Peticaid: An idea whose time has come
A bold, new initiative that would increase access to care in a way never before seen in veterinary medicine
Photo: levgen Skrypko/Adobe Stock
Perhaps I was taking a shower or on a random walk when an idea came to me—albeit crazy, as some suggest—Peticaid. Tens of millions of households in the United States struggle to make ends meet1 and cannot afford the cost of even the most basic preventive care for their pets. Peticaid is a proposed federal- and state-supported subsidy that would be a supplement to Medicaid and would allow any household currently on Medicaid to add up to 2 pets to their coverage. These pets would qualify for veterinary care for up to $400 per year per pet, an amount higher than the average annual cost of veterinary care for dogs and cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.2
The initiative is driven by the increasing recognition that pets are part of the family3 and the increasing body of evidence confirming the savings in human health care costs of pet ownership,, which, according to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, is $22.7 billion per year.4
The time has come to provide safety net funding for veterinary care to pets of households that are experiencing significant financial hardship, like with Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and are unable to afford veterinary care for their pets.
How would it work?
First, current Medicaid households would be surveyed and asked whether they have pets and they would like to enroll in Peticaid. Two pets per household would qualify for the annual allowance and it will reset every year.
A network of Peticaid veterinary hospitals would be set up and Peticaid recipients would decide which hospital they wish to go to. Hospitals would charge their customary and usual fees. Peticaid recipients would pay a 20% copay at the time of service, the hospital would bill Peticaid for the balance, and payment would be made promptly.
An additional option is to create a voucher system where pet owners receiving Peticaid would present their voucher at the time of service and pay the 20% copay, and any remaining balance would be tracked. It has also been suggested that the allowance could go toward shelter adoption fees, given that ongoing veterinary support would be in place.
What would it cost?
When fully utilized, it is estimated that close to 26 million pets would receive Peticaid at a cost of approximately $8 billion per year—a big number, to be sure, but only about 1% of the US annual Medicaid budget.5
Most likely, like Medicaid, this would be a state-administered program, with the federal government paying approximately 69% of the cost and the state 31%.5 Many options exist to cover the cost, including a very small increase in payroll taxes, reserve Medicaid funds, state sales tax on pet food and supplies, other federal fund sources, and various state funding options.
Peticaid would need to be introduced and passed state by state, as a new federal funding bill would need to be introduced into the House of Representatives and most likely would take many years to pass due to the 2-year terms, turnover, and political climate changes.
A legislative study bill being considered in Colorado would allow for the necessary research to be done to determine the number of pets involved, projected cost of the program, federal collaboration, and how the program will be paid for and administered.
Peticaid is truly a win-win-win-win initiative. Low-income pet owners such as the working poor, single parents, struggling veterans, those with disabilities, and families in need would be able to obtain preventive care and sterilization services for their pets. Shelters may benefit from increased adoptions and decreased surrenders. Pets would not suffer from preventable diseases and, very significantly, revenue to participating veterinary hospitals for medical care would increase by 20% to 25%.
Stephen Covey, MD, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, liked to discuss “big rocks” as high-priority, ambitious projects that will require some heavy lifting. As he said, “It’s one thing to recognize what is important but another to actually accomplish it.”6 It will take the efforts of many to make Peticaid a reality.Please email Peticaidcolorado@gmail.com to stay updated about the progress of Peticaid and how you can help.
The Colorado legislature is considering the creation of the Access to Veterinary Care Advisory Group to evaluate Peticaid as a state-funded program.
References
- Shrider E, Creamer J. Poverty in the United States: 2022. United States Census Bureau. September 12, 2023. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html
- U.S. pet ownership statistics. American Veterinary Medical Association. May 2022. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics
- Brown A. About half of U.S. pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member. Pew Research Center. July 7, 2023. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as-a-human-member/
- Pet ownership saves $22.7 billion in annual health care costs. News release. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. May 23, 2024. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://habri.org/pressroom/20230523
- Williams E. Medicaid enrollment & spending growth: FY 2022 & 2023. KFF. October 25, 2022. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-spending-growth-fy-2022-2023/
- Choice 3: schedule the big rocks, don’t sort gravel. FranklinCovey. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-5-choices/choice-3/
