Prices: Who knows what?

Q. Should the doctor know the prices for procedures and services?

"Everyone, including the doctor, should know and feel comfortable talking about the prices that pet owners generally ask about," says Roger Cummings, CVPM, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and consultant with Brakke Consulting Inc. in Dallas. "A practice that chooses not to have doctors know the fees is doing a significant disservice to the client."

The client will think the doctor's avoiding the topic if he or she doesn't know the price when a client asks. Plus, says Cummings, "If doctors aren't knowledgeable and comfortable talking about practice fees, how can they expect their staff members to be less intimidated when discussing these estimates and costs with clients?"

Roger Cummings