Does Cat Insurance Cover Vaccinations?

Vaccinations are important in keeping your cat healthy throughout her life. And most vets recommend vaccinations start as early as six weeks of age and continue throughout her life. But, as with any veterinary treatment, vaccinations cost money and, depending on the age and breed of your fur baby, you could spend hundreds of dollars each year on their vaccine schedule. This has made a lot of cat parents ask, “Does cat insurance cover vaccinations?”

Keep reading to learn the answer to this question and more!

Pet Insurance and Vaccinations

Most pet insurance coverage is for accidents and illnesses. This means your plan will cover the costs for treatments related to an accident (your cat is attacked by a stray dog) or illness (your fur baby develops an upper respiratory infection).

Vaccinations are considered part of routine or preventative care, so your standard accident & illness plan will not cover them. This means cat parents are responsible for out-of-pocket costs, and those can really add up for routine wellness care.

But there is good news: many insurance providers are now offering wellness plans that can be added onto standard accident & illness or accident-only coverage. Wellness plans cover the cost of vaccinations as well as other costs of routine care for annual exams, spay/neutering, dental cleanings and more.

What Vaccinations are Covered with Pet Wellness Plans?

The American Association of Feline practitioners (AAFP) recommends the following core vaccines for kittens and adult cats:

• Feline panleukopenia virus
• Feline viral rhinotracheitis, also known as herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1)
• Feline caliciviruses
• Rabies virus
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV). This is considered a core vaccine in kittens only.

Along with these core vaccines, the AAFP will also recommend certain optional vaccinations for those cats who may be exposed to certain disease (for example, those cats who spend some time outdoors):

• Chlamydophila felis (causes feline chlamydiosis)
• Bordetella bronchiseptica (causes feline bordetellosis)
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in adult cats

Each insurance provider will have their own vaccination rules and exclusions so best to check before enrolling.

Which Pet Insurance Providers Offer Wellness Plans?

While there are many pet insurance providers in the marketplace, not all of them offer wellness plans. A majority only offer the standard accident & illness, or accident-only plans.

If you’re shopping for pet insurance and would like to compare providers that offer wellness plans, consider the following companies in your comparison:

Lemonade

Lemonade offers customers a preventative care package that can easily be added on to any standard accident & illness policy. The amount of reimbursement depends on what rate you choose for your policy. Essentially the higher the rate, the more Lemonade covers.

Something that sets Lemonade apart from other pet insurance providers is their focus on using technology to make the entire claims process quick and easy. Their app allows quick processing, with claims often going through within minutes.

Learn more about Lemonade pet insurance.

Spot

Spot is another pet insurance company that offers a wellness policy that may be added onto a standard policy. This provider is also known for offering very customizable coverage that allows customers to select between different deductibles, reimbursement rates and annual coverage limits. This helps cat parents find a policy that fits their lifestyle and budget.

Learn more about Spot pet insurance.

Embrace

Embrace is a popular pet insurance provider that offers an optional wellness plan that covers vaccinations along with other preventative care treatments such as routine check-ups and dental care. And unlike other providers, Embrace lets customers choose exactly how they spend their allowance instead of having the standard per-item limits or excluded vaccinations. 

Learn more about Embrace pet insurance.

Final Thoughts

Does cat insurance cover vaccinations? That really depends on the policy. Standard accident & illness or accident-only plans do not cover vaccinations because they fall under routine or preventative care. Luckily, more and more providers are recognizing pet parents want help covering the cost of routine care and are offering wellness plans as add-on options.

Each provider and wellness plan will differ in terms of the amount of coverage offered and which vaccines are included. It is always advised pet parents do their due diligence and compare providers to see who offers a policy that makes the most sense for them.

Pet Insurance Review makes it easy to compare pet insurance providers so you can see exactly who offers wellness plans and what routine care is covered. And if you want a quick visual option, the following are the top providers based on reviews from pet parents just like you:

The information contained on this blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary care. Always consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet's health care or treatment plan.

The authors of this blog are not veterinarians and do not claim to be experts in pet health. The information provided here is based on our own experiences and research, as well as information from reputable sources. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information.

We encourage you to do your own research and consult with your veterinarian before making any decisions about your pet's health.