Pet Insurance That Pays the Vet Directly
Most pet insurance companies require that you pay the vet and get reimbursed, but there are a few that will pay the vet directly. Some of these insurance companies have an easy process to follow while others require more work.
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Pet insurance can save you a lot of money if your pet needs expensive care. However, most pet insurance companies require you to pay the vet bills first and then get reimbursed for the costs.
If you don’t have the money to pay for your pet’s care upfront, covering the vet visit and waiting to be reimbursed can be a burden. Luckily, there are pet insurance companies that pay your vet directly. The process varies between insurance companies—some companies have an easy, streamlined system, while with others, it will require a bit more legwork on your part.
Below, you’ll be able to compare four pet health insurance providers that will pay your vet directly.
Healthy Paws
Deductible
$100 – $1,000
Reimbursement
50% – 90%
Benefit Limit
Unlimited
Healthy Paws typically asks their customers to pay the vet and then wait to get reimbursed when they file a claim. For pet owners who need it, though, they do offer an option to pay the vet directly.
If you’d like to have Healthy Paws pay your vet directly, your vet must agree to receive payment this way. If they do, you’ll need to call Healthy Paws to start the payment process. Any vet from any network can be paid directly from Healthy Paws.
Managing reimbursement is easy as Healthy Paws doesn’t require a claim form—everything can be done online or through their mobile app.
Trupanion
Deductible
$0 – $1,000
Reimbursement
Up to 90%
Benefit Limit
Unlimited
Trupanion pays your vet directly, making the process easy. If your vet accepts payment directly from insurance companies, Trupanion can pay them within minutes at checkout. They even have a lookup feature on their website so you can see if your vet accepts direct payment.
If your vet is listed as accepting direct payment, the process is simple:
- Your veterinary hospital submits a claim with Trupanion at checkout
- You are responsible for paying your portion of the bill at checkout
- Trupanion pays your vet directly, within minutes
This simple system comes with a drawback—if your vet isn’t listed as accepting direct payment from Trupanion, you’ll have to pay for the care yourself and then submit a claim to be reimbursed.
Pets Best
Deductible
$50 – $1,000
Reimbursement
70%, 80%, or 90%
Benefit Limit
$5,000 – Unlimited
Pets Best’s direct pay option is available on all pet insurance plans. There’s a little extra paperwork required, but if it keeps you from facing a large bill that you can’t cover, it’s worth it.
The process for using Pets Best’s direct pay option is as follows:
- Your vet needs to agree to be paid directly by Pets Best. If they do, you must fill out Pets Best’s vet direct pay release form and have your vet sign it. You’ll send that form in along with your claim, which you can do online through the mobile app, or via fax or email.
- Your claim will be processed within five days of receiving it and your vet should then receive payment. You’ll still have to pay the deductible, co-insurance, and any other items that aren’t covered directly to your vet.
Pets Best offers three different plan levels from which to choose in addition to an accident-only plan, which doesn’t cover routine medical care or illness.
Petplan
Deductible
$250 – $1,000
Reimbursement
Up to 90%
Benefit Limit
$2,500 – Unlimited
Petplan will pay your vet directly, as long as your vet agrees to accept payment this way. To set up a direct payment, Petplan requires that you send in written approval from both the vet and yourself. This written approval must come from the veterinary office, their email address, or written on their letterhead.
Once you’ve sent this to Petplan, you can file your claim and submit the invoice showing the amount due. You’ll be responsible for paying Petplan any copay or deductible that’s due and Petplan will send payment to the vet. Reimbursement will happen within 30 days of you submitting all required documents.
With Petplan, you can choose from three main tiers of coverage: bronze, silver, and gold. Wellness checkups aren’t covered by insurance, but your pet is required to get them to maintain a Petplan policy.
Summary of pet insurance that pays the vet directly
| Provider | Pays Vet Directly? | Details |
| Healthy Paws | Yes | Available if you can’t pay the bill and your hospital accepts this payment. Only possible during business hours. |
| Trupanion | Yes | To pay directly, the hospital must have the Trupanion software. You can check hospital eligibility on Trupanion’s website. If eligible, payment can be made in minutes. |
| Pets Best | Yes | Offers Vet Direct Pay as an optional feature on all plans. There is a vet reimbursement release form required to initiate this option. |
| Petplan | Yes | Only available on a case-by-case basis. Your vet will need to agree to this option before you call a representative to initiate the process. |
Other pet insurance resources
Even if you decide you need pet insurance that will pay the vet, there are still a lot of other details to research when trying to buy the right pet insurance. If you’re shopping for pet insurance, be sure to use our library of resources to help you make the best decision.