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“Pay or Kill” Policy?
Posted: July 29, 2011, 1:30 p.m., EDT
At the AVMA conference in St. Louis last week I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Alice Villalobos speak about Veterinary Ethics. It was very compelling stuff, and my colleagues and I joked that only a super star in the profession like Dr. Villalobos could get away with coining the phrase “Pay or Kill” when it comes to the financial policies of veterinary practices.
What does this mean? Basically, just like it sounds; if the client cannot come up with the money, the alternative we offer is euthanasia. Her point is, though, that we can try harder to find space in the middle for those who cannot afford the best care, or frankly, make the decision they don’t want to treat for other reasons. As a profession, can’t we find alternatives to immediate euthanasia?
No Money
When clients cannot afford the treatment their pets need, this is time to get creative as a profession. Many of us offer third-party financing. There are now companies out there that can handle your accounts payable if you offer an in-house payment plan. I know, none of us “offer” an in-house payment plan, but come on, we all know we end up creating these types of accounts when the clients have not been honest about what they can afford, or when for whatever reason our practice decides to extend compassion without immediate payment. Does this make us “bad,” that we can succumb to the emotional side of the word we do? Absolutely not. Do we need to get paid? Absolutely. But let’s explore the options out there, perhaps even create our own charitable “Angel Fund” and see if we can’t find ways to help those less fortunate who are struggling with their pets’ financial needs.
No Chance
We diagnose life-limiting illness, injuries and conditions quite often. But there is nothing to say that an animal should be euthanized right away upon learning of this diagnosis, particularly if the animal is not suffering. We have palliative care we can offer to help the pet live the rest of its days as comfortable as possible. This allows the family time to come to grips with the impending loss, gather nearby and far away family perhaps, and proceed with reverence rather than fall into panic as they usher their beloved pets over to the next life.
No Choice
Sometimes we encounter clients who simply will not euthanize. This can be for religious reasons, ethical or moral reasons, or simply not an option for a particular pet owner. We must respect this decision, although we should do what we can to eliminate pain and suffering while the pet is dying. In some circles, this is called “natural death.” In others, it may be more like “unassisted death,” because we observe rather than actively help the animal die. We’ve all seen cases like have lasted too long, and this is difficult for the team. But we must offer the options, and ultimately let the pet owner decide.
At a time when there are even murmurs in our profession that question our right to provide humane euthanasia at all, this is certainly the time to begin discussing veterinary ethics.
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“Pay or Kill” Policy?
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