5 Best Pet Wellness Plans (2024 Guide)
We ranked Lemonade as having the best pet wellness plan due to its coverage customization and affordable pricing.
Written by
In addition to standard accident-and-illness plans, some pet insurance providers offer an optional wellness plan to cover preventive care, such as wellness visits, vaccinations, and spaying and neutering. Wellness plans are an additional fee, but many pet owners find the add-on worth it to cover common pet health needs or frequent treatments.
Wellness plans are most beneficial for pet owners who want to keep a close eye on their pet’s health, routinely getting their pets tested for heartworms, parasites, and other issues that may be common for their breed or age. We researched which pet insurers have the best pet wellness plans, looking at coverage, cost, and customer reviews. See which options are best for you and your pet below.
Key Takeaways
- We found that Lemonade offers the best pet wellness plans after reviewing the top pet insurance providers nationwide.
- Pet wellness plans generally cost $10–$30 but can cost up to $60, depending on the coverage that you choose.
- It’s rare to find wellness coverage by itself. It must be added to a standard plan.
Who Offers the Best Pet Wellness Plan?
Lemonade offers the best wellness plan option in the industry according to our rating scale, though companies Spot, Figo, Embrace, and Pets Best are also worthwhile choices. We like Lemonade because of how easy it is to customize your coverage based on your pet’s age and needs. Plus, its quote process is fast and transparent, allowing you to see exactly how each selection impacts your monthly cost.
We’ve included a close look at the pros and cons of each company on our list to help you see which pet wellness plan best fits your budget and your pet’s health needs.
How Do the Top Pet Wellness Companies Compare?
Compare the top pet wellness plan offerings at a glance, and read below for more details.
| Company | Star Rating | Cost Range | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15–$40 | VISIT SITE | ||
| $14–$32.58 | VISIT SITE | ||
| $18.75–$52.09 | VISIT SITE | ||
| $9.50–$16.50 | VISIT SITE | ||
| $9.95–$24.95 | VISIT SITE |
How Much Do Pet Wellness Plans Cost?
Pet wellness plans generally cost $10–$30, though some top-tier plans offer more coverage or higher annual caps and are considerably more expensive. These plans can be as high as $60 per month. Some pet insurance companies offer just one wellness plan option, while others have two or three with varying coverage levels. You can save money by choosing the most basic option, though this will limit what your plan covers. Consider which treatments you’ll most likely use for your pet. Weigh how much you’d pay out of pocket versus with a plan to see which coverage level makes the most sense for you. Some companies also vary the price based on pet age. Puppies and kittens need more preventive care, such as vaccinations, so your provider may recommend a more comprehensive plan.
How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?
Remember that preventive care is an add-on. Your wellness plan price will be in addition to your standard plan price. If you don’t already have a standard accident-and-illness plan for your pet, here’s a look at what you can expect to pay with the pet insurance companies on our list.
| Company | Monthly Cost for Dogs* | Monthly Cost for Cats* |
|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | $33.69 | $13.32 |
| Pets Best | $31.38 | 18.23 |
| Embrace | $65.15 | $53.43 |
| Figo | 44.79 | 16.36 |
| Spot | $38.44 | $21.53 |
*Costs are for four-year-old, mixed-breed, male pets in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Learn more about average pet insurance costs in our guide.
Is a Pet Wellness Plan Worth It?
- A pet wellness plan can be worth it if you have a reason to keep a close eye on your pet’s health, have a younger pet, or just want to take advantage of preventive measures. For instance, if your pet’s breed is one that’s prone to certain illnesses, you may want more frequent wellness exams and diagnostic testing to catch signs early. The costs of these frequent veterinary visits add up, making wellness coverage useful.
- Vets recommend scheduled vaccinations and more frequent exams for puppies and kittens, and many pet owners choose to spay or neuter and microchip their pets in their first year of life. Having wellness coverage while your pet is young and can cover many of these early life costs.
- A wellness plan may not be worth it for a senior pet, as most useful preventive coverage won’t be as relevant. You can still enroll, though, if you want things such as dental cleanings and grooming covered, as long as the provider doesn’t have an upper age limit.
What Factors Should You Consider Before Getting a Pet Wellness Plan?
Keep these factors in mind before buying a pet wellness plan:
- Budget: Prices vary among providers and plan tiers. Do the math to see if a wellness plan will actually help you save money on the preventive care your pet needs. If a wellness plan seems worth it, choose a provider that fits within your budget to ensure you ease your financial burden instead of increase it.
- Coverage: Not all wellness plans cover the same treatments. Embrace, for example, covers far more in its plan than most other providers. Read the fine print to make sure you’ll get coverage for the care you want for your pet and won’t be blocked by exclusions.
- Annual limits: Not all wellness plans cover the same treatments. Embrace, for example, covers far more in its plan than most other providers. Read the fine print to make sure you’ll get coverage for the care you want for your pet and won’t be blocked by exclusions.
What’s the Difference Between Pet Insurance and a Pet Wellness Plan?
A pet wellness plan is different from standard pet insurance. A standard pet insurance plan covers unexpected vet costs related to accidents and injuries. This includes treatments and special care for broken bones, lacerations, illnesses, infections, skeletal issues, and more. Accident-and-illness plans typically range from $25–$55 per month, though some can be higher. Your monthly premium will vary depending on the deductible, annual limit, and reimbursement rate you choose.
Pet wellness plans are separate from this standard coverage. Not all providers offer wellness coverage since it’s intended for routine preventive vet care that you can plan and budget for. However, having a wellness plan is beneficial because you’ll be reimbursed for the routine vet care your pet needs to stay healthy and catch issues early.
What Is a Pet Wellness Plan?
A pet wellness plan can be combined with your standard pet insurance plan to cover your pet’s routine care. Pet parents with puppies and kittens may find having a wellness plan especially helpful since it’s geared toward vaccinations, prevention treatments, wellness exams, and much of the veterinary care young pets need to avoid health issues as they get older.
- Wellness plans are only for preventive pet needs. They won’t cover surgeries, hospitalization, X-rays, or any treatment related to accidents and illnesses. They’re purely to help curb the cost of routine care, such as grooming, parasite prevention, and annual exams.
How Do Pet Wellness Plans Work?
Pet wellness plans work similarly to standard accident-and-illness plans. With most plans, you’ll pay for the treatment out of pocket at the vet, then file a claim with your insurer to be reimbursed.
Some pet insurance companies handle their wellness programs a little differently. For example, some providers give subscribers a card to use at the vet that’s preloaded with their coverage amount. Others allow direct pay, meaning you can scan your membership card at the vet, and the insurance company will handle the claim with the vet directly.
What Do Pet Wellness Plans Cover?
Wellness coverage varies slightly across companies, but most wellness plans cover the following:
- Blood work and other diagnostic testing
- Dental cleanings
- Deworming
- Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention
- Grooming
- Microchipping
- Routine wellness exams
- Spaying and neutering
- Urinalysis
- Vaccinations
Plans typically state how many treatments of a certain kind they’ll cover during a policy year and/or a maximum annual coverage amount.
What Don’t Pet Wellness Plans Cover?
Since pet wellness plans are only geared toward preventive routine care, they don’t cover anything related to accidents or illnesses. You’ll need an accident-and-illness or accident-only plan to get any reimbursement for those health needs. And, like with all plans, you’re not covered for anything related to preexisting conditions.
You’re also not covered for experimental treatments or anything that’s not veterinary, such as waste disposal services or dog walking.
Is a Pet Wellness Plan Right for You?
Routine vet visits and wellness treatments can help detect and address health problems before they become severe, but these costs can add up quickly when paid for out of pocket. A pet wellness plan lets you know which treatments you have the option of and the maximum amount you’ll need to pay monthly, so you won’t have to constantly budget for your pet’s preventive care.
A pet wellness plan is right for you if the plan cost is less than what you would spend out of pocket on routine care. If your pet gets frequent preventive treatments, buying a wellness plan makes financial sense. This is especially true if you have a young pet that still needs vaccinations, spaying and neutering, or other treatments to get it started on the right foot. If you don’t think you’ll use many of the treatments offered under a wellness plan’s coverage, you may come out cheaper just to pay per vet visit.
We suggest carefully reviewing each company’s policy details, reading customer reviews, and getting quotes from multiple providers to compare pricing before enrolling in a plan.
FAQ About Pet Insurance Wellness Coverage
What is considered a wellness visit for a dog?
A wellness visit for a dog is an annual physical or checkup. These exams are preventive measures to evaluate a dog’s development, bones, blood work, major organs, coat, and other health indicators. These are for healthy dogs and are administered routinely, as opposed to vet visits focused on treating a specific injury or illness.
How often should my dog get a wellness check?
Most vets recommend monthly visits for puppies until they’re fully vaccinated. Adult dogs need wellness checkups once a year, and senior dogs should go every six months.
Is it good to have pet insurance?
It’s good to have pet insurance to cover your pet’s unexpected medical costs. Some accidents or illnesses require urgent treatment that could cost several thousands of dollars. In those cases, it’s valuable to have a pet insurance plan that will reimburse you for the majority of the expenses.
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. We aim to be transparent about our review standards and research process. We’ve broken down our rating methodology for pet insurance providers below.
Factors Evaluated to Compare Pet Insurance
The This Old House Reviews Team is 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. Our rating system is a weighted, 100-point scale based on the following factors:
Coverage (25)
Does the pet insurance provider offer standard accident-and-illness and accident-only coverage? How limiting is its preexisting condition policy?
Plan Options (20)
Does the pet insurance provider offer premium and deductible customizations? What about wellness plan add-ons?
Company Reputation (15)
Does the pet insurance provider have high customer satisfaction on websites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Google Reviews? Do they reimburse claims quickly and communicate policies clearly?
Customer Service (10)
Does the pet insurance provider have easily reachable, helpful customer service? Is there an app that makes filing claims and receiving support easier?
Species Eligibility (10)
Does the pet insurance provider offer coverage for older pets or exotic animals?
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.
About the This Old House Reviews Team
The This Old House Review Team is an independent editorial team of subject matter experts who champion the categories and home services we recommend. From the beginning stages of research to the published review articles, our team works diligently to center the reader’s interests by identifying common pain points, connecting with people with first-hand knowledge and experience, and crafting content that meets the needs of our audience. We aim to help first-time pet owners, potential pet owners, and budget-conscious pet owners streamline their decision-making process for selecting their home services.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
