The reason for the excess in 2015 was that I was aggressively contributing from my wages to help pay for a surgery I had. (money.stackexchange.com)
If you are married and your insurance won't pay for the surgery, but your husband's will, you could potentially save thousands of dollars by switching to your spouse's insurance. (verywell.com)
There also is a voucher program that can pay for surgeries at participating private veterinary clinics. (cabq.gov)