Thursday, January 23, 2025
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Owner impacted

The owner of a Labrador retriever with liver disease searches for her own answers

As of September 1, we have emailed the press offices of Purina and Colgate Palmolive (the latter is the parent company of Hill’s) and asked them to comment on the numbers, including the more than 15 mg per kg amounts for Purina Pro Plan. We have also asked the FDA to explain why Ms. Chwastiak needed to sit on hold for hours, call up companies herself and fight for information that is clearly significant and should be on every label of every pet and human food. We have not received any immediate responses ahead of the holiday weekend. We will be going to each company Ms. Chwastiak called for comment in the coming weeks.

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AVMA-Vet_Dunce_California

California vet industry leader lashes AVMA for “fearmongering” and ‘protectionist’ positions on telehealth legislation

“These organizations are stonewalling progress and innovation, and don’t have an answer to how we address veterinarian shortage [and] access to care issues,” he said. The AVMA’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Gail Golab did not respond to detailed requests seeking comment, nor did outgoing AVMA President Dr. Lori Teller, when asked about CVMA member Dr. Brian Evans’ characterization of the AVMA’s position on telemedicine as “protectionist” and “fearmongering.”

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Maine

Trupanion sues Maine insurance regulator
The suit hints at a larger, core challenge to Trupanion’s survival.

Trupanion’s complaint asserts:

“As of January 1, 2023-the effective date of the Maine Pet Insurance Act-the Bureau of Insurance has prohibited Trupanion and other pet insurance companies from deferring the effective date of policies issued in Maine. As a result, to avoid the anti-selection effect of certain consumers using the prohibition on waiting periods to obtain coverage for accidents that already occurred, Trupanion is requiring that consumers must have their pet examined by a veterinarian before the policy takes effect. Other insurers have largely pulled out of the market in Maine altogether including Nationwide, which along with Trupanion constitutes half the market share of the industry.”

With many more states set to enact similar laws starting January 1, 2024, this will inevitably draw attention to EDO’s. And, so, Maine seems to be the tip of an iceberg, with a larger battle looming for Trupanion, which would challenge the entire business model itself as more states pass similar legislation banning waiting periods and put Trupanion into an EDO-only revenue model, thereby putting the spotlight on the EDO and — its legality.

If territory partners (independently contracted local sales agents critical to Trupanion’s vet-centric business model) need to be licensed just to visit vet hospitals and educate vet professionals about pet insurance, how does Trupanion explain a system of relying upon vet hospital staff to introduce Trupanion and educate consumers about the EDO without being licensed?  

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press release not true

Trupanion Press Release Claim of NY Rate Hike ‘Approval’ Not True, Regulator Says

It’s taking a little bit of liberty. It’s a bit of an exaggeration on their part….It’s more that they just submitted these rates to us, and we are aware of them.” – NYDFS official

NYDFS: NY ‘Approval’ Claim Not True

“The department does not technically have the authority to approve [pet insurance rates]… These rates are just submitted to us. We do not have the authority to review them prior to publishing,” an official at New York’s Department of Financial Services told TCR.

When asked if Trupanion’s statement about NYDFS approving an 18% rate increase was accurate, the official said, “It’s taking a little bit of liberty. It’s a bit of an exaggeration on their part….It’s more that they just submitted these rates to us, and we are aware of them.”

By email, the official confirmed, “the Department still retains the authority to object to aspects of the rate filing,” she wrote, referring to Trupanion’s filing.

TCR has included redacted written exchanges with New York DFS et al. after the conclusion of our reporting.

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_April 2023 (1)

Vet Industry Leaders Fault AVMA for Reticence on Key Issues

Earlier in the discussion, several panelists had expressed frustration with respect to telemedicine and its lack of legislative progress relative to telemedicine in human healthcare.

“I think the AVMA has a very important role to play,” vet telemedicine company Vetster medical director Dr. Sarah Machell, BSc, DVM told the conference. “From what I can see, sitting up on top of the United States , they have a lot of clout. They have over a hundred thousand members.

She added:

“There’s a lot of protectionist behavior that’s still happening at that level. And, there’s a lot of fear of losing a piece of the pie. It’s a bit challenging to answer what their role is.” 

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