Are Pet Wellness Plans Worth the Money?

Preventive care is the backbone of your pet’s health. Vaccines protect against serious diseases like rabies and kennel cough, and regular exams catch problems early, when they’re easier to treat.

Most standard pet insurance policies don’t cover these services, but some insurers offer standalone “wellness” packages that pet owners can opt into.

Here’s a big-picture look at how these plans work in real life, and how much value they offer.

What is ‘wellness care’ for pets?

Wellness care is basically all the routine stuff your pet needs to stay healthy (checkups, vaccines, dental cleanings, and the occasional lab work). It’s the pet equivalent of oil changes for your car: regular, expected and not something insurance covers.

But routine doesn’t mean inconsequential. A recent survey by Money.com and Healthy Paws Pet Insurance found that pet owners spend over $4,000 a year just on basic expenses.

Pet owners are already trimming costs by buying cheaper pet food and cutting back on treats and toys. Preventive care, however, is one area where skimping can backfire. Skipping routine exams and vaccines can allow health problems to go undetected until they become more serious — and more expensive to treat. Many households may not be able to absorb the cost. In a follow-up survey, more than 50% of owners report “significant stress” from a bill under $1,000, and one in five say that any surprise bill would cause a strain.

To bridge this gap, some insurers sell preventive care packages that cover part of the costs to keep your pet healthy. Technically, these aren’t insurance; they’re more like a prepaid vet care plan that includes:

• Annual wellness exams
• Vaccinations
• Flea and tick prevention
• Bloodwork
• Microchipping
• Teeth cleanings
• Dental exams
• Spaying or neutering

How do pet wellness plans work?

You pay a monthly fee on top of your pet insurance premium and, in return, the insurer reimburses you for certain routine expenses, up to a set limit. These plans don’t have deductibles or waiting periods, so you can start using the benefits right away.

Each service has its own reimbursement cap. For example, the insurer may cover up to $15 for the rabies vaccine and up to $50 per year in vet exam fees. Sometimes, the benefit is shared between two services, like spay/neuter surgeries and dental cleanings, and you can only get reimbursed for one per year.

Here’s a benefits breakdown for a wellness plan that costs $15 per month, and provides up to $305 in annual reimbursements.

At first glance, it seems like a solid deal. You pay $180 a year to get up to $305 back.

But you only come out ahead if you actually use every service, and that might not happen every year. Microchipping is a one-time expense and vets don’t always need to draw blood or take urine samples at annual checkups.

The best-case scenario: you use every covered service and save around $100, especially if you’re getting multiple rounds of vaccines for a new pup or kitten, and the plan includes expensive procedures like spay/neuter surgeries and dental cleanings.

In a more typical scenario, you don’t claim every benefit, and what you paid ends up being about the same or more than paying out of pocket, especially if your local vet offers service bundles tailored to your pet. For instance, a routine care bundle at a Vetco facility that includes the recommended vaccines and tests would set you back $199.

What pet wellness plans don’t cover

Pet wellness plans don’t cover the diagnosis or treatment of accidents and illnesses, such as broken bones, bite wounds or ear infections. For that, you’d need accident and illness pet insurance.

The list of available benefits also depends entirely on the provider and plan you choose. Most wellness plans cover the basics: vaccines, routine bloodwork and parasite prevention. Coverage for dental care, microchipping, and spaying and neutering may only be found with certain companies or high-tier plans.

Are pet wellness plans worth it?

Pet wellness plans can be valuable, especially during your pet’s first year or as an incentive to visit the veterinarian regularly.

• Cost savings for young puppies and kittens: Many wellness plans cover procedures like microchipping and spaying or neutering, so they can provide more value if your pet is young.
• Encourages regular care: With a wellness plan covering up to a set amount per year, you’re more likely to take your dog or cat in for routine care to maximize the plan’s value.
• Helps budget for routine care: Preventive care plans help spread out the cost of routine care into monthly installments, keeping your veterinary costs predictable.

But wellness plans aren’t without drawbacks. They’re usually only available as add-ons to accident and illness policies, which limit your options if you don’t already have pet insurance or care for a senior pet that’s too expensive to insure.

More importantly, these plans can get pricey. We got multiple quotes for well-known pet wellness plans and found that yearly rates start around $168 for basic coverage and go up to $600 for plans with more benefits. If you don’t use every covered service, you could end up paying hundreds for the plan each year with little to no reward.

Before adding this plan to your pet insurance policy, it’s a good idea to survey the cost of routine care in your area. Check out low-cost vet clinics and hospitals, and compare what you’d pay outright to what you’d save with a wellness rider (including the monthly premiums).

Alternatives to preventive care or wellness plans

These alternatives can help you manage veterinary expenses if subscribing to a wellness plan is not cost-effective for you:

Veterinarian-offered plans

Some veterinarians offer in-house wellness programs for a lump-sum payment or a monthly membership. You can get discounts on vet exams, dental care, vaccines, parasite testing and routine lab work. The downside? In-house wellness programs only apply to care with that veterinarian, not others.

High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs)

Opening a dedicated savings account for your dog or cat is a great way to plan for future vet care. Setting aside a monthly sum of $10 to $50 will help you cover the cost of dental cleanings, blood tests or other expenses.

Discount plans

Veterinary discount plans are membership-based plans that provide discounts on veterinary care from in-network providers in exchange for a monthly fee. When you join, you can qualify for discounts on wellness vet visits, vaccinations, dental exams, dental cleanings, and more.

More from Money:

Most Pet Owners Spend Over $4,000 a Year. Here’s Where the Money Goes

The Rising Cost of Pet Care: What Owners Pay for Arthritis, Dental Disease and Other Chronic Conditions

More Pet Owners Are Going Into Debt to Pay Vet Bills. Here’s Why That’s Risky