Pet Insurance That Pays The Vet Directly

Pets Best, Chewy 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.

Key Takeaways

• Direct vet pay is a great perk if your pet insurance company offers it, but not many do.
• With this feature you don’t have to pay a large vet bill upfront yourself.
• You or your vet will need to jump through extra hoops in order to use direct vet pay systems.

What Does Direct Vet Pay Mean for Pet Insurance?

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.

Pros and Cons of Pet Insurance That Pays the Vet Directly

Pet insurance that pays the vet directly isn’t always a magic bullet for payment. Consider the following.

Pros

• You won’t have to pay the entire vet bill yourself up front. 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.

Cons

• Veterinarians may have to jump through hoops. Your vet may need to make extra effort to accommodate direct vet pay. For example, for Pets Best they’ll need to sign a Veterinarian Reimbursement Release Form. You submit this form and your claim form to Pets Best, and the vet has to wait for reimbursement. They might not want to do this.
• You could still get the bill. If your claim ends up being denied you’ll still have to come up with the money.

What To Look Out for When It Comes to Pet Insurance and Direct Payments to the Veterinarian

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 situatio