- A joint AAHA and Pawlicy Advisor survey of 451 veterinary professionals examined how cost and pet insurance are affecting veterinary care decisions.
- Among respondents, 85% reported seeing pet owners decline recommended care when costs reach $1,000 or less.
- About 86% said they adjust a recommended treatment plan at least weekly because of client cost concerns, averaging five adjustments per week.
- Respondents estimated an average of 13% of euthanasia decisions are driven by a client’s inability to afford treatment.
- About 87% agreed pet insurance helps clients accept more recommended care, but only 48.2% of practices reported proactively recommending insurance.
- Practices that proactively discuss pet insurance reported a median 7.5% of patients insured, compared with 3.5% among practices that discuss insurance only when clients ask.
Financial pressures are routinely influencing veterinary treatment decisions, according to a new joint survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and Pawlicy Advisor.
The third edition of the organizations’ State of the Industry: The Impact of Pet Insurance on U.S. Veterinary Practices report surveyed 451 veterinary professionals in May and June 2026.
Among respondents, 85% said they see pet owners decline recommended veterinary care at a cost of $1,000 or less.
The survey also found 86.1% of respondents adjust a recommended treatment plan at least once a week because of client cost concerns. On average, respondents reported making those adjustments five times per week, up from 4.7 in the organizations’ 2025 survey.
Financial conversations were similarly common. About 81% reported having at least one difficult financial conversation with a client each week, with respondents averaging 4.4 such conversations weekly, compared with four in the previous survey.
Readers can review the methodology, findings and recommendations in the full 2026 AAHA and Pawlicy Advisor report.
Survey examines financial factors in euthanasia decisions
The joint survey also asked veterinary professionals about the role affordability plays in euthanasia decisions.
Respondents estimated that, on average, 13% of euthanasia decisions are driven by a client’s inability to afford treatment. Nearly 23% of respondents estimated financial constraints influence at least 20% of euthanasia decisions at their practices.
The figures are estimates reported by participating veterinary professionals rather than an analysis of individual patient records.
“Cost of care is a universal concern—one that should unite pet owners with the veterinary teams treating their pets, not divide them,” said Dr. Brady Beale, CEO of AAHA.
Veterinary professionals report benefits from insured patients
The survey also explored veterinary professionals’ perceptions of pet insurance.
Among respondents, 87.1% agreed that pet insurance helps clients accept more care, while 85.6% reported observing at least one positive difference when treating insured patients.
Nearly three-quarters, 73%, reported better treatment compliance among insured patients. About half, 49.9%, reported better outcomes, while 35.2% associated insured patients with less economic euthanasia.
Despite those perceptions, 48.2% of practices represented in the survey said they proactively recommend pet insurance rather than waiting for clients to raise the subject.
Practices that proactively recommended pet insurance reported a median insured-patient share of 7.5%, compared with 3.5% among practices that discussed insurance only when asked.
The report notes that the relationship is correlational and does not establish that proactive insurance discussions cause higher insurance adoption.
Practices identify barriers to insurance conversations
Regulatory and practical concerns may affect how veterinary teams discuss insurance with clients.
Nearly 80% of respondents said they were uncomfortable recommending a specific insurance company because of concerns associated with recommending insurance without holding an insurance license.
When asked about resources for educating clients, 63.3% selected side-by-side insurance comparisons, while 56.9% expressed interest in free resources from an independent, AAHA-recommended pet insurance marketplace.
The report offers six recommendations for veterinary practices, including introducing pet insurance conversations during early client visits, involving front-desk employees as well as veterinarians in client education, and directing insurance comparisons to licensed professionals.
The 2026 survey included veterinarians and medical directors, practice managers and administrators, veterinary technicians, client service representatives, non-veterinarian owners and other veterinary professionals. Two-thirds of respondents who identified their organization type worked in independent hospitals.
The organizations said more than 1,500 veterinary professionals have participated across the 2023, 2025 and 2026 editions of the survey.
Information sourced from a joint Pawlicy Advisor and American Animal Hospital Association press release and report.
