Pet Insurance That Pays Vets Directly in 2024 (2024)

Vet direct pay is when your claim is approved by your provider; they will send reimbursement for any eligible vet expenses — such as emergency care or wellness services — directly to your veterinarian rather than you. This eliminates the need for policyholders to pay out-of-pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement later.

Not all veterinary offices accept direct payments from providers, so check with your vet before purchasing this type of policy for your pet.

Do You Need To Pay Anything If You Have Vet Direct Pay?

With vet direct pay, you are still responsible for paying your insurance deductible and copayment. For example, say you have a $100 deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate and your pet receives emergency veterinary treatment for a covered condition that costs $3,000. You would pay $390 out of pocket and your insurance company would pay the remaining $2,610 directly to the vet.

Only a select few pet insurance companies offer vet-direct pay. Most pet care providers operate on a reimbursement-based payment model in which the pet owner pays the full amount for treatment upfront and then seeks reimbursement from their insurance provider. Pet owners who cannot pay for an expensive veterinary bill upfront or prefer immediate reimbursement may prefer a provider that can pay vets directly.

Below, we ranked the top six providers we found that offer vet-direct pay:

• Pets Best: Best for vet-direct pay
• Healthy Paws: Most affordable unlimited coverage
• Trupanion: Best for service animals
• State Farm: Best for State Farm insurance members
• Progressive: Best for Progressive insurance members

Before choosing a vet direct pay plan, use these tips to ensure you can benefit from this reimbursement method:

• Ensure your vet accepts direct payments: Not all veterinarians accept direct payments from insurance providers, so be sure to check with your vet before purchasing this policy for your pet.
• Ensure your vet has the right software: If you have Trupanion, the company requires a vet to have its software to use direct vet pay.
• Have your vet sign the release forms: Progressive partners with Pets Best and requires a vet to sign a release form and submit a claim for approval before providing payment.

If your pet insurance provider does not offer vet direct pay, you may be able to find alternatives. Here are a few options:

• Specialized lines of credit: Paw Protect offers a $2,000 interest-free line of credit to pay bills from a veterinary clinic or emergency hospital.
• Emergency pet funds: A Pawp Pet membership offers coverage for one emergency vet visit bill of up to $3,000 per household each year. However, a Pawp vet must confirm your pet requires emergency treatment before you can activate and use the fund.
• Health credit cards: CareCredit is a health care credit card you can use for human or veterinary medical care. As with any credit card, your application will be subject to approval based on your credit score. Once you qualify for CareCredit, you can charge and pay back veterinary bills over time. CareCredit is interest-free if you pay your debt in the specified promotional timeline, which can vary. However, as with other credit cards, failure to pay off debt on time can result in penalty charges.
• Vet payment plans: If your pet needs emergency medical care that you can’t afford, discuss payment options with your vet. Some vet clinics may offer payment plans or financing options to help you cover the cost of your bill.

With most pet insurance plans, you must pay all costs upfront and then file a claim with your provider for reimbursement. For pet owners without a line of credit or an emergency cash fund, vet direct pay plans can be a great financial tool. Vet direct pay is also worth it for pet owners who value a convenient and fast reimbursement process since you don’t have to wait for a traditional claim reimbursement.

While vet direct pay provides lower out-of-pocket costs and a faster reimbursement, it may not be the cheapest pet insurance option. Other companies like Lemonade and Spot may offer cheaper monthly premiums.

To determine if direct vet pay is right for you, we recommend you consider your pet’s needs and your financial situation. Then get quotes from multiple providers to find the best balance of cost and coverage.

Many pet insurance companies offer high-quality coverage options for pet owners, but a select few offer direct-to-vet payment. We used the following factors to help rank our top pet insurance providers that pay vets directly:

• Offers vet direct pay: Our rankings include only pet insurance companies with options for vet direct pay.
• Ease of process: Companies with fewer requirements and a simpler vet direct pay process ranked higher than those with pre-visit requirements or a lengthier process.
• Cost: We ranked companies with lower average monthly costs higher than more expensive options. We determined costs by collecting and comparing average price plans for four sample pets in every state.
• Coverage: Companies offering more comprehensive coverage, including covered services and plan options, ranked higher than those with fewer options. Companies also earned points for offering ways to customize a policy, including options for higher annual limits and adjustable deductibles.
• Special perks: We also awarded points to companies with special perks, such as payment apps.
• Waiting periods: Providers with shorter waiting periods ranked higher than those with longer waiting periods for covered services.
• Our rating: Our team reviewed more than 35 pet insurance companies using our objective rating methodology. Pet insurance providers with higher overall scores ranked higher on our list.