Telehealth medicine brings medical resources to people who can’t get to a doctor’s office or hospital. In the same way, veterinary telehealth can bring care to pets whose owners can’t make it to a veterinary clinic. But not in California. Veterinary telehealth is so restricted it is sparingly used for follow-up care or for emergency triage.
This editorial by the Los Angeles Times editorial board calls for the passage of Assembly Bill 1399 (Veterinary medicine: veterinarian-client-patient relationship: telehealth) by the California Senate. The column includes highlights of the bill and notes the position of key industry organizations.
Source: Los Angeles Times, August 31, 2023. Link. There are all sorts of obstacles to getting an animal to a veterinarian. Access is very difficult now because of a shortage of veterinarians in California and across the country. The problem is particularly acute in rural and low-income communities where there are fewer veterinary practices, says Lori Teller, a veterinarian and president of the American Veterinary Association.
UPDATE: California AB1399 has successfully cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee with a 7-0 vote, VVCA, LinkedIn, September 1, 2023. Link.