Does Pet Insurance Cover Prescription Pet Food? (2024 Guide)

Written by Brenda Woods Updated 12/03/2024

Brenda Woods

Brenda Woods is an accomplished writer and managing editor with more than two decades of publishing experience. She has spent over 10 years covering home services and home improvement projects. Brenda supports her team in evaluating dozens of home service providers, surveying and speaking to hom…

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Allergies, obesity, skin problems, and other health issues can burden our pets. Switching them to prescription food might help clear up these problems, but it can also be costly. Thankfully, some pet health insurance providers cover prescription pet food and will fully or partially reimburse you for this expense. 

We evaluated the best pet insurance companies, looking for standout features. Keep reading to learn about our top picks for pet insurance providers that cover prescription pet food.

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Best Overall

4.8

Most Customizable Plans

4.6

Best For New Pet Owners

4.5

Best Deductibles

4.7

What Should You Know About Prescription Pet Food Coverage?

If your pet experiences certain health conditions, prescription food can be part of maintaining their health. Most pet insurance providers don’t cover prescription food in their standard accident-and-illness plans. However, some providers cover it under their wellness plans as an optional add-on This coverage is supplementary care that you can combine with your base plan for an additional monthly fee.

Top 3 Pet Insurance Companies for Prescription Food Coverage

After researching the market for pet insurance companies that cover prescription food, we found the top three pet insurance providers based on price and plan options. These include:  

• Spot
• Embrace
• Trupanion

Spot

Most Customizable Plans

4.6 Our 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. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

Spot Pros and Cons

Pros Covers prescription food in standard plans Offers a 10% multi-pet discount Covers microchipping and exam fees in standard plan, offering more ways to save money on wellness care without purchasing a wellness add-on Cons Doesn’t cover food for general health maintenance; must be for a covered condition Doesn’t cover pets under eight weeks old

Spot Overview

Unlike some other pet insurance companies, Spot covers prescription food in its standard plan, so you don’t have to purchase a wellness plan for supplemental coverage. They’re also one of the few providers that offers an accident-only plan, which prescription food falls under according to Spot’s sample policy. That means you can purchase one plan at a lower rate compared to what other insurance providers offer for prescription food coverage.

Keep in mind that if you opt for Spot’s accident-only plan, you won’t receive illness coverage, but both standard plans cover prescription food. Consider your options and decide what works best for your pet.

Spot Rating

Learn more: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Embrace

Best Deductibles

4.7 Our 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. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

Embrace Pros and Cons

Pros Reimburses 100% of costs up to your chosen annual limit Covers prescription food for general maintenance or weight management Doesn’t have per-treatment limits like many competitors  Cons Has limited customer service hours on weekends Is not available in Rhode Island

Embrace Overview

Embrace requires pet parents to purchase a wellness plan for prescription food coverage. However, its wellness plan is one of the most comprehensive. This can help you save money on both pet food and preventive care, such as annual checkups, vaccinations, dental cleanings, and blood work. Embrace also offers coverage on parasite and heartworm prevention, spaying and neutering, microchipping, grooming, prescription medications and supplements, training, holistic care, and alternative therapies.

You can choose from a $250, $450, or $650 annual limit, meaning Embrace won’t reimburse you once you hit this cap each year. This amount isn’t likely to cover a long-term supply of your pet’s prescription food, but it can help lower the expense.

Embrace Rating

Learn more: Embrace Pet Insurance Review

Trupanion

Best for Direct Payments

4.5 Our 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. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

Trupanion Pros and Cons

Pros Covers prescription food in standard plan Allows you to cancel your policy at any time with written notice Has 24/7 customer support Cons Doesn’t cover food for general maintenance or homemade or raw diets Only covers 50% of prescription food costs

Trupanion Overview

Trupanion is another provider that covers prescription food in its standard plan. However, it has some limitations. Trupanion will only cover 50% of your pet’s prescription food costs. The prescription must be from a licensed vet and for the treatment of illnesses or injuries covered by your policy, and it can only be used for up to two months from the onset date of the condition.

Trupanion Rating

Learn more: Trupanion Pet Insurance Review

What Is Considered Prescription Pet Food?

Prescription food is any food a veterinarian prescribes for your pet. If your pet has a health condition affected by diet, your vet may prescribe a food with a particular nutritional content. This can be a wet or dry food, yet it is often more expensive than non-prescription pet food. Because the nutritional content is meant for specific conditions, it’s recommended that pet owners use prescription food only under a vet’s guidance.

The following conditions may require prescription diet food:

Your pet may need to be on a prescribed diet long-term, or your vet may only recommend it for a short period of time until the condition improves.

Is Pet Insurance for Prescription Food Worth It?

Having a pet insurance plan can save you money on your prescription food and other vet bills, but it’s important to read the fine print. Providers often have limitations on their prescription food coverage, such as only covering certain types of food or having minimum or maximum age limits to qualify. They may also cover food only for particular conditions. You can typically find a sample policy on each provider’s site that details the rules of their prescription food coverage. 

We recommend that pet owners get a quote from multiple providers to find a monthly premium that suits your budget and pet’s needs. Spot, Embrace, and Trupanion each have positive features, so your decision may come down to the price you’re quoted. Read our report on pet insurance costs to learn more about average prices.

FAQs About Prescription Pet Food Coverage

Our Rating Methodology

Our 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. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

• Coverage (25)
• Plan options (20)
• Monthly cost (20)
• Company reputation (15)
• Customer service (10)
• Species eligibility (10)

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.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.