So there!

Re: So there!

Rajat — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 22:29:05 GMT

Found this article - another american comparison between human and veterinary care costs, well written too :)

Re: So there!

Lucie Allcutt — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:28:38 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

The US veterinary fees back up what I've always said We undercharge because people in general don't appreciate the cost of providing medical care(regardlesss of whether the patient has 2 or 4 legs) In America people are aware of the cost so if the veterinarian charges less than the doctor-it's good value Sigh

Wynne

[/quote]

I agree with you Wynne in that we certainly undercharge for what we do, however having worked at a clinic in the US I will say that Americans complain about fees as much if not more than Brits ;-) and they don't have pet insurance to fall back on. Also the majority of people really aren't that aware of the costs of health-care as (perhaps unsurprisingly) not lots of people scrutinize whatever bills they get (if they get any!) from doctors/hospitals - if they are insured of course (just have to worry about the co-pay). The uninsured masses just avoid going to the doctor as much as possible until they have a catastrophic illness which then bankrupts them! Ahem.

Re: So there!

Rob Loxley — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 10:26:21 GMT

and that's one bloody expensive iv catheter...

Re: So there!

Bob Russell — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 10:24:22 GMT

A few years ago the Nuffield price list was £32 (no VAT) for a nurse to give an injection! Drugs on top! No wonder they had really nice coffee available in the waiting area!

Re: So there!

James Laidlaw — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:54:18 GMT

Also, how is a bandage £302 USD???

Re: So there!

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:46:21 GMT

Wynne

Re: So there!

Nicola Lawlor — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:16:56 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]

Interesting, but here I sometimes compare the treatment my family and friends have received from the NHS with similar for a dog and been unpleasantly alarmed at the differences.

eg. take my child with purulent bilateral ocular discharge to the doctor- no history taken, didn't examine him at all (he was a baby and in a car seat), glanced at him, and said "it's probably viral" When was the last time you got a full clinical exam by a doctor and had a full history taken for a complaint?

My mum, renally compromised, sent home vomiting after starting on digoxin. I asked if they had taken a digoxin level and refused to take her home until they did. Was told it "isn't normally done". They whipped her off digoxin quick smart when they did it, though!

My uncle, diagnosed with bowel cancer 3 months ago. Sent away to start chemo and radiotherapy in 4 weeks. During 6 weeks of same, never seen by a doctor, no bloods checked. developed septicaemia and hospitalised twice. Now cancer has spread and has to wait 4 weeks for surgeons to be available to attempt to cut out the now disseminated neoplasia, which may have invaded bladder and muscle.

These are just a few instances. I think on the whole animals have it pretty good when it comes to health care!

[/quote]

I agree there are many aspects of the NHS that are not great, but often it is down to the individuals you deal with too, and the same in veterinary medicine. My daughter was seriously ill last year and I can not fault the care she received in intensive care and subsequently. If one of our veterinary patients had been that sick quite simply they would have died. The options available to treat her are probably not realistically available even in a high tech referral/teaching set up in the UK veterinary world. I dread to think what the costs would have been to treat her overall - I would assume easily over £100,000.00

Re: So there!

James Laidlaw — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 08:46:40 GMT

I like how far out the estimate was for the human stuff and the vet specialist came in just under his estimate.

Re: So there!

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:41:19 GMT

[quote user="Busybee"]I really want to put this up in our waiting room....or attach it to some certain clients' heads![/quote]

This is brilliant. I wonder whether anyone would be able to do a similar comparison in the UK - either by getting hold of figures from the NHS as to how it costs these things, or from an itemised private bill.

Re: So there!

Julie Innes — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:30:14 GMT

Interesting, but here I sometimes compare the treatment my family and friends have received from the NHS with similar for a dog and been unpleasantly alarmed at the differences.

These are just a few instances. I think on the whole animals have it pretty good when it comes to health care!

Re: So there!

Nicola Lawlor — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:06:53 GMT

Are those prices in US$? If so that makes vets look very cheap over here!