Looking to Enhance the Administration of Veterinary Wellness Plans? Here’s a Guide

As a veterinarian, the biggest advantage of veterinary wellness plans is the fact that they are good for your patients and your practice’s bottom line.

This is because pet owners are more likely to visit their vets for recommended services when they know they will be covered by a wellness plan, resulting in better care for the animals and increased revenue. They are also a great way of recruiting new clients.

However, as more animal hospitals and privately-owned practices adopt wellness plans, staying competitive means curating a valuable and pleasant experience for your clients.

Here are some items you might want to consider.

The Difference Between a Wellness Plan and Insurance

A common misconception among clients and some veterinary care providers is that wellness plans are a form of pet insurance. Though they may come with perks such as discounted medicine prices or free physical exams, this could not be further from the truth.

Essentially, a wellness plan is a payment plan for preventative veterinary care services. Most providers arrive at the monthly price by adding up the cost of each service included in the package, applying a discount to the overall cost, and then dividing it by twelve.

Unlike insurance, these monthly payments do not cover illness, injury, or other medical emergencies. Additionally, clients can only get the defined services at the clinic or hospital where they have purchased a plan.

Now that we have defined the scope to which to tailor your offerings, let’s look at how you can offer your clients the best services.

5 Ways To Improve Your Pet Wellness Plans

1. Do Your Research

Popularity alone is not a reason to create a plan. Instead, consider your clients and the type of services you provide. For example, large animal vets who mainly treat livestock may find that neither their practice nor their clients will benefit from a wellness plan.

For the clinics that find they may benefit, make it easier to figure out how to package your services by surveying current clients.

Questions to ask include:

• What services or treatments are most valuable to you and your pet?
• Are there any additional services or treatments you would like us to offer?
• Do you have any concerns about your pet?
• What services do you consider beneficial for your pet but do not pursue? Why not?
• How can we improve your experience at our clinic?

The responses you get will give you a better idea of what to include in your packages. You may even find that your clients value items you consider inconsequential.

2. Offer a Variety of Packages

Smart clinics package their wellness plans to suit different animals, ages, and budgets. For example, the treatments you administer on a puppy differ from what you would recommend for an adult or senior dog. Similarly, dogs need different care from cats.

This way, pets can graduate from puppy or kitten packages as they go along, ensuring they get the appropriate care at every age.

In addition, differently-priced packages give clients more options that fit their budget. By grouping from the basic recommended treatments to packages with more bonus items, they won’t feel forced to pay for services they can do without.

3. Improve Your Record Keeping

With clinics offering upwards of 10 wellness plans, it would be impossible to keep track of everything without the help of a proper vet management software.

Electronic flowsheets remove unnecessary waiting times and can send reminders about upcoming visits. Clients will appreciate the improved experience and customer service.

On the patient side, the medical data will help with tracking prescription data and monitoring health trends. Like humans, animals need a doctor who knows their history to provide effective treatment.

4. Train Your Staff

Even for practices with experience, the success of a wellness program takes continuous learning on the part of practice ownership and staff.

Proper implementation should involve thorough training on how it works and how to explain it to clients. Sales communication is also key. Staff may ask clients, “Instead of paying $530 today, would you like to sign up for a wellness plan? You would pay $59.99 today and then monthly payments of $39.16.”

Additionally, protocols should be in place for staff onboarding and regular reviews.

5. Be Clear to Avoid Misconceptions

A major problem practices face with wellness plans is that some clients do not understand what they are signing up for. This leads to them expecting services that are not covered under the plan because they think it is similar to an insurance policy.

Avoid this by explicitly explaining how your plan works, the terms, and the limitations. For example, a client should know that a wellness plan will offer no benefit at another practice or in an emergency like a pet injury.

Give the Best Care

All veterinary wellness plans have their pros and cons. However, doing it right will tremendously improve both your and your client’s experience.

image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-dog-having-a-medical-check-up-6816858/