Policies & Payments
Payment
Payment is due at the time services are rendered. If you have any special considerations regarding payment, please discuss this with the receptionist prior to seeing the doctor. We accept a variety of payment options, including cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, CareCredit, and ScratchPay.
CareCredit is a personal line of credit for healthcare, both human and veterinary, that works like a credit card. To apply, click here for the CareCredit Online Credit Application or call their 24/7 phone number at 1-800-365-8295.
ScratchPay offers financing options ranging from $200 - $10,000. Visit scratchpay.com or text PAY to 213-296-0817 to apply.
Pet Insurance
We highly recommend health insurance for pets and there are many companies that provide great coverage. We also offer cost-effective Wellness Plans that can help with the everyday costs of routine preventative care, while pet health insurance is usually used for major and unforeseen veterinary expenses.
Here’s what you really need to consider when you’re thinking about whether or not you should buy pet insurance: it’s not just for those times when your dog or cat might have a cut, bite, or ate something they shouldn’t, or is vomiting. It’s really about making sure you’re never in the terrible position of having to choose between spending a huge amount of money on available treatment or euthanizing your friend. It’s about saying “YES”, when there are no guarantees, instead of having to say no because a $5000 or $20,000 treatment, with no guarantee of success, is not a financial option for you.
We see this type of situation regularly, and it happened with a canine patient of ours not long ago. A two-year-old pitty was suddenly unable to defecate for no apparent reason. We did everything we could to understand why, to no avail. We referred him to Bedford Katonah for their specialists. They kept him for two weeks and ran every test their specialists could muster, but also to no avail. Because the owner had pet insurance, she never had to say “No….. I can’t afford any more time or diagnostic tests. Put him to sleep”. Her final bill between both hospitals was $65,000 and Trupanion paid 90% of that. Knowing that you’ve done all you can to help your furry family member is priceless and extremely comforting.
Which pet insurance plan to purchase is another important question. There are plenty of choices and as we looked for a comparison, we realized that most of the websites offering comparisons were actually owned by one or another of the pet insurance companies themselves. So be careful. You might want to check out this page from Forbes Magazine that compares the various plans pretty objectively.
As for our staff, we all have pet insurance because we want our pets to be able to get that treatment. We chose Trupanion for ourselves because they’re simple to use, pay what they’re supposed to pay for (for the most part), and because they have a portal installed in most veterinary hospitals (including ours) that allows for automatic payments so you’d only have to pay out of pocket for the difference.
Please do your research and don’t hesitate to ask us if you have any questions about how valuable pet health insurance can be. We know for a fact it saves lives, every day.
