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Government

Will Obamacare Increase Your Pet’s Vet Bills? We Have the Answer

Mar. 13, 2013 8:35am Billy Hallowell

For all of the debate and conversation about Obamacare’s potential impact on Americans’ wallets — and the economy on the whole — few likely saw coming the controversial health care law’s effect on family pets.

In an apparent “unintended consequence,” as CBS News calls it, the cost of medical equipment in veterinarian offices is going up, with some pet doctors reportedly already announcing that they plan to pass the burden on to consumers.

The reason? Obamacare imposes a new tax that will raise the cost of much-needed supplies.

Obamacare May Cause Shocking Rise in Your Pets Health Care Bills | 2.3 Percent Federal Excise Tax

Credit: AP

Many vets may encounter an increase in medical devices and equipment as a result of a provision in the health care law that places a 2.3 percent federal excise tax on various health technologies. This tax, implemented to help fund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare), was never intended to impact pets.

CBS explains why the tax issue is having an impact on veterinarians:

How does this work? Medical devices used only on animals are exempt. However, items including IV pumps, sterile scalpels and anesthesia equipment, which are medical devices that have a dual use, meaning they can be used on people and animals, will be taxed. [...]

The American Veterinary Medical Association represents 82,000 vets. At this point, they don’t know how much this new tax will indirectly cost them. The organizations members are waiting to hear from more device makers.

WFOR-TV has more:

In Dec. 2012, the conservative Heritage Foundation was already sounding the alarm on this issue, writing that pet costs would likely increase for consumers. At the time, the organization wrote the following on its blog, “The Foundry”:

The device tax is expected to raise costs for consumers. A recent survey of 181 manufacturers found that a 52.5 percent majority plan to “pass along some or all of the increased cost [of the tax] to our consumers.” Among North American manufacturers, the portion who said they would raise prices was an even higher 58 percent.

“Across the board there is bigger inclination among firms to raise prices and pass on costs to customers as a way to deal with the US tax,” the survey found.

Pet owners already spend more than $12 billion on veterinary care annually. Obamacare may make it even more expensive to care for your pet.

It’s currently unclear how much, exactly, the new tax will cost vets. But, considering these revelations, it’s likely many pet owners will be preparing to brace themselves for additional health care expenses.

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Comments (57)

congresswatcher1
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 12:01pm
I seen a little bit of a clip on fox news, where Michelle had an interview or something with someone I think in the mainstream and she was talking about the importance of the people feeding thier pets properly..

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SOUNDTHETRUMPET
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 11:49am
Obama commiecare has to go.

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- Colorado7972
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 11:53pm
  Let the prisons ‘overflow’ by tens of thousands, if not millions of Americans, when we all say hell no, and do not comply to Obamacare and refuse to pay fines as well. I would love to see Liberals implement a draconian plan to arrest millions and place them in jails/prisons for no compliance to this illegal Obamacare.
  
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DSTSS2010
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 11:01am
DEFUND, DEFUND, DEFUND! Obama-Care will ruin us!

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- tsqwared
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 2:56pm
  The only way to get rid of Obamacare is to defund it at every turn we can get! or IMPEACH OBAMA NOW!
  
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hannah
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:47am
Man I’m glad I live in Canada, yes we have government healthcare but my husband and I have exellent private healthcare through his work. He has had the same job for 38 years and he makes very good money. We have less people here than you do in the U.S. so obamacare doesn’t make sense to me. I do believe your healthcare has to be overhauled though. I also believe in personal responsibility. We don’t have a Bloomberg here telling us hoe to eat. Plus our serving sizes in resturants are smaller unlike there. My daughter travelles there and she still can’t wrap her brain around the huge size meals they serve. I don’t think people obeses just because of the food choices they make, it’s also the amount they eat when eating out. I realize the poor there think take out is cheaper than fresh fruits and veggies but that just isn’t true. I feel bad for all the fat kids that have no choice as what to eat because their uneducated parent feeds them. I would pay a million dollars to help my dog if she was sick so raising vet bills shouldn’t matter. Although, I do hope obamacare gets repealed.

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BlasberryStrat
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:37am
“Obamacare” – the way Gov intends for hard working people across the Country to pay for “inner city” babies, and the millions of NEW LEGAL Mexicans when Oby takes down the border.

Obamacare was created for one primary purpose: To handle the 100 fold impact of “hospital emergency room” Mexican health care when the border is opened for a One America. The very same reason for “In State Tuition” for children of illegal Mexicans, which is to make it ‘cheaper’ for the born State citizens to foot the bill when Gov. qualifies every Mexican kid for a full FREE ride through a State University. This, while ‘good ol’ boy Jimmy’ who works two jobs just to afford to pay for his daughter to go to a local Community College, and she has to ‘skip’ a year in order to help save for tuition.

Open borders people. Just look at the Gov. steps being taken with housing, health care, the ‘full crack down’ on “White tolerance”, and now gun control. Once Oby “tames” the American citizen, he’s going to simply “tell us” that the Mexican border will be opened for a new “collective” America. No “discussion” – no “vote”. This has been no. 1 on Feinstein’s agenda since she was a Mayor. She IS getting step no. 2 on her agenda (gun confiscation) accomplished, and is (very) openly working with Obama to achieve no. 1.

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dadsrootbeer
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:14am
Just really glad the Pelosi said that we had to pass the bill to know what’s in it. With wonderful logic like that the progressive party should make her house leader or give her some other leadership role…oh, they already have. Well then, of course it’s the GOP who are messing America up.

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Listen_then_think
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:54am
Good at least that way the progressive democrats who have no children, only pets, will get hit also and have to pay for their stupidity for voting in that POS.

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- Stoic one
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:18am
  The tax does not differentiate between conservatives & progressives. NO to any tax, new nor an increase!
  
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- dogdr
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 12:07pm
  You could complain here and spout the usual talking points, or you could actually do some research or listen to someone who is REALLY affected by this. I am a vet. The increase in the medical device tax is negligible. I will be subject to it but it sn’t nearly enough to cause me to raise my prices. On the other hand, as a small business owner who does the right thing and provides health care for my employees, I will be getting a big tax credit that is FAR more than my extra costs. For responsible employers who actually care about their employees and offer health insurance, it is putting a big check in my pocket. You can continue to speculate and make accusations or listen to the truth. As a small business owner, Obamacare” has helped my business. I know you don’t want to hear it but that is the fact- at least for my business
  
  Report this comment
- Stoic one
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 1:31pm
  DOGDR
  
  I understand your point. So you are fine with a tax so long as you net out positive for your bottom line? $2 per carton cigarette tax is O.K. because you do not smoke? The suntan bed tax is fine because that is not for you?
  The vet tax nets out to 92 cents for every human citizen in the country; so that is O.K.?
  
  Report this comment
- Joe_The_Patriot
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 1:57pm
  @Dogdr
  
  I find it hard to believe you have felt no impact due to obamacare as you try to paint a rosie picture of the current situation in the medical fields.. Have you not been plagued by the huge increases in prices and lack of availibility of pharmaceuticals? Do you not think that the increase of consumer prices from fuel to food is going to affect YOUR bottom line? Do you not think that clients pets health will in turn then suffer due to a lack of funds or decrease of availble funds of the client? My wife is a veterinarian and I have seen these things 1st hand so I don’t know what world your living in….
  
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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:21am
You in the Northeast, Midwest, and Farwest States, you need to communicate with your THREE CONGRESSPERSONS, and encourage them to get of their seats, on to their feet, and remove Obamacare!

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Cavallo
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:18am
Seems almost every week we find a new nugget of crap in his festering pile of garbage. Thanks bobo!

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- mikem1969
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:02am
  Yep, and there is more to be revealed.
  
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- Female
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:55am
  Pet poop would be more appropriate then just plain old garbage on this story!
  
  Report this comment
FidgetforFreedom
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:15am
Swear I heard my old one-eyed cat Dinky mutter somethin about a tyrannical POS stay outta my healthcare…

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- georgette
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:45am
  My very skilled vets will leave this world a better place…’nuff said.
  
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chucksue351
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:10am
apparently this is what the majority of the population wanted when they voted for this free health care

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:09am
No surprise in the least.

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- CatB
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:18am
  You are right SNOW for some of us .. others who think that their employer or others will be paying the Obamacare bill need to know this . perhaps it will open their eyes .. I have posted this on social media … some people only care when the money is taken DIRECTLY out of their pockets.
  
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Sargeking
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:07am
Under Obama, no guns, no pets, no jobs, no money (beyond his stash), no hope and “keep the change”!

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- Walkabout
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:51am
  And fewer people with pets.
  
  Forget the soccer mom vote. Obama just lost the cat lady voting bloc.
  
  Anyone think MBE, Enciclown or STM will continue voting Obama? After all how many life-years does a 10 year old cat have left?
  
  Report this comment
- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:58am
  @walkabout
  I am a cat lover.How dare you put me in with those freakadelics.As to the cat who is ten years old and not having much more life expectency you are wrong.Many cats live to be twenty or older if well cared for.
  As to the freakadelics most cats would growl and knaw at the chance to eat them alive.See even the cats know the evil they possess.
  
  Report this comment
soybomb315_II
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:05am
we dont have a dog because my wife is one of those “keep it alive at all costs” type

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:18am
  lol SOY… that’s my sister in a nutshell. She spends thousands per year on her dogs… prescription foods, doggy Prozac, stress relief massage therapy(?)….. and they’re still always sick regardless.
  I keep telling her that her Vet is a shyster but she won’t listen to me.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:49am
  Dr Ian Lipkin, virus hunter, had a very sick dog, Koprowski. He was worried about Koprowski. Instead of taking him to a vet, he went to a supermarket to buy him a piece of read meat, because it has antibiotics & growth hormone. It is cheaper & the story does give you pause. I wonder what the residual amounts of antibiotics & growth hormone are?
  
  Discover magazine April 2012 issue page 58
  
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- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 11:08am
  Yeah My former inlaws were like that.We would visit and their dogs would look up at us as if to say please just take me out and shoot me.Rescue me from these people who want to keep me alive way past the point of expiration.The dogs were old very old and not truly treatable.They had fatal conditions compounded by very old age.Its one of the reasons my ex hubby never wanted dogs.They also used to beg at the table, were kept indoors ,were neurotic and they had too many of them.[try 6]..All of these reasons turned him off to ever having a dog.
  
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- circleDwagons
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 12:42pm
  Soy. What kind of meanie are you? Your wife would love it if you rescued a fluffy little dog for her.
  
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Outlaw_Josey_Wales
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:05am
What’s next, death panels for pets?

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- CatB
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:14am
  If an owner can’t afford the increasing costs for their pet with Obamacare .. that is exactly what will happen. Faced with a choice of a procedure you can’t afford, letting pet suffer, or putting it down .. some people will have no choice.
  
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- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:21am
  Actually that is more normal than not.Its going to get worse though as owners who might have had a minor procedure done or even a major one on a young animal now won’t.
  
  Report this comment
- Stoic one
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 10:31am
  If my wife made the decisions on pet care, we would be bankrupt. The LAST time I let her take a cat in; the bill was $450 for six teeth removed, because of a cyst. A week later she (the cat) , was put down – inoperable cancer.
  As it is, our vet is amazed at the longevity that our multitude of rescues over the years. Common sense knowledge provides both pets AND humans with long and bountiful lives.
  
  Report this comment
maggiepie
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:01am
Guess Obama doesn’t CARE. His pet care is Free. Higher prices for vet care will keep people from
adopting pets. Shelters will be over crowded and many good dogs and cats will have to be put down.
They will never have the chance to live their lives in a caring and lpving home. THANK YOU Mr.
President for making us DESTROY many fine animals. You just have to write DEATH sentences.
Yes, it starts with animals. How long will it be before it is PEOPLE?

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SamIamTwo
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:59am
It’s a dogs life.

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Sargeking
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:58am
To paraphrase an old saying, “Obama lied and pet’s died”.

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circleDwagons
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:56am
The Real concern both in human and animal medicine is the shortage of common meds. With the decline in the economy we are already seeing decline in the healthcare of pets. I see more shortages under obamacare.

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- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:23am
  Yeah after reading this I understand the back log of vets.Everyone is trying to get spay and neuter done before the vast majority of this kicks in.
  
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Sargeking
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:52am
To paraphrase a well known saying, “Obama lied and pets died”!

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Eastinfection
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:49am
I stopped taking my dog to the vet 8 years ago because he’d have a seizure every time we went and they would treat the seizure, charge me $150 for it, and then re-schedule the check-up.

Several hundred dollars, and multiple vets later, i decided “no more vets” for him.

He’s sixteen years old now and doing fine…. (nearly deaf but otherwise healthy and happy)

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- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:18am
  Its similar to white coat syndrome in people.Their blood pressure goes up unexpectedly when in the doctors office.Its truly stress related.Your vet should have asked you on the second visit if your dog ever experienced seizures outside of the office.If not no treatment should have been given.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:39am
  EAST, LOL, sorry I am not laughing at you or your dogs situation. But, it makes me think about a couple of our cats. They got more stressed out over the “drive” to the vet’s office. Once there, they settled down and even when getting shots never got stressed out. But, the drive home was more of the same. One large male in particular a number of years ago was so freaked out that my son and I had to pull over, remove everything from the truck box and put him in it. He was about to tear us both up in the cab. Oh yeah, he had already broken out of the animal carrier so we knew we could not use it again for the ride. When we arrived and opened the box, he was cool, calm, and collected. Apparently, seeing everything rush by so rapidly is what frightened him. The dog on the other hand loves to go to the vet and enjoys the ride. The more attention she can get, the more she is in doggy heaven.
  
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siguy62
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:46am
I hope everyone realizes that lots of people are going to be visiting vets, for all types of things. The gov’t will then get angry at the competition, and then regulate this option away.

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- CatB
  Posted on March 13, 2013 at 9:40am
  If I could I WOULD go to my pets vet .. he is a heck of a lot better than most M.D. doctors I have had. And much less costly .. I guess that is about to change.
  
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Sargeking
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:46am
Vet bills have been too high for years. I’ve watched this trend since the implosion by Jimmy Carter in the mid-seventies. The end run is that people simply won’t take their pets in for treatment and/or shots. The pets will suffer accordingly. In fact, we are all suffering “accordingly” under Obamacare.

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dublinthewagons
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:43am
The elderly can’t even afford to go see the veterinarian, thanks to Obama care.
Well there goes all my health needs out the window.

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uisignorant
Posted on March 13, 2013 at 8:42am
Obama screwing the pooch again…

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- PurrrpleMtnMajesty
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 1:07pm
  It’s a dog eat dog world and this is more proof, only now
  obama(care) eats dog takes on a new meaning than previously mentioned in his book.
  
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