Does Pet Insurance Cover Prescriptions?

Is your fur baby healing from an injury or battling a chronic disease? If so, there’s a good chance they may be on prescription medications. And if you haven’t noticed already, prescription medications are expensive! That’s why so many pet parents are wondering, “Does pet insurance cover prescriptions?”

Luckily, there are pet insurance providers that do offer coverage for prescription medications like pills, injections and creams. Keep reading to learn more about pet insurance for prescriptions and which companies offer this coverage. 

How Does Pet Insurance Work Exactly?

With most pet insurance, you pay for prescriptions out of pocket, file a claim with your provider, and receive reimbursement for all or a portion of the cost, depending on the specific deductible and reimbursement rates you choose. There are a handful of pet insurance providers in the marketplace that pay the vet directly, which means you don’t have to file a claim. 

Something else to keep in mind is the type of policy you choose. Accident-only plans only cover the costs of treatment related to your pet’s accident. Accident & illness plans cover the cost of treatment for both accidents and illness. So this means if you have an accident-only plan and your fur baby needs monthly medications to treat thyroid disease you would not be covered. While accident-only plans are cheaper than accident & illness plans, you do really get what you pay for. If you want peace of mind knowing you’re covered no matter the issue, accident and illness plans are the way to go.

And finally, it’s important to mention that there is a difference between medication that has been prescribed to treat an injury or illness and one that is used in the prevention of disease, such as flea & tick treatments and vaccinations. Most pet insurance providers won’t cover preventative treatments in their accident & illness plans or accident-only plans. But many offer Wellness packages to cover the costs of routine care and preventative treatments. 

Which Pet Insurance Companies Cover Prescription Medications?

Most pet insurance providers offer some prescription medication coverage. Coverage will be different for each provider, so it’s important to do your homework.

Here are some of the top providers in the marketplace who offer coverage for prescription pet medications:

Spot

Spot offers affordable coverage with their accident-only, accident & illness plans, as well as two wellness add-on plans. All of these plans cover medications that have been prescribed through a veterinarian. Note that over-the-counter medications and alternative treatments are not covered. Spot does something not many other pet insurance providers do, which is to also cover prescription food, as long as those have been prescribed to treat a covered condition. 

Learn more about Spot pet insurance.

Trupanion

Trupanion is a very popular pet insurance provider that offers one single plan that covers costs for accidents and illnesses. This means that any medication that is prescribed to treat either an injury or illness will be covered. 

Trupanion also covers prescription food at 50% for up to two months. As a bonus, dietary supplements may also qualify for coverage if they have been prescribed by your vet to treat a covered condition but not for general health. 

While Trupanion does not offer a wellness package, they do have something called a Recovery and Complementary Care add-on that covers herbal remedies and alternative/homeopathic treatments such as acupuncture. 

Find out more about Trupanion.

Embrace

Embrace offers one plan that covers prescriptions for both accidents and illnesses. In addition to regular prescription medications, their plan also covers homeopathic remedies. If you are interested in also having prevention coverage or coverage for nutritional supplements and prescription food, you’ll want to purchase their Wellness Rewards for Routine Care add-on plan. 

Learn more about Embrace pet insurance.

Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws offers one main plan that covers prescription medications for accidents & illnesses. They do not cover homeopathy or herbal medicine and at this time there is no wellness add-on for preventative medications or vaccinations.

Learn more about Healthy Paws

Here is a full list of the top pet insurance providers in the marketplace, ranked based entirely on over 150,000 real reviews from pet parents like you;

Final Thoughts

Does pet insurance cover prescriptions? Yes, as you can see, most companies do cover medications as long as they have been prescribed to treat a condition covered by your plan. And some providers will even cover the cost of preventative care, prescription medications, prescription food, plus herbal and homeopathic remedies.

Be sure to read the policy’s fine print to understand exclusions. And always get quotes from multiple providers before making a decision.

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.