5,534 pet owners requested and received a free no-obligation quote from one of the above companies in the last 30 days.
What Does Direct Pay Mean for Pet Insurance?
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.
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.
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.
The Benefits of Pet Insurance That Pays Vets Upfront
Vet direct pay can be a great resource for pet owners who prefer a simpler reimbursement process. The benefits include:
Lower out-of-pocket costs: With vet direct pay, you will pay less upfront for covered veterinary treatments. Your insurance provider will pay the bill directly to your vet’s office minus your deductible and copayment.
No waiting for reimbursement: With vet direct pay, instead of paying the full amount upfront and then seeking reimbursement, your insurance provider pays eligible veterinary expenses directly to the veterinarian. This eliminates the need to submit a claim and wait for reimbursement.
Quicker claims approval: Companies that offer vet direct pay often allow you to file your claim before you leave the vet’s office. This can result in quicker claims approval than having to wait until after you paid the bill.
Upfront coverage of expensive vet bills: Vet direct pay can offer peace of mind if you cannot pay for an expensive veterinary bill at the time of medical care. With vet direct pay, you are only responsible for paying your deductible and copayment upfront, and your insurance provider covers the rest.
Which Pet Insurance Companies Pay a Vet Directly?
Only a select few pet insurance companies offer vet-direct pay. Most companies require that you submit vet expenses for reimbursement after paying the bill. If your provider covers the accident or illness, the company will reimburse you 50% to 100% of the bill, depending on your policy selections.
Below, we ranked the top six providers we found that offer vet-direct pay:
- Healthy Paws: Most Affordable Unlimited Coverage
- Pets Best: Our Pick for Vet Direct Pay
- Trupanion: Our Pick for Unlimited Lifetime Payouts
- Geico: Our Pick for Geico Members
- State Farm: Our pick for State Farm insurance members
- Progressive: Our pick for Progressive insurance members
Healthy Paws
Most Affordable Unlimited Coverage
Pets Best
Our Pick for Vet Direct Pay
Trupanion
Our Pick for Unlimited Lifetime Payouts
Geico Pet Insurance
Our Pick for Geico Members
State Farm
Our Pick for Insurance bundling
Progressive
Our pick for Progressive insurance members
Compare Pet Insurance Companies With Vet-Direct Pay
When considering which vet direct pay provider to choose, check out this chart that compares Healthy Paws, Trupanion and Pets Best. If you’re interested in other pet insurance companies, simply add a brand to compare costs.
Companies That Offer Vet-Direct Pay Through Trupanion
The following companies partner with Trupanion to provide a comprehensive accident and illness plan and vet direct pay:
- Geico: Geico partners with Trupanion and Embrace Pet Insurance. Trupanion offers direct vet pay, but Embrace does not.
- State Farm: State Farm offers pet insurance through Trupanion, which means you will have access to direct vet pay if your vet has Trupanion’s software.
Tips for Using Direct Vet Payments
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.
Alternatives to Pet Insurance That Pays Veterinarian Bills Directly
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.
Are Direct-Pay Pet Insurance Plans Worth It?
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Insurance Companies That Pay Vets Directly
Pumpkin’s pet plan does not offer vet direct pay. You can get reimbursed for claims via direct deposit or a check in the mail. If you are submitting a preventive care claim, you also have the option to get paid back via eCheck, which is a digital check sent via email.
Embrace pet insurance coverage does not pay the vet directly. After a veterinary visit, you will need to pay the complete invoice. You can then submit an online claim form for reimbursement.
ManyPets pet insurance plans do not pay your vet directly. Instead, policyholders submit an online claim form and receive reimbursements over the next one to 10 days.
Pet insurance companies offer one of two methods to pay claims. Some pet insurance companies make full or partial payments directly to the veterinarian, as with vet direct pay, so you do not have to pay out of pocket or file a reimbursement claim.
Other pet insurance companies require policyholders to pay their veterinarian in full and then file a reimbursement claim. The insurance company will then process the claim and transfer the reimbursement to you via direct deposit or check.
How We Ranked the Best Pet Insurance Companies with Direct Vet Pay
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.
