What Does Pet Insurance Cover? Accident-Only, Accident and Illness, and Wellness
Learning goal: Tell accident-only, accident-and-illness and wellness coverage apart, and know which questions decide what a pet insurance policy will pay for.
Short answer
Pet insurance helps pay vet bills when your pet is hurt or sick. Most policies cover either accidents only, such as a broken leg or swallowed object, or accidents and illnesses, such as infections and cancer. Routine care like vaccines and checkups is usually a separate wellness plan. Pre-existing conditions are commonly excluded.
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The Fuller Picture
Triple-I describes pet insurance as working much like human health insurance, with premiums, deductibles, co-pays and caps. Accident-only is the cheapest and narrowest. Accident-and-illness coverage adds diseases, and often exams, tests and prescriptions related to them. Wellness plans, sold separately, help with preventive care. What a policy actually pays depends on its exclusions, waiting periods, reimbursement rate, deductible and limits.
Key Takeaways
- Triple-I: pet insurance "typically covers only accidents (encompassing injuries, such as broken bones) or both accidents and illnesses (such as infections and cancer)."
- Separate wellness plans can help with preventive care such as vaccinations and annual exams.
- Washington's regulator lists common exclusions including dental care not caused by an accident, and limited benefits for hereditary and congenital conditions.
- Most policies reimburse you after you've paid the vet.
- Price is generally based on your pet's age and breed and the coverage you choose.
Real-World Example
Sam and Biscuit
Sam adopts Biscuit, a two-year-old terrier, and compares two quotes. The accident-only policy would help if Biscuit broke a leg or swallowed a toy, but not if he developed allergies or diabetes. The accident-and-illness policy costs more and would help with both, after the waiting period. Sam skips a wellness plan, because the yearly vaccines and checkup cost less than the plan's price.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming pet insurance pays for routine checkups and vaccines. That's usually a separate wellness plan.
- Buying after a problem shows up, when it may be excluded as pre-existing.
- Comparing premiums without comparing the reimbursement rate, deductible and limits.
- Not reading the exclusions list, such as dental illness or breed-specific conditions.
Interactive Exercise
Compare What Two Policies Would Pay For
Take two quotes and check each of these before comparing the price.
Tick each step as you do it. Your checklist is saved in this browser.
Knowledge Check
Question: A dog on an accident-only policy is diagnosed with diabetes. What is the policy most likely to do?
Recommended Insurpedia Tools
- Deductible Calculator: Enter a claim amount, deductible and coverage limit for a worked example of how a covered claim splits between you and the insurer. It does not read your policy or estimate premiums.
- Insurance Preparedness Checklist: Twelve insurance questions worth having an answer to, with a place to learn more about each one you have not looked at yet. No score.
Related Insurance Terms
Related Scenarios
Questions to explore next
Questions readers often ask next about this topic:
- Is accident-only or accident-and-illness coverage better for my pet?
- Does the policy cover exam fees for an illness?
- Is a wellness plan worth it for my pet?
- What does my policy exclude?
See every lesson in the Pet Insurance course.
Explore the course →Sources
The factual claims on this page were checked against these sources. Rules and figures change, so check the source itself if you need to confirm the current version.
- iii.orgPet Insurance: A Growing, Diversifying Line · Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I)
- insurance.wa.govPet insurance · Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner
- iii.orgFacts about pet insurance · Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I)
Educational information, not advice: This lesson is for general education only, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Actual coverage, discounts, and requirements depend on your policy’s wording, your insurer, and the laws of your state. Confirm specifics with your own insurer or a licensed agent before making a decision. Insurpedia does not sell insurance and does not recommend specific insurers. Types of coverage are from the Insurance Information Institute; common exclusions from the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Coverage depends on each policy's wording, and insurers differ. Educational information, not advice on a specific policy.