Professional Discount Policy

Implementation Date: 07/23/2009

Date of Last Revision: 8/17/2023

Next Review Due: 08/16/2025

Revised Administrative Team and Section Heads Approval: 03/2013

Reviewed by VTH Board: N/A

Reviewed by Legal Counsel: N/A

Revised VTH Director Approval: 8/17/2023

Subject to modification by the VTH Director without approval.

Policy

The VTH will apply a discount on services provided to the following groups:

Employee and Non-employee Affiliates Group: Will be entitled to a 20% discount on all allowable VTH services based upon costs published in the current fee schedule. A 20% discount will be given to allowable VTH diagnostic and referral lab charges. A maximum of 10 non-commercial animals per person will be allowed under this heading. Discounts on greater than 10 animals will require prior approval by the Director of the VTH. Proof of established ownership of animals presented may be required. Only animals owned by the employee and residing with the employee are eligible for the discounted rate on services. Past employees, that are not retirees, are not eligible for the discount.

Service Animals: (animals for physically and visually impaired clients, current and retired police and fire rescue animals, the University of Illinois working dogs, etc.): Will be entitled to a 20% discount on all allowable VTH services based upon costs published in the current fee. A 20% discount will be given to allowable VTH pharmacy, diagnostic, and referral lab charges.

The following groups will not be offered a discount:

Public: Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule.

The following groups will not be offered a discount: Public: Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule. Commercial (breeders): Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule. Emotional Support Animals: Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule.  Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule.

The following groups will not be offered a discount: Public: Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule. Commercial (breeders): Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule. Emotional Support Animals: Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule.  Will be charged the full cost as published in the current VTH fee schedule.

Guidelines

Examples of discount groups include:

• Personal pets of referring veterinarians will be charged as “non-employees” and eligible for the 20% professional discount.
• Seeing-Eye dogs will be eligible for the service animal discount.

Examples of non-discounted groups include:

• Animals belonging to the clients of referring veterinarians will not be eligible for professional discounts. These owners will be in the “public” group.
• Pets belonging to the parents, siblings, or friends of veterinary students will not be eligible for professional discounts.
• Animals presented belonging to animal rescue groups or humane societies will not be eligible for the professional discount.

Procedure (if applicable)

Employee and Non-employee Affiliates Group: The employee creating the account and/or registering the patient will make the appropriate changes in the hospital computer system to apply the appropriate discount to the client’s account. Retrospective application of an employee/affiliate discount will only be offered to the client if the discount was excluded due to an error in our process (i.e., discount was not verified at the time of check-in). It is the responsibility of the employee to indicate their status as such.

Service Animal: The employee creating the account and/or registering the patient will make the appropriate changes in the hospital computer system to apply the appropriate discount to the client’s account. In order for a service animal to receive the 20% discount on allowable VTH services, the employee must ensure that the client account type is changed to a “2”, while the discount - % remains 20% to represent the 20% given on allowable VTH pharmacy, diagnostic, and lab charges.

In cases where it is unclear as to whether the patient is truly a service animal, appropriate steps will be taken in an effort to ensure that the animal is in fact a certified service animal.

• Note: It is illegal to request certification of a service animal. Professional judgment must be exercised in these cases. Refer to the following website for additional details regarding service animal classifications: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

Definitions (if applicable)

Certification and Validation: Both “employee” and “non-employee” groups (personnel) may be required to certify their employment status within the CVM in order to receive any discount. Client Services or any others who may create a client account will validate the status of persons requesting a professional discount. Customer Service Representatives (CSR's) may utilize the Vet Med Directory to verify the current status. If there is a question of status, inquiries may be made to the VTH Administrative offices. 

Commercial: The animal is part of one’s business in which a tax form is filed.

Employee: Any person employed (paid) by the CVM. This group includes house officers and others who work in the CVM and receive benefits such as parking and health insurance.

Non-employee Affiliate: Member of, but not employed by CVM. This group includes CVM professional students, Parkland College Veterinary Technician students, CVM Emeritus faculty, CVM retirees (faculty and staff), those with a 0% appointment (e.g., adjunct professors), and all veterinarians.

Public: All others (regardless of whether they are university employed or not).

Service: As used in this policy (and by IRS), “service” includes all components of a patient’s visits, such as examination, laboratory tests, diagnostic and surgical procedures, drugs and supplies, implants, etc. Pharmacy charges associated with a professional opinion (refills, signature for items that require that a veterinarian signs for the drug/item) are also included under the definition of service.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) – The collective clinical services of the Large Animal Clinic, Midwest Equine, the Small Animal Clinic, and the Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.