"Is Standardization of Veterinary Clinic Fees Possible? [Kim Suwan's Animal Report]"

Up to 80-Fold Difference in Veterinary Clinic Fees
Consumer Groups Urge Passage of Veterinarian Act Amendment
Veterinary Association: "Standardize Treatment Items First"
Experts: "Standardize Pet Treatment Fees to Resolve Owners' Distrust"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the number of pet owners in Korea reaches approximately 15 million and the pet market continues to grow steadily, dissatisfaction with veterinary medical services remains persistent. Pet owners point to expensive veterinary fees and excessive treatments as issues and argue that veterinary clinic fees should be standardized.

The Korean Veterinary Medical Association states that resolving conflicts over veterinary fees requires various government-level support measures and that placing all responsibility for the cost burden solely on veterinary clinics is problematic.

Experts suggest that legal revisions are necessary to establish standardized prices for each treatment item and to provide advance notice of treatment costs.

According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Consumer Federation, which visited 50 veterinary clinics in the metropolitan area, only 18% provided advance notice of costs.

Additionally, significant price differences were found even for the same treatment items. Among these, tooth extraction showed up to an 80-fold difference, and tartar removal up to a 35-fold difference.

For neutering surgery, there was about a 5-fold difference, and for vaccinations, differences ranged from 2 to 4.7 times depending on the item. Furthermore, daily hospitalization fees showed up to a 4.5-fold difference.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, hospital fees account for a large portion of pet care expenses. According to the "2018 Pet Ownership Status and Public Awareness Survey Report" released by the Korea Pet Food Association, the average monthly pet care cost was 145,000 KRW.

A nationwide online survey of 1,000 adult men and women conducted by the Korea Consumer Federation found that hospital fees (84.8%) were the largest burden in pet-related expenses. The average expenditure per visit to a veterinary clinic was about 74,700 KRW, indicating that hospital fees constitute a significant part of the monthly pet care costs.

Given this situation, complaints about excessive veterinary fees and overtreatment can be easily found on 'GangsaMo' (Gangajireul Saranghaneun Moim), the largest pet owner community cafe, and various online forums.

As a result, pet owners are calling for improvements in guidelines, such as providing advance notice of treatment fees.

In March, ten consumer organizations including the Financial Consumer Network and the Korea Consumer Federation urged the prompt passage of amendments to the Veterinary Medical Service Act to introduce advance notice and disclosure systems for veterinary fees and to standardize treatment items.

According to these groups, a significant number of veterinary clinic users feel dissatisfied due to excessive billing because proper guidance on fees is not provided.

The organizations stated, "If treatment fees are disclosed in advance and treatment is carried out as notified, the burden of fees can be reduced and complaints about overcharging can be alleviated. To protect consumers' right to know and enhance veterinarians' credibility, the amendment to the Veterinary Medical Service Act, including the introduction of advance notice and disclosure systems, must be passed."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the other hand, the Veterinary Medical Association holds the position that resolving fee issues requires various government-level support measures, including establishing a standardization basis for treatment items.

In a statement, the association said, "Due to the nature of animals, who cannot verbally express their pain, veterinary medicine requires more time, effort, and examinations than human medicine. Initially, it is difficult to accurately assess the condition, so treatment fees inevitably vary depending on the severity of the disease as treatment progresses."

They added, "An increase in fees compared to the initial estimate cannot be considered overcharging. If such billing were restricted, veterinarians would be limited in providing the best treatment for animals, which would ultimately harm pets." They argued that simple comparisons without appropriate standards create an environment where sufficient medical care for pets is difficult.

Previously, the Veterinary Medical Association expressed concerns about forcibly introducing price comparison systems such as advance notice and disclosure without first establishing a standardization basis for treatment items. They argue that systematic policies covering overall animal medical care should be promoted in response to recurring issues with veterinary fees.

Experts suggest standardizing the varying veterinary fees across clinics to resolve pet owners' distrust.

Lee Wonbok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Alliance, pointed out regarding pet hospital fees, "The Fair Trade Commission abolished the standard treatment fee system to prevent collusion. The intention was to allow free competition for better services and price reductions, but it is currently not functioning properly, causing problems."

He continued, "Prices vary by hospital even for the same treatment or procedure, causing dissatisfaction among pet owners. Legal revisions are needed to disclose prices for each item and provide advance notice so that pet owners can understand. Like in human medicine, introducing a medical fee system is necessary to resolve recurring veterinary fee issues."

Meanwhile, as controversy over standardizing veterinary fees continues, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced in April that it plans to amend the Veterinary Medical Service Act to include provisions such as requiring advance notice of treatment costs to pet owners.

The proposed amendments by the Ministry include △ explaining and obtaining written consent from pet owners for significant treatments △ posting pet owners' rights and obligations within veterinary clinics △ mandating notification of treatment costs to pet owners △ publicly disclosing survey results on veterinary fees by clinic △ establishing treatment standards for the systematic development of animal medical care.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.