Does Pet Insurance Cover Vaccines? What To Know

Yes, pet insurance providers — like MetLife Pet — may be able to help you cover the costs of vaccines with a preventive care add-on. But usually, they’re not covered under a standard insurance policy.

Since vaccinations are an important part of your pet’s routine health care, keep reading to learn which ones could be covered, how coverage works, and how optional preventive care can help you pay for other routine costs every year. 

How Does Pet Insurance Cover Vaccinations?

Most providers offer a wellness plan that can help you cover vaccinations and other routine or wellness expenses. With MetLife Pet, you can add our optional Preventive Care to your insurance policy. This option allows you to get reimbursed up to your plan’s selected benefit limits for covered routine health care — like vaccinations, teeth cleanings, or parasite prevention.

To save on your pet’s vaccinations, visit the vet for their shots, pay the bill, and submit your claim with the vet’s invoice. Then get money back in your pocket up to your policy’s annual benefit limit for vaccinations.

Let’s look at an example of how this could work. Say your dog’s Preventive Care add-on has an annual vaccination benefit limit of $100. After getting some of his routine vaccine boosters, the vet bill was $75. You could be reimbursed for the entire bill since it’s below your $100 benefit limit, and still have $25 left for the rest of the year in case he needs another vaccine.¹

Keep in mind that typical pet insurance policies are designed to help you cover vet bills related to accidents and/or illnesses, not routine or wellness expenses.

Common Vaccines That Can Be Covered

Under MetLife Pet’s Preventive Care add-on, your pet’s vaccinations are reimbursable. Our optional plan can reimburse you for the cost of vaccinations up to your plan’s selected benefit limit.

Below are some of the common vaccines your dog or cat may need, that can be covered by MetLife Pet’s Preventive Care add-on, and the cost you might expect to pay without coverage.

The DAPP and rabies vaccinations are considered core vaccines for dogs, and they’re given to your pup every 1 – 3 years. Bordetella, influenza, lepto, and Lyme are non-core vaccines recommended yearly, but they’re not always necessary.

Core vaccinations for cats include rabies and FVRCP, with vets recommending FeLV, and sometimes bordetella, depending on your cat’s lifestyle.

Does Pet Insurance Cover Shots?

Aside from vaccinations, pets may need medication in the form of a shot or injection — like insulin or pain medicine. If your pet insurance covers the condition that requires shots for treatment or management, then this medication is usually also covered.

MetLife Pet Insurance policies can typically provide coverage for your pets’ shots, barring the health issue isn’t a pre-existing condition or falls under any other exclusions in your specific policy.

For example, 12-year-old cat named Toby has had diabetes for a couple of years, and each month he needs insulin shots to help manage it. Fortunately, his family enrolled him in a MetLife Pet policy before his diagnosis. The vet bill for his shots costs nearly $325, but his family gets reimbursed over $250 thanks to his cat insurance.⁴

Is Pet Vaccination Coverage Worth It?

Pet vaccinations happen every year for your furry family members — why not get money back on expenses you know you’re going to pay? While vaccines may not be the most expensive vet bill you could receive, our Preventive Care add-on can help reimburse you!

Other routine and wellness expenses — like health screens, teeth cleaning, and annual exams — can add to your pet’s yearly vet bills. Getting money back on some of these costs can help you keep your budget intact and your pet in good health.

Plus, our Preventive Care add-on can be customized to have more or less coverage depending on your needs and budget. You can choose from different plans when you enroll, or call our pet advocates for more coverage options.

Real-life savings with MetLife Pet

To help you decide if vaccination coverage is worth it, here’s a look at how much some of our policyholders have saved on vaccinations and other routine care with our Preventive Care add-on:

• Young dog Bill needed some of his annual vaccinations. MetLife Pet reimbursed his family $100 on the $120 vet bill.⁵
• Opal the dog had her annual blood work done to make sure she’s healthy. Her family was reimbursed $100 on the more than $150 vet bill.⁵
• Penn went to the vet for some of his kitten shots, and his family was reimbursed $75 on the nearly $80 bill.⁵
• Mildred had her dog teeth cleaned to stay on top of her oral health. Her family received $100 back on the $200 procedure cost.⁵

Customize your insurance plan by adding optional coverage or combining multiple pets on one policy.⁶

MetLife Pet Can Help You Save on Vaccination Costs

Cost shouldn’t be a barrier to keeping up with your pet’s routine health care, including vaccinations that can help protect them from dangerous diseases. That’s why MetLife Pet offers a preventive care add on for your insurance policy — so your finances can be covered for the unexpected and expected.

Life with your furry family gets a lot better knowing you’ve got financial protection on vet bills in your back pocket. For pet insurance that covers vaccines, enroll your dog or cat in a MetLife Pet plan and add optional preventive coverage. Start with a free quote.