More than 40 years ago, a team of veterinarians founded the American pet insurance industry with the aim of helping people and families provide veterinary care for their beloved pets. A lot has changed in the industry over the years, but our connections with the veterinary healthcare industry are consistent through and through. In fact, a third of Nationwide associates come from a veterinary background, and most associates are certified by the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) to better understand the value of our connections with pets.
Dr. Emily Tincher is one such Nationwide pet health expert. She’s the Senior Director of Pet Health at Nationwide, but she’s a veterinarian, too. Dr. Tincher spent several years working in a veterinary emergency room, supporting pet parents in stressful situations, and providing care to pets in urgent need. She has used that knowledge and experience to guide major pet health projects, like data collection for the Nationwide Pet HealthZone®, a custom pet health profile generator featuring more than 100 dog and cat breeds.
We sat down with Dr. Tincher to talk about her veterinary background, the value of communication in veterinary settings and how pet insurance can help.
A lifetime of pet care
Dr. Tincher had strong connections with animals from a very young age. “I grew up on a farm in rural Kentucky,” she says. “We had everything from cats and dogs and horses. I bought my first car by bottle-raising calves.”
Both of Dr. Tincher’s parents were veterinarians. She grew up in the pet healthcare community, and she always knew she wanted to care for pets—and their pet families as well.
“I really enjoy being present for pet families when they most need it,” Dr. Tincher says. “To be able to help connect and form a bond [with the pet] using every communication skill in my arsenal, and get to the bottom of what's going on.”
Of course, there’s the added benefit of making friends with pets she otherwise wouldn’t meet.
“As a veterinarian, I love seeing your dogs. I probably will never own a giant dog, but I love seeing them and treating them.”
From veterinary care to pet insurance
Dr. Tincher has brought this passion for building connection with pet families to her work at Nationwide.
“Coming here to Nationwide, I really love the fact that I can translate some of what I enjoy about emergency medicine—being there for pet families and working in a highly collaborative environment with other people that have awesome skill sets. How can we combine all those things together to scale up the number of pet families that we can help?”
Part of that goal involves having conversations about where people are financially. Many people aren’t prepared for the kinds of tough financial decisions that veterinary care can require. Having conversations about pet insurance can help prepare people ahead of time.
Dr. Tincher describes the process from the beginning: “[I enjoy] helping people navigate what their goals are, what their financial budget is and what the right option might be for them…. I find that to be rewarding.”
She adds, “We want to be there and help you navigate that, and we're kind of constantly adding to what it looks like to help prepare.”
Supporting veterinary professionals, too
Another aspect of Dr. Tincher’s work at Nationwide involves supporting the veterinary industry. Financial conversations aren’t easy on veterinarians and their clinical staff either. But in her position at Nationwide, Dr. Tincher aims to make providing care easier and more rewarding for veterinary staff.
“I have found time and time again in every situation and different type of practice that the people who are attracted to this profession are just wonderful, kind, caring and compassionate people,” she says. “I wouldn't want to do anything else, because I want to work with these people that truly care about helping people and helping pets and putting those two things together.”
She continues, “I just so appreciate being part of that and appreciate that culture and that respect within veterinary medicine that we have, and how much we truly genuinely care about pets and your pets.”
You know your pet best
Communication between pet parents and clinical staff is essential in good veterinary care. Pets can only say so much about how they feel, so it’s up to us to fill in the blanks and make sure they get the treatment they need.
Dr. Tincher believes that pet parents are the best advocates for their pets’ health, and it’s important to listen to them first and foremost.
“You know your pet best,” she says. “Having that a little bit of empowerment to speak up and say, ‘I know something is weird, but I'm not sure what it is,’ and knowing that your veterinary health care team values that is super helpful.”
Proactive pet care is also immensely valuable for guiding these conversations. The more pet parents know about their pet’s health, the better prepared they are to advocate for their well-being.
“Take the time to be educated about what might be going on with your pet,” she says. “In preparation for your exam, use the Nationwide Pet HealthZone to learn about your pet’s breed and age.” This helpful tool uses data from our millions of claims to create a custom health profile, featuring pet-specific health info on common health conditions, potential costs and prevention tips. Dr. Tincher adds, “I want to know what my pet is at risk for, so that I can go ahead and have those questions ready.”
From a veterinarian’s perspective, that knowledge can make conversations easier. She continues, “That can be really helpful from both making things go smoothly and helping you get any questions you might have answered.”
The power of financial support
Part of Dr. Tincher’s passion for pet insurance comes from her experience as an emergency veterinarian. She remembers seeing a difference in how pet families with insurance acted during stressful visits.
“A lot of the time that I see pets that are insured, pet families are so relieved that it's one less thing that they have to feel really emotional about,” Dr. Tincher says. “No matter what coverage level they've selected for the product, usually there is some amount of accident or illness coverage that they can fall back on in emergency situations.”
Nationwide offers customizable coverage with varying reimbursement levels to help pet families find the right protection for their needs and budget.
“Veterinary healthcare should be personalized to your goals and your needs,” Dr. Tincher says. “Insurance can be that exact same way—and should be…. I think it's really important to identify what your financial goals are and kind of the level of help that you're looking for from a pet insurance company. Even more basic than that, just how do you prepare for the unknown?”
She adds, “At some point, all pets are likely going to have something come up that is unexpected. So, pet insurance is there to help you navigate that. Things happen sometimes and I think just remembering that pets do crazy things that we sometimes don't expect is up there on the list.”
