Use a "fee grid" that groups surgeries by difficulty and length to assess fees

Does it sometimes feel like guesswork to figure out what to charge for surgeries? It doesn’t have to be. In fact, make it easier to assess fees by using a “fee grid” that groups surgeries by difficulty and length, suggest the authors of The Veterinary Fee Reference: Vital Statistics for Your Veterinary Practice.

Setting the price for surgeries is not just about increasing last year’s fees by X percent. It also takes into account the value to the client, the time required for client education, and the time involved to provide the desired care, not to mention market rates with elective surgeries such as spays and neuters.

A fee grid such as the one below, which groups fees by time and difficulty, can help you identify the inconsistencies in your surgery fees. Put your non-elective surgeries into the appropriate box to see if the fees charged for each make sense. The basic cost for each box should be similar unless there is a reason that would justify a higher price.

The Veterinary Fee Reference: Vital Statistics for Your Veterinary Practice provides tips like this one. It also provides pricing tables for surgeries and a host of other practice fees, as well as rationale, suggestions, and ways of thinking differently about multiple fee areas in a practice, in light of median household income, metropolitan status, and more.

Photo credit: © iStock/Dutko

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