From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-06-03 22:37:04 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Cost of surgery
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
A newcomer wrote that she found this cold so perhaps I'd better
explain the basis of my thoughts.
The topic is one which could be useful for people who are wondering
about places to move and are not as tied to other specifics (jobs,
schools, personal health needs, etc.) when making a move as many
of the rest of us are.
Otherwise, it is a topic that really winds up at times being questionable
in relation to the rules -- not obviously on-topic and not obviously not
on-topic -- but meanwhile it could make some vet members feel bad that
they simply can't afford to charge the prices that people in more
affordable locations charge.
Most of the cost of care is outside the control of the vets.
They have property costs, insurance costs, taxes, etc. Where we live an
acre of not-great land -- without utilities and without a building yet -- costs
about a quarter of a million dollars, and there are places where having
homes and businesses and some place to put them is even more expensive.
Now, when land is expensive everything else goes up, because everyone
has to live somewhere, so employee salaries are higher, food costs are
higher, taxes are higher, plumbing and heating/AC installation and purchase
cost more, and so on. Anything local costs more, sometimes lots more.
If a veterinary hospital is one that has special services and a lot of special
equipment that can make all of the difference for survival when things are
rough then those things also increase costs. Unlike humans' physicians the
hospitals of vets have to supply many things the physicians get done by
outside services (testing labs, hospitals, etc.). Those really add to costs,
yet human surgeries are still far more expensive. One of my recent surgeries
added up to about $14,000. A ferret surgery that was at least as complex
ran us $800. Of course, human's physicians and hospitals also have their
own things that add to costs and dictate costs. As with those who are
experts in other fields, those in medicine wind up with most of what they
need to charge beyond their personal control.
Education costs a lot and often leaves debts to be paid and then the vets
have to continue spending to keep up their accreditation with conferences,
seminars, learning labs, etc. I do NOT know if the states vary much in
regard to what is required on that score by the veterinary boards.
While not having more general topics may seem cold to some, it's
hard to be cold when people stay up to all hours helping others and
working weekends or when sick or snowed under by family needs to
help others, which are things every moderator and vet here has done.
The reasons for the rules confuse some people, though. Some exist
because when the volume of non-relevant material gets too high we
lose vet members. This is SPECIFICALLY a health list for ferrets so
we have to keep high levels of vet participation.
For general discussions places like the Ferret Mailing List are better
and certainly wonderful.
Almost every FHL Rule was written by vets. They exist specifically
to optimize vet participation. We have some vet members who
answer publicly and many more who prefer their privacy for replies.
So, we have rules to stick with because they keep ferrets alive, healthy,
and happy which is why people come to the FHL in the first place:
to learn, to ask, and to help ferrets.
That isn't always fun. It feels terrible to reject a post or ask for a
rewrite. No joking. It would be a lot easier to not have to be strict
some times. But the rules keep the vets and keeping the vets keeps the
ferrets alive, healthy and happy which is what the FHL is all about.
I hope that helps people understand.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Sukie Crandall" <sukie@...> wrote:
>
> We all already know that costs of surgery vary A LOT
> between different regions, AND THAT THERE ARE
> *LEGITIMATE* REASONS FOR THAT TO BE THE CASE.
>
> It may be best to let this topic wind down now with
> private discussions among those whose needs are met
> by getting details that can't really be included here,
> unless there is something especially pertinent which
> has somehow been missed.
>
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