Best Pet Insurance Wellness Plans
Adding wellness coverage to your pet insurance can help with routine costs like checkups, vaccinations, and flea and tick treatments, as well as one-time expenses like microchipping and spaying or neutering.
CNBC Select has reviewed pet insurance companies with wellness plans to help you keep your pet healthy and manage expenses.
Best Pet Insurance Wellness Plans
- Best for affordability: Pets Best
- Best for puppies and kittens: Embrace
- Best for teeth cleaning: Metlife
- Best for meds and prescription food: CarePlus by Chewy
- Best for speedy claims processing: Lemonade
- Best for senior pets: Spot
- Best for multiple pets: ASPCA Pet Insurance
- Best for microchipping: Figo
Detailed Reviews of Top Pet Wellness Plans
Pets Best
- Policy highlights: Pets Best offers accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness plans.
- Age limits: Cats and dogs as young as seven weeks old can enroll, with no upper age limit.
- Coverage limit: $5,000 or unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, or $1,000.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Waiting period: 3 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament injuries.
- Discounts: 5% multi-pet discount.
- Direct vet pay: Yes
Pros: Deductibles as low as $50, and no maximum age limit
Cons: Exam fees not included with the basic plan. The multi-pet discount is lower than some other providers. Only top-tier plan covers alternative therapies.
Who’s this for? Pets Best wellness plans offer deductibles, reimbursement limits, and maximum annual coverage levels suitable for different budgets. A great choice for older dogs as there’s no age cap for enrollment.
Embrace
- Policy highlights: Embrace offers accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness policies.
- Age limits: 6 weeks to 14 years.
- Coverage limit: $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $100, $250, or $500.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Waiting period: 2 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses.
- Discount: Healthy Pet discount reduces your deductible by $50 every year you don’t find a claim.
- Direct vet pay: Yes
Pros: Unlimited annual coverage is available, with a two-day waiting period for accidents. Available in all 50 states and Washington D.C.
Cons: Coverage limited to pets 14 and younger, with a $25 policy activation fee.
Who’s this for? Embrace’s Wellness Rewards plans have annual coverage limits of up to $700, enough to cover vaccinations and spaying/neutering.
MetLife Pet Insurance
- Policy highlights: MetLife offers an accident and illness plan and a wellness add-on. Policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company and Metropolitan General (MetGen) Insurance Company.
- Age limits: No age restrictions for enrollment.
- Coverage limit: $500 to unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $0 to $2,500.
- Reimbursement rate: 50% to 90%.
- Waiting period: 14 days for illnesses, 12 months for knee injuries.
- Discounts: Discounts are available for buying online and enrolling multiple pets, as well as for animal care staff, military members, and health care workers. Deductibles drop up to $50 each year you don’t file a claim.
- Direct vet pay: No
Pros: Covers birds, lizards, small mammals, and other exotic pets. Offers reimbursement for lost pet rewards. Most claims are processed within 10 days and also covers burial/cremation.
Cons: Doesn’t cover microchipping, and there’s no accident-only policy. Coverage, waiting periods, and discounts vary based on the underwriter.
Who’s this for? MetLife Pet Insurance’s Preventive 365 plan includes $100 a year for teeth cleaning, while the Preventative 575 plan has a $150 coverage limit.
CarePlus by Chewy
- Policy highlights: CarePlus offers accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness plans through Lemonade and Trupanion.
- Age limits: Pets from 8 weeks old to 14 years old can be enrolled.
- Coverage limit: $20,000 or unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $250, $500, or $1,000.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%-100%.
- Direct vet pay: Yes, with Trupanion policies.
Pros: Some plans have 100% prescription coverage, video consultations, and the direct vet pay option available.
Cons: Does not issue its own policies, and Trupanion policies don’t cover curable pre-existing conditions. Lemonade is not available in all states.
Who’s this for? CarePlus’ preventive care plan covers 100% of medications, supplements, and prescription food purchased on Chewy.com, as well as flea, tick, and heartworm prevention treatments.
Lemonade
- Policy highlights: Lemonade offers accident and illness and wellness policies in 38 states.
- Age limits: At least 8 weeks old with a maximum of 10 to 14 years, depending on breed.
- Coverage limit: $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, or $100,000.
- Annual deductible: $500 to $750.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Waiting period: 2 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, 6 months for cruciate ligament injuries.
- Discounts: 5% multi-pet discount, 5% off for paying the annual premium in full, and 10% for bundling pet insurance with other Lemonade policies.
- Direct vet pay: No
Pros: 10% bundling discount available, with a 2-day waiting period for injury coverage.
Cons: Only available in 37 states, and the 5% multi-pet discount is lower than competitors. Strict age limits may make it hard to enroll older pets.
Who’s this for? Lemonade’s AI-powered interface makes the claims process (nearly) pain-free. File through the website or app and your reimbursement is wired directly to your bank account.
Spot
- Policy highlights: Spot Pet Insurance offers accident-only and accident and illness plans, plus two tiers of wellness add-ons.
- Age limits: No upper age limit.
- Coverage limit: $2,500 to unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Waiting period: 14 days for accidents and injuries.
- Discounts: 10% multi-pet discount.
- Direct vet pay: No
Pros: No upper age limits for enrollment, and exam fees are covered.
Cons: There’s a 14-day waiting period for accidents, and the 30-day money-back guarantee is not available in New York or Maine. The average rate for cats is higher than the competition.
Who’s this for? Spot doesn’t have an upper age limit for enrollment, making it a great option if you have an older dog. Wellness coverage starts 24 hours after purchase, so you can take advantage of benefits quickly.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
- Policy highlights: ASPCA offers accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness plans for cats, dogs, and horses. There is a 10% multi-pet discount and a 30-day money-back guarantee if no claims are filed.
- Age limits: At least 8 weeks old to enroll, with no upper age limit.
- Coverage limit: $5,000 or unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $100, $250, or $500.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Waiting period: 14 days for accidents and illnesses.
- Direct vet pay: Yes
Pros: A 10% discount is available for enrolling multiple pets, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Coverage for horses is included.
Cons: Bilateral conditions are not covered. You must call to get information on some plans.
Who’s this for? ASPCA offers a 10% discount for enrolling more than one pet.
Figo
- Policy highlights: Figo offers accident and illness and wellness plans.
- Age limits: No upper age limit.
- Coverage limit: $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited.
- Annual deductible: $100 to $1,500.
- Reimbursement rate: 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%.
- Waiting period: 1 day for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for orthopedic injuries to dogs, which may be waived by having a vet examine your dog.
- Discounts: 5% multi-pet discount, 15% discount for Costco members, and 5% military discount (in most states). Your deductible drops by $50 each year you don’t file a claim.
- Direct vet pay: No
Pros: Costco members can save 15%, with no upper age limit for enrollment. A 100% reimbursement option is available. Claims close on average in under 3 business days and and covers curable conditions that have been healed for 12 months.
Cons: Vet exam fees are not covered by the basic plan and also doesn’t offer an accident-only plan. The multiple-pet discount is lower than many competitors.
Who’s this for? Figo offers a 5% discount for insuring two or more pets, making it more affordable to keep all your pets covered.
What Do Pet Wellness Plans Cover?
Preventative care plans vary but typically cover expected costs such as vaccinations. Most pet owners purchase wellness coverage along with an accident-only or accident-and-illness plan, but you can find standalone options.
Wellness plans may cover:
- Annual checkups
- Vaccinations
- Teeth cleaning
- Vitamins and supplements
- Preventatives for fleas, ticks, and heartworms
- Deworming
- FIV or FeLV testing (for cats)
- Microchipping
- Spaying/neutering
Wellness plans typically do not cover:
- Non-prescription food
- Breeding or treatment related to pregnancy
- Obedience training
- Grooming or nail trimming.
- Non-prescription food
- Treatments for injuries or disease
How Does a Pet Wellness Plan Work?
A wellness plan is more like a membership than traditional insurance; You pay a monthly fee and, in return, your pet receives access to a set number of services, often with no deductible. The price of each vaccination, blood test, or other treatment is then subtracted from your balance.
While a wellness plan may cover testing, it won’t pay to treat an illness if one is detected. That’s why the majority of owners combine preventative coverage with an accident and illness plan.
How to Choose the Right Pet Wellness Plan
Evaluate any wellness plan for a variety of factors beyond cost.
- Availability: Is this plan offered in your state? Can you pick your veterinarian? Can a preventative care plan be bought by itself, or is it attached to accident and illness coverage? These questions should be a part of your calculations when deciding on a wellness plan.
- Coverage limits: Be sure to learn how many routine wellness visits you get a year and if medications, prescription food, and vitamins are discounted or covered.
- Exclusions: If you have a newborn puppy or kitty, you might want to see if the wellness plan covers essential services like microchipping and spaying/neutering. If you have an older pet, ensure there aren’t age caps on coverage.
- Customer satisfaction: Look up the provider on TrustPilot or check its grade and reviews on the Better Business Bureau website. A significant insurer with different lines may be ranked by J.D. Power, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners might have data on the volume of complaints it receives.
Is a Pet Wellness Plan Worth It?
A preventative care plan can be a good way to budget for pet care, with predictable monthly costs rather than surprise expenses.
Regular checkups can help keep your cat or dog healthy throughout their lives and enable vets to catch problems before they become more serious (and expensive). But they require a commitment: If you don’t think you’ll come in for checkups or cleanings — or your pet doesn’t need microchipping or spaying — it might not be the right choice.
Pet Insurance Wellness Plan: Pros and Cons
Pros: Often cheaper than paying out-of-pocket, which encourages a holistic approach to pet health, and early detection can prevent a more serious problem.
Cons: Added cost on top of traditional pet insurance, limits on frequency and type of care, and requires commitment to routine veterinary visits. Doesn’t cover accidents or illnesses on their own.
