Veterinarians & Industry Partners, in Service to People and their Companion Animals 

Putting Ideas Into Action

   The goal of Praxis Veterinary Consulting is to assist veterinary medical practitioners and industry in re- conceptualizing the delivery of already high quality practice in order to better serve people and their companion animals. This includes restructuring of the financial basis of distribution and administration of veterinary care. Consideration needs to be given to those human elements that better enable clinicians to connect with their clients, elevating the art and practice of veterinary medicine.

Nurturing and Supporting the Human-Animal Bond

     The meaning of praxis is putting ideas into action. Praxis, as it pertains to Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, is using what has been learned from experience and the state of the profession in the present, for the purpose of recognizing the importance of non-technical aspects of practice. These abilities are commonly referred to as "people skills" and the "how to" of practice management.

      With the implementation of new strategic models that assist in accessibility of health services, we can support and nurture the human-animal bond. Advanced medical and surgical services that already exist become obtainable to our companion animals. Beneficiaries include consumers of veterinary medical and surgical services as well as the practitioners, specialists and industry (pharma, diagnostic laboratories and imaging, nutrition, universities and others) which all make high quality care possible.

Practice Building Through Healthcare Financing

     Veterinary medicine and surgery has advanced to the point where it is on paar with human medicine. Healthcare financing provides easy access to medical and surgical veterinary services for owners. Pet health insurance will make high quality veterinary care available to all. As this trend takes form and develops, it is important for individuals and practitioners to become familiar with the meaning of terms used by insurance companies and in the literature. In this way, we can critically evaluate proposed programs and methods for ourselves. Knowledge is power. Praxis will provide a continuing and evolving glossary of terms and concepts as well as encouraging dialogue among practitioners to facilitate this process.

Pet Healthcare Financing 101

     Here are some terms to become familiar with:

     Insurance: is an accumulation of money. How this money is disbursed is determined by requirements of the business involved, in this case, the veterinary medical field.

     Pooling: is the basis of insurance. Many contributions (parts of the whole) which can be drawn upon when need develops.

     Health Insurance: the gathering of funds to make available medical and surgical services to companion animals in order to maintain optimal health throughout life.

     Underwriting: determining how much each beneficiary member should pay into the pool based on expected, potential or prospective claims costs (fund pool payouts).

     Pre-payment plans: owner pays premiums on a predetermined schedule for healthcare benefits. These are provided by participating DVMs, hospitals and clinics. Out-of-pocket expenses are relatively negligible. Practitoners submit charges to insurance providers.

     Reimbursement (indemnification or fee-for-service): The owners pay scheduled premiums but also pay veterinary bills in full at point of service. After a claim is filed, the insurance company determines what monies (if any) will be returned to the owners.

     PPOs (preferred provider organizations): These groups can be opened or closed to participating practitoners. With open PPOs, any DVM who is credentialed and agreed to contract terms can participate without being a member.

     HMOs (health maintanence organizations): employ practitioners.

     Diagnostic Coding: reimbursement to doctor as determined by service code. These are made known to DVMs before they join the group.

     Managed Care: The observation and monitoring of medical and surgical services rendered and their billing. Quality of care is monitored. Appropriate referrals to specialists are enabled.

   You are invited to send questions and inquiries about pet healthcare financing and how it effects you and our companion animals.

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Dr. Shell Gale, D.V.M., CONSULTANT