What Are Pet Wellness Plans?
Pet insurance covers emergencies and illnesses, but many people are surprised to find out that it usually doesn’t cover routine or preventative care. That’s because pet insurance is designed to step in when the unexpected happens. Pet wellness plans, on the other hand, provide coverage for when the expected happens, like going in for a quick check-up, taking care of annual vaccines, or doing some bloodwork.
Pet Wellness Plans Protect Your Pet’s Everyday Health
Pet wellness plans provide additional coverage to traditional pet insurance policies to help keep your pet healthy. Although wellness plans vary by pet insurance company, they typically offer benefits for services that are considered routine care, like:
- Annual or wellness exams
- Spaying/neutering
- Vaccinations
- Parasite tests and prevention
- Blood tests
Some plans also offer benefits for dental cleaning, microchipping, and alternative therapy treatments (like acupuncture and chiropractic).
Pet Wellness vs Pet Insurance–What’s the Difference?
Pet insurance plans usually cover accidents and illnesses. If your pet gets stung by a bee, gets an ear infection, or develops hypothyroidism while insured, your pet insurance policy will help cover the costs of treatment.
Pet wellness plans are designed to cover routine or preventative care. They can’t be purchased separately, but where your pet insurance will save you money on unexpected costs (like x-rays and treatment after your pet eats a forbidden snack), your pet wellness plan will help cover your expected costs for the year. Since wellness plans provide preventative care services, you might also see them called Preventative Plans.
The Best Pet Wellness Plans
We’ve done the research to find the best pet wellness plans. Take a look at the top three pet insurance companies, or read on to see which preventative care option makes the most sense (and gets you the best deal) for your pet.
Spot
Spot offers two different wellness plan options: Gold and Platinum Preventative Care. The Gold plan costs $9.95 per month and pays up to $250 on routine vet bills; the Platinum plan costs $24.95 per month, and pays up to $450.
| Gold Preventative Care | Platinum Preventative Care | |
|---|---|---|
| Dental Cleaning | $100 | $150 |
| Wellness Exam | $50 | $50 |
| Deworming | $20 | $25 |
| Health Certificate | $0 | $25 |
| Flea/Heartworm Prevention | $0 | $25 |
| DHLPP Vaccine/Titer | $20 | $25 |
| Fecal Test | $20 | $25 |
| Bordetella Vaccine Titer | $0 | $25 |
| Heartworm Test | $20 | $25 |
| Blood Test | $0 | $25 |
| Urinalysis | $0 | $25 |
ASPCA
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance has two different preventative care options, with pricing starting at $9.95 per month.
| Basic | Prime | |
|---|---|---|
| Dental Cleaning | $100 | $150 |
| Annual Exam | $50 | $50 |
| Heartworm/Flea Prevention | $0 | $25 |
| Health Certificate | $0 | $25 |
| Deworming | $20 | $25 |
| Canine Heartworm or Feline FELV | $20 | $25 |
| Urinalysis | $0 | $25 |
| Blood Test | $0 | $25 |
| Fecal Test | $20 | $25 |
| Canine Bordetella or Feline FELV | $0 | $25 |
| Canine DHLPP or Feline FVRCP | $20 | $25 |
| Canine Rabies and/or Canine Lyme, or Feline FIP | $20 | $25 |
Pumpkin
Pumpkin offers two different wellness packages as an add-on to their regular insurance plans for dogs and cats:
The Preventive Essentials for Kittens & Cats includes:
- Annual Wellness Exam - 100% refund for the exam fee for your kitten’s or cat’s annual trip to the vet.
- Vaccines - 100% refund on any 1 vaccine at the vet pet year.
- Parasite Screening - 100% refund for 1 yearly fecal test checking for intestinal worms.
The Preventive Essentials for Puppies & Dogs includes:
- Annual Wellness Exam - 100% refund for the exam fee for your puppy’s or dog’s annual trip to the vet.
- Vaccines - 100% refund on any 4 vaccines for puppies (in their first year) or on any 2 vaccines for adult dogs each year.
- Parasite Screening - 100% refund for 1 yearly fecal test for your puppy or dog checking for intestinal worms.
- Blood Test - 100% refund for 1 yearly blood test for heartworms and tick diseases for adult dogs.
Pumpkin’s regular insurance policies also cover illnesses and conditions that can be wellness add-ons with other companies. Pumpkin includes dental, prescription food, or alternative therapy coverage in its primary dog and cat insurance policies–request a quote to find out more about whether Pumpkin is the right company for your pets.
Lemonade
Lemonade offers three wellness plans that can be added onto your existing Lemonade pet insurance policy.
- The Preventative package includes coverage benefits for some of the most common veterinary services: an annual wellness exam, three vaccinations, a heartworm test, and a blood or fecal test.
- The Preventative+ package includes everything in the Preventative package, plus benefits covering additional tests and vaccines, routine dental cleaning, and flea/heartworm medications.
- Lemonade’s most extensive wellness plan is their Preventive Package for Puppies and Kittens. It includes coverage benefits for:
- Two Wellness Visits
- Spaying and Neutering
- Microchipping
- Vaccines
- Two Fecal or Internal Parasite Tests
- Flea/Tick and Heartworm Medication
Healthy Paws
Although Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a preventative add-on, their primary pet insurance policy includes some benefits that are more common to wellness care. Their accident and illness plan also provides coverage for diagnostic treatments, prescription medications, as well as x-rays, blood tests, and ultrasounds.
Additionally, Healthy Paws also provides coverage benefits for some forms of alternative therapy. Acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and massage, laser, chiropractic, or physical therapy sessions receive coverage when performed by a licensed veterinarian for a non-pre-existing condition.
Fetch
Fetch also only offers one type of plan for dogs and one for cats. Although they don’t include routine treatments like check-ups, prescription food, and vaccinations, they do provide coverage for some common wellness needs:
- Alternative care, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, and chiropractic therapy, is covered when performed by a licensed veterinarian to treat an injury or illness.
- Sick visit exam fees–outside of a regular checkup, if you take your pet to the vet for an illness concern, Fetch covers the exam fees.
- Diagnostic tests–from blood tests to urinalysis and MRIs to ultrasounds–are covered when performed or prescribed to diagnose an injury or illness.
- Physical Therapy like hydrotherapy, laser, and massage therapies, among others, are covered when performed by a licensed veterinarian.
- Behavioral therapy, or consulting with a vet to diagnose and treat behavioral issues, is covered for up to $1,000 per year. Supplements can also be covered when recommended by a veterinarian.
- Boarding fees are covered up to $1,000 per year.
Summary: Do I Really Need a Pet Wellness Plan?
Most pets benefit from being on a pet wellness plan. After all, they have yearly expected costs at the vet: the annual wellness exam, yearly vaccinations, heartworm and other parasite tests, blood work, and getting professional teeth cleaning. Having a pet wellness plan can help serve as a reminder to stay current with preventative care, helping you keep your pet in good health or identify concerns early.
That said, puppies and kittens get the most out of a pet wellness plan. Young pets are more likely to visit the vet for check-ups and they are more likely to fully utilize pet wellness benefits; most dogs and cats are microchipped and spayed/neutered when they’re less than 15 months old.
No matter the age of your dog or cat, the best reason to get a pet wellness plan is to enjoy peace of mind at the vet. By helping you cover the costs–of exams, diagnosis, and treatment–pet insurance provides support and the financial assistance you need to make sure your pet receives the best care possible.
*Pricing and plan information are accurate at time of writing, but just like pet insurance plans, details may vary by region and are subject to change. Please refer to the pet insurance company’s website and read the quoted policy to make sure you’re getting the coverage you need before you sign up.
