Does Pet Insurance Cover Vaccines?

Pet vaccinations keep your pets safe and healthy, protecting them from contagious and potentially deadly diseases like rabies.^[1] Standard accident and illness pet insurance policies cover care for accidents, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses. You’ll typically need to purchase a pet wellness add-on for vaccine coverage.

To help you find the right pet insurance policy, here’s what you need to know about how pet insurance covers vaccines.

When pet insurance covers vaccines

Pet insurance typically covers vaccines if you purchase wellness coverage. The three main types of pet insurance are accident only, accident and illness, and wellness coverage — and the first two generally don’t cover vaccines.

Wellness coverage, or “routine” coverage, reimburses pet owners for preventive care, including annual exams, grooming, flea and heartworm prevention, spaying and neutering, urinalysis, and vaccinations.^[2] It provides regular and proactive care to identify issues early and keep your furry friend healthy.

Not every pet insurance company offers a wellness plan. Insurers that do typically sell it as an optional plan that you can add on to your accident-only or accident and illness coverage.

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Does pet insurance cover other types of shots?

If your pet needs a shot other than a vaccination, your policy might cover it if a vet prescribes it. The shot must also be necessary to treat or manage a covered condition, such as insulin to treat diabetes. Other shots your policy might cover include allergy shots or injectable pain medication.

Your pet insurance policy usually won’t cover shots for a pre-existing condition, so check your policy to be aware of any exclusions.

Types of vaccines that pet insurance covers

Vaccines fall into two main categories: core and non-core. Pet insurance won’t cover every type of vaccine, although wellness plans typically cover select core vaccinations up to specific limits. You might have to pay out of pocket if your pet needs non-core vaccinations.

Core vaccines

Vets generally recommend core vaccines for all cats and dogs, unless a medical reason prevents it.

Wellness plans typically cover some — or all — core vaccines for dogs. For instance, your plan might cover three core shots per year or provide an annual spending limit, such as $100.

Examples of core shots for dogs include distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies.^[3] Core vaccines for cats include feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline panleukopenia (FPV), and feline leukemia (FeLV).^[4]

Here’s a closer look at some of the core vaccines:

• Distemper: Distemper is a serious disease that can attack the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems, and it’s a risk for all dogs. Infected dogs or wild animals spread distemper through sneezing, coughing, or barking. Vaccination is the best way to prevent it.

• Parvovirus: All dogs can get parvovirus, but it’s a greater risk for breeds such as Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers. This highly contagious virus attacks dogs’ white blood cells and gastrointestinal tracts, but the parvovirus vaccine helps protect against it.

• Rabies: This deadly disease can infect cats, dogs, and humans, but a rabies vaccine can protect your pet and prevent the spread of infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccinating all dogs against rabies, and many U.S. states mandate it.^[5]

• Feline herpesvirus: This infection can occur in domestic or wild cats at any age, causing upper respiratory disease and conjunctivitis around the eye. The FHV vaccine significantly reduces this infection’s severity and shortens your cat’s suffering. Your cat will need regular boosters for the vaccine to maintain its effectiveness.

• Feline leukemia: This virus affects only cats, depressing the immune system and potentially infecting a cat for life. It can also lead to anemia and several types of cancers. Since this virus has no cure, prevention through vaccination is crucial.

Non-core vaccines

Certain pets need non-core vaccines based on their risk of exposure, which depends on where you live or your pet’s lifestyle. Common non-core dog vaccines include Lyme disease, Bordetella, canine influenza, and rattlesnake toxoid. For cats, common non-core vaccines include Bordetella and Chlamydia felis.

Most pet wellness plans exclude non-core vaccines, but you can check with your pet insurance company to confirm which vaccinations are covered.

Here’s a closer look at some of the non-core vaccines:

• Lyme disease: If you live or travel in an area with disease-carrying ticks, your veterinarian might recommend vaccinating your dog for Lyme disease. 

• Canine influenza: This vaccine is recommended for dogs that frequently interact with other dogs, such as at doggy day care or in a boarding facility. 

• Chlamydia felis: Pet owners with multiple cats can consider this vaccine to help prevent this bacterial infection from spreading.

How much vaccines cost without pet insurance

If your pet insurance doesn’t cover vaccinations, you’ll need to pay out of pocket. Your pet should receive the first round of core vaccines as a puppy or kitten. To ensure your furry friend is fully protected, it’ll often need multiple doses of the vaccine, a few weeks apart. Your pet might also need regular boosters (every one to three years) to stay protected.

The following table highlights the average cost of common pet vaccinations.^[6]

How to file a pet insurance claim for vaccines

Filing a pet insurance claim for vaccines requires the same steps as submitting any pet insurance claim:

• 

  1. Pay for care

  You’ll likely have to pay the vet bill up front.

• 

  2. File a claim

  Contact your insurance company to file a claim. Many insurers allow you to file online or through the company’s app.

• 

  3. Submit a receipt

  Provide a copy of your invoice or the receipt from your pet’s vet visit.

• 

  4. Send medical records

  You may have to send a copy of your pet’s medical records so the insurer can assess whether the claim is covered.

• 

  5. Wait for approval

  Now you wait to see if your claim is approved. In some cases, you may need to provide additional information.

• 

  6. Get paid

  After approval, you’ll be reimbursed for your pet’s care, up to your policy’s limits.

Is it worth getting pet insurance coverage for vaccines?

If you don’t want to pay out of pocket for vaccines, you might consider adding a wellness plan to your pet insurance. Many pet insurance companies offer a wellness add-on that covers a selection of vaccinations.

In addition to vaccine coverage, wellness plans also cover a variety of other routine care or preventive care items, such as annual checkups, flea and heartworm prevention, and dental cleanings.

If you’re willing to pay for vaccines out of pocket and don’t need the other services that come with a pet wellness plan, you might decide that wellness coverage isn’t worth it for you and your pet.

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