Payments, Insurance, and More - “Oh my!”

Sami Thomas, DVM

I became a veterinarian because of my childhood dog, Blue, who was my best friend. My memories of taking her to the vet are so small - we almost never went and when we did, what a “quick in-and-out” it was. I can only imagine the costs associated were much less than those we all experience today. What a different world we live in now - more frequent trips to the vet, more costly trips to the vet, and more options presented and discussed at each visit. Here at Clark Fork, we know it can be overwhelming and we want to help.

Research tells us that an unexpected veterinary cost of $250 or less is enough to generate financial anxiety for the families and pets we see. We also know that with an unexpected emergency, or sometimes even routine care, $250 is an easy point to reach. So we want to take this opportunity to share a few resources and recommendations we have to help. We’ll touch on three main things here: payment options, pet insurance, and the benefits of routine care.

Here at Clark Fork Veterinary Clinic, your bill can be broken up into payments by using one of the following four resources:

1. Care Credit is a credit card that can be used for veterinary services as well as for some human medical expenses like dental care. For balances over $200, you get at least 6 months, no interest, to pay it off.

2. AllPetCard is another credit card, similar to Care Credit. 

3. ScratchPay Loans are one-time loans that can be used to pay for care. Repayment is then made to the ScratchPay company on terms and interest set by them. 

4. VetBilling is a monthly payment program that takes an agreed upon payment out of a checking account on a monthly or twice-monthly basis. This is our most cumbersome option, with both a start-up fee and monthly fees.

Information about all these payment plans can be found on our website at https://www.clarkforkvet.com/cfvc-resources. We also have handouts and brochures in the clinic, or we can email or text you resources. Just reach out to us at the clinic at 406-846-1925 to let us know how we can help.

We also want to share the possible importance of insurance for your pet. Pet insurance can be just as confusing as human insurance, with the added issue that it is not well-regulated at this time. The key things we want our clients to know about pet insurance are:

1. Pet insurances typically will not cover “pre-existing conditions”, so the time to get insurance is before we diagnose a problem.

2. Pet insurances can have stipulations to further exclude some issues, especially breed-specific issues. For example, because dachshunds are predisposed to back problems, many pet insurances will exclude coverage for back problems on dachshunds. Be sure to read the policies very closely before signing up for anything. Look specifically for anything pertaining to your dog’s breed or mixture of breeds.

3. For most pet insurances payment is still expected at the time of service to the vet clinic. The insurance company then reimburses the owner after the fact. So having a plan for how to pay for veterinary care in the moment is still recommended.

4. Pet insurances we have seen families have good experiences with include ASPCA and Trupanion. Pet Insurance Review (https://www.petinsurancereview.com/) can be a helpful tool to learn more about specific insurance companies and options.

Finally, another way to reduce unexpected costs is to stay up on routine care. We recommend we see all dogs, cats, horses, and exotic pets at least once a year for a routine exam and any other applicable tests or vaccines. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Prevention helps us reduce cost by delaying or avoiding the onset of costly diseases. Routine maintenance can also be a powerful tool - a routine dental cleaning without extractions is typically a fraction of the cost, compared to a dental where there is severe disease necessitating many extractions.

As always, we want to be your source of help and information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions about any of the information provided here!