Smokey the cat got kidney cancer. The only way Smokey could possibly live was if veterinarians removed his cancerous kidney. After surgery, complications set in so the initial cost of saving Smokey rose until it finally stopped at $7,200. Fortunately, Smokey survived in the end.
The big question the owner of Smokey asks is if it only costs $7,200 to save a cat from kidney cancer, why does it cost up to $100,000 to save a human for the exact same treatment? Smokey’s owner suggests that the problem is that medical costs are paid for by insurance companies, so medical facilities charge more. Because Smokey didn’t have health insurance, veterinarians couldn’t charge as much.
Perhaps if we all want better health care, we should see a veterinarian instead. After all, it seemed to work out for Smokey.
To read more about Smokey and the cost of health care, click here.
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