AVMA LIFE Insurance expected to resume following new federal ruleOctober 16, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) AVMA LIFE Insurance is working to resume offering health insurance to association members, once the association has dealt with complicated federal and state regulations.
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AVMA seeks change for veterinarians in light of income tax deductionOctober 15, 2018A request by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for veterinary practices to benefit from the pass-through income tax deduction without income limits was submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
AVMA economist shares findings on antibiotics, sustainabilityOctober 1, 2018Matthew J. Salois, chief economist for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), presented to the New York Academy of Sciences on the implications of raising animals without antibiotics. The presentation, "Sustainability and Antimicrobial Use in Animal Agriculture," calls for nuanced and evidence-based antibiotic policies that consider a holistic view of antibiotics' impacts on animal welfare, the environment, and economics. In recent years, some companies and consumers have embraced raising animals without antibiotics; today, nearly half of all broiler chickens are raised without antibiotics, according to the AVMA. During his presentation, Dr. Salois cautioned that reduced use of antibiotics in farm animals can have negative implications for animal welfare and the overall sustainability of animal agriculture, if not accompanied by appropriate changes in management practices. For example, the average mortality rate for broiler chickens raised without antibiotics can be 25 to 50 percent higher than for conventionally raised broiler chickens, he said. Additionally, birds raised without antibiotics are much more likely to suffer from painful medical conditions, such as being more than three times as likely to experience ammonia burns in their eyes, Salois added. The higher incidences of disease and mortality for birds raised without antibiotics, …
Veterinary Career Network to host first online career fairSeptember 5, 2018The Veterinary Career Network (VCN) is hosting its first online career fair, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, Sept. 27. The AVMA developed the VCN to allow veterinary associations and colleges to share job postings across their career centers. "The purpose of the online career fair is to provide an efficient and convenient way to connect employers and job seekers from the comfort of their own homes or offices," said Patricia Wohlferth-Bethke, DVM, manager of veterinary career services in the American Veterinary Medical Association Membership and Field Services Division. Employers will schedule chat times for all or part of the four-hour fair and job seekers who express interest in employers will wait in virtual lines to chat with those employers. Positions are available in the following categories: veterinarian, relief veterinarian, medical director, extern, intern, veterinary technician, veterinary assistant, practice manager, hospital administrator, and other. The individual associations hosting the fair are the AVMA; the American Association of Equine Practitioners; the American Animal Hospital Association, the Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Nevada VMAs; and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. CareerEco is holding the fair. Registration is $350 per employer and free for job …
Veterinary groups support protecting, strengthening licensure requirementsAugust 30, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) have released a joint statement in support of standardizing and improving licensure requirements and standards for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Licensure ensures veterinary professionals meet a necessary level of competence through recognized educational programs and successful completion of an examination, said the organizations in a statement. Additionally, licensure ensures that veterinarians are properly trained to comply with state regulations on controlled substances such as opioids. "Veterinarians take care of our pets, protect our food supply, defend against bioterrorism and prevent diseases that threaten public health," said John de Jong, DVM, AVMA president. "It's important we ensure that each member of the veterinary profession, including veterinary technicians, is armed with the necessary knowledge to do these jobs effectively. Strong licensing standards help us do that." "Professional licensure goes to the heart of protecting the health and wellbeing of people and animals," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, AAVMC CEO. "It also affects the future development …
AVMA MyVeterinaryLife website supports early-career vets, studentsAugust 27, 2018MyVeterinaryLife.com, a new American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) website for early-career veterinarians and vet students, answers commonly asked questions about the industry and offers career tips, financial guidance, and ways to deal with work-related stress. MyVeterinaryLife.com is dedicated to offering a chance for trainees in the field to receive the critical resources veterinary students and young professionals need to support themselves and their well-being as the next generation of veterinarians, according to the AVMA. Organized based on career stage, the site includes sections for readers in veterinary school, in transition from school to the workforce, or already working as a veterinarian. The platform also provides access to a salary calculator, a student externship locator, and the ProQOL well-being assessment. Other tools on the site include financial tips for fourth-year veterinary students, a series of webinars exploring different veterinary careers, lessons on financial literacy, and more.
Veterinary small business owners reap pass-through income tax deductionAugust 15, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association reported that veterinary small business owners will be able to take advantage of the new "pass-through" income tax deduction for the salaries they pay themselves. The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last week released proposed regulations detailing how they plan to apply the deduction, which is available to sole proprietorships, partnerships, trusts, and S-corporations under Section 199A of the tax code. The deduction was part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed by the president in December and takes effect for the current 2018 tax year. According to the IRS and treasury officials, the full pass-through deduction will be available to owners of all small businesses, including veterinary practices, as long as their taxable income does not exceed $315,000 if filing jointly or $157,500 if filing individually. Beyond the stated income thresholds, the regulations would limit the deduction for the owners of certain types of businesses, including veterinarians and other business owners in the "field of health." The limited deduction would apply to veterinary business owners with taxable income between $315,000 and $415,000 if filing jointly, and $157,500 and $207,500 if filing …
Aug. 15 is Check the Chip DayAugust 14, 2018Lost pets have a better chance at finding their way home, thanks to the Check the Chip Day campaign.
House, Senate pass animal drug user fee legislationAugust 1, 2018The U.S. House and Senate have passed the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2018 (HR 5554/S 2434), which are vital to increasing veterinary access to drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The House passed the bill on July 16, and the Senate passed the bill on July 31. The legislation includes language that would expand conditional approvals beyond minor uses and minor species. The animal drug user fee amendments will reauthorize the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine to continue collecting animal drug and animal generic drug user fees from the drugs' sponsors. These fees, coupled with annual appropriations, support FDA's animal drug review processes and ultimately improve veterinary access to FDA-approved drugs. Conditional approval of new animal drugs will incentivize the development of new and innovative products for conditions that prove particularly difficult to study, according to the AVMA. "By providing new animal drugs with a predictable pathway to market, these fees help provide veterinarians with access to new and additional tools that can potentially improve treatment outcomes, provide alternatives to existing therapies, fill unmet medical needs in veterinary medicine, and ultimately …
Client toolkit: AVMA offers Check the Chip Day resourcesJuly 27, 2018Aug. 15 is national Check the Chip Day, a reminder for pet owners to check and update their companions' microchip registry information. Sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Check the Chip Day helps veterinarians extend client relationships by working with them to ensure their families will be reunited if pets become lost. To help educate clients about microchipping and the importance of keeping chip registration current, the AVMA is offering a Check the Chip Day Toolkit with a range of materials to promote and prepare for the day. The toolkit offers: A client handout to help owners keep track of their pet's microchip information and know when the chip registry was last checked Suggestions for stress-free ways to observe the day and for sharing information with clients Ready-to-use social media posts and images A full-size version of a microchipping infographic for website or social media use A newsletter article for email or print A sample proclamation that can be personalized for use by your local or state government A customizable
