How the corporatization of vet clinics is driving up prices across the country
How the corporatization of vet clinics is driving up prices across the country
My dog was getting dental work done and my vet was worried about her leg. She said while my dog was sedated she'd throw her up under the x-ray to take a look at the joint. "Well that's super nice!" I thought.
I leave my dog at the vet and get a call an hour or so later. It's the vet, she says she's really sorry but not only can she not do that x-ray for free, but I'll have to pay a consult fee too if they're going to look at anything not related to the teeth. She was very apologetic.
When I go to get my dog we're going over discharge notes and at the end this poor vet says "I now need to recommend this particular water supplement. I don't use it with my dogs. Some people think it's expensive and ineffective. If you think you might be interested I can also tell you about other options that may be more effective."
This poor woman who was all happy and concerned about my dog turned into someone who seemed supremely uncomfortable. I can only imagine it was VCA that was forcing this vet to go contrary to what she felt was best.
I realized this by accident a few years ago; I was looking for a vet and after checking out several websites I noticed many of them were essentially the same, just with logos replaced. I then spoke to a vet about it and she confirmed they're all being snapped up by a conglomerate. Unfortunately our government is either incompetent or malicious when it comes to enforcing antitrust.
Captured, criminally corrupt, and malicious!
There is a private equity firm for every industry. Daycares, physios, dentists, everyone. They all make them "efficient" by cutting services and maximizing profits at the expense of the public, and there's seemingly no way to stop them.
Pray to Saint Luigi for help
The laws exist because people wrote them. They can change. But some people would rather die than live in a more equitable world.
But I thought privatization is supposed to lower prices!
It doesn't. And when the bootlickers come out of the woodwork to tell you that private entities are more efficient that the government, it's a fucking lie.
The only thing that private entities are goid at is maximizing profits by walking the line of pissing customers just enough.