Are there any pet insurance plans that don’t operate on a reimbursement model? I adopted a three-year-old cat back in February, and she’s been really healthy so far. But I know that can change at any moment. Most insurance options I’ve found seem to require me to pay the vet upfront and then get reimbursed later. With vet bills adding up so quickly, I’m really worried about being able to afford treatment if something happens. 
Yeah, most plans work that way. What I did was combine my insurance with a CareCredit card. If you spend a certain amount, which can differ by vet, you might get six months or more with no interest. I only use it for my vet visits, which gives me time to submit my invoices and get reimbursed. Typically, I see the reimbursement in about two weeks, and once I get that money in my account, I apply it to my credit card balance.
Trupanion is a good option because they pay the vet directly.
That’s right, Trupanion is unique in offering direct payments to the vet. If that doesn’t work for you, I’d suggest looking into credit cards, CareCredit, or financing options like Affirm. There are also services like Scratchpay and VetBilling, but make sure your vet accepts them. Some insurance plans can reimburse the vet instead of you, meaning you’d only pay a co-pay, but you need to find a vet willing to do that. I had a vet that would, but I was also an employee there and with the insurance company, so they felt secure getting paid.
From my research, Trupanion seems to be the only one that does direct payments to the vet.