Promoting Pet Healthcare Plans Better (A Practical Guide for Veterinary Clinics)
Pet healthcare plans are more than just another product on your pricing list — when communicated correctly, they are a cornerstone of preventive care that benefits pets, clients and your veterinary business alike.
In this guide, we walk through why they are important for your practice, how practices should position, promote and embed healthcare plans using proven marketing principles — with clear evidence and practical tactics you can put to work this week.
📈 The Benefits of Healthcare Plans for Your Vet Clinic
The key benefits you can see as a veterinary clinic when Pet Healthcare Plans are implemented correctly:
Consistent and reoccurring revenue from subscriptions
If you have 500 clients paying on average £25 a month for subscriptions, that’s £12,500 before you’ve opened the door that month
We see an average total yearly spend increase by 24% per client on a plan compared with a non-plan member
Clients become more engaged and we see visits increase to 7.4 visits per year vs 4.3 visits when not on a Pet Healthcare Plan
With more engaged clients we typically see better loyalty over time and therefore higher lifetime value client
🐶 Why Healthcare Plans Matter Now
Understanding the broader environment helps frame why healthcare plans should be a priority:
Industry standard is to aim to have 25-30% clients on pet healthcare plans, with this number increasing as time goes on. At Heedly, we think this number should be much higher, more like 50%.
Pet owners value reassurance more than ever. Pet Healthcare Plans don’t just give owners access to discounted services but is a crucial peace of mind.
There is a rising client expectation for proactive care — meaning more clients are open to consistent wellness programmes. Yet uptake of healthcare plans still varies widely by practice.
👍 3 Plan Options is Best In Class
We’d recommend not overwhelming your clients with options for Healthcare Plans. Breaking options down by type of animal, then by weight very suddenly can give you a large number of plans. Keep it simple for both you and your clients. Research suggests 3 is the sweet spot for making decisions, so where possible that’s what we’d suggest.
🧠 Position Plans as Preventive Healthcare — Not Just Savings
A common misconception is that healthcare plans are primarily about saving money. While affordability matters, the primary benefit should be better health and wellness outcomes for the pet through consistent preventive care.
Lead with values that matter to clients:
🩺 “Your pet receives essential care all year round.”
🗓️ “Spread key wellness services over the year in manageable monthly payments.”
📊 “It enables us to catch issues early, meaning treatments can typically be smaller and less invasive.”
By framing plans around health value first, clients are more likely to see them as essential — not optional extras.
📣 Promote Consistently Across the Client Journey
Healthcare plans should be visible and relevant through multiple channels:
1. Clinical Conversations
Vets and nurses should bring up healthcare plans as part of clinical recommendations, not just a sidebar conversation.
“Based on Buster’s age and lifestyle, joining our wellness plan ensures we stay ahead of fleas, dental issues and weight checks.”
This clinical endorsement will typically be the fundamental reason a client joins a Pet Healthcare Plan adds huge credibility that brochures alone lack.
2. In-Practice Promotion
Posters or digital screens in waiting areas highlighting plan benefits.
Have flyers readily available with plan key inclusions, around the practice to support your clinical team and give clients a visual aid of the offering
Reception scripts that gently prompt enquires when clients check in or out.
👉 Example message at reception:
“Have you considered spreading your pet’s essential wellness care into affordable monthly payments? Many owners find it easier to manage and it helps keep treatments on schedule.”
3. Digital Presence
A dedicated Healthcare Plan page on your website with easy explanations and pricing transparency. This should be clearly signposted on your homepage and in your menu. If it’s hard to find, people won’t discover it and sign up.
Blog posts about the importance of routine care and how healthcare plans help, with case studies of existing clients success stories can be really valuable.
Email or SMS reminders to clients when key milestones (e.g., booster vaccinations) are approaching.
🗣️ Train Your Team to Communicate Value
Your team is one of your greatest assets in plan marketing. Everyone — from receptionists to veterinarians — should:
Understand plan inclusions and which owners benefit most from which specific tier.
Use consistent, confident messaging (not jargon).
Raise plans naturally in consults and bookings.
Use numbers to demonstrate healthcare plans are common and trusted.
“Join the 30% of our clients who already protect their pets proactively with a healthcare plan.”
Personalised recommendations are more persuasive than handing over a leaflet.
🛠️ Simplify the Sign-Up Process
Minimise barriers by making sign-up easy:
Offer in-practice enrolment on the spot using digital forms.
Show clear monthly pricing and savings comparisons.
Provide a welcome pack that helps clients understand what to expect.
Keep options simple — too many tiers or add-ons can overwhelm.
🔁 Reinforce Value After Sign-Up
Marketing doesn’t stop once a client joins. Strengthen engagement with:
Reminder messages before scheduled treatments.
Follow-up emails that explain how to make the most of their plan.
Annual reports summarising the care delivered.
Happy plan members are your best advocates.
❌ A Word Of Warning!
Watch out for cancelled direct debits and people taking advantage of the system, unfortunately it happens.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Healthcare plans are a strategic asset that improves client satisfaction, pet health outcomes and clinic financial stability. By anchoring your communication in preventive health value, market data, and consistent messaging across channels, you can increase plan uptake and long-term client loyalty.
If you’d like help building plan messaging frameworks, digital content or team training materials, I’d be happy to support you further.
Need Help with Your Veterinary Marketing?
If you’ve got a marketing question or need support with your clinic’s website, practice growth or client retention, get in touch: