need it four times a year and both knees fixed within 3 months of each other. My pit bull has cost me nothing more than food, vaccines, and preventatives. My adorable beagle, the farm.
2. Contracts equate to consequences. You cannot get out of them easily. 
3. Life has too many twists and turns. Sure every vet will advocate the importance of an ounce of prevention, and the incredible importance of examinations, diagnostics, preventive care, a good solid relationship built around the vet, the pet and you, BUT, disaster will not be covered by your wellness plan. Many of the heart wrenching cases revolve around a surprise disaster and most pet parents are simply not prepared financially for these. 
4. Gimmicks. Wellness plans have gimmicks to influence and entice. What a pet parent wants is assurance that they will have options at affordable costs they can manage not a gimmick to influence a pet care decision.

Peanutty, Bella, and Pepper
all rescues and all a part of the JVC family.

If you are considering a wellness plan think about the following; 

1. How invested is your vet in your pets care? A great vet will go to bat for your pet at every instance. You are not a cookie. Every step in your pets care has options. The best vets have you prepared for both the foreseeable and unplanned events. Sit down with your vet and draw up a plan for the year. List all foreseeable needs, goods, and services. Make a yearly budget based on these.
2. What does the Wellness Plan entail? Break down the cost for each line item covered. For example; most plans provide preventatives (heartworm and flea & tick). But, they are calculated for the biggest size and most expensive preventative. Your chihuahuas year supply of heartworm prevention is about one quarter the cost of a St Bernard. Don’t pay for a giant when you have a portable peanut pup. Further, your peanut pup might not need both? 
3. I know of clinics who “use up” your plans services, (for instance the two free ear cytologies), on your first two visits in the hopes you will need more down the road. The plan can set people up for being taken advantage of and you will never know it. 
4. It is widely discussed in vet circles but not published that about 60%* of people will not take advantage of the wellness plan items they pay for. Whether it is fear of over anesthetizing your pet, inability to meet the calendar of available services, or lack of need? Wellness plans are sold to the client as a “convenience frequent-buyer program with small monthly payments, but they favor the vet practice. The game is always set up to protect the house.

Rye

Some pet insurance companies offer monthly payment plans to help offset routine care. I do not recommend these. Your money in someone else’s pocket leaves your decisions to others scrutiny. Do your best to be prepared for the routine stuff. If you think you want to purchase pet insurance look for those that just cover accidents and illness. These are the ones that will ruin you financially and lead to treatment plans that include “economic euthanasia.”

What’s the reality? Sadly, Americans are very bad at saving, planning, and preparedness for disaster. A monthly plan is a way to help defray some of the big financial hits at the vet, BUT, it will not help when surprises arise or disaster picks your number.

Have your own emergency fund. 

In my neck of the woods I recommend having three things;

1. $2500 in your own pets savings account. I know it sounds like a huge amount. But at least have $1,000. Almost every savable emergency can be started on $1,000. 
2. Have a credit card with room on it. Or, have available credit so you will be approved for CareCredit if needed. 
3. Have a vet and their cell phone number in your back pocket. I cannot over emphasize how much heartbreak, money, and guilt ridden consequences this can cost you.

Me and my shadow, Wren

If you aren’t good at saving and don’t have a vet to go to bat for you, get an insurance plan for surprises and disasters AND start looking for a vet you trust at some point your chips will fall and you need to be prepared for that.

What’s my solution? Jarrettsville Veterinary Center now offers a Pet Savings Plan through Vet Billing Solutions. We will tailor a monthly savings plan for your pet and provide an affordable easy way to do this. What’s the catch? Nothing. Not one single thing! It’s your money to use for your pet whenever and wherever you need it! No catch. No gimmicks. No contracts. Just more happy endings!

Madeline

Call us today and ask about it. Or find me trying to save the pet world anytime at Pawbly.com.

* Data from lectures at Idexx Management 2015 lectures on Wellness Plans.
In the end my veterinary practice is here to serve one purpose,,, help my community take better care of their companions. So, I am all ears. What can we do to help you do this? Please leave me a comment, or suggestion.

Related blogs;

Economic Euthanasia.

Vet Billing Solution; Medical Madness. 

Helpful related articles;
DVM360, 8 Mistakes to Avoid In Your Veterinary Wellness Plans.

Veterinary Practice News. Wellness Plans Allow Clients to Budget for Pets Preventive Veterinary Care

If you have a veterinary, or pet, related question you can find me anytime on Pawbly.com. Pawbly is open to anyone who has a pet in need or experience that they would like to share.

Appointments for your pet assistance can be made by visiting me at Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in beautiful Harford County Maryland.

Or try me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.