Medicare for Pets: Could It Happen?

As servant to two senior Oriental Shorthair "catizens", I have from time to time, fantasized that our government offered a program similar to Medicare to help defray veterinary expenses for our beloved companions.

Ok, so I am a dreamer but if there are any compassionate pet-loving politicians reading my ideas, or simply a group of folks like me caring for elderly pets with vet expenses are climbing like mercury during a heat wave -- I am open to suggestions that can make "Veticare" a reality.

My husband and I carry pet health insurance for our two kitties.

With both our cats covered, the monthly cost is nothing to sneeze at. And heaven forbid a pet has a pre-existing condition, most policies won't cover them, or if available, the premiums are out of sight.

And while I am giving up my age, I am more than satisfied with my Medicare benefits, along with the secondary medical insurance to which I subscribe.

While Medicare is considered by our government to be an "entitlement" program, most of us have been contributing to the Medicare system through salary deductions; all employees hired on or after April 1, 1986 are required to have a 1.45% tax assessed on gross Medicare taxable earnings by the Social Security Administration. Medicare is not a "gift "from our government by any stretch of the imagination.

Obviously, since most of our pets are not employed they pay no taxes.

But what about those working pets whose financial compensations are paid directly to their owners? I would like to think that those owners ultimately contribute when tax time comes around.

Those of us owned by pets pay a considerable amount of money each year for their care, without receiving any tax deductions to which families with children enjoy. Although a few legislators have recently been proposing bills to that end, so far nothing has come to pass. These forward-thinking leaders realize that for most people, pets are not a "luxury." For one thing, they help us stay well.

Purrhaps I am preaching to the choir, but since most folks who truly love their pets and regard them as part of the family, why aren't they considered "dependents," eligible for a tax break?

A program to which people can contribute through deductions, much like the Medicare tax, needs to be created. It would save a lot of people from making a lot of tough decisions.

Happily I am not alone in my fantasy. It seems someone on Facebook in Australia on thought of this before I did.

Am I just a "cockeyed optimist?" What do you think? Do leave a comment with your opinion.

Image Source: Flickr user _driftwood