What coverages does pet insurance include?
Pet insurance coverage can be customized to your pet’s budget and health needs through Progressive Pet Insurance by Pets Best. You can choose to get coverage for only accidental injuries or accidents and illnesses — the comprehensive and most popular option. You can also add preventive care to your comprehensive plan if you want your pet’s routine vet visits and procedures covered.
Vet bills
These can be unexpected and often expensive. Covering them is the main reason people take out pet insurance.
Check your policy carefully to understand exactly what can be claimed for, how much you’ll get and for how long.
Some treatments that can be covered are listed below:
- General vet costs – including a range of treatments for accidents, injuries and illnesses.
- Hereditary and congenital conditions – generally, these aren’t classified as existing or ongoing conditions. However, you’ll need to make sure the cover is ‘unrestricted’ rather than only under certain circumstances.
- Long-term and ongoing conditions – normally only covered if you have a lifetime policy. Check the individual policy to find out how much cover you have in this area.
- Dental care – covered on some pet insurance policies, but not all. Usually covers dental care required due to accident, illness or injury, but not for cosmetic work.
- Alternative treatments – such as homeopathy, acupuncture and physiotherapy – can be covered through your pet insurance if recommended by a vet.
- Breeding risks or costs – if you’re planning to use your pet for breeding, you’ll need to make sure this is covered. Spaying or neutering your pet will normally result in an insurance premium reduction.
Compare the three types of coverage available to find the best pet insurance plan for your dog or cat.
Accident Only
Accidental injury coverage
Your dog or cat can be covered for broken bones, bite wounds, and other common injuries under this plan. It’s a highly affordable, fixed-price pet insurance option for covering those unfortunate accidents. It doesn’t cover treatment for illnesses.
BestBenefit
Accidental injury and illness coverage
This is the most popular plan as it covers illnesses and injuries, no matter how serious. You get to select your deductible and how much you’re reimbursed: 70%, 80%, or 90% of your pet’s vet bills for covered illnesses and injuries. Choose this plan for comprehensive coverage including emergency care, diagnostic testing, specialist visits, and more. BestBenefit does not cover preventative or routine care. Premiums are dependent on your pet’s age, breed, location, and reimbursement level.
BestWellness and EssentialWellness
Routine care coverage
Unique to Pets Best, this optional add-on to your BestBenefit plan helps you pay for preventative care, including vet visits, vaccinations, teeth cleaning, and more. There are two levels of routine care coverage to choose from: BestWellness and EssentialWellness. For a fixed price, each plan can pay out up to a certain amount per year for the eligible types of routine care.
What does pet insurance not cover?
Pet insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions and non-medical needs, such as holistic therapies, food, supplements, boarding, grooming, taxes, administration fees, waste disposal fees, transportation fees, or shipping and handling fees.
Elective and preventive procedures are not covered by the BestBenefit or Accident Only plans. Coverage for preventative care is only available with the BestWellness and EssentialWellness plans, which can be added on to your BestBenefit coverage. Parasite testing, treatment, and prevention aren’t covered, unless you have a BestWellness or EssentialWellness plan.
Common questions about pet health coverage
Does pet insurance cover prescriptions or prescription food?
Pet insurance doesn’t cover any diet-related costs, including prescription foods, but most Pets Best BestBenefit plans do cover a wide range of prescription medications.
Does pet insurance cover shots?
That depends on the purpose of the shot and which plan you have. Eligible vaccination shots and titers are covered by the optional EssentialWellness and BestWellness add-on plans. Treatment related to eligible injuries and accidents are covered by the BestBenefit plan, up to the limits of your customized coverage. Treatment related to eligible accidents would also be covered by the Accident Only plan.
Does pet insurance cover heartworm medication?
While the testing, treatment, and prevention of parasites like heartworms aren’t typically covered by pet insurance, Pets Best’s optional routine care add-on plans (EssentialWellness and BestWellness) offer some coverage for heartworm tests, prevention, and de-worming medication.
Does pet insurance cover surgery?
Pet insurance can cover several surgical procedures depending on your plan. The Accident Only plan can cover surgeries related to eligible accidental injuries. If you have a BestBenefit plan, you can also get coverage for illness-related surgeries up to the limits of your plan. Covered illnesses that may require surgery include cataracts, hip dysplasia, hernias, cherry eye, aural hematoma, pyometra, collapsing trachea, intervertebral disc disease, entropion, epulis, mast cell tumors, twisted stomach, and rectal prolapse.
Does pet insurance cover euthanasia or cremation?
If your cat or dog needs to be euthanized for a humane reason, our pet insurance plans can cover the procedure up to the limits of your coverage. Since cremation is not a veterinary-related cost, pet insurance doesn’t cover it.