Do All Vets Take Pet Insurance? What You Need to Know
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If you’ve ever known the headache of finding a doctor that works for you and is in your insurance’s network, you might be worried about the same thing happening with your pet. After all, it would be terrible to rack up an emergency bill saving your pet only to find out that your insurance won’t help.
But the good news is, you don’t need to worry. Pet insurance doesn’t rely on in-network providers as human health insurance does. That’s because it uses a reimbursement system that works in a totally different way. However, a few insurances do have perks that make life easier if you use a certain vet.
Pet Insurance vs Health Insurance
In the United States, health insurance follows a complex set of rules that limit where you can go to get the treatment that’s covered. You might expect pet insurance to be the same way, but it isn’t. That’s because pet insurance isn’t considered a type of health insurance—most companies actually treat it as a type of property insurance. Even though it’s a health plan in effect, claims are made the same way you would if you were attempting to fix a damaged home or vehicle.
Now that you know that your pet insurance reimbursement doesn’t matter on your vet, there is no reason to not get one. Here are few of the top-rated options on the market:
Top Rated Pet Insurance Companies:
This means that instead of your vet sending the bill to your insurance, they send the bill to you and you file a claim with your insurance to be reimbursed. This is a little more work on your end, but it means that any licensed vet will be covered by your insurance.
Filing a Pet Insurance Claim
The drawback of this system is that you have to file a claim yourself. Every pet insurance has a slightly different claim filing process, but many now have online or mobile app portals that let you file a claim quickly and easily. After that, it will take some time to process. Some companies will process most claims within one or two days, but others might take a few weeks. As soon as your claim is processed, the reimbursement money will be sent to you.
Insurance Direct Pay Networks
Filing a claim and waiting for reimbursement is the standard process for pet insurance, but a few companies have started to offer direct pay benefits as well. This means partnered vets can submit bills to your insurance directly, without you as the middleman. You may even get a discount! Healthy Paws, Pets Best, Pet Assure, and Trupanion all have some form of direct pay. If your insurance offers a direct pay option, you’ll need to go to a vet that’s part of their program to take advantage of it. The good news is that if you go to a different vet, you won’t lose coverage—you’ll just have to file the claim yourself.
- See also: Can You Claim Dog Food on Your Taxes?
Last Thoughts
Insurance can be complicated, but making sure your vet is covered is one thing you don’t have to worry about. If your insurance does have a direct pay option, it might be worth checking if a participating vet is near you. But if you’re in an emergency or have limited vets in your area, any vet will do. Just read up on your insurance’s claim process, and you’ll be good to go.
Featured Image Credit: Rawpixel.com, Shutterstock
