Veterinary Specialty Hospital - San Diego
Payment Options
Funding your pet’s treatment is a concern for many pet owners. Financial constraints may impact the decision you take on how to treat your pet’s condition.
When you visit Veterinary Specialty Hospital, we prepare a detailed estimate for your pet’s care for your review. We understand that these are difficult, personal decisions unique to each family, and we respect that while grappling with a diagnosis and a treatment plan, you are now also grappling with this unexpected new expense.
On the day services are rendered, we will ask you to pay the estimate in full before services are rendered.
Your options for payment methods include:
Cash
Personal Checks (accepted via Telecheck, ID required)
Credit Card: Master Card, Visa, Discover, American Express
Lines of Credit: CareCredit
Lines of Credit
If personal credit, cash, and loans from family and friends are unavailable or do not cover the balance, a line of credit can be an alternative. Care Credit provides lines of credit specifically for health-related expenses.
The process is much like a credit card application. The financial institution will evaluate your application and approve you for an amount with a predetermined interest rate and payment terms.
Hospitals in the Ethos network are not affiliated with either of these financial institutions. Our team is happy to help you apply for a line of credit with these institutions. We will help you fill out the form if necessary and provide you with copies of receipts, estimates, and anything else you need in order to expedite the process for you, but we are not involved in their decisions around credit terms and amounts.
If you decide that a line of credit is for you, applying for credit before your pet’s scheduled treatment will ease the process on the day you drop him or her off. If you have arrived at one of our hospitals in an emergency situation, we will be happy to assist you in filling out the form and submitting the application if you so desire. Please speak to a member of our client care team.
Care Credit:
The CareCredit credit card, helps you pay over time with no interest if paid in full within 6 months on qualifying purchases of $200 or more.* Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional balance is not paid in full within the promotional period. Minimum monthly payments required.
CareCredit provides credit decisions within seconds and once approved, you can use your card again and again without having to reapply.
Click here to see if you prequalify with no impact to your credit score.
*No interest will be charged on the promo balance if you pay it off, in full, within the promo period. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo balance from the purchase date. The required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off the promo balance before the end of the promo period, depending on purchase amount, promo length and payment allocation. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases and, after promo period ends, to the promo balance. For new accounts as of 5/30/24: Purchase APR 32.99%. Penalty APR 39.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.
Scratchpay:
Scratchpay provides simple, transparent payment plans for medical financing. Scratchpay isn’t a credit card. Checking your plan option will not affect your credit score. Scratchpay says there are no hidden fees, no prepayment penalty, and no deferred interest.
How it works:
Interest free payments plans for 30 days are available on approved credit.
Scratchpay will run a soft credit check that will not affect your credit report.
Interest-bearing payment plans are also available.
Your credit score informs the interest rate you will be offered.
Scratchpay will run a full credit check, which may appear on your credit report.
Pet Insurance
We accept and will facilitate the submission of any pet insurance company. Please bring your claim form with you to your visit.
PET HEALTH INSURANCE – IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
There are many options available for pet health insurance that may be of benefit. Check out the top 10 pet health insurance plans as rated by Consumer Advocates.
The discounts we provide are listed below. They are offered in appreciation and support of the important role each of the groups below provide to our community, society and country.
Please note: prescriptions, food, and take-home products are not discounted.
Military/Police Animal: 25%
ADA Certified Service Animal: 20%
Pets whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not eligible for this discount.
Rescue Group/Shelter: 15%
Certificate of service, 501c3 required.
Active Military and Veterans: 10%
Proof of service required.
Veterinarian’s Animal: 25%
Veterinary Support Staff Animal: 15%
Veterinary Hospital Purchasing Product: 40%
Must be purchased directly by a staff member of the referring hospital.
Aquariums/Zoos: 100%
Discount for special relationship with aquariums, zoos, safaris, etc.
What is a Service Animal as Defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act:
Service animals are defined as dogs who are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Source: ADA.gov website
