There are many questions surrounding preventive healthcare plans for pets. Veterinarians need to be ready to answer when clients start asking!

Whys Clients Should Investigate Preventive Healthcare Plans for Their Pets

Preventive healthcare is based on a veterinary examination of the pet. The information obtained in the evaluation is tailored to the individual animal to provide clients with recommendations for its overall health on such things as:

• Vaccination needs
• Worming
• Heartworm and flea/tick prevention
• Nutrition
• Dental Care

What Clients Need to Know

The task of determining the perfect plan that meets the needs of the pet, is affordable, and helps to lower healthcare costs is what most owners will be looking for in a preventive healthcare plan. Clients who are researching different plans need to investigate the extent of individual plan coverage on such items as the following:

• Scheduled examinations for preventive routine health care
• Annual vaccinations and tests
• Core vaccinations
• Noncore vaccinations for at-risk animals
• Diagnostic tests such as canine heartworm and Lyme disease for dogs
• Diagnostic tests such as Feline Leukemia/FIV for cats
• Digital radiography of hips
• Basic blood and urine screen
• Comprehensive blood and urine analysis
• Thyroid screen
• Dietary and nutritional needs
• Blood pressure measurement
• Intestinal parasite fecal exam and deworming
• Heartworm, flea & tick prevention
• Chronic health issues such as:
• Allergies
• Skin discomforts
• Ear infections
• Cost of routine examination of teeth and gums
• Dental radiographs
• Dental prophylaxis and cleaning, including anesthesia and monitoring
• Cost of emergency care
• Cost of emergency care that occurs after the regular clinic practice hours
• Cost of emergency care in situations where animals are transferred to a different facility
• Nail trims

Additional Points to Investigate

The following points can mean additional costs outside of the plan costs; clients need to compare plans by considering the following:

• Plan Acceptance
• Taking care to determine where plans are accepted is particularly important, as not all practices take all plans
• Deductible
• The level of deductible amounts differ between plans
• Reimbursements
• These amounts vary from plan-to-plan
• Allowable costs
• Some plans have a maximum amount per incident, some per year
• Co-payments
• Amounts vary from plan to plan, or with the level of the plan chosen
• Emergency use
• Determine the use of the plan, some are used to cover:
• Routine care
• Emergency visits only
• Accidents
• illness
• Payment Methods
• Another point that needs to be investigated is the understanding of payment
• Not all plans pay up-front for veterinary services
• Many plans require the pet owner to directly pay the veterinary practice for services, making the owner responsible for submitting receipts to the plan company for reimbursement
• Cost of Plan
• Costs will vary from plan to plan and will also be dependent on the level of the plan
• Certain factors can change the costs of the plan, such as:
• Age of pet
• Previous illness and veterinary findings of pet
• Intended plan coverage, such as:
• Wellness
• Accident
• Illness
• Emergency Use 

When used as intended, preventive healthcare plans can provide an early diagnosis of health problems, which better the chances for a pet’s recovery. As preventive healthcare plans become more affordable, most owners are opting to subscribe.

Need more tips on pet healthcare to share with clients? Contact your Covetrus Animal Health Representative today! To get in touch, you can call us at 855.724.3461.