1 Aug 2024
Conventional pay-per-service veterinary models are struggling to keep pace with the demands of accessible and affordable healthcare. Subscription models are seen by many new practices as the solution for pet owners looking to provide comprehensive care for their pets while keeping costs in check...
Alan Robinson
Job Title
Original image © iStock.com / Blankstock
A subscription model involves customers paying a recurring fee for ongoing access to a product or service. In the context of pet care, this model emphasises comprehensive preventive care, focusing on preventing health issues before they become serious.
Pet owners subscribing to this model pay a regular fee for routine check-ups, where the pet’s overall health is assessed. The model’s proactive approach, including regular check-ups, vaccinations, and parasite prevention, aims to reduce the likelihood of serious health issues, promoting a healthier and happier life for pets.
Most practices offer health plans designed to suit the needs of their client base and generally cover the following key features:
■ Annual vaccinations: routine vaccinations are included, ensuring pets stay up to date on essential immunisations.
■ Annual health assessments: regular check-ups to ensure pets remain healthy and any issues are caught early.
■ Bespoke parasite prevention packages: these packages can be tailored to individual pet needs.
■ Discounts on routine treatments: members receive a discount on routine treatments such as neutering and dental care.
■ 24/7 virtual care: some plans offer live chat and video consultations, providing round-the-clock support and making it easier for pet owners to get timely advice.
■ Fixed monthly fees: monthly payments help pet owners to budget more effectively and avoid unexpected veterinary costs.
■ Unlimited consultations: in some plans, members can access veterinary consultations as often as needed without additional charges, reducing the financial burden of frequent visits.
| CLIENT RETENTION AND ENGAGEMENT | The subscription model proves effective in enhancing client retention and engagement, fostering positive customer relations, helping to build a customer base, reducing customer acquisition costs, and strengthening customer relationships. |
| PROFITABILITY AND CASH FLOW | The financial advantages include accurate revenue predictions and better inventory management. It also contributes to increased profits while stabilising predictable cash-flow. |
| OVERALL PATIENT CARE | Regular check-ups, preventive measure, and prompt responses to emerging health issues become integral components of the subscription-based approach. |
| MANAGEMENT | Practices generally manage subscription plans through tiered offerings, utilising practice management software, and structured appointment scheduling. Automated billing systems, renewal reminders, and flexible payment options enhance the billing process. |
| PRICING | Pricing involves tiered plans with monthly or annual billing, sometimes with upfront enrolment fees and discounts for multiple pets. Price points vary widely based on services and location, ranging from monthly fees of £20 to £100 or more, with annual plans potentially priced from a few hundred to over a thousand pounds. |
| PROMOTION | Transparent communication of plan details and costs is crucial. Promotion strategies include educational materials, social media presence, collaboration are key to refining subscription models for ongoing success. |
Cost predictability: pet owners can enjoy cost predictability with a fixed monthly subscription fee, covering a range of wellness services. This eliminates some of the uncertainty of sudden, large veterinary bills, making it easier for clients to budget for their pet’s health care.
Comprehensive preventive care: subscription models often include a variety of preventive services such as regular check-ups, vaccinations, and parasite prevention, reducing the likelihood of serious health issues.
Convenience and peace of mind: subscriptions bring convenience, clients don’t need to worry about individual service costs during each visit giving peace of mind, knowing that essential healthcare services are covered, encouraging a proactive and ongoing approach to pet wellness.
Stress-free financial planning: pet owners can plan their finances more effectively, eliminating the need for unexpected financial decisions related to their pet’s health care. This promotes a stress-free and sustainable approach to managing veterinary expenses.
Discounts on veterinary services: a subscription plan could offer a percentage discount on various veterinary services, including routine check-ups, dental treatment, diagnostic tests, medications and procedures. Higher-tier plans could offer more substantial discounts on a broader range of services.
Emergency care coverage: some plans might include emergency care coverage or discounts for unforeseen health issues.
Pet food discounts: subscribers may also receive exclusive discounts on premium pet foods or nutritional supplements.
In recent years, new practice business subscription models have emerged, combining technology and people-centred design. While each offers something unique, they all benefit pets, their owners, and veterinary employees. Let’s look at some of those key features.
Creature Comforts has modernised veterinary care by integrating both virtual and in-clinic services through its subscription model. They’ve created a seamless, holistic experience for both pets and owners, to improve overall pet health and reduce stress for veterinary professionals by leveraging technology.
Their primary offering is the all-access membership, which costs £20 per month.
Key features include:
■ Subscription model: Creature Comforts operates under a subscription model, offering unlimited consultations, annual vaccinations, and discounts on routine treatments for a monthly fee. It aims to provide predictable costs and remove financial barriers to seeking vet care.
■ Tech Integration: The practice emphasises the integration of technology with a proprietary app that allows for 24/7 virtual care, instant appointment bookings, and live chat with veterinary staff. This provides convenience and accessibility for pet owners, ensuring they can get support whenever needed.
■ Focus on staff well-being: Creature Comforts is improving working conditions for veterinary staff by offering above-industry-standard pay, profit sharing, manageable working hours, and scheduled breaks. This approach seeks to address issues of burnout and high turnover rates that are common in the veterinary industry.
■ Modern clinics: the physical clinics are designed to be calming for pets and comfortable for humans, with aesthetically pleasing and functional environments that reduce stress for both pets and their owners.
■ Transparent pricing and services: Creature Comforts strives for clear and consistent pricing, reducing the uncertainty and frustration often associated with veterinary care costs. This transparency extends to all aspects of their service, from routine check-ups to emergency care.
■ Community and education: the practice also focuses on community engagement through events and educational initiatives, fostering a stronger bond between pet owners and their local veterinary community.
Snoots provides comprehensive veterinary care plans aimed at simplifying pet healthcare management, designed to encourage regular veterinary visits, thereby improving overall pet health and reducing the incidence of serious health problems. Key features include:
■ All-inclusive membership model: Snoots offers a membership model for £33 per month, which includes unlimited primary veterinary care, wellness visits, sick visits, vaccinations, neutering, and 24/7 medical advice and triage. This model eliminates surprise costs and provides predictable, affordable care.
■ Focus on preventative care: the membership is designed to emphasise preventative care, ensuring regular check-ups and early detection of health issues to avoid expensive treatments later. This proactive approach aims to maintain pet health year-round.
■ Transparency and no hidden fees: Snoots aims to provide transparent pricing with no excesses or deductibles. All included services are clearly outlined, and there are no hidden fees, making it easier for pet owners to budget for their pet’s health care.
■ High-quality work environment: Snoots offers competitive salaries, profit-sharing, protected lunch breaks, and 30-minute consultation times to ensure vets can provide thorough care without being rushed. This approach helps improve work-life balance and job satisfaction for veterinary staff.
■ Comprehensive support services: the membership includes access to a range of support services such as nutrition and behaviour advice, travel certificates, and access to a members-only pharmacy for discounted medications.
■ Modern clinic design: Snoots clinics are designed to be welcoming and comfortable for both pets and their owners, with a focus on reducing stress during visits. This modern approach contrasts with traditional veterinary clinics, which can often feel clinical and less welcoming.
Pickles has introduced a membership-only veterinary service with a comprehensive subscription model aimed at providing high-quality care through state-of-the-art facilities and technology.
Pickles aims to provide a holistic approach to pet care, focusing on preventive measures and making veterinary services more accessible and convenient through digital integration. Their holistic approach sets it apart from traditional veterinary practices, and aims to revolutionise the veterinary care experience for everyone.
Key features include:
■ Membership model: Pickles Vet operates on a membership basis, charging an annual fee of £120. This membership includes unlimited in-person consultations, annual vaccinations, and access to various veterinary services. This model aims to provide transparent and predictable costs for pet owners, eliminating surprise bills and making high-quality care more accessible.
■ Integration of technology: Pickles offers a comprehensive app that allows pet owners to book appointments, access medical records, and have video consultations. This tech-driven approach aims to streamline the veterinary care experience, making it more convenient for pet owners to manage their pets’ health.
■ Focus on experience and environment: the physical clinic at Pickles is modern, spacious, and calming, with scents, lighting, and colours designed to reduce stress for pets and their owners. The aim is to create a welcoming and less clinical environment that enhances the overall experience of visiting the vet.
■ Comprehensive care services: Pickles provides a wide range of services including primary care, surgery, dentistry, diagnostics, and more. They also plan to offer additional services such as a pharmacy with tailored medication plans and potential future expansions into pet insurance, food, and toys.
■ Personalisation and breed-specific care: utilising data-driven methods, Pickles Vet tailors treatment plans to the specific needs of each pet, considering factors such as breed and health history. This personalised approach ensures that each pet receives the most appropriate and effective care.
■ Holistic and supportive care: the practice emphasises the importance of preventive care and continuous health monitoring, aiming to catch potential health issues early and provide comprehensive support throughout a pet’s life. This holistic approach is designed to maintain pets’ health and well-being proactively.
Garden Vets at Keele is the first-opinion, primary care, emergency and critical-care, commercially run teaching hospital at Harper Keele Veterinary School. It offers a comprehensive subscription model designed to cover a wide range of veterinary services for pets and provide financial peace of mind for pet owners.
The subscription plans are structured to offer tailored care for pets of all ages and breed, including those with chronic conditions, ensuring continuous and top-tier medical attention.
Key features include:
■ Initial health-checks and routine check-ups
■ Vaccinations and preventive care
■ Dental care
■ Clinical testing and pathology
■ Diagnostic imaging
■ Parasite prevention
■ Nutritional advice and prescriptions
■ Weight and well-being management
■ Behavioural advice
■ Senior care and clinics
■ Necessary treatments and surgeries
■ Medicines
■ 24/7 emergency and critical care
Subscribers benefit from no extra costs for pay-monthly options, ensuring predictable expenses without exclusions or additional fees. This model eliminates the need for separate insurance policies, although it does not replace them entirely for all financial aspects like third-party claims.
The subscription also supports the Harper and Keele Veterinary School by providing practical first opinion cases for training future vets, ensuring high standards of care and access to advanced medical expertise and facilities.
Veterinary subscription plans strengthen the bond between clients and vets, enhancing communication and collaboration for pet health. The rising popularity of subscription services, estimated to reach $478 billion (£372 billion) by 2025, presents an opportunity for accessible, affordable, and compassionate pet health care. By embracing subscription models, we are revolutionising veterinary practices for the future.
