Despite the growing popularity of pet health insurance, there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding what is covered. The cost of pet wellness or preventive care plans, for instance, is typically in addition to the monthly premiums you pay for accident and illness insurance. What is a pet wellness plan, and which pet insurance option in 2023 offers the best preventive care?
The majority of add-on wellness plans cover a portion (or set an annual cap) of the following preventative care advantages:
- Wellness exam
- Flu shots and titers
- Tick and flea protection
- Heartworm prevention
- Bloodwork
- Spay/neuter procedures
- Microchipping
- Grooming charges
- Fecal exams
Best Pet Insurance For Preventive Care
We examined the top pet insurance companies to determine how well they covered general preventive care and how much each plan would cost you monthly. While most insurers provide some form of Pet preventive care plan, we’ve discovered that certain insurers’ coverage is more comprehensive than others.
Additionally, most pet insurance companies offer various levels of coverage, so you can choose the one that best suits the demands of your Pet’s medical care. So, these are the top pet insurance options for preventive care:
Spot
Spot pet insurance offers coverage for various ailments, including inherited conditions, behavioral disorders, alternative therapies, and chronic conditions to ensure that your Pet can receive the high-quality medical care they need. Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group was established in 2019, which has been in business since 2006 and provides insurance to the location.
Pros:
- For individuals on a tight budget, it offers accident-only coverage.
- It offers the choice of having infinite annual benefits.
Cons:
- The average monthly premium cost is somewhat expensive.
- Does not include cosmetic surgery.
A gold preventative care plan from Spot Pet Insurance costs $9.95 per month, while a platinum preventative care plan is $24.95 per month. For each wellness benefit, each plan provides a predetermined reimbursement amount. The gold and platinum plans have an annual reimbursement benefit of $250 and $450, respectively. In addition to providing benefits for blood tests, urinalyses, deworming, and spaying/neutering, the platinum plan differs in reimbursement levels.
You’ll pay about $40 per month for a dog’s accident and illness coverage and $22 per month for a cat’s. Spot does not cover pre-existing conditions, but they are covered if they have been treated and symptom-free for 180 days.
Lemonade
This New York City-based insurance provider offers coverage for your Pet in addition to homeowners, renters, auto, and life insurance. It offers an annual deductible of $500 or less and includes an easy-to-use app for filing and reviewing claims.
Because it offers a wide range of preventive care services, Lemonade pet insurance stands out from the competition. There are two levels of coverage available, and there are also add-on options. For cats and dogs, the entry-level plan costs just $10 and $15 per month, respectively. This package includes up to three immunizations, one blood test, one heartworm test, one fecal exam or parasite test, one wellness exam, and a chat with a doctor.
All of these, as well as dental cleaning, microchipping, spaying/neutering, and medications for fleas and ticks, are included in the subsequent level of wellness coverage. You can also purchase additional individual add-ons if you want even more coverage, such as benefits for physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care, as well as vet visit costs related to accident and illness exams.
Dog accident and illness insurance typically cost $37 per month for dogs and $15 per month for cats. Accident-related expenses, including hospitalization, diagnostic X-rays, lab work, and procedures, are typically covered by accident insurance. Accident and illness insurance will cover everything that accident policies already do, including illnesses like cancer, hereditary diseases, and the need for physical treatment for pets—rates of reimbursement range from 70 to 90%.
Pros:
- The chance to save money by combining pet insurance with one of the company’s other insurance options
- Has one of the shortest two-day waiting times for accidents.
Cons:
- Regular coverage does not include access to medical chat.
- Not accessible in all fifty states
Embrace
Since Embrace Pet Insurance has been in business since 2003, you can be sure that it has some experience managing insurance. In addition to providing a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 10% multiple pet discount, Embrace also provides a 5% military discount.
Compared to other pet insurers, Embrace’s preventive care plans operate differently. It provides a range of annual reimbursement values between $250 and $650. This plan can use this money to cover out-of-pocket expenses for wellness examinations, immunizations, flea/tick prevention, spaying/neutering, microchipping, grooming, teeth cleaning, prescription diet food, training, and other related services. Your monthly payment will range from $18.75 to $52.09. Since your young Pet will need a lot of vaccinations at that age, Embrace pet insurance advises starting with a higher level of preventive care plan coverage when your Pet is a puppy or kitten and reducing your coverage as needed.
On average, you may expect to pay about $35 for dogs and $18 for cats each month for accident and illness coverage.
Pros:
- Provides coverage for treatable existing diseases as long as your Pet has been symptom-free for 12 months.
- Provides a Healthy Pet Deductible that, in the event, you don’t get any insurance claim reimbursements, lowers your annual deductible by $50.
Cons:
- The maximum annual reimbursement is $30,000.
- A six-month wait time before treating knee ligament problems
Healthy Paws
According to its website, Healthy Paws pet insurance was among the best pet insurance providers from 2010 to 2021. It is notable for its quick claim processing and philanthropic contributions. In actuality, the majority of claims are handled within two days. Healthy Paws offers unlimited lifetime payments in addition to unlimited annual payouts, which in our opinion, is extremely outstanding.
Only Healthy Paws offers no preventive care coverage among the pet insurance companies on our list. Since there is only one accident and illness insurance plan offered, it keeps things simple, albeit the cost and specifics will change depending on your Pet’s age.
For instance, the deductibles and reimbursement percentages for dogs and cats younger than five range from $100 to $500. Six to seven-year-old dogs and cats have deductibles ranging from $250 to 750 dollars, and reimbursement rates are between 60 and 80%; as you can see, as your pet ages, the deductible increases, and your reimbursement rate decreases. Although the maximum coverage age for pets is 14 years old, this coverage trend persists as your Pet gets older. For cats and dogs, respectively, the average monthly insurance premium is $12 and $39 per month.
Pros:
- Thirty-day money-back promise
- Based on the breed and age of your Pet offers customizable coverage.
Cons:
- It doesn’t provide wellness programs
- There are no discounts for having more than one Pet.
ASPCA
The ASPCA, established in 2017, receives its underwriting from United States Fire Insurance Company. The ASPCA does not demand that your Pet undergo a physical examination before enrollment, and all coverage begins only 15 days following the start date of your policy. Most other pet insurance providers have waiting periods of at least six months; If your Pet’s breed is predisposed to knee ligament injuries or hip dysplasia, ASPCA may be the best option if you want prompt coverage.
The basic and prime plans offered by the ASPCA pet insurance cover preventive care. A part of your out-of-pocket expenses for items like dental cleanings, wellness examinations, immunizations, deworming, and fecal tests will be covered by the basic plan, which costs around $10 per month and has defined rates.
The prime plan is the next level up and costs on average $25 per month. A health certificate, blood tests, urinalysis, flea and heartworm medicine, and other extras are all included in the top plan.
Lastly, the ASPCA charges an average of $49 for dogs and $29 for cats for accident and illness insurance. Your deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual cap are all customizable.
Pros:
- Offers a 30-day refund policy.
- When you insure many pets, you receive a 10% discount.
Cons:
- Does not include fees for breeding or aesthetic operations.
- Low annual limit, with a $10,000 maximum
Prudent Pet
Prudent Pet was founded in 2018 and provided some fairly fantastic features for your Pet, including 24/7 access to a vet chat feature and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Pet owners have the choice to purchase an accident-only plan for even greater savings, in addition to being able to tailor their deductible and reimbursement percentage to fit their spending needs.
While wellness coverage is an additional add-on expense, accident and illness coverage typically costs about $39 per month for dogs and $23 per month for cats. Prudent Pet Insurance offers preventive care coverage in three tiers; each of which is titled after the appropriate plan price.
The low plan has a defined level of reimbursement for each wellness benefit and costs about $7.95 per month for cats and $11.95 per month for dogs. The medium plan, which costs $13.95 for cats and $19.95 for dogs each month, will provide a higher level of reimbursement for each wellness benefit. The premium plan, which costs approximately $19.95 per month for cats and $29.95 per month for dogs, offers the highest coverage. It includes extras like a wellness blood test and coverage for Lyme disease immunization.
Pros:
- Discounts for purchasing numerous pet policies
- Behavioral issues are addressed.
Cons:
- A waiting period of six months for cruciate ligament injuries
- Encompasses only canines and felines
Standalone Pet Wellness or Preventive Care Plans
Banfield Wellness Plans
Only Pet preventive care plans—not pet insurance—are available from Banfield. With preventive pet health care, its strategies assist you in maintaining and preserving excellent pet health. We calculated the cost to include dental cleanings and other care, including flea and tick control; for our Newfoundland, the total came to $48.95 per month under a fundamental pet wellness plan.
To be justified, you must utilize every service offered by Banfield for the monthly fee. The Essential Wellness, Active Prevention, and Special Care wellness plans are available for dogs.
The Essential Wellness package includes deworming, fecal examinations, full physical exams (two per year), diagnostic tests, and immunizations. The same is covered by Active Prevention, along with dental cleaning and urine tests. In addition to preventive X-rays, ocular pressure checks, ECGs, and a greater discount on other Banfield items; the Special Care plan includes the same benefits as the others.
Wellness PetAssure
PetAssure is a budget veterinary insurance alternative to customary pet insurance. This is useful if your Pet has a history of medical issues, you need wellness care, but your plan does not cover it, or you want to use a discount plan for your pet care requirements. While pet insurance may pay for 75–90% of veterinary visits, additional requirements; include meeting a deductible and making sure the appointment qualifies as a covered instance. To ensure that you can afford to provide your pets with the care they require; the PetAssure option is a fantastic add-on, alternative, or standalone insurance.
VCA Care Club
You can purchase a VCA Care Club plan that includes wellness or preventive care on a Schedule of Benefits straight from VCA. Whether you have a puppy, an adult dog, a senior dog, a kitten, an adult cat, or a senior cat; you may choose from several levels of care with VCA Care Club. Depending on the animal’s age, coverage will often include immunizations, wellness examinations, fecal exams, and more. VCA only offers preventive and diagnostic services; pet insurance has no choice. The cost of fixing any problems that are discovered will be your care.
Conclusion
Regarding dog insurance, preventive care coverage offers pet owners a lot of value, especially for a puppy or kitten that needs so many jabs and immunizations. Adult dogs and cats will need more coverage when they become older as their need for medical care, and associated costs start to rise.
As you can see, each pet insurance provider has its form of wellness or preventive care plan; so all you have to do is find them at a price you can afford while still getting the coverage you require. To optimize your reimbursements, look for covered extras, like grooming expenses, heartworm prevention, and dental care. You can easily locate a wellness plan that works for your Pet, even if you have a limited budget. Knowing that your Pet’s required vaccines and well-checkups are covered gives you peace of mind as a pet parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right pet insurance?
Therefore, keep the following advice in mind if you choose a pet insurance plan to pay for these veterinary expenses.
- Enroll your Pet when it is young.
- Investigate a provider’s reputation.
- Think about the amount of coverage you want.
- Check the small print.
- Seek advice from your veterinarian.
- Additional reading
- About the author.
What should my pet insurance annual limit be?
Most pet insurance companies have an annual cap of $10,000, but a few will cover your pet for up to $20,000. As most policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, experts advise purchasing pet insurance when your pet is still young and healthy.
Does Progressive own pets best?
APIC has sole financial responsibility for its own products. Progressive is not associated with Pets Best or APIC.
Do pet insurance premiums increase with age?
As the Pet’s age approaches, the rates for the majority of plans skyrocket. By the time a puppy or kitten is 4 or 5 years old, rates have doubled and they may actually require costly veterinarian care, according to Brasler, who spoke to NBC News BETTER. The majority of pet owners will understandably stop paying for coverage once it costs more than $200 per month.
What is a annual deductible on pet insurance?
The easiest form is an annual deductible because you only have to pay it once per Pet every policy year. No matter how many times your pet visits the vet during the course of the insurance year, with an annual deductible, you only need to pay the deductible once.
Related Articles:
