What does pet insurance cover?
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Seeing that your dog or cat gets the veterinary care they need is important. But what is covered by pet insurance? Learn about conditions and treatments that may be covered.
In general, as technology in veterinary services continues to advance, so does the cost of treatments. Paying for a surprise vet bill without insurance may become less and less realistic as the cost of caring for our beloved pets continues to climb. As you start to research which insurance providers offer pet medical insurance, you might ask, “what is covered by pet insurance, and how does it work?”
If you’re like many pet owners turning to pet medical insurance to help budget for your pet’s medical bills, the good news is that pet insurance may help cover some or most of the cost of diagnosing or treating unexpected injuries and illnesses. However, the conditions or treatments that pet insurance may cover can vary based on provider and plan options. It can be helpful to review your insurance policy’s fine print to help reduce the likelihood of medical bills in the future.
Asking questions while shopping for pet insurance is normal, and your local State Farm® agent can help you decide which options will meet your needs. In the meantime, consider this guide for what pet insurance covers.
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What is pet health insurance?
To help understand pet insurance coverage, it can be beneficial to learn what pet insurance is. Pet insurance is designed to help pay for a portion of your vet bill when your pet has an unexpected accident or illness.
Pet insurance vs. wellness plans
Some veterinary offices offer a wellness plan that may provide a loyalty discount on annual routine or preventative services provided by their veterinarian, like vaccinations or dental cleanings. It is not uncommon for pet owners to confuse a wellness plan with pet insurance, which is designed to help cover the costs of the unexpected rather than the routine.
Some pet insurance providers also offer a wellness plan for an added cost, which reimburses customers for routine and preventive care. If you are looking to add wellness coverage to your pet insurance plan, carefully read the terms and conditions. Some wellness plans that are offered by pet insurance providers are designed to cost you more over the course of the year than can be reasonably claimed in a single year. While many pet owners can budget for these known expenses of pet ownership, the cost of treating an accident or illness may be difficult to budget for, and that’s where pet health insurance comes in.
Is pet insurance worth it?
You’re not legally required to get pet insurance coverage, and every pet owner must make the decision they feel is right for their budget and their pet’s well-being. But remember that while you can get veterinary care without pet insurance, you will be responsible for all charges incurred. This includes the costs of diagnostic testing, medications, surgeries and potential overnight hospital stays. Especially if emergency treatment is needed, the costs of an unexpected vet bill can start at several hundred dollars and escalate quickly into the thousands. In 2024 alone, Trupanion processed 2,310 claims that cost over $10,000! footnote 1
Things generally covered by pet insurance
Each pet insurance company is unique, so review your provider’s policy details to understand what pet insurance covers. Additionally, each provider offers different plan options and add-ons that may increase your coverage for an extra fee. When you are comparing quotes, be sure to factor in all the benefits your pet will need to help ensure you’re selecting the right plan for you.
Many pet insurance providers offer coverage for the following (with some examples):
- Accidents (broken bones, lacerations, or foreign-object ingestions)
- Chronic conditions (digestive issues, diabetes or cancer)
- Diagnostic testing (MRI’s, bloodwork, X-rays or ultrasounds)
- Emergency veterinary care (surgery or hospitalization)
- Specialist care for unique conditions referred out by your primary or emergency vet (cancer treatments, cardiology treatments or surgical treatments)
- Medications to help treat covered conditions
- Advanced pet dental care is available from some (but not all) pet insurance providers, or available for an added fee
Additional coverage options may be available for other matters, such as wellness visits or alternative therapies, but, as noted earlier, they are typically only available as add-on options or as their own separate plans.
When you have a pet insurance policy, you will normally need to pay your veterinary invoice up front and submit your claim for reimbursement. Trupanion is unique because they can pay participating veterinarians directly when you are checking out from your appointment, eliminating the need to submit a claim and waiting for a check to arrive in the mail.
What isn’t typically covered
Pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. A condition is considered pre-existing if your pet was diagnosed or showed signs of a condition before you obtained insurance coverage. For example, if your pet was showing symptoms of diabetes before you decided to enroll them, treatment and medications for diabetes would not be covered by your pet insurance plan, even if your pet isn’t formally diagnosed with diabetes until after your coverage becomes effective. This highlights the importance of helping protect your pet with pet insurance early in their life.
As described above, pet insurance is designed to assist pet owners with unpredictable veterinary expenses, so pet insurers rarely provide coverage for routine or wellness visits. That includes your pet’s annual checkup as well as things like vaccinations and monthly flea and tick medication.
Optional or cosmetic medical procedures (like tail docking or dew-claw removal) are also not typically included in pet insurance coverage.
What pets are usually covered by pet insurance?
Many pet insurance providers offer coverage for dogs and cats. If you are looking for coverage for other pets, such as birds or rodents, it may be necessary to seek insurance from a company that covers “exotic animals.”
Some pet insurance providers have breed restrictions or will limit coverage for certain conditions for high-risk breeds. If you have a purebred pet, review the details of your pet insurance policy to check for any breed-specific restrictions or exclusions for hereditary conditions.
The good news is that Trupanion offers coverage for dogs and cats, regardless of breed. Your pet can be enrolled before they turn 14, and once enrolled, they can keep their coverage for life.
How to sign up for pet insurance
While timing is important when it comes to pet insurance, there’s no better time than the present to start helping protect your pet from the unexpected. At State Farm, we’re proud to offer pet insurance through Trupanion because of their coverage for unexpected accidents and illnesses with no payout limits, and their ability to pay claims directly to participating veterinarians.
Call your local State Farm agent to find out more about how Trupanion can help protect your pet.
return to reference 1 Based on 2024 Trupanion internal claims data.
Pet insurance products are underwritten in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company and ZPIC Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98108. Administered by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Terms and conditions apply, see full policy on Trupanion's website for details.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates, neither offer nor are financially responsible for pet insurance products. State Farm is a separate entity and is not affiliated with Trupanion or American Pet Insurance.
This is only a general description of coverages and is not a statement of contract. Details of coverage or limits vary in some states. All coverages are subject to the terms, provisions, exclusions and conditions in the policy itself, and in endorsements.
The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with State Farm® (including State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates). While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. State Farm is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third-party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.
