Dog Community

An Open Letter to Veterinarians, By a Veterinarian

llps

Posted : 8/3/2009 6:41:00 PM

"The Growing Problem of Clients Who Cannot Afford Emergency Care"

After about 10 years working in emergency hospitals, it became painfully clear that, the more advanced our ability to provide adequate care became, the less the average person was able to afford it. In our recent economic downturn, it has become a real crisis. With the widespread use of specialized emergency and critical care hospitals for overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage for general practitioners, clients and their sick and injured pets are frequently caught in a desperate situation. They find themselves in the midst of a medical emergency, in a hospital where there is no ongoing relationship with the doctor providing the care, and faced with charges that are likely to be much higher than they are accustomed to, not to mention the requirement of immediate payment

Few would disagree that state-of-the art veterinary care should be available and easily accessible. It also goes without saying that facilities that provide this level of care must charge more for their services than practices with lower overhead. However, often we are dealing with owners who have chosen a particular emergency facility simply because their own vet is using it to cover emergency calls. Suddenly, they are faced with charges that could easily be three or four times when their normal vet would charge. There are some ethical questions, here. Should an emergency hospital that offers round-the-clock care, sophisticated critical care monitoring, and advanced surgical and medical treatment, be willing to offer care that is less than state-of-the-art, simply because an owner cannot afford it? Is it right to turn someone away and risk the animal's death, because they do not have enough to pay for treatment? As veterinarians, where do our allegiances lie?--to the owner and their emotional and financial needs; or to the animal and its comfort and general welfare? What about our own financial needs? It helps no one if veterinarians give so much of their services away that they go out of business. Nor does it help if we give away so much of our time and energy that we burn ourselves out and either lose our compassion or leave the profession.

I would really like to get a dialog started about this important issue. My husband and I are trying to build up an organization that will help find funding for people who cannot afford emergency care. It is called The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission. Other similar organizations have fallen short because they have depended only on the generosity of individuals. I think that this issue is far too important not to get the backing of veterinarians and local communities around the country. Perhaps an internet dialog will get the word out and start people thinking about how to make change happen.

Lucy L. (Pinkston) Schroth DVM - President & Co-Founder of The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission - http://www.vefm.org (blog - http://vefm.blogspot.com )
(vefmmail@gmail.com)

"Help me to help financially strapped owners pay for emergency vet care."
"Together, the veterinary community can make a BIG difference."

calliecritturs

Posted : 8/3/2009 7:08:41 PM

It IS such an important issue, particularly with the economy the way it is currently. It's unfair to tell people that they shouldn't have a dog or pet unless they have lots of expendable income. Often that pet is fulfilling a huge need in that home.

I fear there are few, if any, vets who frequent the board at this point. I know there is a vet here in the Orlando area who has equipt her own van and who makes a call to the areas of town that she knows spells "home" to many of the areas homeless population just to try to provide some very basic vet care for their animals.

Not sure how to get this information TO vets.

erica1989

Posted : 8/3/2009 8:17:02 PM

I see this all too often. It's sad, very sad. I've seen many clients turned away from vet hospitals (not even emergency clinics, but regular weekday clinics) because a client cannot pay up front. We recently had a dog left at our doorstep with a horrible skin infection due to flea allergy - the note on top of the crate said 'my previous owners could not afford to make my skin better'.

It's heartbreaking, and I wish more vets were in it for the love of the animal - not the money. I'm SO thankful to have the best emergency vet around. She's is wondeful, and has been my life savior as far as work and foster animals go. She is one of the FEW around that is soley in it for her love of the furries. I would do anything for her, if she ever asked - which she never does.

willowchow

Posted : 8/3/2009 8:39:31 PM

I read this earlier and thought I wouldn't reply. But, I see this from two sides.

My dog wasn't well recently and I just narrowly escaped her having expensive blood transfusions. At any time, she could need them in the future. So, with that in mind, I have money saved. I truly feel for people who are just blindsided by pet becoming seriously ill out of the blue. I have a fear in the back of my mind all the time, what if Willow needs treatment and I just run out of funds??? I'd have to get a loan or borrow from my parents and I thank God I have those options.

But, then there are those that just take on pet after pet, they can barely afford the daily stuff, let alone medical bills. Those are the people who upset me. It's irresponsible to continue to add on if you cannot afford too.

calliecritturs

Posted : 8/3/2009 10:22:52 PM

willowchow
But, then there are those that just take on pet after pet, they can barely afford the daily stuff, let alone medical bills. Those are the people who upset me. It's irresponsible to continue to add on if you cannot afford too.

I don't think anyone disagrees with that -- but you can't deny the need of many for the abuse a few make of ANY system. There are always those who are irresponsible and stupid ... , but I think Dr. Schroth is talking about the majority of people who are usually loathe to take "help" anyway but sometimes just plain must.

willowchow

Posted : 8/3/2009 10:39:46 PM

I agree with you Callie!

llps
They find themselves in the midst of a medical emergency, in a hospital where there is no ongoing relationship with the doctor providing the care, and faced with charges that are likely to be much higher than they are accustomed to, not to mention the requirement of immediate payment

Regarding this issue, at the ER place I take Willow too I've overheard more than one conversation, people asking for payment plans, arrangements, etc. The unfortunate reality is that the Dr who is seeing the animal and the staff there have NO power to change the "payment required at time of service" rule. They just work there. The owner and/or the administrator who could do that, NEVER THERE, especially at night.

Also, to this, people really need to get up to date on how much stuff costs. They shouldn't be ridiculously surprised when just to walk into an ER it's $100. It's open 24/7, you can walk in, etc., etc. Of course, it's expensive.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 8/4/2009 12:38:10 AM

When my Hunter was diagnosed withAIHA and spent 8 days in ICU--getting blood work done every day, usually twice a day as his HCT was so low, getting tons of meds including antibiotics, having 2 transfusions, ultrasound, x-rays, and then of coure at the end of the 8th day he died and a necropsy charge (not for my vet's work, but for the lab where he sent the tissues samples) the bill was $2300. It would have been a LOT more I know in big city clinic,

Bless my darling vet he just kept telling me over and over to not worry about the bill. He wasn't. I could pay it as I could afford to pay it. Thank goodness after much letter writing and accusations, etc, the maker of ProHeart6 (that brought on Hunter's AIHA and liver damage, did pay $1049.71diagnositc part of bill.

I think most folks are not so lucky to have a vet like mine. My brother in Austin had been using same vet for almost 20 years with dogs and cats.