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5 Best Pet Wellness Plans (2024 Guide)

Author Icon By Stephanie Koncewicz Updated 02/21/2024

Many pet insurance providers offer a wellness plan to cover preventive care, such as wellness visits, vaccinations, and spaying and neutering. You’ll have to pay an additional fee to add wellness coverage to your standard accident-and-illness plan since routine care isn’t covered in standard policies. Many pet owners find the add-on worth it to cover common pet health needs or frequent treatments, such as grooming.

We recently reviewed the top pet insurance companies nationwide and found that the following providers offer the best pet wellness plans.


Is a Pet Wellness Plan Worth It?

A pet wellness plan can be worth it if you have a reason to keep a close eye on your pet’s health, have a younger pet, or just want to take advantage of preventive measures. For instance, if your pet’s breed is one that’s prone to certain illnesses, you may want more frequent wellness exams and diagnostic testing to catch signs early. The costs of these frequent veterinary visits add up, making wellness coverage useful.
Vets recommend scheduled vaccinations and more frequent exams for puppies and kittens, and many pet owners choose to spay or neuter and microchip their pets in their first year of life. Having wellness coverage while your pet is young and can cover many of these early life costs.
A wellness plan may not be worth it for a senior pet, as most useful preventive coverage won’t be as relevant. You can still enroll, though, if you want things such as dental cleanings and grooming covered, as long as the provider doesn’t have an upper age limit.
Why Trust Us? Our review and rating process for the best pet insurance companies
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Companies Considered We carefully considered 22 companies to find the best pet insurance providers available.
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Pet Owners Surveyed We surveyed 1,000 pet owners to see what they care about most when in comes to pet insurance.
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Reviews Analyzed We went through 3,800 customer reviews of pet insurance companies to see what people had to say about each provider.
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Policies Compared We compared 51 policies to find the best pet insurance offerings on the market.

What Companies Offer the Best Pet Wellness Plans?

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


How Do the Top Pet Wellness Plans Compare?

Compare the top pet wellness plan offerings at a glance and read below for more details.

Company Star Rating Cost Range Visit Site
4.8
$15–$45 VISIT SITE
4.6
$9.95–$24.95 VISIT SITE
4.7
See Wellness program details VISIT SITE
4.7
$9.50–$16.50 VISIT SITE
4.6
$14–$33 VISIT SITE
Lemonade Best Overall
4.8
Lemonade Pros and Cons
Pros Offers extra preventive care treatments for puppies and kittens under 2 years old Has a 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 Cons Is only available in 36 states Requires complete records from a recent veterinary exam to qualify for coverage Has an upper age limit of 14 years
Overview

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%.

Learn more: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Lemonade Plans
  • 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 years old 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.
Why We Chose Lemonade

We scored Lemonade a 4.8 out of 5 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 years old that covers the extra wellness care puppies and kittens often need.

Procedures

Blood work, flea/tick/heartworm medication, heartworm testing, parasite testing, routine dental cleaning, wellness exam

Spot Most Customizable Plans
4.6
Spot Pros and Cons
Pros Offers a 10% multi-pet discount Has low pricing compared to many competitors Covers microchipping and exam fees in its standard plan, so you can use your preventive coverage for additional care Cons Has a $450 annual coverage limit Doesn’t cover pets under 8 weeks old Doesn’t offer as many discounts as some competitors
Overview

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.

Learn more: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Spot Plans
  • 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.
Why We Chose Spot

We gave Spot a 4.6 out of 5. 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.

Procedures

Blood work, dental cleaning, deworming, parasite and heartworm prevention, spaying and neutering, urinalysis, vaccinations, wellness exams

Embrace Best Deductibles
4.7
Embrace Pros and Cons
Pros Reimburses 100% of costs up to the annual limit Provides online customer support via live chat Doesn’t have per-treatment limits like many competitors Cons Has limited customer service hours on weekends Is not available in Rhode Island Has a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions
Embrace Plans

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
Why We Chose Embrace

Embrace earned a 4.7 out of 5. 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 nonrefundable.

Figo Best Extra Coverage Add-On
4.7
Figo Pros and Cons
Pros 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 Cons Can only remove or add wellness coverage at time of renewal or when you enroll Has low per-item limits Has a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions
Overview

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.

Learn more: Figo Pet Insurance Review

Figo Plans
  • 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.
Why We Chose Figo

We scored Figo at a 4.7 out of 5. 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.

Procedures

Blood work, dental cleaning, grooming, parasite and heartworm prevention, urinalysis, vaccinations, wellness exams.

Pets Best Most Affordable Pricing
4.6
Pets Best Pros and Cons
Pros Starts coverage the day after you enroll Offers the convenience of Vet Direct Pay Provides a 24/7 vet helpline Cons Varies plan pricing by location and pet age Charges processing fees Isn’t available to California pet owners
Overview

Pets Best offers customers two wellness coverage tiers for dogs and cats, allowing you to choose your annual benefit amount. You can add this coverage to your base plan for an extra cost when you enroll, within 30 days of enrolling, or at your annual renewal.

Learn more: Pets Best Pet Insurance Review

Pets Best Plans
  • EssentialWellness: This plan covers blood work, microchipping, preventive medications, spaying and neutering, teeth cleanings, vaccinations, wellness exams, and more. The Essential level covers up to $305 of benefits per year. The plan costs from $14–$21.75 per month. The price varies based on your pet’s age and your location.
  • BestWellness: The top-tier plan covers all the same benefits as the Essential plan but with a $535 annual limit. It’s priced from $26–$32.58 per month.
Why We Chose Pets Best

Pets Best earned a 4.8 out of 5 for its direct-pay convenience, 24/7 pet helpline, and A+ Better Business Bureau rating, among other positives. Its wellness plans cover all the essentials needed to monitor pets’ health as they age. We like that you can choose your annual limit based on the coverage amount you need and that the plan kicks in the day after you enroll.

Overview

Blood work, microchipping, preventive medications, spaying and neutering, teeth cleaning, vaccinations, wellness exams.


How Much Do Pet Wellness Plans Cost?

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:

ProviderMonthly Avg for Puppies (6 weeks to 1 year)*Monthly Avg for Adult Dogs (1 year to 10 years)*Monthly Avg for Senior Dogs (10+ years)*

Embrace

$36.02

$36.74

$91.85

Lemonade

$19.67

$21.83

N/A

Spot

$32.02

$33.43

$128.32

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

ProviderMonthly Avg for Kittens (0 weeks to 1 year)*Monthly Avg for Adult Cats (1 year to 7 years)*Monthly Avg for Senior Cats (7+ years)*

Embrace

$16.15

$21.60

$36.74

Lemonade

$13.17

$13.17

$31.33

Spot

$17.35

$19.49

$62.28

*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:

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.

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.

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.


What’s the Difference Between Pet Insurance and a Pet Wellness Plan?

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. 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.


What Is a Pet Wellness Plan?

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.

How Do Pet Wellness Plans Work?

Pet wellness plans work similarly to standard accident-and-illness plans. With most plans, you’ll pay for the treatment out of pocket at the vet, then file a claim with your insurer to be reimbursed.

Some pet insurance companies handle their wellness programs a little differently. For example, some providers give subscribers a card to use at the vet that’s preloaded with their coverage amount. Others allow direct pay, meaning you can scan your membership card at the vet, and the insurance company will handle the claim with the vet directly.


What Do Pet Wellness Plans Cover?

Wellness coverage varies slightly across companies, but most wellness plans cover the following:

  • Blood work and other diagnostic testing
  • Dental cleanings
  • Deworming
  • Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention
  • Grooming
  • Microchipping
  • Routine wellness exams
  • Spaying and neutering
  • Urinalysis
  • Vaccinations

Plans typically state how many treatments of a certain kind they’ll cover during a policy year and/or a maximum annual coverage amount.

What Don’t Pet Wellness Plans Cover?

Since pet wellness plans are only geared toward preventive routine care, they don’t cover anything related to accidents or illnesses. You’ll need an accident-and-illness or accident-only plan to get any reimbursement for those health needs. And, like with all plans, you’re not covered for anything related to preexisting conditions.

You’re also not covered for experimental treatments or anything that’s not veterinary, such as waste disposal services or dog walking.


Our Conclusion

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 to keep pets healthy and well while helping their parents save money on routine costs.

All providers on this list have benefits, but we especially recommend Lemonade, Pets Best, and Embrace for their coverage, pricing models, and strong industry reputations. We suggest carefully reviewing each company’s policy details, reading customer reviews, and getting quotes from multiple providers to compare pricing before enrolling in a plan.


FAQs About Pet Insurance Wellness Coverage

What is considered a wellness visit for a dog?

A wellness visit for a dog is an annual physical or checkup. These exams are preventive measures to evaluate a dog’s development, bones, blood work, major organs, coat, and other health indicators. These are for healthy dogs and are administered routinely, as opposed to vet visits focused on treating a specific injury or illness.

How often should my dog get a wellness check?

Most vets recommend monthly visits for puppies until they’re fully vaccinated. Adult dogs need wellness checkups once a year, and senior dogs should go every six months.

Is it good to have pet insurance?

It’s good to have pet insurance to cover your pet’s unexpected medical costs. Some accidents or illnesses require urgent treatment that could cost several thousands of dollars. In those cases, it’s valuable to have a pet insurance plan that will reimburse you for the majority of the expenses.


Our Rating Methodology

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.