Hmm…that is surprising. I’m in California and state laws can sometimes be different but really vets don’t want to spend time and effort treating a pet only to discover at the end that the person can’t pay. So it’s in their best interest to collect payment up front.
When my friends dog got sick she was advised to rush her to the vet emergency hospital as it was life and death (blood platelet levels were dangerously low on blood work). I went with her as she was upset. Even in that situation they worked to stabilize the dog, the vet specialist came in and talked through their treatment plan (which included blood transfusions as well as a battery of tests to determine the underlying cause). While working on the dog they provided an estimate of cost - it was $12k USD, and that was just to stabilize the dog and find out was wrong with her. Not even the final bill (which ended up totaling $18k). They required a 50 percent payment upfront to continue treatment which my friend was able to pay (they did offer an option of financing and payment plans).
That experience drove me to obtain pet insurance the day we brought our puppy home. We have a high deductible policy and don’t claim minor issues but if she ever really gets sick - and odds are she will as she ages - I don’t want to choose between my heart and my wallet when making treatment decisions.
I don’t think that vet medicine costs are increasing because vets are greedy or because corporations are involved. I do think veterinary medicine has become much more complex over the last 20 years with various specialties similar to human medicine.
I do wish we could deduct vet costs and pet insurance on our taxes, though.