5 Best Pet Wellness Plans (2023 Guide)

Most pet insurance companies have a standard accident-and-illness plan, and some have wellness care plans. What’s the difference? A standard plan covers unexpected vet costs related to accidents and illnesses, such as surgeries, X-rays, and disease treatments. Wellness plans cover routine preventive care, such as annual checkups, grooming, vaccinations, and parasite prevention. 

Finding the right wellness plan can be difficult with so many providers to evaluate. We at the This Old House Reviews Team did the research for you, comparing wellness plans from the best pet insurance companies to see which offers the best care at the most affordable price. See our top five recommendations below.

Here are our top providers of pet wellness plans based on our in-depth review:

• Lemonade: Best Overall
• Spot: Most Customizable Plans
• Embrace: Best Deductibles
• Figo: Best Extra Coverage Add-On
• Wagmo: Best for Wellness

Lemonade: Best Overall

Lemonade is a pet parent favorite for many reasons. The provider has three wellness plans to choose from, each with reimbursement rate options of 70%, 80%, and 90%.

• Preventive Plan: Lemonade’s Preventive Plan covers one annual wellness exam, fecal exams or internal parasite testing, three vaccines, heartworm testing, and blood testing. It costs $15–$20 per month. 
• Preventive+ Plan: The Preventive+ is slightly more expensive but also includes flea, tick, and heartworm medications and routine dental cleanings. It costs $22–$27 per month. 
• Preventive+ Plan for Pets Under 2: Pets under 2 often need more care to start out on a healthy note, so this plan includes an extra wellness exam, three additional vaccines, an extra fecal or parasite test, spaying or neutering, and microchip implantation. It costs $35–$45 per month.

Lemonade Pros and Cons

✔ Offers extra preventive care treatments for puppies and kittens under 2 years old
✔ Has mobile app and chat feature for medical advice
✔ Gives a 10% discount for bundling your pet insurance policy with Lemonade home insurance or renters insurance

✘ Is only available in 36 states
✘ Requires complete records from a recent veterinary exam to qualify for coverage

Why We Chose Lemonade

We scored Lemonade at a 96 out of 100 due to its well-rounded coverage options, customer service, and mobile app capabilities that make filing and tracking claims easier. We also liked that there’s a preventive option specifically tailored to pets under 2 that covers the extra wellness care puppies and kittens often need. 

Get a quote: Get a quote from Lemonade

Learn more: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Spot: Most Customizable Plans

Spot has consistently made our list of top pet insurance providers for its customizable standard plans, including numerous options for deductibles, annual limits, and reimbursement rates. Whereas many providers only offer one wellness plan, Spot offers a choice between two plans with different annual coverage limits.

• Gold Preventive Plan: Spot’s Gold plan covers an annual wellness exam, dental cleaning, two vaccines, one fecal test, one heartworm or FELV test, and deworming. The maximum annual coverage limit for this plan is $250. It costs $9.95 per month.
• Platinum Preventive Plan: The Platinum plan includes dental cleaning, spaying or neutering, an annual wellness exam, flea/heartworm prevention, three vaccines, one fecal test, one heartworm or FELV test, one blood test, urinalysis, deworming, and a health certificate. The annual limit for this plan is $450. It costs $24.95 per month.

Provider Pros and Cons

✔ Offers a 10% multi-pet discount
✔ Has low pricing compared to many competitors
✔ Covers microchipping and exam fees in standard plan, so you can use your preventive coverage for additional care

✘ Has a $450 annual coverage limit
✘ Doesn’t cover pets under 8 weeks old

Why We Chose Spot

We gave Spot a 91 out of 100. Unlike Lemonade, Spot covers spaying and neutering under its Platinum plan, which is something many pet owners want. However, Spot’s annual coverage caps are a bit low, especially if you have a puppy or kitten that needs more vaccines and vet visits. 

Get a quote: Get a quote from Spot

Learn more: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Embrace: Best Deductibles

Embrace has also made our list of best pet insurance providers for its flexible deductibles, including options between $200 and $1,000. In addition to its standard plan, the company has one pet wellness plan called its Wellness Rewards program. Users can choose from annual coverage caps of $250, $450, or $650. The program covers the following care and services:

• Acupuncture
• Anal gland expression
• Chiropractic care
• Cremation or burial fees
• Dental cleanings 
• Fecal and routine blood tests
• Flea/tick/heartworm prevention
• Gastropexy
• Grooming
• Hip dysplasia exams
• Medicated shampoos
• Microchipping
• Nutritional supplements
• Prescription diet food
• Radiographs and other OFA testing
• Reiki
• Spaying and neutering
• Training
• Toenail trimming
• Vaccinations and titers
• Wearable pet activity monitors
• Wellness exam fees

Provider Pros and Cons

✔ Reimburses 100% of costs up to annual limit
✔ Provides online customer support via live chat
✔ Doesn’t have per-treatment limits like many competitors 

✘ Has limited customer service hours on weekends
✘ Is not available in Rhode Island

Why We Chose Embrace

Embrace earned a 93.5 out of 100. Its preventive coverage is comprehensive, and the $650 annual limit option is great for pet parents of puppies and kittens that need more vet care. Note that if there’s a remaining balance in your Wellness Rewards allowance at the end of the year, it doesn’t roll over and is non-refundable. 

Get a quote: Get a quote from Embrace

Learn more: Embrace Pet Insurance Review

Figo: Best Extra Coverage Add-On

Figo stands out for its extra coverage add-ons, which reimburse circumstances many providers don’t. The company also has two wellness plan options: Basic and Plus. Each tier reimburses per item at a fixed amount. 

• Basic: The Basic plan covers wellness exams ($20 per year), vaccines ($30), spaying/neutering ($40), dental cleaning ($40), routine testing ($20), microchipping ($15), a health certificate ($15), and deworming ($10). This plan costs $9.50 per month.
• Plus: The Plus plan includes wellness exams ($40 per year), vaccines ($50), spaying/neutering ($75), dental cleaning ($75), routine testing ($45), microchipping ($30), a health certificate ($30), and deworming ($10). This plan costs $16.50 per month.

Provider Pros and Cons

✔ Has relatively low wellness pricing
✔ Says most claims close within 2.6 business days
✔ Has a cloud-based app with 24/7 access to live vets

✘ Can only remove or add wellness coverage at time of renewal or when you enroll
✘ Has per-item limits

Why We Chose Figo

We scored Figo at a 93 out of 100. Figo’s per-item limits are low, but it offers numerous powerups (or add-ons) to tack additional coverage onto your standard plan. Not only can you get wellness coverage, but you can also choose add-ons to cover expenses related to cremation, burial, lost pet advertising, vacation cancellations, boarding, pet theft, and vet exams.

Get a quote: Get a quote from Figo 

Learn more: Figo Pet Insurance Review

Wagmo: Best for Wellness

Wagmo is unique in two regards. First, it’s one of the only providers in the pet insurance market that allows you to purchase a wellness plan on its own, meaning you don’t have to combine it with a standard accident-and-illness plan. It also has three wellness plan options to choose from with coverage limits exceeding $1,000.

• Value plan: This plan reimburses up to $350 per year for one routine wellness exam, two vaccines, one round of routine blood work, and one fecal test. This plan costs $20 per month.
• Classic plan: This plan reimburses up to $650 per year for one routine wellness exam, three vaccines, one round of routine blood work, one fecal test, and one urinalysis, plus $100 for flea, tick, and heartworm medications and $100 for grooming. This plan costs $36 per month.
• Deluxe plan: The Deluxe plan reimburses up to $1,100 for two routine wellness exams, four vaccines, one round of routine blood work, one fecal test, and one urinalysis, plus $200 for flea, tick, and heartworm medication, $200 for grooming, and $100 for dental care. This plan costs $59 per month.

Provider Pros and Cons

✔ Allows you to get wellness coverage without a standard plan
✔ Reimburses up to $1,100 for wellness expenses
✔ Says it reimburses wellness claims within 24 business hours 

✘ Is unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and U.S. territories
✘ Doesn’t cover spaying or neutering

Why We Chose Wagmo

We scored Wagmo 90 out of 100. Three plan options, high reimbursement rates, and the option to purchase wellness coverage separate from a standard plan make it an attractive option. However, Wagmo doesn’t cover as many preventive items as some competitors.

Get a quote: Get a quote from Wagmo
Learn more: Wagmo Pet Insurance Review

A pet wellness plan can be combined with your standard pet insurance plan to cover your pet’s routine care. Pet parents with puppies and kittens may find having a wellness plan especially helpful since it’s geared toward vaccinations, prevention treatments, wellness exams, and much of the veterinary care young pets need to avoid health issues as they get older. 

Wellness plans are only for preventive pet needs. They won’t cover surgeries, hospitalization, X-rays, or any treatment related to accidents and illnesses. They’re purely to help curb the cost of routine care, such as grooming, parasite prevention, and annual exams.

A pet wellness plan is different from standard pet insurance. A standard pet insurance plan covers unexpected vet costs related to accidents and injuries. This includes treatments and special care for broken bones, lacerations, illnesses, infections, skeletal issues, and more. Accident-and-illness plans typically range from $25–$55 per month, though some can be higher. Your monthly premium will vary depending on the deductible, annual limit, and reimbursement rate you choose. 

Pet wellness plans are separate from this standard coverage. With the exception of Wagmo, providers require you to purchase a standard plan, then add wellness coverage for an additional monthly fee. Not all providers offer wellness coverage since it’s intended for routine preventive vet care that you can plan and budget for. However, having a wellness plan is beneficial because you’ll be reimbursed for the routine vet care your pet needs to stay healthy and catch issues early.

Pet wellness plans generally cost $10–$30, though some top-tier plans offer more coverage or higher annual caps and are considerably more expensive. These plans can be as high as $60 per month. 

It’s important to remember that wellness plans are an additional monthly fee on top of your base  plan, which also varies in price depending on your location, customizations, and pet’s age and breed. Here are some sample premium costs for top pet insurance providers:

*Based on sample quotes for a mixed-breed male dog in Cincinnati (ages 8 months, 4 years, and 12 years)

*Based on sample quotes for a mixed male cat in Cincinnati (8 months, 4 years, and 10 years)

Learn more about average pet insurance costs in our guide.

Keep these factors in mind before buying a pet wellness plan:

• Budget: Prices vary among providers and plan tiers. Do the math to see if a wellness plan will actually help you save money on the preventive care your pet needs. If a wellness plan seems worth it, choose a provider that fits within your budget to ensure you ease your financial burden instead of increase it. 
• Coverage: Not all wellness plans cover the same treatments. Embrace, for example, covers far more in its plan than most other providers. Read the fine print to make sure you’ll get coverage for the care you want for your pet and won’t be blocked by exclusions.
• Annual limits: If a plan has an annual limit, calculate whether it’s high enough to be worth it versus paying out of pocket. For example, if you know you just want grooming, dental cleanings, and parasite prevention treatments and it costs $400 for the year, you may not find it helpful to pay monthly for a wellness plan that costs you more than that to have. Also, you should check to see if a plan has per-item limits or just an annual limit.

Preventive care is important to keep pets healthy and well taken care of. Routine vet visits and wellness treatments can go a long way to detect and address health problems before they become severe. 

Many pet insurance providers offer wellness plans that can help you reduce expenses. All providers on this list have benefits, but we especially recommend Lemonade, Spot, or Embrace for their coverage, pricing models, and strong industry reputations.

The This Old House Reviews 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 Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.