Associations & Organizations
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Veterinarians resist pressure to advocate for pet insurance
9/30/2019
AVMA policy asks practitioners to discuss third-party payers with clients
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AVMA veterinary euthanasia guidance open for comment
8/13/2019
Comment period ends Aug. 31
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AVMA alters model veterinary practice act, passes proposals
8/8/2019
Delegates debate pet insurance, sexual harassment, governance
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COE seeks to retain authority over U.S. veterinary schools
7/29/2019
Hearing before federal panel scheduled Tuesday
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September opening of LIU Post veterinary college in doubt
7/19/2019
Proposed program's quest for accreditation from AVMA COE continues
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AVMA survey: 2018 graduates earn more, owe more
5/9/2019
Education debt outpaces earnings; questions about data persist
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AVMA guidelines call for compassion in depopulating animals
4/12/2019
Document offers best practices for culling animals during times of crisis
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AVMA Life health insurance kicks off July 1
1/17/2019
Program will be accessible to members in most states
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LMU veterinary college earns full accreditation
1/15/2019
Number of accredited programs in U.S. climbs to 30
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Veterinary telemedicine poised to headline AVMA meeting
1/9/2019
Model practice act revisions, dues increase to be debated
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Veterinary student business group seeks former members
12/26/2018
Veterinary Business Management Association establishes alumni branch
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AVMA plans re-entry into group health insurance arena
10/24/2018
Government stance that ended AVMA Life medical coverage is reversed
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LIU accreditation decision slated for spring
10/8/2018
Controversy surrounds veterinary college proposed in New York
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S. Dakota-Minnesota veterinary school plan advances
9/19/2018
South Dakota VMA lauds goal of enhancing rural veterinary education
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AVMA to members: Enlarge global footprint?
7/30/2018
Veterinarians debate merits of devoting resources to international activities
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Veterinarians split on anti-debarking policy
7/16/2018
AVMA resolutions pass on foot-and-mouth disease, responsible breeding
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Support staff unionize at two veterinary hospitals
6/21/2018
Pro-union votes are a first for Mars-owned VCA and BluePearl
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Louisiana bill caused certifiable confusion
5/16/2018
Veterinarians opposed regulating word used to describe specialists
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Veterinary student essay contest seeks 'solutions for the profession'
1/24/2018
Last year's winners tackled school debt, mental health, leadership gender imbalance
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Proliferation of corporate practice at forefront of veterinary meeting
1/8/2018
AVMA delegates discuss the changing veterinary landscape
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COE amends standards to address veterinary student well-being, debt
1/4/2018
Jan. 31 deadline to comment on revisions to standard 11
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AVMA Life might reinstate group medical insurance
10/23/2017
Trump executive order opens door, but process is lengthy
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Labor union for veterinary workforce makes national push
9/21/2017
Associates, technicians, support staff would be represented
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Should botanical medicine be a formal veterinary specialty?
8/25/2017
As Sept. 1 deadline for comments nears, practitioners debate
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Veterinarians implore AVMA to address marijuana in animals
7/25/2017
Delegates enact telemedicine policy requiring in-person VCPR
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Veterinary herbal medicine supporters seek recognition
7/18/2017
ABVS invites feedback; comment period ends Sept. 1
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Veterinary leaders to debate telemedicine
7/12/2017
Remote care, marijuana therapy and stem cells top House agenda
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COE seeks veterinarian input on accreditation changes
6/21/2017
Comparison: Does COE independence match that of accreditor for human medicine?
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Push underway to adopt ‘nurse’ title for vet techs
6/15/2017
Some question plan’s feasibility, effectiveness
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What role does accreditor play in protecting students?
4/11/2017
Q&A with CVTEA on veterinary-technology program closures
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AVMA enacts policy on responsible breeding
1/25/2017
Policy makes no mention of specific breeds or medical conditions
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Aggressive pets adopted out in quest to save animals’ lives
11/17/2016
Has no-kill philosophy gone too far?
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AVMA opens top job to non-veterinarians
9/6/2016
DVM or VMD no longer required to run national organization
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Dr. Janet Donlin takes AVMA helm
8/16/2016
Replacing DeHaven, association appoints first female CEO
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Federal panel finds in veterinary accrediting body's favor
7/5/2016
Concerns linger as AVMA COE earns positive recommendation
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Petco grooming promotion hits snarl
6/9/2016
Retailer modifies advertising after veterinarians object
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Another review of AVMA COE nears
3/31/2016
Public comments due April 8
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Leininger wins appeal
8/5/2015
Embattled former COE member reinstated
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Leaders aim to end battle over veterinary accreditation
7/24/2015
House rejects bids to study or alter how COE functions
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Leininger appeal culminates without resolution
7/8/2015
Hearing kicks off days of debate on veterinary accreditation
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA status quo
7/3/2015
USDE taps COE to evaluate foreign schools amid calls to upend how the accrediting body operates
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Stakeholders urge veterinary accreditation overhaul
6/9/2015
Leininger appeal converges with bids to boost transparency, independence
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Veterinary internships lack uniform quality
2/24/2015
Concerned about exploitation, AAHA offers new accreditation option
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Veterinarians urge AVMA to spin off accrediting body
1/26/2015
COE hosts 'listening session' in Orlando
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AVMA president: Mistrust undermines health of veterinary community
1/16/2015
Dr. Ted Cohn calls for transparency, accountability
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Debate on AVMA governance to continue
1/8/2015
Accreditation a likely topic during House of Delegates meeting
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Million Cat Challenge aims to reform shelter methods
12/31/2014
Veterinarians leading campaign encourage shelters to share tactics
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USDE staff heeds 800-plus complaints against AVMA COE
12/4/2014
Report calls for significant change for accrediting agency
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New veterinary degrees may not pay off, economists find
10/29/2014
AVMA conference highlights debt, salary issues
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Veterinarians, schools emphasize yearly pet checkups
8/15/2014
Survey finds more pet owners concerned about cost of care
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Attempt to reorganize AVMA governance fails — again
7/30/2014
Changes urged to retain, attract members
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Cohn poised for AVMA presidency
7/22/2014
Kinnarney, Dee campaign for president-elect during House of Delegates meeting
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Dueling legislation a sore spot in horse community
4/10/2014
Bills tackle pain as training technique
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Surveys yield conflicting trends in U.S. pet ownership
3/31/2014
Counts of dogs and cats differ by millions
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Lawmaker behind proposed Fairness to Pet Owners Act aims to inform consumers
3/14/2014
Congressman heading toward retirement reintroduces bill
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Help exists for those struggling to pay veterinary bills
3/4/2014
Charitable groups offer to defray expenses
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Boyce ushers major changes to NAVLE while eyeing retirement
3/3/2014
Partnership with human medicine poised to modernize veterinary exam
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Judging merits of veterinary homeopathy not an AVMA objective
1/23/2014
Delegates defeat resolution to discourage controversial modality
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Bid to end foreign veterinary accreditation dies at AVMA meeting
1/16/2014
House of Delegates votes to continue spreading U.S. standards internationally
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AVMA to debate homeopathy, jerky, foreign accreditation
1/6/2014
House of Delegates meets this week in Chicago
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Focus on members
10/28/2013
Debate to alter mission statement slated for January
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Veterinarians grapple with end to GHLIT health insurance
8/16/2013
GHLIT opens private exchange to all AVMA members
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Veterinarian targets shortage of women among profession’s leaders
8/7/2013
Men top hierarchy, yet women are majority
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Veterinary group pumps new blood into leadership
4/22/2013
Ethics society chooses Petco doctor as president
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Task force to alter AVMA governance regroups after backlash
1/16/2013
House delegates could be asked to vote on their own demise
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Veterinary prescription problems aired with regulators
1/12/2013
Pharmacy boards urge veterinarians to file complaints
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AVMA delegates to scrutinize veterinary homeopathy
1/3/2013
Debarking, stem cell policies among several up for debate
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GHLIT health insurance for veterinarians to end by 2014
12/26/2012
Obamacare killed association-based plans, officials say
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Government orders veterinary-school accreditor to correct problems
12/14/2012
Veterinarians air criticisms before education panel
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AVMA’s role as education accreditor scrutinized
12/11/2012
USDE addresses critics as scheduled review of COE draws near
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British veterinarians welcome advertising ban on antimicrobials
10/16/2012
Efforts made to curb antimicrobial resistance
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Welfare college receives provisional recognition
8/16/2012
Veterinarians eager to watch specialty group evolve
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AVMA proposed stance on raw diets draws critics
8/2/2012
Group stresses that policy — not law — is up for consideration today
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Veterinarians brainstorm to change AVMA governance
7/20/2012
Efforts to enhance democracy reflect ongoing transformation
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Helping Pets Fund closes
7/19/2012
AAHA cites decline in donations
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Ohio Veterinary Medical Association building burns
6/1/2012
Flames destroy more than half of structure
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Challenges face proposal to create welfare specialty
5/1/2012
Appeal to overturn COE's rejection of the group underway
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California veterinarians ready to testify against lay dentistry
4/16/2012
Scope-of-practice battle wages over teeth cleaning
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AVMA issues email fraud alert
4/6/2012
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Private university in Arizona plans new veterinary school
3/8/2012
Midwestern University cites shortage of rural practitioners
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AAVMC leadership change puts Osburn at helm
10/21/2011
Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou resigns to pursue work in public health
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AVMA challenges Wal-Mart’s push to make veterinarians script out
10/5/2011
Fairness to Pet Owners Act sits at controversy's center
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St. George’s veterinary school receives U.S. accreditation
9/23/2011
Roughly 90 percent of program's graduates draw from North America
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AVMA asked to acknowledge court ruling in compounding brochure
9/20/2011
Some celebrate while others downplay ruling's significance
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GAO calls for better data on antibiotic use in livestock
9/13/2011
Federal auditor finds little progress in past decade
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North Carolina veterinarians brace for Hurricane Irene
8/26/2011
NCVMA collects names of volunteers
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AVMA mulls governance overhaul
7/26/2011
Calls to upend entrenched bureaucracy surface at House session
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AVMA task force to review merits of foreign accreditation
7/20/2011
Resolution stripped of economic language on advice of AVMA lawyer
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Veterinarians challenge authority of AVMA Executive Board to make policy
6/16/2011
Calls for change prompted by controversial revision to Veterinarian's Oath
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Antibiotics: spinning the data from Denmark
5/27/2011
Antibiotics do little to enhance growth, yet producers still use them
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Antibiotics: precaution vs. proof
5/26/2011
Weighing risk to public health from antibiotics used in livestock
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FDA: Food-animal antibiotic consumption dwarfs human medical use
5/25/2011
New data reveal flaws in figures presented by AVMA, industry
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Scrutiny of livestock antibiotic use pressures veterinary profession
5/24/2011
AVMA negotiates shifting regulatory landscape
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Resolutions ask AVMA to explore foreign accreditation, globalization efforts
5/20/2011
Members seek greater transparency into AVMA's international activities
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Report: unprecedented change in store for AVMA, profession
4/28/2011
'Continuous improvement' prescribed for nation's largest veterinary association
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AVMA terminates online CE venture
4/22/2011
AVMA Ed to close by Dec. 31
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PLIT rolls back workers' comp advice for relief veterinarians
3/29/2011
Broker Hub International issues clarification
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New blood challenges seasoned official for AVMA Executive Board seat
3/16/2011
Veterinarians urged to get ballots to AVMA headquarters by April 1
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NAVMEC addresses great challenges facing veterinary profession
3/8/2011
Economist's call for change goes beyond NAVMEC recommendations
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AVMA raises dues as membership numbers climb
1/25/2011
Incremental increases to generate $4 million in three years
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AVMA seeks members’ opinions on ‘critical initiatives’
1/19/2011
Critic says it is a start, but more conversation needed
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GHLIT ends endorsement of Pets Best while severing ties with Aetna
1/14/2011
Deal dies quietly as GHLIT exits pet health insurance arena
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AVMA delegates reject bid to add transparency to governing processes
1/11/2011
Delegates expressed fears of retribution by public on controversial issues
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Decision to alter Veterinarian's Oath strikes discord
1/6/2011
Faction of AVMA members report feeling disenfranchised
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Proposed welfare specialty college bends to veterinarians' concerns
12/16/2010
AVMA welfare principles no longer a point of contention
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California veterinarians target unlicensed care
12/14/2010
Conflict between profession, lay practitioners intensifies
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AVMA seeks third-party audit of accreditation program
12/10/2010
Voluntary review meant to allay scrutiny, concerns raised by veterinarians
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Texas veterinarians author legislation to bridle lay dentists
12/3/2010
Judge's order prompts end to regulatory crackdown on unlicensed teeth floating
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AVMA condemns activists targeting UC Davis researchers
12/1/2010
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AVMA solicits public input on model veterinary practice act
11/11/2010
Comment period begins in January
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NAS veterinary workforce study nears release
10/28/2010
Stakeholders expect report to shed light on supply and demand in America
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Calif. spay/neuter program breeds skepticism among veterinarians
9/23/2010
State attempts to tackle pet overpopulation by selling specialty license plates
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Veterinary regulators poised to define parameters of lay dentistry
9/9/2010
Stakeholders across America watch as Texas takes on controversial issue
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Texas veterinarians mull reviving bid to examine AVMA’s role in global accreditation
8/19/2010
Those calling for audit face accusations of racism; issue clouded by politics, some contend
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Proposed animal welfare college challenged by veterinarians
8/5/2010
Critics lambast mandate to sign AVMA welfare principles
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA’s governance in quest to be heard
7/30/2010
‘1 Member, 1 Vote’ drive kicks off at annual convention in Atlanta
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Foreign-school accreditation clash continues in JAVMA
7/21/2010
Editorial letters express concern in July 15 edition
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What's happening with accreditation of foreign health professional schools?
7/13/2010
Veterinarians in heated debate; dentists pushed to test water; physicians eye from a distance
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Veterinarians question AVMA's role in international accreditation
7/13/2010
Texas resolution calls for self-study
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Talk to us
7/6/2010
In VIN survey, group rates low on communication, high on leadership
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Western U receives full accreditation
3/5/2010
COE grants three-year window
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Accreditation under fire in veterinary medicine
2/26/2010
Concerns surface with the accreditation bids of two controversial programs
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Osburn resigns from Banfield board of directors
2/13/2010
UC Davis dean cites potential conflict of interest as impetus for decision
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AVMA seeks to deter news investigation
1/21/2010
Alleges reporter misappropriated confidential documents
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Pets Best flap revives debate about merits of pet insurance
12/15/2009
DVMs concerned Aetna policy portends a future similar to human health insurance issues
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PAC pits school against school for donations
8/27/2009
Competition designed to spur fundraising surge
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Activists go after stores selling dogs from puppy mills
7/27/2009
Movement to stamp out large commercial breeders gains traction
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Leaders ask California DVMs to watch for local ordinances
7/22/2009
New law safeguards veterinary practice, but opens window for bans
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Survey: Rescue organizations turning away 38 percent of unwanted horses
7/15/2009
Economic downturn highlight, exacerbates ongoing problem
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Prop 2 rattles Calif., prompts welfare council
7/15/2009
Advisory group receives mixed reaction
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AVMA town hall meeting skims tough issues facing profession
7/12/2009
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AVMA debates profession's role concerning antimicrobials in livestock
7/11/2009
Resolution gets pushed aside for further review
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New AVMA president-elect calls diversifying profession a major priority
7/11/2009
Kornegay sails into top elected seat following uncontested presidential race
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MARKETLink proceeds help fuel AAHA PR campaign
7/1/2009
National groups freeze dues hikes
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Funding woes kill Fresno lab, haunt DVM program
6/26/2009
Calif. budget crisis wreaks havoc on veterinary medical education
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AVMA, GHLIT respond to VIN survey
5/7/2009
Neither group directly addresses objections to GHLIT-Pets Best partnership
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'Swine influenza' name sickens U.S. pork markets
4/29/2009
AVMA issues statement; efforts underway to rename virus
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Dr. Janis Audin dies
4/23/2009
Longtime JAVMA head leaves legacy, official says
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Veterinarians must comply with Red Flags Rule by May 1
4/22/2009
Most practice owners already meet requirements, AVMA official says
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HSUS to take Prop 2-like action to Ohio
4/6/2009
Veterinarians gear up for talks to thwart high-stakes conflict with activists
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Veterinary charity highlighted by economic woes
3/30/2009
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Survey shows veterinarians wary of AVMA GHLIT-Pets Best deal
3/23/2009
AVMA, GHLIT promise to respond soon
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AVMA portfolio in the red
2/24/2009
Economy batters association’s investments; dues increase looms
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Off the table?
2/12/2009
Calif. sales tax on veterinary services loses steam
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Veterinary Behaviorists Question Dominance Theory in Dogs
2/5/2009
Position Irks Some Trainers
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AVMA announces new strategy for annual meeting
1/22/2009
Are conferences in trouble?
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Consulting firm releases user guide that avows pet insurance merits
1/21/2009
AVMA issues policy shift as criticisms of GHLIT-Pets Best partnership ensue
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About-face by Florida regulators eases permit policy for DVMs
1/14/2009
Refunds are on the agenda, FVMA says
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MVMA pushes animal protection legislation
1/14/2009
Measure directs courts to consider pets when issuing domestic violence protective orders
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Application deadline nears to certify for exotic mammal specialty
12/16/2008
New group focuses on ferrets, rabbits and other small pets
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FDA puts cephalosporin ban in abeyance
12/11/2008
Veterinary medicine credited by some for pushing last-minute change
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AVMA unveils online CE
12/8/2008
Leadership confident state regulators will accept association-branded education
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AVMA investments take hit, treasurer says
10/21/2008
Market turmoil impacts veterinary medicine’s largest association
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AVMA leaders think like you do, survey reveals
10/17/2008
Group seeks to remain relevant to membership
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Internships, residencies skyrocket in popularity, AVMA says
10/17/2008
40 percent of 2008's graduating class to seek advanced training, report shows
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AVMA falls short of $1 million goal for PAC
10/9/2008
Campaign for contributions underway
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AVMA addresses Congress on antimicrobial resistance
9/26/2008
Delegates to challenge national association’s stance in January
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Colorado to release welfare principles
9/25/2008
Association awaits leadership’s approval
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Mexican university seeks AVMA accreditation
9/22/2008
COE nod could usher Mexican veterinarians into the United States
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AVMA condemns alleged abuse at swine operation
9/17/2008
Undercover PETA video shows animals kicked, beaten and inhumanely slaughtered
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NJVMA wins NPI exemption for veterinarians
9/9/2008
State backtracks on law designed to track Medicare/Medicaid fraud
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AVMA to release economic data
9/9/2008
Biennial economic survey, starting salaries report set for publication
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AVMA launches Web-based TV channel
9/3/2008
AVMAtv provides public information about veterinary medicine
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CVMA mum as AVMA moves in on Prop 2
8/27/2008
Association sits quietly as AVMA adopts a contradictory stance on ballot state initiative
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HSVMA to launch insurance options, recruitment campaign
8/25/2008
Membership drive markets group as a welfare-friendly alternative to AVMA
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GHLIT tackles latest PR flap concerning Pets Best deal
8/22/2008
Promotional e-mail advertises AVMA’s endorsement of insurance agency
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AVMA wants YOU!
8/20/2008
Volunteer opportunities abound; leaders welcome nominations
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AAEP wants veterinarians to inspect shows for welfare violations
8/8/2008
Group issues white paper suggesting ways to end ‘soring’
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Disgruntled CVMA members spin off with new group
8/5/2008
Association's support of Proposition 2 divides California veterinarians
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GHLIT-pet insurance partnership raises red flags
7/28/2008
Competitors question ethics, legality of Trust’s newfound relationship
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No dues increase — this time, AVMA reports
7/21/2008
$29.6 million budget detailed during annual convention
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GHLIT rate increases slow
7/3/2008
Premiums jump 1.1 percent, compared to a 12.8-percent hike in November
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UPDATE: FDA bans cephalosporin drugs in food animals
7/3/2008
Federal regulators issue change amid concerns about antimicrobial resistance
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AAHA enters $10 million tentative deal to sell MARKETLink
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On the record
The VIN News Service recently conducted a Q&A session with the American Veterinary Medical Association and its indemnity arm, the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (AVMA-GHLIT). The discussion explores the controversial partnership that’s emerged between GHLIT and Pets Best Insurance, a private entity.
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Associations & Organizations
DVMs concerned Aetna policy portends a future similar to human health insurance issues
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December 15, 2009
By Jennifer Fiala
When Dr. Lisa Bennett’s 3-year-old Golden exhibited signs of lameness and pain, the practice owner from Issaquah, Wash., examined the dog herself. She later had her relief veterinarian take a second look and about 20 radiographs.
The diagnosis was arthritis, which came with a recommendation for further diagnostics. But when Bennett submitted the claim to Pets Best Insurance — a policy she’s carried for years to cover her dog — she received a notice that sent her reeling.
On Dec. 2, Pets Best informed Bennett that her claim was denied. Guidelines from Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut, Pets Best’s underwriter, now bar DVMs who purchase Pets Best policies to cover their own pets from being reimbursed for the medical care that they provide to them. While most major pet insurance companies do not impose such restrictions, the rule is widespread across other lines of insurance and designed to guard against fraudulent claims. It’s common in insurance programs for human medicine and the auto repair industry, Pets Best founder and President Dr. Jack Stephens says.
Such details have done little to ease the shock and disappointment Bennett says she’s endured after spending years pitching Pets Best to her clients. She even stuck with the company after it aligned last year with the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (GHLIT), the indemnity arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in a move panned by critics as rife with conflict of interest issues and ethical violations.
Now with the sudden change of her policy conditions, Bennett feels like the victim of a bait-and-switch scam.
“I’m taking this personally,” she says. “I’ve listened for years to Jack talk about how insurance is good for the profession. It’s ironic that they’re now turning this around on us."
Industry examined
Pets Best ultimately paid Bennett’s claims because her services dates originated in October and policyholders were not notified of the restriction until December. Yet news of the policy change has driven members of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) into a heavy debate about the ethics of such a rule as well as the merits of pet insurance and its ultimate impact on the profession.
As VIN Member Dr. C. Dan Jones puts it: “My main concern is that we as veterinarians truly have a conflict of interest if we’re out here promoting pet insurance, and we stand to benefit from it. You don’t see brochures for insurance companies in the offices of MDs.”
Attitudes about the impact of insurance on the veterinary profession or whether Pets Best’s rules should bend for practitioners run the gamut. Some see Aetna’s move to lump veterinarians in with doctors of human medicine as a sign that third-party payers will one day become as burdensome for DVMs as they are for MDs. Some in the veterinary profession have been scared off by pet health insurance, fearing that it will evolve into a managed healthcare debacle similar to that which plagues human medicine.
Others argue that pet insurance is needed considering that mounting education costs, rising medical standards and pricey equipment have pushed the cost of veterinary care upward, out of reach for many owners whose incomes have failed to keep pace.
Despite the differing views, many VIN Members consider it absurd to force veterinarians to pay colleagues for pet care. In a VIN discussion, Dr. Kathy Jordan writes: “As a solo practitioner, I do not wish to take my pets to another vet in the community — I trust my own judgment with my own pets. ... I provide emergency services for my clients and live less than 10 minutes from my clinic. The nearest emergency clinic otherwise is 45 minutes away. Not to mention the fact that I don't know the doctors there, and my pets are more comfortable with me, I am not going to drive that distance just to get another doctor to treat my pet.”
Stephens contends that while verifying veterinary medical claims, Aetna and Pets Best uncovered instances that could be defined as fraudulent — claims filed for services never performed. “We don't want abuse, because that just hurts everyone. Unfortunately we're changing rules for the very few that abuse it,” he says.
Many veterinarians still consider the policy to be unfair, especially when Pets Best offers premium discounts for staff members and encourages veterinarians to pay for employee policies. (Pets Best does not discount premiums for policies purchased by individual veterinarians). It's not a far leap from treating your own pets to treating pets belonging to staff, they contend.
But to those who expect Aetna to give the profession a pass on the restriction, VIN Member Jones brings to light an alternate argument.
“If a company has a policy in place with restrictions, how can it then let a select group of policyholders get by that restriction?” he asks. “So some Gallup poll says we’re more honest than MDs, and we expect them to believe that? That’s discrimination.”
Reputation at stake
Those who look to Stephens and his company to roll back the policy say the issue is more personal in nature. Stephens is a pet insurance icon, having pioneered U.S. indemnity programs for animals when he started Veterinary Pet Insurance, or VPI, with a group of investing veterinarians in the early 1980s. He left VPI in 2004, now corporate-owned and America’s largest pet insurance company, amid allegations of financial impropriety.
One year later and with his public image intact, Stephens launched Pets Best, a company that he claimed would work for the benefit of veterinarians.
A large part of Stephens’ persona is tied to pet insurance, and as a veterinarian, he's been viewed as someone with integrity who understands the unique needs of the profession. For that reason, critics claim the issue is about more than a policy; it feels like a betrayal.
That kind of talk “hurts deeply,” Stephens says, recounting the many times that he’s gone to bat for the profession on issues such as term limits, staff discounts and adding behavior and heredity benefits to Pets Best policies.
He describes himself as a "thorn" in the side of Aetna, with a reputation for being argumentative.
“I win some, I lose some,” Stephens says. “I already have talked to Aetna. They're reviewing (the restriction). Either way, I support what we do because we're not harming anyone, we're simply protecting our business.”
Still, Bennett and others argue that Pets Best policies were sold without the restriction and that’s how they should remain. In a letter to Stephens, she writes: “I hope you will be able to change this outrageous new policy. I can't imagine you and your directors would allow this to happen had you considered all the implications. I know you might blame the insurance carrier. I believe that this is actually a negotiable issue you could manage.
"I've always trusted you,” Bennett adds. “Now I fear that you are the driver of the car that ran me over.”
Contentious arrangement
Such talk has opened old wounds, with VIN Members revisiting the controversy that erupted in July 2008, as Pets Best announced plans to enter into a triangular partnership with the AVMA GHLIT and Aetna, which underwrites policies for both entities.
The three-year agreement stipulated that GHLIT would grant Pets Best its exclusive endorsement in exchange for a cut of the company's policy premiums to cover marketing expenses.
At the same time, GHLIT started promoting the merits of pet insurance to veterinarians with the release of a white paper titled “Pet Insurance: Managing the Process to Promote Quality Medicine."
The deal quickly soured in the minds of many in the profession. Rumors circulated that the arrangement was unscrupulous, considering GHLIT CEO Libby Wallace is the daughter of former AVMA Executive Vice President Dr. Bruce Little, now a Pets Best board member.
Little did not respond to interview requests concerning Pets Best’s new policy stipulation or the GHLIT-Pets Best arrangement, but Wallace and other GHLIT insiders have long denied that nepotism played a role in the CEO’s hiring.
Still, detractors say the deal looks dodgy because GHLIT benefits financially from Pets Best premiums. In a poll conducted last spring by the VIN News Service, 70 percent of the survey's 1,700 DVM respondents stated that they were “very uncomfortable” or “uncomfortable” with the GHLIT-Pets Best partnership decision.
AVMA and GHLIT officials have publicly explained that although the membership organization ultimately governs GHLIT, the two groups operate autonomously. AVMA does not benefit monetarily from GHLIT and the membership body does not endorse specific pet insurance companies.
Despite the clarification, critics maintain that a nonprofit like GHLIT has no business exclusively promoting private insurance, especially as allegations of unfair business practices have tarnished the deal’s reputation. What’s more, with the AVMA name in front of GHLIT, critics say it appears as though AVMA and its 78,000 member veterinarians, by extension, are in bed with a private insurance carrier.
Behind the scenes
Apart from such appearances, a lesser-known consequence of the Pets Best-GHLIT arrangement has proven even more important but didn’t manifest until Bennett experienced difficulties concerning her claim.
Dr. Carol McConnell, chief veterinary medical officer and vice president of underwriting for VPI, explains that prior to the GHLIT-Pets Best deal involving Aetna, all other underwriters in the pet insurance industry could be characterized as property and casualty companies.
When the GHLIT-Pets Best arrangement with Aetna surfaced, Stephens told the VIN News Service: “A lot of veterinarians are afraid that pet insurance will become controlling, dictating fees, services and diagnostics. With GHLIT involved, you know you’ll always have an alternative to that."
Those words now seem haunting.
McConnell, who was hired by Stephens roughly six years ago when he was at the helm of VPI, says that kind of promise is tough to keep considering that when it comes to insurance, it’s the underwriter — the company carrying the financial risk — that may pull the strings.
She adds that agencies like Pets Best are just the faces that consumers see. VPI, for example, markets and sells policies, but Nationwide Insurance, the company that has been the owner and underwriter of VPI for more than a decade, carries the financial risk of VPI policies in 49 states. Only in California does VPI underwrite its own policies.
In insurance speak, policies are referred to as “the paper," McConnell says, and “whoever holds the paper holds the cards."
“My assumption is that Jack has to do what Aetna requests," she says. "I just think he got his hands tied on this one. That’s unfortunate when you don’t hold your own paper.”
Dr. Bill Craig, chief medical and underwriting director for PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, adds that Aetna, as Pets Best's underwriter, dictates the rules for underwriting and claims.
“Aetna holds the cards because they are assuming the risk for Pets Best policies,” he says. “They are one of the largest insurance companies in the country. I assume that Aetna's concern is that the provider may charge a different fee and try to profit from their relationship. We haven’t been confronted with that type of situation.”
Craig explains that PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance is owned by Nestle Purina. Nestles Purina, in turn, is owned by Nestle SA, which carries the risk for the company’s pet insurance policies.
When it comes to PurinaCare policies, "the buck stops with Nestle," Craig explains. Dealing with Aetna, “it looks like Jack got painted into a corner,” he says.
Mending fences
GHLIT, in the meantime, is attempting to repair its image with critics after giving Pets Best its exclusive endorsement.
While Stephens expresses angst about the position he's now in — "It seems like all I do is argue. Even my own partners team up against me." — GHLIT's Wallace is working from her end to get a front-row seat at Aetna's decision-making table.
“We’re clearly having a conversation with Aetna and Pets Best to try and find a solution,” she says, shying away from conjecture that GHLIT could dump its relationship with Pets Best when the partnership ends in 2011.
“We entered into this arrangement cautiously, and we'll be doing a critical review of our contract. This has been a learning experience for all parties,” Wallace says.
VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.
Information and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are independent of the VIN News Service. Letters may be edited for style. We do not verify their content for accuracy.
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