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Banfield Pet Insurance Review

When you look up Banfield pet insurance, Optimum Wellness Plans come up: care packages for dogs and cats that are preventive, not insurance policies.

  • Exam fees are Covered.

Since these plans aren't insurance, Banfield's plan comparison lists no underwriter, waiting period, or reimbursement rules. You buy a policy, and only after a set amount of time has passed does coverage begin. That waiting time is called a waiting period. You won't get paid back by the company for a vet bill. Routine care comes through any Banfield Pet Hospital nationwide.

Your pet can join one of the named dog and cat tiers, and those tiers cover routine office visits. Every tier has one base price, whatever pre-existing conditions your pet has, per Optimum Wellness Plan FAQs. Health problems that your pet had before joining a plan are called pre-existing conditions.

Banfield pet insurance plans and cost

Look up Banfield pet hospital plans and Optimum Wellness Plans appear: preventive care packages, not standard insurance policies. Banfield's preventive care overview lists the named tiers for dogs and cats:

  • The tiers are Early Care and Early Care Plus.
  • Tiers here are Active Care and Active Care Plus
  • Special Care
  • Senior Care

The Banfield pet wellness plan cost comes with only one base price in published information, regardless of pre-existing conditions. No sample pet or city appears in those materials with specific dollar price examples. They aren't insurance, so they don't include discounts, spending caps, or a deductible. An insurance policy starts paying only after you pay a set amount on your own. That amount is the deductible.

What Banfield covers, and what it excludes

At Banfield's clinics, routine preventive care is the main focus of these packages, according to the Optimum Wellness Plan page. The review can help you learn about included coverage and exclusions. Banfield's coverage details list these key features and limits:

  • The plan covers routine exam fees.
  • Participating clinics include unlimited office visits.
  • Preventive care is what these packages cover. For unexpected emergencies, they aren't insurance at all.
  • There's no accident-only plan from Banfield for sudden injuries.
  • Dogs and cats are the only eligible pets listed.

If you're after Banfield animal insurance, note that these packages cover just planned routine care. Unexpected emergency treatment isn't covered.

Waiting periods and age limits at Banfield

As Optimum Wellness Plans aren't insurance, Banfield does not publish waiting periods for insurance or enrollment age limits in days or years. Preventive care packages are organized by life stage in Banfield's wellness program, covering Early Care through Senior Care.

Claims and reimbursement at Banfield

You file no claim, and there's no waiting for reimbursement (money an insurer gives back after you pay a vet bill). Because they aren't insurance, included preventive care happens during your pet's clinic visit.

You have no claims process to follow. The Banfield mobile app supports iPhone and Android, helping you book appointments, review records, and make plan payments.

Banfield packages and who they suit

For routine preventive care for your dog or cat, these wellness packages fit well at any Banfield Pet Hospital nationwide. The packages cover unlimited office visits and exam fees, so regular checkups for your pet come with no extra exam charges. The single base price works well for a dog or cat with pre-existing conditions, too.

If you want coverage for sudden accidents or illnesses through Banfield pet hospital insurance, you'd want to look elsewhere. Unexpected emergency bills aren't covered, since Banfield sells no insurance and has no accident-only plan. Another option is needed as well for families whose pet is neither a dog nor a cat.

Common questions and answers

Does Banfield pet insurance offer good value for the price?

The value depends on whether you want emergency coverage or routine checkups, as Banfield pet reviews and the plan terms show. At its clinics, wellness packages include unlimited office visits and covered exam fees for regular care. You need actual insurance for help with unexpected surgery or illness, since a preventive care package doesn't provide that coverage.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by Banfield pet insurance?

Standard pet insurance policies generally don't cover pre-existing conditions. Because Banfield sells preventive care packages instead of medical insurance, a pet's medical history won't increase the wellness tier's base price.

How can you get a Banfield pet insurance quote?

You can't get a quote for Banfield pet hospital pet insurance because the company sells only preventive wellness packages. Plan payments run through the mobile app. Each named care tier can be reviewed on the Optimum Wellness Plan page.

Is a plan available from Banfield for cats?

The Optimum Wellness Plan is available for dogs and cats at any nationwide clinic location. Cat owners receive the same preventive care tiers as dog owners, with unlimited office visits and routine exam fees in each tier.

Terms for Banfield plans

Plan terms from Banfield, as published by the insurer
TermPlan terms
Pets coveredDogs and Cats
Plan typesInsurance isn't provided. Banfield's packages for preventive care (Optimum Wellness Plans) have named tiers, including Early Care, Active Care, Special Care, and Senior Care, along with Plus versions.
Exam fee coverCovered
Pre-existing conditionsSingle base price regardless of pre-existing conditions
Claims appThere's no claims process, and the plans are not insurance. The Banfield app (iPhone and Android) handles appointments, records and plan payments, not claims
Where it is soldAny Banfield Pet Hospital nationwide

Sources: Optimum Wellness Plans® FAQs - Costs, Benefits & How to Cancel, Optimum Wellness Plans® - Save More Than 30% on Preventive Petcare

Line drawing of four steps from a vet bill to a refund: a dog on an exam table, a paid receipt, a claim sent from a phone, and a coin returning to a paw-print wallet

Pros

  • Office visits are unlimited.
  • One base price, no matter what pre-existing conditions exist.
  • You can get them at its pet hospitals nationwide.

Cons

  • These aren't insurance; the company sells preventive care packages instead.
  • There's no accident-only plan on offer.
  • The listed pets are dogs and cats only.

Request pricing for your pet's plan

We do not sell insurance, quote coverage, or bind policies; an insurance agency receives your request.

Other insurers in our comparison

Waiting periods and sample monthly prices
InsurerMonthly, dogMonthly, catAccident waitOldest age to join
Lemonade logo$30 to $59 a month$14 to $23 a monthNo waitNo upper age limit
Figo logo$30 a month$14 a month1 dayNo upper age limit
Pets Best logo$32 to $157 a month$20 to $107 a month3 daysNo upper age limit
Pumpkin logo$32 a month$15 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Spot logo$35 a month$17 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
AKC Pet Insurance logo$36 to $99 a month$23 to $51 a month5 daysNo upper age limit
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance logo$39 a month$19 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Embrace logo$39 to $69 a month$19 to $35 a monthNo waitNo upper age limit
Wagmo logo$39 a month$19 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Nationwide logo$43 a month$19 a month14 daysBefore age 9

All 29 insurers