If a pet insurance discussion isn’t part of your exam routine, it should be. Not only does pet insurance make costly treatments more manageable for clients, but dog owners with pet health insurance spend 29% more annually for veterinary care, and cat owners spend 81% more.¹ Further, a 2017 study revealed that dog owners with pet insurance spent $211 more per year on veterinary care than uninsured dog owners.²

Clients value your opinion; research by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association demonstrated that 50% more pet owners would purchase pet health insurance if it was recommended by their veterinary practice.

These simple pet insurance strategies can benefit both your clients and your practice:

1. Get your team on board. Explain how pet insurance helps your practice. Dedicate time for pet insurance training and discussion so your staff can share client education strategies and success stories. Many pet insurers offer discounts to veterinary professionals, and providing pet insurance as an employee perk is a great way to turn your team into genuine advocates.
2. Become knowledgeable about several pet insurance providers. Determine which companies work best with your practice and identify them to clients as preferred providers. Designate a pet insurance specialist who can learn the nuances of pet insurance and share real claim examples from clients insured with those providers.
3. Have educational materials readily available. Pet insurance brochures offered in your waiting area, in exam rooms, and in new client kits may inspire interest and action from clients who want to learn more. Add links to your preferred providers on your practice’s website or app to make it easy for clients to get free, no-obligation quotes.
4. Add pet insurance details to patient records. Ask the client what pet insurance they use during consultations; if they’re not already insured, you’ll have a perfect opportunity to start a discussion about how pet insurance can help. If your patient is covered by pet insurance, note the company and policy number in their file to make future claim submissions easier.
5. Submit claims on behalf of your clients. Working directly with providers makes the claims process more efficient. When your practice provides detailed documentation, claims may be resolved more quickly and with fewer requests for missing records.

Pet insurance benefits everyone; insured pets visit their vets 40% more often than the uninsured, and their owners spend twice as much on veterinary care throughout their pets' lives.³ If you’re not talking about pet insurance with clients, you’re missing opportunities to help them afford the best treatment your practice can provide.