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Pet insurance

Reimbursement coverage for vet bills — worth it for some pets and some budgets, and genuinely not for others. Run your own numbers.

What pet insurance covers

Most pet policies are accident & illness plans: after you meet an annual (or per-condition) deductible, the insurer reimburses a percentage you choose — typically 70%, 80%, or 90% — of covered vet bills, up to your annual limit. Accident-only plans are cheaper and narrower. Routine care (vaccines, checkups) is usually an optional wellness add-on, not part of the base plan. Pre-existing conditions are generally excluded — the single most important fine-print fact in this market.

Who needs it

• Anyone who could not comfortably write a $3,000–$7,000 check for emergency surgery.
• Owners of young pets — enrolling before conditions develop keeps them from becoming “pre-existing.”
• Owners of breeds with known expensive hereditary conditions (check the policy actually covers them).
• If you can self-insure from savings and your pet is older with existing conditions, the math often says skip it — our calculator is built to tell you that honestly.

What it typically costs

NAPHIA’s State of the Industry data (2024) puts the average accident & illness premium at $749 per year for dogs ($62/month) and $386 per year for cats ($32/month); accident-only plans averaged $193 (dogs) and $110 (cats). Puppies, seniors, and certain breeds price far above the averages; location matters because vet costs do.

What moves your price

• Species, breed, and age (the big three)
• Your ZIP — vet costs vary by market
• Deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual limit you choose
• Accident-only vs. accident & illness
• Wellness add-ons
• Waiting periods and how the deductible works (annual vs. per-condition)

How to shop it

1. Run the breakeven math with your own expected vet costs before reading any brochure.
2. Compare the deductible structure, not just the deductible: annual deductibles are simpler to benefit from than per-condition ones.
3. Read the exclusions for your breed’s known conditions before you buy, not after a denial.
4. Check waiting periods — especially for cruciate/knee conditions, which often carry 6–12 month waits.
5. Price 80% vs. 90% reimbursement; the premium jump sometimes exceeds the expected benefit.

Start here

Sources: North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), State of the Industry Report 2025 (2024 averages: accident & illness $749.29 dogs / $386.47 cats; accident-only $193.29 / $110.03).