Going to the Dogs: Veterinarians Across the Country Are Struggling to Control Costs Under ObamaCare

With ObamaCare’s full implementation only a few months away, patients and doctors across the country are already feeling the heat and struggling with the new regulations, costs and burdensome taxes.

Now we are learning that veterinarians are another group suffering under ObamaCare’s regulations and high costs.

Kaiser Health reports that due to the burdensome medical device tax, which adds 2.3% in taxes to buyers and manufacturers, veterinarians are facing higher costs for care and have had to place most of the increased medical costs on their patients.

The devices that are being taxed are generally used on both humans AND animals – ultrasound machines, lab equipment, and x-ray machines. So doctors across the country, regardless of who their patients are, are all touched in some way by this huge tax.

Dr. Douglas Aspros is a veterinarian who works at a center in Pound Ridge, New York.

Aspros said any device that is not labeled specifically for veterinary use is subject to the 2.3 percent tax. “That may sound trivial but if a device costs $30,000 to $40,000, it is not a trivial expense,” he said.

 He noted visits to pet doctors have fallen since the economic downturn. He said some veterinarians may delay upgrading their equipment rather than pay the extra tax. “This is an additional expense…and we do not need to bear this burden on top of an already stressed environment,” he said.

Instead of being able to provide the best, cost-effective and adequate care to their patients, doctors are now focused on controlling costs in order to keep their practices in place. What a disappointment – just another casualty of ObamaCare.