One topic kept surfacing when I attended recent conferences: the affordability of veterinary care. Not surprisingly, the discussions generated passionate perspectives from all corners of the industry. Clearly, affordability is shaped by economic pressures, practice dynamics and client expectations. It’s also an opportunity for us to reflect and evolve as we strive to make veterinary medicine more accessible, sustainable and trustworthy.
Let’s start by describing affordability of care and access to care.
Affordability of Care
- Costs: Do my veterinary practice’s fees exceed what most clients in my community can stomach?
- Financing: Do we offer in-clinic or third-party payment plans?
- Options: Are my services tiered to allow for diverse client budgets?
- Perception of value: Do clients think my services are worth the price?
Access to Care
- Location: Are veterinary practices nearby, especially in rural and underserved areas?
- Appointments: Can clients schedule one within a reasonable time frame?
- Language and culture: Do communication or trust issues hinder clients from seeking care?
- Transportation and mobility: Can clients physically get to my practice?
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to care was a primary concern. Clients had trouble getting through the door because of staff shortages, jam-packed schedules and curbside protocols. Today, the focus among clients has shifted from “Can I get there?” to “Can I afford it?”
What We See in Practice
As affordability becomes a growing concern, veterinary teams notice real-time shifts in client behavior and business operations, including:
- A dip in patient volume, even while revenue remains steady.
- More open appointment slots, even in previously overbooked hospitals.
- Cautious business decisions, such as smaller staff pay raises or fewer services, due to economic uncertainty.
A combination of trends, perceptions and internal processes has led to:
- Rapid fee increases to keep up with inflation and the cost of operations.
- The stabilization of client demand as post-COVID growth returns to typical, single-digit annual rates.
- Inconsistent client experiences because of service gaps, delays or communication breakdowns.
- Hesitancy to squeeze in urgent cases when appointment slots are full.
- Presenting only one treatment plan, then turning away or referring clients who decline it.
- Not authorizing outside pharmacy requests or offering limited ways to schedule appointments.
A Few Solutions
Affordability challenges don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. The proper approach is thoughtful collaboration and a willingness to reexamine prices, operations, services and leadership.
At a certain point, continued price increases become unsustainable, not just for clients but also for our profession’s long-term health. Many of us believe we have reached that point. Therefore, we must focus on operational efficiency and team utilization to support revenue growth and access.
When prices reach the proverbial ceiling, scheduling more appointments without having to sacrifice service quality or the team’s well-being becomes the key lever. That means creating seamless workflows and leveraging team members to the top of their licenses. The more effectively the team works, the lower the cost to deliver care and the greater the access to care.
Embrace Technology
Technology isn’t a luxury in veterinary practice; it’s a necessity. Tools like artificial-intelligence-driven scribes and modern practice management software systems can significantly increase efficiency and accuracy, allowing doctors and technicians to focus on patient care and client connection. When medical records are complete and easily referenced, follow-up care improves. When the team has tools that work alongside them, appointment capacity increases without burdening people behind the scenes.
Practice managers should audit their technology regularly by asking:
- Are we using everything that’s built into our system?
- Could third-party tools solve the bottlenecks?
Rebuild Client Trust
Trust in veterinary medicine has taken a hit. Now is the time to restore it, one client interaction at a time.
The client experience that practices deliver must be intentional, not just reactive, so prioritize service training to include de-escalation strategies, empathy communication and proactive problem-solving. Veterinary teams should identify and address the most common client pain points and take swift corrective action.
I suggest asking clients, “What small changes would improve your experience in our practice?” You might be surprised by what you hear. If you don’t ask, don’t worry, because pet owners are saying it online.
Let’s be a profession that listens and evolves.
Offer a True Spectrum of Care
Veterinary care should not be an all-or-nothing proposition. When practices only offer the gold standard and nothing else, they shut the door on clients who want to do something, even if they can’t do everything.
Providing a spectrum of care doesn’t mean lowering your standards; it means meeting clients where they are and offering thoughtful, well-documented options. A spectrum of care protects the patient, supports the client and preserves the human-animal bond.
Specialists are essential to our profession, but many of them are overwhelmed. General practices are fully capable of managing many diagnostics and procedures in-house, especially when those hospitals invest in continuing education and offer mentorship.
Not every X-ray requires a board-certified radiologist’s review. Not every cystotomy requires a referral. By building internal confidence and capacity, we can reduce client costs, improve access to care and ensure that referral centers are available to patients who urgently require them.
Today’s consumers value ease, speed and flexibility. If your clients are choosing online pharmacies or alternative care providers, it’s not necessarily all about the price; it’s often about convenience.
Rather than fighting market trends, learn from them. Review your policies. Are you inadvertently erecting barriers to loyal clients? Remove the friction, improve their experience and meet them where they are.
Lead Change from the Top
Leadership! Leadership! Culture! Culture!
A practice’s success starts with leadership. Leaders who model empathy, service, innovation and integrity create a teamwide ripple effect. When leaders embrace technology, empower their staff and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement, they unlock everyone’s potential.
Conversely, when leadership is inconsistent or disengaged, the culture suffers. Team members lose motivation, resist change and disengage from the client experience. They won’t offer to squeeze in another patient. They won’t step into the gray zone of the spectrum of care. And they certainly won’t feel emotional ownership of your practice’s mission.
Leaders who want their teams to lean in, adapt and grow must do the same.
Affordability of care is not just a pricing issue; it’s also a leadership issue, efficiency issue, trust issue and cultural issue. The solution isn’t to work harder, charge more or give up. The answer is to lead with vision, evolve with intention and recommit to the purpose that brought us into this profession in the first place.
LEARN MORE
Do you need help triggering changes in your veterinary practice? Check out Dr. Brian Hamm’s article “Understanding Supply, Demand and Pricing in a Post-Pandemic Veterinary Economy” at bit.ly/40UC7zd.