Hannah Pet Hospital vs. Banfield Wellness Plan.
They share Portland roots and one veterinarian in common — Dr. Scott Campbell, who built Banfield into a national chain before founding Hannah in 2009. But the two models cover very different things, and the gap shows up the first time your Pet needs more than a vaccine.
One Portland veterinarian. Two very different models.
Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in northeast Portland in 1955 by Dr. Warren J. Wegert — the name comes from the nearby Banfield Freeway. In 1987, Dr. Scott Campbell purchased the single clinic and over the next two decades grew it into a national chain. The 1994 PetSmart partnership put Banfield clinics inside PetSmart stores; by the mid-2000s the company operated hundreds of locations across the U.S. Banfield pioneered the Optimum Wellness Plan, a preventive-care subscription that helped popularize the idea of paying monthly for vet care. In 2007, Campbell sold his shares to Mars Inc. and retired as CEO.
Two years later, in 2009, Dr. Campbell founded Hannah Pet Hospital in Portland to build something fundamentally different: a Membership that covers nearly everything a Pet needs (not just preventive care), at one predictable monthly fee, with no separate bills for sick visits, emergencies, or dental work. Hannah is intentionally local to the Portland metro — the integrated-hospital model is easier to sustain at a regional scale than a national chain.
The short version
Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan is a preventive-care subscription. It covers wellness visits, vaccines, and a few preventive services. Sick care, emergencies, dental disease, and most illness treatment are billed separately on top of the monthly OWP fee.
Hannah Pet Hospital Membership is comprehensive. Preventive, dental, emergency, behavior, diagnostics, and most medical care are bundled into one predictable monthly fee with no additional bills for covered care.
Side-by-side comparison
| Hannah Membership | Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of subscription | Comprehensive — preventive + sick + emergency + dental + behavior, all in one fee. | Preventive-care subscription. Covers wellness, vaccines, and a few preventive services only. |
| Wellness exams & vaccines | Included. | Included. |
| Sick visits | Included. | Billed separately on top of OWP. |
| Diagnostics (bloodwork, x-ray, ultrasound) | Included. | Preventive bloodwork included; diagnostic workups billed separately. |
| Dental cleanings | Included. | Included in higher-tier OWP. |
| Dental disease treatment / extractions | Most included. | Billed separately. |
| Emergency care | Included — 24/7 at Tigard hospital. | Not covered. Emergencies referred to outside ER hospitals, billed separately. |
| Behavior & training | Included — unlimited B.E.S.T. team support. | Not included. |
| Spay / neuter surgery | Included. | Billed separately (not in OWP). |
| Pre-existing conditions | Most welcome. | OWP is preventive-only, so treatment for pre-existing conditions is billed separately regardless. |
| Location model | Two hospitals in Portland & Tigard. Local to the Portland metro. | National chain inside PetSmart stores. ~1,000 locations. |
| What you pay | One monthly fee. No separate bills for covered care. | OWP monthly fee + every non-preventive service billed separately. |
How the two models actually differ
Comprehensive vs. preventive-only.
This is the headline. Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plan is exactly what it says — an optimum wellness plan. It covers the routine, preventive side of veterinary care: exams, vaccines, parasite prevention, sometimes dental cleanings on higher tiers.
What it doesn’t cover is the unpredictable side: sick visits, urgent care, dental disease, emergencies, illness diagnostics, behavior support. Those are billed at standard veterinary rates on top of the OWP fee. For Pet Parents who experience their first ear infection, dental extraction, or surprise injury, the difference between what the wellness plan covers and what the actual bill looks like can be jarring.
Hannah Membership was designed to remove that gap. The Membership covers the whole care relationship — preventive AND reactive — in one fee.
Emergency care.
Banfield hospitals operate inside PetSmart stores with limited hours. After-hours emergencies are referred to outside ER hospitals, where the OWP fee does not apply. ER visits at outside facilities can run $500–$5,000+, paid out of pocket.
Hannah’s Tigard hospital provides 24/7 emergency care, included in Membership. For a covered emergency, the Membership is the bill.
Why scale matters (and why Hannah stayed local).
A national chain like Banfield has reach — 1,000+ locations across the U.S. Members can use any of them. The trade-off is that the all-inclusive Membership model is harder to operate at that scale: the financial math depends on integrating the hospital, the staff, and the payment in ways that work better in a tightly-managed regional model.
Hannah serves Portland and Tigard. Two hospitals. The trade-off is geography — if you move out of the area, the Membership doesn’t travel. The benefit is the model: one fee, comprehensive coverage, no surprise bills.
What Hannah doesn’t cover.
Hannah Membership covers the vast majority of veterinary care a typical Pet needs over a lifetime. But it’s not unlimited. Not covered: implants and implant surgery, organ transplants, cosmetic / experimental surgery, neuro / spinal / brain surgery, hospice and in-home care, physical or laser therapy, services at outside referral facilities, and emergency services at non-Hannah providers. Full details in the Membership Agreement.
Switching from Banfield to Hannah.
Many Hannah Members previously had Banfield OWP plans. Pet medical records transfer over easily. If you’re in the Portland metro and tired of paying twice — once for the wellness plan, once for every sick visit and emergency — Hannah is built around a single answer.
Common questions
Is Hannah Pet Hospital the same as Banfield?
No — they are different companies. But they share a Portland connection. Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in northeast Portland in 1955 by Dr. Warren J. Wegert. In 1987, Dr. Scott Campbell purchased the single clinic and over the next two decades grew it into a national chain inside PetSmart stores. Campbell sold his shares to Mars Inc. and retired as CEO in 2007. Two years later, in 2009, Dr. Campbell founded Hannah Pet Hospital in Portland to build a fundamentally different model — a comprehensive Membership rather than a preventive-care subscription bolted onto a pay-per-visit chain.
What’s the difference between Hannah Membership and Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plan?
The Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan is a preventive-care subscription — it covers wellness visits, vaccines, and a few preventive services. Sick visits, emergencies, dental disease treatment, and most illness care are billed separately on top of the OWP fee. Hannah Membership is comprehensive — preventive, dental, emergency, behavior, diagnostics, and most medical care are all bundled into one predictable monthly fee with no additional bills for covered care.
Is Banfield cheaper than Hannah?
On the surface, the Banfield OWP monthly fee is lower than Hannah Membership. The meaningful comparison is total annual veterinary spend. Banfield OWP requires paying separately for any non-preventive care (sick visits, emergencies, dental disease, illness diagnostics). Hannah Membership has one predictable monthly fee that covers nearly everything.
Why isn’t Hannah a national chain like Banfield?
Hannah is intentionally local to the Portland metro. The Membership model — one fee covering nearly all care — depends on integrating the hospital and the payment in a way that’s easier to sustain at a regional scale than a national chain. Hannah has two hospitals: Portland (near Mall 205) and Tigard (with 24/7 emergency).
Does Hannah cover 24/7 emergency care like Banfield?
Yes — and included in Membership. Hannah’s Tigard hospital provides 24/7 emergency veterinary care outside of lobby hours, included in Membership at no extra charge. Banfield hospitals typically have limited hours and direct emergencies to outside ER hospitals, where Optimum Wellness Plan does not cover the emergency bill.
Does Hannah accept pre-existing conditions like Banfield?
Yes. Hannah Membership accepts most pre-existing conditions. Banfield’s OWP is preventive-care-only, so the "pre-existing condition" question is essentially moot — but any treatment for a pre-existing illness at Banfield is billed separately on top of the OWP fee.
Can I switch to Hannah from Banfield?
Yes. Many Hannah Members previously had Banfield OWP plans and switched for the broader coverage. Pet medical records can be transferred from any vet, including Banfield, when you enroll.
See what Hannah Membership covers for your Pet.
Get a custom monthly quote in under two minutes — no commitment, no credit card. Or call 503.905.5200 to talk to a Membership Coordinator.
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