It seems like a lot of people have been interested in learning how payment works in animal rehab, especially regarding insurance. There are pet insurance policies available through a few different companies (and I would highly encourage everyone to get one for their pets!), but that is still somewhat of a new thing and actually the majority of pets are not insured (to be exact, in 2012 only less than 1% of pets had insurance!). So, even though the pet insurance industry is a 660 million dollar industry, cash is king when it comes to animal rehab.

The practice of canine rehab, and any veterinary services for that matter, is a 100% cash based business even for those who have an insurance policy. For those who are insured, the pet owner have to file a claim with their insurance company to get reimbursed for the services provided after paying the clinic. That leaves very little, if any at all, amount of paperwork for the clinician for insurance companies, which is of course one thing I do not miss from my days working in human PT outpatient ortho. Of course, different companies have a variety of different policies and coverage, so it would be hard for me to go into details about that on this post; however, I might have a guest blog post from an insurance company representative explaining it better in the future.

Also, insurance companies and policies vary on what and when they cover, not just for rehab but also for illnesses and injuries. The AARV (American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians) has recently published this summary comparing coverage for different companies. I highly suggest looking at it if you are looking to get an insurance policy for your pet or if you are looking to switch companies on your current policy. Also, just like our health insurance you need to look at not only what they cover but also compare premiums, copays, coinsurance, pre-existing conditions, etc.

If you ever had to take a pet to the vet you probably noticed that the same procedure can vary in price from one clinic to another. Of course, prices will vary regionally as well due to overhead costs so the cost of a rehab program will vary when comparing different geographical locations across the U.S., just like it does for cash based human PT practices. But if you are providing a premier service above the level of your local competition than the cash based model allows you to charge and be rewarded for your expertise. With that in mind, especially when considering surgical procedures due to their financial burden, I would always recommend getting a 2nd opinion. However, remember that the cheaper option might become the more expensive one in the long run if you are not taking your pet to a qualified/certified rehabilitation practitioner (hint: that’s a topic for a future post as well).

~TheK9PT