ObamaCare Hurts Man’s Best Friend, Too

The many ways that ObamaCare has hurt people is well documented. Us humans are not the only ones that the bureaucratic monstrosity has negatively impacted, though.

Fido and Fluffy have also taken a hit.

Prepare to budget more money for your pet’s vet visits, if you haven’t already. This is because ObamaCare contains a 2.3 percent tax on certain medical devices including IV fluid pumps, endoscopes and cardiac monitors which are commonly used by veterinarians.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), which represents 82,000 vets, writes:

It’s reasonable to believe that the tax could increase the cost of providing veterinary medical care. Whether or not the increased costs associated with taxed medical device purchases will be passed on to veterinary clients will be determined on an individual basis by veterinary practices.

A significant number of vet clinics have been struggling to make ends meet over the past several years. Fewer people take their pets to get regular vet checkups during economic downturns to avoid the bill. Therefore, it’s going to difficult for many veterinarians to absorb the cost of the medical device tax.

The former president of AVMA, Dr. Douglas Aspros, says, "this is an additional expense…and we do not need to bear this burden on top of an already stressed environment…We are not getting any more patients from the Affordable Care Act, and we should not be pulled into this.”

Due to the economic realities, some veterinarians have already announced that they have no choice but to raise prices for their services.

CBS Miami reports that a pet owner was surprised when she saw her local vet post a warning on Facebook:

Because medical equipment and supplies will be going up in cost, that extra expense will have to passed on to the customers.

As a result of the increased expense, more pet owners may forego regular vet visits and vaccinations which could be detrimental to their pet’s health.

Another unintended consequence of the medical device is that it could hurt animal shelters and other rescue organizations that often receive veterinarian services at a discounted price. It could potentially lead to clinics not being able to care for as many homeless animals.

A 2.3 percent medical device tax may not sound like a big deal. However, that number really adds up when a device cost upwards of $40,000. Smaller veterinarian practices may not be able to afford the extra financial burden.

The AVMA writes, “it is also possible that the tax will impact veterinarian’s decisions when choosing new devices or deciding whether or not they will make a medical device purchase.”

Veterinarians choosing to delay upgrading their equipment to avoid the tax will affect the quality of care their clients receive.

ObamaCare’s medical device tax is hurting people as well as beloved animals. This is just one more reason that ObamaCare needs to be repealed— as soon as possible.

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