Imagine a clinic where pet owners can communicate with a veterinarian around the clock by phone or email, where same-day or next-day appointments are the norm, where the doctors routinely spend extra time with clients and pets, and where the hospital focuses on preventive care and provides myriad payment options. Clients want all that. A fall 2021 Packaged Facts report found that concierge veterinary care, long a staple of human medicine, is in high demand.<\/p>\n
Concierge medicine emerged on the human side 25 years ago when physicians looked for ways to deal with overwhelming caseloads and high levels of career dissatisfaction. Also called \u201cretainer-based,\u201d \u201chighly attentive\u201d and \u201cboutique medicine,\u201d concierge care allows physicians to limit their patient numbers and offer exclusive services in exchange for an annual fee. Patients get unlimited office visits, in-office diagnostics and procedures at no extra charge but are responsible for the cost of hospitalization, specialist visits and tests performed outside the practice.<\/p>\n
The human model of concierge practice has not translated fully into veterinary medicine. Instead, two components of concierge medicine are available to pet owners: memberships and subscriptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n The membership model leverages the lower caseloads of concierge medicine and improves access to doctors by restricting the number of clients. Some providers \u2014 New York City\u2019s Small Door Veterinary, for example \u2014 charge a monthly fee and give the option to upgrade to preventive care services. Others, such as Modern Animal in Los Angeles, confer membership and unlimited physical examinations. The model typically provides clients with access to a pet\u2019s medical records via a custom mobile app and unlimited 24\/7 telemedicine consultations.<\/p>\n In contrast, subscription care features inclusive care and monthly payments. Often called bundled care or a wellness plan, this model isn\u2019t new to veterinary hospitals. The services are typically not portable from one hospital to another unless they are part of a corporate wellness plan, such as those offered by the Banfield and National Veterinary Associates networks.<\/p>\n Several providers, such as Premier Pet Plans, GoFetch, VCP and Petly Plans, market customizable wellness programs to independent practices. The benefits of in-hospital wellness plans include more comprehensive preventive care through geographic and age-appropriate lifestyle recommendations.<\/p>\n In addition, many pet health insurance companies offer wellness endorsements on their policies, allowing for fee-schedule reimbursement. For the pet owner, the benefit is the plan\u2019s portability and the bundling of the payment with the insurance premium.<\/p>\n A recent development is the standalone, direct-to-consumer plan. Some platforms, such as AirVet and Vetted, provide 24\/7 telemedicine<\/a> in addition to scheduled reimbursements for preventive care services. Others, like Wagmo and Pawprint, offer scheduled reimbursements for veterinary care.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a business model that expands the subscription concept to provide preventive and illness care is emerging. This model addresses pet owner concerns about affordability and covers preventive services, preventive medications, diagnostics and in-hospital illness care. Clients pay a monthly fee based on the pet\u2019s life stage. Two examples are U.K.-based Animor and Hannah Pet Hospital in Oregon, which advertise comprehensive care for less than $100 a month.<\/p>\n Veterinary hospitals can adopt highly attentive medicine and subscription-based care to satisfy rising client expectations. Here are four ways to achieve a boutique medicine feel:<\/p>\nWhat Practice Owners Can Do<\/h3>\n