If you’ve looked into pet insurance, you may have noticed several different gaps in your coverage. For example, things like spaying and neutering aren’t covered even though they are very essential parts of your pet’s overall health. Pet wellness insurance can help cover the cost of those gaps and more preventative care.
Regular pet insurance helps cover the costs of unexpected expenses, like if your pet has an accident. However, wellness plans cover the costs to prevent expected problems your pet will have, such as annual checkups with your vet. We’ll go over everything you need to know about your pet’s wellness insurance and what to look for when you buy.
How Much Does Wellness Insurance Cost?
Preventative plans normally have two different levels of coverage: basic and premium. Generally, if you combine your regular coverage with wellness coverage, your insurance provider will reward you with a discount. However, even without a bundled deal, wellness insurance is very affordable.
Basic preventative plans can be as low as $10 a month. Even just one vert checkup can cost more than $120, making this a valuable investment.
For example, your pet’s annual teeth cleaning can cost around $150 to $200. With wellness coverage, you’d receive up to 80% coverage on the cleaning, plus a wellness assessment to make sure your pet’s teeth are healthy.
Is Wellness Insurance Worth It?
If you go with a basic plan, then your overall costs for the year would be anywhere from $120 to $150 depending on the company you choose and the level of coverage. So even with just one annual teeth cleaning and a checkup, the coverage pays for itself.
However, pets are like kids; not only are they wildly unpredictable but you care enough for them to want to seek medical advice when they’re sick. Take the example below. The owner in this particular case was worried about her dog after a night of constant vomiting. After an emergency visit and several tests, the vet determined the dog was completely fine. This visit cost the owner around $300, but she could’ve gotten coverage on testing with wellness coverage.
This owner wasn’t wrong for taking their pet in despite nothing being wrong. There could be several underlying issues her dog might be dealing with. So when small problems appear, it’s nice to have professional advice readily available.
Having the problem professionally checked increases your chances of detecting problems early, improving your pet’s overall health, and solving problems before they get too big. With wellness coverage, owners feel more secure seeking care for even the smallest issues because they have the coverage.
| Body Part | Common Issues | How It Affects Your Pet |
| Oral health | Gingivitis, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. | Chronic pain, abscesses, infections, and cancer. |
| Liver function | Inflammatory liver disease and liver cancer. | Liver failure, anemia, bleeding disorder, refusing to eat, cancer progression, and fatal symptoms. |
| Kidney function | Acute and chronic kidney diseases, kidney stones, and kidney infections. | Kidney damage, kidney failure, refusing to eat, high blood pressure, blindness, and anemia. |
| Cardiovascular health | Heartworm, heart muscle disease, leaky heart valves, irregular heart rhythms, and bronchitis. | Poor circulation, fluid build-up, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. |
| Bone and joint health | Arthritis, hip dysplasia, torn cruciate ligament, degenerative back disease, and cancer. | Chronic pain, reduced mobility, progressive disease, and paralysis. |
| Glandular and endocrine health | Diabetes, thyroid disease, and adrenal disease. | Cataracts, blindness, hair loss and changes, and skin infections. |
| Vision health | Corneal ulcers, cataracts, dry eye, and glaucoma. | Chronic pain, progressive blindness, and eye loss. |
| Digestion and gastrointestinal health | Intestinal parasites, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, pancreatitis, and cancer. | Inability to absorb nutrients, refusing to eat, abdominal pain, and cancer. |
| Skin health | Allergies, fleas, mites, ticks, lumps, skin infections, and ear infections. | Hair loss, Lyme disease, chronic itching, impacted follicles, and hearing loss. |
Also Read: 10 Dogs With The Worst Health Conditions
How To Find Wellness Insurance
If you already have pet insurance, reach out to your provider to see if they also have bundled offers. Your regular vet may also provide preventative plans through their own office. If you don’t have either of these options, start by using a third-party service like QuotePurple.com to compare pet insurance plans.
Quote Purple only partners with top-rated providers, so you know you’ll always get the best service. There’s zero obligation to commit when you call and quotes are always free. In order to find the best coverage, you’ll want to ask several questions before you commit.
What does it cover?
Plans range from basic to premium wellness coverage. There are several things that you should receive coverage for with any preventative plan:
- Annual exams
- Vaccines
- Screenings
- Annual dental cleanings
- Flea and heartworm prevention
- Deworming
How is the plan structured?
It’s very important to know about what’s covered and how much everything costs. It’s also important you understand how you’re billed and reimbursed. Most plans won’t automatically cover you after a vet’s visit. You need to make a claim with your provider to get coverage.
Be sure you understand what your reimbursement amount is, whether it’s by a dollar amount or percentage of the total bill, and how to file a claim.
How much does it cost?
When considering costs, remember to account for your monthly expenses, but you should also make sure to add all your expenses throughout the year to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Additional costs you’ll need to consider with wellness plans include if there are deductible amounts and reimbursement limits.
Do I get additional benefits or discounts when I bundle?
If you already have pet insurance, reach out to your provider to see if you can add this additional preventative coverage.
What’s Covered Under Wellness Insurance?
Plans vary depending on your provider, but there should be some basic things covered under most wellness plans.
Blood tests
Common issues such as heartworm require a blood test to detect them. Blood tests also allow your vet to track and monitor cell health through a Complete Blood Count (CBC.) Drawing blood is normally the first thing your vet will do when your pet is extremely sick. It’s also helpful for catching the early signs of cancer and other diseases.
Dental cleanings
Routine cleaning can help prevent issues like gum disease and rotting teeth, similar to how humans routinely visit the dentist for cleanings and checkups. Teeth cleanings can also be helpful for preventing chronic pain in your pet’s teeth.
If you have a pet who’s particularly anxious about having its teeth cleaned, the vet may need to use general anesthesia, which is also covered in most cases.
Also Read: What’s Included & Where To Find Pet Dental Insurance
Deworming
Whenever your pet has any kind of intestinal issue, the vet will likely want to test for worms. Parasites like roundworm or tapeworm are particularly common for dogs especially. Your pet may need to endure several rounds of treatment and need multiple medications to remove the parasites.
Fecal and heartworm tests
If your vet suspects that your pet does have an issue with a parasite, they’ll need to take a stool sample to confirm. With any kind of gastrointestinal issue, testing your pet’s feces is normally the first step in treatment.
Heartworm, another common parasite among pets, also requires a specific kind of blood test.
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is another kind of routine test that ensures your pet is healthy. It helps detect signs of kidney and liver function and can help track several other common issues as well.
Spay and neutering
Not all wellness plans cover spaying and neutering, but there are plans that will cover this procedure. This is one of the biggest expenses pet owners have, and it’s essential for the health and safety of your pet.
Regular pet insurance won’t cover a spay or neuter, but certain wellness plans will help cover costs.
Also Read: How To Get Coverage For Your Pet’s Spay or Neuter
Vaccinations
During your pet’s first year, you’ll likely spend a lot on vaccines for things like rabies. You’ll need to go through several vaccinations and may need additional booster shots later in life.
Not all wellness plans cover vaccinations, which is why it’s important to compare plans before you decide to stick with one. To start comparing plans, call Quote Purple to talk to a partnered agent today.