Does pet insurance pay the vet directly?

Most pet insurance companies are willing to pay a vet directly, but this is not the case for all vets. Some vets may not be willing the accept payment directly from the provider, especially if they have not worked with the insurance provider before or had a bad experience. NimbleFins says for pet insurance that pays the vet directly, it can be beneficial to choose a larger pet insurance company.

If a vet is willing to take payment from the provider, it means the pet owner only has to foot the bill of the excess on the policy rather than pay the full bill then wait to be reimbursed by the insurer.

The vet may ask for pre-authorisation of a claim for a direct-to-vet payment. A policyholder may also want prior approval before going ahead with an expensive procedure.

It is important to note the vet may charge an admin fee to work directly with the insurer.

If approved, a direct-to-vet payment can be a huge benefit to the pet owner as veterinary treatment can be very costly and major treatment and emergency care can run into thousands of pounds.

Alternatively, an indirect payment method means the pet owner pays for the treatment at the time. The full amount of the treatment is paid to the vet and then the policyholder claims the amount back from the provider. If approved, the insurer will pay the amount back to the policyholder, less the excess on the policy.

Which pet insurance pays the vet direct?

Most pet insurance companies are willing to pay a vet directly, but the vet is not always quite as willing.

It could be a prior bad experience or the fact the vet has not worked with the company before, so they are unsure about accepting payment directly from the provider. This means it can be better to choose a larger, more well-known insurer, as it is more likely vets will be willing to work this way with them.

Pet insurance providers which are more likely to be accepted by a vet for direct payment include Petplan, Animal Friends, and Bought by Many.

However, it is best if the pet owner asks their chosen veterinary practice about direct-to-vet payments and if they will accept this type of arrangement as well as which providers they will accept. It is unlikely they will suggest an insurance company but they will be able to tell the pet owner if they can accept direct payment and which providers they would potentially work with.

The vet may ask for pre-authorisation of any potential claim before the treatment is carried out so they can ensure they will be paid. Without this, the vet may want to be paid in full by the owner before a claim is put forward. Policyholders may also want to get approval from the insurance provider before any big procedure goes ahead to make sure the insurer will pay the claim.

If a vet does accept direct-to-vet payments, the policyholder only has to pay the excess to the vet. The excess is any amount not covered by the policy. There are also some procedures and treatments not included in policies including flea and tick treatments, wormer and any treatment not included in the policy.

Does Tesco pet insurance pay the vet direct?

Tesco pet insurance will offer direct payments to the vet. It is important to check if the vet is happy to accept Tesco for a direct payment method.

Tesco offers all four types of insurance for pets: accident only, time limited, maximum benefit and lifetime.

Vet cover ranges from £3,000 to £10,000, with excess amounts of £60, £120, or £200 available on policies when purchased online.

It is important to note that Tesco pet insurance offers a 20 percent discount for new customers online. This means the premium in the second year increases by about 25 percent.

Does Bought by Many pay the vet direct?

Bought by Many pet insurance can pay a vet directly. As a larger and well-known company, they are more likely to be accepted by vets to pay directly for treatment, but it is still important to check this with the vet ahead of any treatment.

Another important note is that Bought by Many is not able to offer pre-authorisation for claims.

Bought by Many offers cover from £7,000 to £15,000 and all four types of policies: time-limited, third party, maximum benefit and lifetime cover.

The standard excess is £69 or £69 plus 20 percent of a claim. A regular plan has the option of no excess, and there is a pre-existing condition plan available with an excess of £99 or £99 plus 20 percent of the claim. Plans for older pets include a compulsory payment of 20 percent per claim.

Does 4Paws insurance pay the vets direct?

Insurance provider 4Paws is happy to pay claims directly to the vet. It is important to check if the veterinary practice accepts 4Paws pet insurance for direct payments.

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