Beware The Silver Bullet Solution To Pet Health Insurance ReimbursementAugust 21, 2009 As a practicing veterinarian, an original board member of the country’s oldest (27 years) and largest provider of pet health insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (VPI), and current member of VPI’s external Veterinary Advisory Board, I believe I have a unique perspective on the pet health insurance industry. As such, I think Dr. Jack Stephens’ article “80% Reimbursement: A Straightforward Model for Pet Health Insurance” needs some clarification and comment. Dr. Stephens argues that an 80 percent reimbursement insurance model is preferred because it is easier to understand and provides greater transparency to policyholders regarding actual claims reimbursement amounts. Dr. Stephens indicates that the following concerns have been raised regarding the 80 percent reimbursement model: (1) costs will rise due to increased veterinary fees and greater utilization, (2) rates and claim costs cannot be predicted with any accuracy due to constantly escalating utilization and fees, and (3) 80 percent reimbursement will lead to financial collapse or at least bad results for the insurance company, resulting in its pulling out of the market or going insolvent. As evidence that these concerns are invalid, Dr. Stephens indicates that two pet health insurance companies that pay 80 percent …
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Planning Is Pivotal To Tax Season SanityAugust 21, 2009 Veterinarians not investing in a practice overhaul need to dig deeper to find deductions and loopholes this tax season. Smart tax planning is key in optimizing an annual return and starts by finding a certified CPA with industry experience. A CPA will help veterinarians avoid an audit and maximize the benefits of state and federal tax laws. A professional accountant who understands the ins and outs of the profession can provide a check-off list of the type of tax information that should be gathered throughout the year and can show how to catalog those expenses. Bonus Depreciation Practices that struggled financially in 2009 should be looking into bonus depreciation. Section 1201 of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows additional first-year depreciation of 50 percent of the purchase cost by extending for one year the depreciation bonus created by the 2008 Economic Stimulus Act. Depreciation bonus helps businesses that buy equipment this year decrease their 2009 tax bill. This rule applies to purchases of tangible personal property with a Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) …
8 Tips For Treating Oral TumorsAugust 20, 2009 Oral tumors account for 6 percent of all neoplasia in dogs1 and 10 percent of all neoplasia in cats.2 The practitioner and staff in general practice are on the frontline of diagnosis of oral tumors, and early detection is imperative. Here are eight tips for treating oral tumors in your practice, from initial presentation to definitive treatment. Click to enlarge Radiograph showing left total and right partial mandibulectomy in a cat with squamous cell carcinoma presenting to the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service of the University of Pennsylvania. This cat is still alive five years after surgery. (Photos copyright University of Pennsylvania) Oral tumors are not necessarily a death sentence. The majority of oral tumors in dogs are benign. Even the dreaded canine oral melanoma shows variability in its likelihood to metastasize. A recent manuscript found a median survival time of almost three years with small, well-differentiated oral melanomas (most were less than 1 cm) that were excised without any further radiation, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.3 Even with larger melanomas, …
Webster Veterinary’s Revenue Up 37%August 20, 2009 Webster Veterinary, a unit of Patterson Companies Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., reported that revenue jumped by 37 percent, to $169.2 million, in the first quarter ended July 25. Internal growth accounted for 8 percent of this increase, with the October 2008 acquisition of Columbus Serum Co. accounting for the balance. “In addition to the Columbus Serum acquisition, our Webster unit benefited from increased sales of veterinary supplies due to higher levels of patient activity during the first quarter,” said James Wiltz, president and CEO of Patterson Companies. “However, many veterinary practices continued to defer equipment purchases in view of the weak economy.” Overall, Patterson reported first-quarter net income of $45.1 million on revenue of $789.6 million, compared to $46 million and $743.9 million, respectively, in the year-ago period. <HOME>
AKC Forms Advisory Panel Dedicated To Canine Health, WelfareAugust 19, 2009The American Kennel Club has formed the Canine Health & Welfare Advisory Panel, which aims to provide factual and impartial information by creating a forum for discourse based on scientific and ethical concerns. Members of the panel are: Sandra Barker, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University . Jerold Bell, DVM, clinical associate professor of genetics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University . Edmund Dziuk, chief operating officer, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Columbia, Mo. . John Hamil, DVM, Canyon Animal Hospital, Laguna Beach, Calif. . Joan Hendricks, VMD, Ph.D., The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine . Linda Lord, DVM, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University . Colleen O’Keefe, DVM, division manager, Food Safety & Animal Protection, Illinois Department of Agriculture . Patricia Olson, DVM, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Morris Animal Foundation . Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D., chief and senior investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (still pending, according …
"Thank Your Vet " Nomination Deadline NearsAugust 19, 2009 Nominations of outstanding veterinarians for the third annual "Thank Your Vet for a Healthy Pet" contest, conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation, are due Aug. 31. The contest honors America’s veterinarians for their dedication to helping animals and strengthening the bonds people have with their pets. One national winner and five regional winners will be selected and featured in the January 2010 issue of Veterinary Practice News, a co-sponsor of the contest along with sister publications Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy. Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan., is also a co-sponsor. The winners will be honored at the North American Veterinary Conference, which takes place in January in Orlando, Fla. Click here to make a nomination. Veterinarians may nominate colleagues for the honor. <HOME> Read about last year's "Thank Your Vet" winner: Rachel Boltz, DVM
AVMA Urges Members To Vote ‘No’ On Antibiotics For Medical Treatment ActAugust 18, 2009 The American Veterinary Medical Association urged its members Aug. 17 to vote against the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), also known as HR 1549 and S 619. The call is based on a scientific response AVMA released to Congress disputing several of the findings and recommendations made in a report released last year by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. The Pew Commission’s findings and recommendations are being used to advocate PAMTA. In short, the act amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny an application for a new animal drug that is a critical antimicrobial animal drug unless the applicant demonstrates that there is a reasonably certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. “Critical antimicrobial animal drug” is defined as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals that contains specified antibiotics or other drugs used in humans to treat or prevent disease or infection caused by microorganisms. The AVMA said the Pew Commission’s process for gaining …
Shelter Medicine Conference Scheduled For OctoberAugust 18, 2009 The 2009 Shelter Medicine Conference will take place Oct. 23-24 in Gainesville, Fla. The conference, organized by the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, is open to shelter veterinarians, directors, technicians and volunteers. Topics will include the use of veterinary forensic science to fight animal cruelty, how to improve the outcomes of impounded animals by controlling infectious diseases in the shelter and strategies for ending the use of euthanasia for population control. Presentations are planned on feline upper respiratory infection, managing disease outbreaks and understanding how to deal with ringworm and dermatologic disease. “New this year will be a daylong seminar presented by Maddie’s Fund and featuring some of the nation’s top animal welfare leaders addressing ways to help your organization achieve its lifesaving goals,” said Julie Levy, DVM, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine professor and program director at UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Specifically, the seminar will address “creating a pet evaluation matrix and building a thriving foster care program.” Continuing education credits will be offered. Only 200 slots are available. Click here for details. <HOME> …
AAHA Executive Director To Step DownAugust 14, 2009John Albers, DVM, will step down as executive director of the American Animal Hospital Association on Dec. 31. He has held the position for 23 years. “I’m honored to have had the privilege of leading this prestigious association for over two decades,” Dr. Albers said. “The most rewarding part of this job has been working with AAHA leadership, staff, other veterinary organizations and the veterinary industry to help ensure the best possible care for companion animals.” Albers’ decision was not an easy one, according to Jason Merrihew, communications coordinator for AAHA. “It was a very tough decision for Dr. Albers,” Merrihew said. “However, he feels that the association is heading in the right direction, and that if there was a right time, it was now. He feels comfortable leaving, knowing that the guidance and strength of the current board of directors and leadership team, an experienced staff and a dedicated membership base will make the transition for the association easier.” The board of directors is appointing a search committee to work with an executive search firm to begin the process of finding a successor. As executive director, Albers has managed the administrative affairs of AAHA, carrying out …
Mars Donates $2 Million For Human-Animal Interaction ResearchAugust 14, 2009 The Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Inc., recently committed more than $2 million to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for Human-Animal Interaction research (HAI). The NICHD, a division of the National Institutes of Health, will combine the donation with funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research to form what it says is the first formal program in HAI. The donation will span four years and help fund NICHD studies in three areas: The impact of human-animal interaction on typical development and health; . Clinical trials that will focus on the role animals play in both physical and psychological therapeutic treatments; . The impact of animals on public health, including the cost-effectiveness of animals in reducing and preventing disease. “NICHD is pleased to be able to support an expansion in HAI research,” said Peggy McCardle, Ph.D., chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch at NICHD. “Over the next four years, through our joint research initiative, we hope the scientific community will make great strides in understanding the significance of …
