What Is a Pet Insurance Deductible?

A pet insurance deductible is how much you have to pay out of pocket before you begin receiving reimbursement for your vet bill claims. Deductibles vary by company, so knowing how deductibles work and understanding how to choose the right deductible is important. Learn about types of deductibles, common deductible amounts, and how to determine which is right for you below. 

There are two deductible types: annual and per-incident. Carefully read about which types a provider requires before enrolling in a pet insurance policy.

Annual Deductibles

Annual deductibles are often preferred and easiest to understand. Pet insurance plans with an annual deductible require you to pay a specific amount before your coverage kicks in for the remainder of the policy year. For example, if your deductible is $250, you must pay $250 out of pocket before your provider will start reimbursing you for any claims. 

Once you meet that deductible, your provider will reimburse you at the rate you selected up to your maximum coverage limit. That $250 can be spent on any vet care included in your policy’s coverage. Once you reach $250 for the policy year, you won’t have to pay it again until the next year when it resets. 

Per-Incident Deductibles

Per-incident or per-condition deductibles aren’t preferred because you typically end up paying more out of pocket. For example, if your pet needs to go to the veterinarian for an ear infection, a kidney issue, and a ligament issue in one policy year, you’ll have to pay a deductible for each new issue before your provider will reimburse you. If your deductible is $250, that’s $750 total for these three issues before you can file a claim. 

If your pet happens to need vet care for one repeat issue, you’ll meet your deductible for that condition quickly and won’t need to keep paying out of pocket for it for the remainder of the year. But if your pet experiences multiple conditions, you’ll have to meet your deductible amount for each one.

Insurance language can be confusing. Two of the most important terms to know are deductible and reimbursement rate. While deductibles are how much pet owners must pay out of pocket before getting claim reimbursement, the reimbursement rate is the percentage of each vet bill your provider will pay you back for. Most pet insurance companies have a minimum reimbursement rate of 70%, but some will reimburse you as high as 100% of each claim. 

Let’s say you have a $250 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate. Once you pay $250 toward your pet’s covered vet care, you can begin filing claims. Your provider will reimburse you for 80% of each claim amount, so if your claim for the vet bill is $400, your provider will reimburse you $320.

Any vet care that is covered by your plan applies to your deductible. Common claims include diagnostic testing, emergency care, hospitalization, prescription medications, and surgery. Just about anything accident- or illness-related that’s covered by your policy qualifies.

Note that preventive vet care does not generally apply to your deductible. Preventive care includes routine wellness treatments such as annual checkups, dental cleanings, grooming, microchipping, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and more. This care isn’t typically covered under pet insurance providers’ base plans; you have to enroll in an additional wellness plan.

Deductible options vary among pet insurance providers. Some companies offer deductibles as low as $100, while others have deductibles as high as $5,000. Most insurers offer three to five deductible options that include amounts such as $100, $250, $500, $750, and $1,000.

The other important thing to understand about deductibles is how to pick the right one. The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium will be. Adversely, the lower your deductible, the higher your monthly premium will be. If you choose a lower deductible of $200, expect a higher premium than if you picked a higher deductible of $750. 

Choosing which deductible amount is best for you comes down to two main factors: your budget and your pet’s health.

Your deductible amount has a big impact on your monthly premium. You’ll need to assess your budget to determine the right balance of what you’re able to pay monthly and what you’re able to pay up-front. Pet owners with young and/or healthy pets often choose a higher deductible and lower monthly premium. That’s because young and healthy pets are less likely to need vet treatments with expensive price tags, so these pet parents can likely cover the vet bills until reimbursement kicks in. If you have a senior pet or pet with costly health conditions, you may want to pay more per month to have your coverage start quicker.

It’s rare to find a pet insurance policy with no deductible, but it’s not impossible. More commonly, you may be able to find pet insurers with reward programs that lower your deductible for each year you don’t file a claim. You may even be able to eliminate your deductible if you go a couple of years without filing a claim.

We’ve reviewed more than 20 of the best pet insurance companies and looked at their deductible options. Lemonade, Spot, and Embrace all have deductibles as low as $100, and Healthy Paws has an exceptionally low deductible option of $50.

We always recommend reading your policy carefully and understanding your options before enrolling in a pet insurance plan, and your deductible is one of the most important aspects to be familiar with. Choosing the right deductible amount is a matter of weighing whether it’s best to pay more up-front or on a monthly basis. Your pet’s health will have a lot to do with which is the smarter choice. 

Most pet insurance providers allow you to get a sample quote on their website. This allows you to select different deductible options as well as varying reimbursement rates and maximum coverage limits to see how each amount affects your premium. 

Getting pet health insurance is an important part of taking care of your pet, but make sure to research your options to find a policy that’s within your budget. See our list of the cheapest pet insurance companies to find the most affordable coverage.