Pet Insurance That Pays The Vet Directly 2024 (2024)

Pets Best and Healthy Paws are the best pet insurance companies that pay the vet directly, according to our analysis.

Most pet insurance companies require you to pay your vet bills upfront, submit a claim and then get reimbursed if your policy covers the expenses. Some insurers have the option to send payment to your vet.

Read more

Featured Partner Offer

Featured Partner Offers

• Summary: Compare Pet Insurance Companies Offering Direct Vet Pay
• Best Pet Insurance Companies That Pay the Vet Directly
• What Does Direct Vet Pay Mean for Pet Insurance?
• Benefits of Pet Insurance That Pays the Vet Directly
• What To Look Out for When It Comes to Pet Insurance and Direct Payments to the Veterinarian
• Alternatives to Direct Vet Pay for a Pet’s Veterinarian Bills
• Other Pet Insurers That Pay the Vet Directly
• Methodology

Direct vet pay means the pet insurance company sends payment directly to your vet for problems covered by your pet insurance policy. How and when the payments are made varies depending on the pet insurance company.

For example:

• If you have Trupanion pet insurance and your vet has Trupanion’s software, your pet’s vet bills will be paid at checkout.
• Pets Best doesn’t pay a vet at checkout. Instead, you’ll submit a claim, along with your vet’s signed reimbursement release form, and your vet will be sent payment if the claim is approved.

Pet insurance that pays the vet directly can streamline the claims process. Here are some of the benefits:

• You won’t have to pay the entire vet bill yourself upfront. Vet visit costs for treatment for problems like cancer, swallowed objects, diabetes, broken bones and heart murmurs can all cost thousands of dollars. If your policy covers your claim, direct vet pay will pay the vet bill, minus your deductible and copayment.
• You won’t have to wait for reimbursement. If your insurer pays the vet directly, you won’t have to wait for a reimbursement check to replenish your savings account or pay your credit card bill.
• Quick payment. Trupanion pays your vet at checkout (if the vet has Trupanion’s software). That means your claim can be approved and paid before you leave the vet’s office.

Pet insurance that pays the vet directly is a nice benefit that can help reduce your out-of-pocket costs, but there are a few things to be aware of.

	Ask your veterinarian if they’ll accept direct payment Your veterinarian is not obligated to accept direct payment from a pet insurer. They may prefer you pay your bills upfront and submit a claim to your insurer.
	Trupanion requires your vet to have its software If you have Trupanion pet insurance, the vet will need to have its software. If your vet doesn’t, you’ll need to pay your vet bills upfront and submit a claim.
	Your vet may need to sign a release form For example, Pets Best requires you to complete a release form and an authorized representative at your vet or clinic will need to sign it in order to do direct pay.
	You may need to give your insurer advance notice Healthy Paws requires advance notice before they’ll authorize paying a vet directly. This means you may not be able to take advantage of paying directly in emergency situations.

If your pet insurance does not pay the vet directly, here are options to pay the bill while you wait for reimbursement:

• Payment plan. You may be able to negotiate a weekly or monthly payment plan with the vet.
• Financing. While it’s not optimal, you could seek a personal loan to pay for a large vet bill. Personal loan rates can range anywhere from 7% to 36%.
• Look for low-cost veterinary care. You can use a resource such as pethelpfinder.org to find veterinarians and clinics that offer payment plans, discounts and low income options in your area.
• Non-profit organizations. You can apply for assistance with a non-profit such as The Pet Fund, which helps pay for treatment such as cancer, heart disease and eye disease. You can also look into other resources from The Humane Society.
• Other alternatives. If you cannot afford to pay up front for your vet bills, ask if your vet accepts CareCredit, a credit card designed for healthcare expenses.

To find the best pet insurance that pays the vet directly, we collected data and scored each pet insurance company for several categories. Only pet insurers offering annual maximum coverage of $100,000 or Unlimited were scored, so that cost comparisons were fair among companies.

• Pet insurance rates (40% of score): We calculated average rates for medium sized mixed breed dogs age 3 months, 2 years, 5 years and 7 years for plans with unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and a 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.
• Special waiting period (10% of score): Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. Plans that have no waiting period, a waiting period of fewer than six months or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher. In certain states waiting periods are dictated by state law and may vary.
• Direct payment to vet (10% of score): Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.
• 24/7 vet health line (10% of score): Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line earned points.
• Routine wellness plans (10% of score): Insurers that offer optional wellness plans earned points.
• Pays veterinary exam fees (10% of score): Plans that cover the vet exam fee received points. Not all insurers cover exam fees, even if the fee is for an illness or accident-related visit.
• Euthanasia or end of life expenses (5% of score): Insurers that cover end of life expenses, such as euthanasia, cremation or burial fees, received points.
• Multipet discount (5% of score): Many pet insurance companies offer a discount if you insure more than one pet. Insurers that offer a multipet discount earned points.

Forbes Advisor is not a licensed insurance agency. Insurance offerings are powered by Marketplace P&C LLC, dba CompareCoverage, NPN 20753534 and CA Lic. # 6011227.

• Best Pet Insurance
• Best Cheap Pet Insurance
• How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?
• What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
• Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
• Compare Pet Insurance Quotes