What Does Pet Insurance Cover?

Pet insurance gives a pet owner peace of mind by protecting their budget from unexpected veterinary expenses. Many pet insurance policies have similar plans with the same restrictions and limitations, but some offer add-ons to provide more extensive coverage. In this article, we’ll explain what pet insurance covers, what it doesn’t, how it works, and the different types of pet insurance plan options.

Additionally, we’ll give our recommendations for the best pet insurance so that you can focus on the health of your furry friend instead of your wallet.

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What Pet Insurance Covers

Depending on the specifics of your plan, a pet insurance policy will cover:

• Accidents and injuries
• Chronic conditions
• Common illnesses
• Diagnostic testing
• Hereditary conditions
• Hospitalizations
• Short- and long-term illnesses
• Medications
• Surgeries

Coverage specifics will vary by company and plan, but most policies are geared toward unexpected veterinary care costs brought on by unforeseen events or diagnoses.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

Like human health insurance, you’ll pay your pet insurance company’s monthly premium until you’ve met your deductible. However, unlike the human version, pet health insurance requires you to pay your veterinary bills at the time of service and then file a claim. If the claim falls under the terms of your policy, the insurance company will reimburse you a percentage of the bill, assuming you haven’t exceeded your plan’s annual limit. The reimbursement level is typically between 70% and 90%, depending on the specifics of your policy.

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What Pet Insurance Doesn’t Cover

Unfortunately, pet insurance plans don’t cover everything. Most notably, they won’t offer coverage for preexisting conditions, which means your policy won’t reimburse you for accidents, illnesses, or other conditions that occurred prior to enrollment. Additionally, most plans have exclusions for the following:

Additionally, if you don’t purchase a plan that’s specifically called “wellness coverage” or “preventative care,” your routine vet visits, medications, dental cleanings, and exam fees aren’t covered.

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Types of Coverage

There are four major types of coverage, though not all pet insurance providers offer all types of plans.

• Accident-only coverage
• Accident-and-illness coverage
• Wellness coverage
• Comprehensive coverage

We’ll break down these plans in further detail in the chart below.

Coverage Comparison

Accident Only

Applying only to accidents, this includes injuries like sprained ligaments and broken bones, as well as accidental mishaps, like poisoning and object ingestion. It also covers related expenses like X-rays, MRIs, lab tests, and medications necessitated by the accident. Accident-only coverage is typically the least expensive type of pet insurance, but it only covers incidents that qualify for emergency care.

Accident and Illness

Most pet insurance companies that only offer one plan offer an accident-and-illness plan, which covers everything in an accident-only plan and adds coverage for most short-term and long-term illnesses. These illnesses include everything from ear infections and digestive issues to chronic conditions like allergies, to severe diseases like cancer and heart disease. These plans may also cover congenital conditions, like hip dysplasia and arthritis, though there may be a longer waiting period for this coverage.

Comprehensive

Some providers consider their accident-and-illness plans comprehensive, but others offer a separate comprehensive plan. These plans may add coverage for holistic and alternative treatments, like acupuncture and aromatherapy. In addition, they may cover dental or behavioral treatments or medication. Again, the specifics will depend on the provider, so look closely at the differences between plans.

Wellness Care

As you may have noticed from the chart, the above three types of plans don’t cover the routine costs you’ll have to pay even if your pet remains healthy: wellness checkups, vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, spaying/neutering, and more. However, separate wellness plans or wellness add-ons will cover this preventive care. Although these plans typically cost about the same as a year’s worth of routine care, you’ll pay a standard amount every month instead of a large sum once or twice a year.

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Our Top Picks

Whether you’re looking for the plan with the most coverage or the cheapest pet insurance, we have recommendations to fit your needs. However, we recommend collecting at least three pet insurance quotes before deciding.

Lemonade: Best Overall

Lemonade pet insurance offers only a single accident-and-illness plan. However, you’ll have your choice of three add-ons to cover preventive care, vet fees, or physical therapy. Its premium prices are often much lower than its competitors, and you can choose between three deductibles and five annual coverage limits. Additionally, its automated system offers some of the fastest claims payment available.

Unfortunately, Lemonade’s plans are only available in 35 states. However, since the company offers several different types of insurance, including renters and homeowners’ insurance, you can save money by bundling these with pet insurance. There’s also a 5% discount for multiple pets. Get a free quote from Lemonade by filling out this quick form.

Spot: Most Customizable Plans

Spot offers both accident-only and accident-and-illness plans in all 50 states. Its accident-and-illness plan includes hereditary conditions like intervertebral disc dysplasia (IVDD), hip dysplasia, and dental disease. Additionally, you can customize your plan with different coverage limits, including an option for unlimited coverage. Although it’s expensive, Spot is one of the few companies to offer it.

Two levels of preventive care are available as add-ons, both at flat rates no matter your pet’s type, age, or health. In addition, Spot covers a few procedures and treatments that many other providers don’t, including microchipping, prescription food, and alternative therapies.

Finally, Spot has no upper age limits. Fill out this easy form to determine how much Spot’s plans could cost you.

Embrace: Best Deductibles

With an Embrace pet insurance policy, you could start receiving reimbursement after meeting a deductible as low as $200. However, if you’d prefer a lower premium price, you can choose from four other pet insurance deductibles to find a plan that fits your budget.

The company only offers a single accident-and-illness plan, but you can choose to add a wellness rewards option to cover up to 100% of your pet’s routine care.

Although Embrace’s policies come with a higher price tag than some of its competitors, its plans are remarkably comprehensive. For example, the accident-and-illness plan will cover hereditary and congenital conditions and treatments like physical therapy and acupuncture. For more information or a free quote, fill out this simple form on Embrace’s website.

Note: The Wellness Rewards plan is not available in Rhode Island.

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State Availability

Compare the cost of pet insurance providers in your state.

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Our Conclusion

Pet owners can help protect their budget from large, unexpected vet bills by investing in a health insurance policy for their pets. These policies cover accidents, major and minor illnesses, or both. While routine care isn’t usually a part of the basic coverage, many companies allow you to add it on for an extra fee. Although no pet insurance provider covers preexisting conditions, there’s enough variety in the available policies to cover most any veterinary health expenses you might need in the future.

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FAQ About What Pet Insurance Covers

Does pet insurance cover medication?

Yes, pet insurance covers medication under the terms of pet insurance. However, depending on the limits of your policy, not every medication may be covered. For instance, if you have accident-only coverage, your dog’s allergy medication wouldn’t fall under the terms of your plan, but your plan will likely cover antibiotics prescribed after an injury.

Does pet insurance cover vaccinations?

Pet insurance doesn’t cover vaccinations under most basic accident-only or accident-and-illness plans. However, wellness plans and routine care add-ons usually do cover vaccines. If you want vaccine coverage, make sure you pick a plan or add-on that includes preventive care.

What is the average monthly cost of pet insurance?

The average monthly cost of pet insurance will depend on several factors, such as coverage type and your deductible. However, as an overall estimate, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association found that dog insurance costs $16.70 a month for accident-only coverage and $53.34 a month for accident-and-illness coverage. Accident-only cat insurance costs $10.18 a month, and accident-and-illness coverage averaged $32.25. 

Does pet insurance cover final expenses?

Most pet insurance policies don’t cover end-of-life expenses, such as euthanasia, cremation, or burial. However, some companies, such as Spot, will cover some or all these costs, so make sure you look into the details of different companies’ policies. Few, if any, pet insurance policies will cover memorial expenses.

Do I need a credit report to purchase pet insurance?

You won’t need a credit report to enroll, but a pet insurance provider could run a credit check while writing your policy. According to Experian, pet insurance companies aren’t currently known to check credit scores when writing policies. 

What animals does pet insurance cover?

Most pet insurance policies are only available for dogs and cats. However, Nationwide does offer coverage for various exotic pets, including birds, reptiles, rodents, and amphibians.

Our Rating Methodology

We’re dedicated to thorough, in-depth reviews of each product or service that we detail in our content. Determined to build trust with our readers through transparency, accuracy, and accountability, we’ve built a detailed rating system to score pet insurance brands. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

• Coverage (25)
• Plan options (20)
• Monthly cost (20)
• Company reputation (15)
• Customer service (10)
• Species eligibility (10)

Our researchers keep all data in each company’s score up to date, making any changes to our content when necessary to provide our readers with the most accurate information on relevant metrics, such as plan options, customer service, reputation, and monthly cost.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at [email protected].