Colorado Votes To Let More People Provide Veterinary Care
Colorado is set to pass Proposition 129, with 72 percent of votes counted at the time of posting. Proposition 129 establishes a new, legally recognized and regulated class of veterinary care providers known as veterinary professional associates (VPAs).
Before the passage of the proposition, only licensed veterinarians, veterinarian technicians, and veterinarian technician specialists were legally permitted to administer veterinary care in Colorado. Once Proposition 129 is adopted, the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine will be required to recognize VPAs, determine what kind of care they may practice, establish the level of supervision required, and specify any additional credentials beyond a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care.
Proposition 129 states that VPAs “may perform tasks that are within the individual’s advanced education and training,” providing the profession a broad scope of practice. The proposition adds that the “full scope of practice may be determined by the state board,” leaving the door open to regulatory capture by the three pre-existing veterinary care providers that may fear competition.
If competition does increase, consumers will benefit from the expansion of the supply of veterinary care providers. Jeffrey Singer, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, reports that “a shortage of up to 24,000 companion-animal veterinarians will likely still exist by 2030,” which will contribute to pet health care spending increasing by three to four percent in real terms over the next decade. Expanding the pool of pet care professionals to include VPAs is a simple way to
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