Accident Only Pet Insurance

Coverage under accident only plans

If your dog or cat is hurt in a sudden mishap, these policies pay for vet care. Broken bones and swallowed items are covered injuries. Vets call swallowed items ingested foreign objects. According to Pets Best data reported by Forbes, a dog averages $5,106 in treatment for an ingested foreign object, while a cat averages $4,636. For broken bones, treatment averages $2,898 in dogs and $2,772 in cats.

Joint and leg injuries are common reasons for an unplanned vet visit, too. In pets, a cranial cruciate ligament tear means a serious knee injury. In Embrace claim records, the average for claims about that knee tear is $1,447, while lameness claims average $394.

An injury policy does not cover sickness, infections, or long-term disease. When your pet falls ill, you pay the whole vet bill on your own. The Pets Best cost study shows published averages for treating common illnesses:

• Dogs average $4,341 for cancer and $3,055 for diabetes, while cats average $3,204 for cancer and $1,959 for diabetes.
• Dogs average $1,813 for kidney disease and $1,038 for dental disease. Cats average $1,409 for kidney disease and $1,186 for dental disease.
• For dogs, eye conditions average $1,059 and heart murmurs average $881. For cats, they average $758 and $790.
• Dogs average $740 for arthritis and $513 for bladder infections, while cats average $656 for arthritis and $846 for bladder infections.

Because those illnesses are excluded, your best accident only pet insurance choice has clear injury rules and brief wait times.

Compare Accident only with accident and illness coverage

These plan types mainly differ in whether the policy covers your pet when it gets sick. Each year, accident only dog insurance costs $190 on average. Full coverage for a dog under accident and illness pet insurance averages $836 yearly, which works out to $70 monthly. The average yearly cost of accident only cat insurance is $112. A complete cat plan averages $435 yearly, or $36 monthly, according to North American Pet Health Insurance Association data.

Most vet visits stem from sickness, not sudden injuries, so full coverage costs more. The average claim comes to $445 across every claim in the Embrace report. The top claims in that report mostly involve everyday health issues, which an injury plan won't cover:

• A skin mass claim averages $580, and vomiting claims average $554.
• Diarrhea claims average $224, and ear infection claims average $204.
• The average claim for allergic dermatitis is $182, while itching claims average $167.
• Claims for osteoarthritis average $156 each, and anxiety claims come to $85 on average.

Who sells accident only pet insurance

Knowing a few policy terms helps before you compare insurers. Coverage starts after a waiting period, which is the number of days or months following your policy purchase. Bone, joint, and ligament injuries are orthopedic conditions, and they often come with a longer wait than other injuries. The insurer pays you back a percentage of covered vet bills, which is your reimbursement rate.

Each company listed here sells a wellness add-on, an injury-only plan, and an accident and illness plan:

• For Nationwide plans, reimbursement options include 50%, 70%, or 80%. The 14-day accident wait applies, plus a 12-month orthopedic and cruciate wait. Modular illness cover is available up to age 8.
• At Spot, no upper age limit applies, and accidents and orthopedic injuries both have a 14-day wait.
• ASPCA Pet Health Insurance sets no upper age limit. Reimbursement is 70%, 80%, or 90%, the accident wait is 14 days, and orthopedic and cruciate waits are 12 months.
• Embrace has no upper age limit. Its 0-day wait applies to accidents, while orthopedic and cruciate waits are 180 days.
• For Progressive plans, pets have no upper age limit, and reimbursement is 70%, 80%, or 90%. Waits are 3 days for accidents, 30 days for orthopedic conditions, and 6 months for cruciate conditions.
• For Pets Best plans, pets have no upper age limit, and reimbursement is 70%, 80%, or 90%. Waits are 3 days for accidents and 6 months for orthopedic and cruciate conditions.
• Figo has no upper age limit. You can choose 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% reimbursement. The accident wait is 1 day, and the orthopedic wait is 6 months.
• GEICO sets no upper age limit and offers 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement. The accident waiting period is 2 days.
• Prudent Pet has no upper age limit. Reimbursement is 70%, 80%, or 90%. Waits are 5 days for accidents and 6 months for orthopedic and cruciate conditions.
• Wagmo sets no upper age limit. Accidents, orthopedic injuries, and cruciate injuries each have a 14-day wait.
• With Chewy CarePlus, you receive 90% reimbursement. New conditions have no upper age limit, while waits are 5 days for accidents, 14 for orthopedic injuries, and 30 for cruciate injuries.
• Odie has no upper age limit and pays 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement. The accident wait is 3 days, and orthopedic and cruciate waits are 6 months.
• For Aflac, pets under 14 years old enrolled before their 14th birthday get 90% reimbursement plus a 0-day accident wait.
• With AKC Pet Insurance, you get 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement, and no upper age limit applies. Waiting periods are 5 days for accidents and 180 days for orthopedic and cruciate conditions.
• At USAA, pets of any age get 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement, and accidents carry a 2-day waiting period.

Is accident only pet insurance worth it

An injury-only plan can make sense when you want help with emergency hospital bills while your budget is tight. The American Animal Hospital Association reports $600 to $6,500 for one night in the hospital. A bill that size can quickly build up when a curious dog or cat swallows a sock or breaks a leg.

Senior pets also benefit when the best pet insurance for accident and illness is out of reach due to age rules or high prices. As you compare plans, find out how long bone and knee coverage takes to start. A savings fund for illness care remains wise, since the policy won't cover costs when your pet gets sick.

Common questions

Does accident only pet insurance pay for surgery?

Yes, once your waiting period ends, the policy helps pay for surgery that treats a covered physical injury. For example, the American Animal Hospital Association puts the cost of cranial cruciate ligament knee surgery at $3,500 to $7,000. Illness surgery isn't covered, including procedures to remove a skin mass or treat dental disease.

Does accident only pet insurance cost less?

Yes, based on the North American Pet Health Insurance Association report, injury-only coverage costs the least on average of any plan type. Dog wellness plans average $1,414 a year, or $118 monthly, by comparison. For cats, Wellness plans cost $859 a year on average, or $72 a month.

Can you change from accident only coverage to accident and illness coverage?

The same insurers that provide injury plans also sell illness plans, though you must meet that company's age rules and waiting periods to switch. A 14-day waiting period applies to new illness coverage at most insurers, though Aflac has a 0-day illness wait. Only new conditions are covered.