When researching the best pet insurance companies, you'll discover they typically offer several types of coverage to choose from. One of the most budget-friendly options is accident-only coverage, which focuses specifically on unexpected injuries rather than comprehensive health care.
To help you determine whether accident-only insurance makes sense, let’s take a closer look at what it is and how it compares to other pet insurance plans.
What Is Accident-Only Pet Insurance?
“Accident-only pet insurance is a type of coverage that reimburses veterinary costs specifically for injuries caused by sudden, unexpected events,” says Dr. Sabrina Kong, veterinarian at WeLoveDoodles.com. You can think of it as “bare bones insurance” because, unlike accident and illness plans, it does not cover illnesses, chronic conditions, or preventive care.
Instead of providing comprehensive coverage, accident insurance is designed to mitigate the financial burden of emergencies like broken bones, lacerations, or poisoning.
“It’s a budget-friendly option for pet owners focused on immediate physical risks rather than long-term health issues,” adds Dr. Kong. Many pet owners would agree that while accident-only plans don’t cover everything, they’re better than nothing, especially if your pet is prone to accidents.
What Does Accident-Only Pet Insurance Cover?
Not all types of pet insurance offer accident insurance. However, those that do typically include these coverages:
- Accidental injuries: Accident-only policies include accidental injuries that result from accidents. "They may include broken bones, lacerations, burns, or poisonings," says Rachel Hinder, director of claims and registered veterinary technician at Embrace.
- Emergency veterinary care: Typically, accident-only insurance will reimburse you for emergency medical treatments related to accidents. This includes severe bleeding, breathing challenges, heatstroke, urination issues, poisoning, eye injuries, and trauma.
- Diagnostic tests: "Accident-only policies help pay for X-rays, blood tests, and other diagnostic procedures for accident injuries," explains Hinder. These tests are intended to pinpoint an accurate diagnosis and provide insights on the ideal treatment plan.
- Surgery: With an accident plan, you can expect coverage for pet surgery to treat injuries from accidents. For example, if your cat requires an amputation after a car accident, the policy would help cover the procedure.
- Prescription medications: "An accident plan might reimburse you for medications prescribed to treat accident-related injuries," says Hinder. If your cat needs prescription pain meds after a covered surgery, this type of coverage can offset the costs of them.
What Doesn't Accident-Only Pet Insurance Cover?
Since accident-only insurance is specifically designed to help pay for vet bills related to accidents, it excludes the following:
- Illnesses: Accident plans don't include coverage for illnesses or diseases. "These policies won't pay for infections, such as UTIs, chronic diseases like diabetes or cancers, and hereditary conditions like heart defects in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels," explains Dr. Kong.
- Pre-existing conditions: If your pet has a pre-existing condition, such as arthritis or heart disease, you won't receive coverage for it with accident-only insurance. Even comprehensive accident and illness plans typically exclude pre-existing conditions or require proof that your pet has been symptom-free for a set period.
- Routine care: "Preventive care such as vaccinations, dental cleanings, and wellness exams are not covered by accident-only insurance," says Hinder. For these services, you'll need to purchase a separate wellness plan, typically available as an add-on."
- Elective procedures: An accident plan won't pay for cosmetic or elective procedures that aren't considered a medical necessity. These might include declawing, ear cropping, and spaying/neutering.
- Alternative therapies: "In most cases, alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic care, are excluded from accident-only coverage," explains Dr. Kong. Even if you use them to treat an injury from an accident, you'll likely have to foot the bill on your own.
Comprehensive vs. Accident-Only Pet Insurance: How Do They Differ?
Now that we’ve explored accident insurance, let’s dive deeper into how it differs from accident and illness plans and wellness coverage.
Accident and Illness Plans
These policies usually provide comprehensive coverage and can reimburse you for services related to both accidents and illnesses. In addition to broken bones and other accidents, they include allergies, gastrointestinal issues, infectious diseases, and hereditary conditions, just to name a few.
Depending on the pet insurance company, accident and illness plans might also reimburse you for alternative therapies and select prescription medications. Keep in mind that you’ll need to choose between accident and illness insurance or accident-only insurance.
Also, while accident and illness coverage is robust, it’s more expensive than an accident-only policy.
Wellness Coverage
Wellness insurance is created to help pet owners cover routine care costs. Usually sold as add-ons to accident and illness or accident plans, wellness policies can help you ensure your pet receives spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, wellness exams, and other routine services.
These services are primarily performed to reduce the risk of health conditions and detect issues early on, before they become more complicated and expensive to treat. You can always add a wellness policy to an accident-only plan.
Is Accident-Only Pet Insurance Right for You?
Whether accident-only coverage is a good fit depends on your particular situation. It may be worth considering if any of the following apply to you.
- Young, healthy pets: "Accident coverage is ideal for young, healthy pets with no pre-existing conditions, as their illness risk is lower," explains Dr. Kong. If you have a senior pet with health issues, it may not be sufficient.
- Strong emergency fund: "Accident plans are also practical for owners who can self-fund routine or illness costs but want a safety net for traumatic injuries," says Dr. Kong. If you have the savings or wiggle room in your budget to pay for most of your pet's vet bills, an accident-only policy can be a solid option.
- Limited coverage options: "For pets that already have a lot of pre-existing conditions, and therefore, aren't eligible for accident and illness coverage, accident-only insurance can be worthwhile," says Hinder. It may provide a financial safety net for unexpected injuries and accidents."
Bottom Line
Accident-only pet insurance offers a budget-friendly way to protect against unexpected veterinary emergencies without the higher premiums of comprehensive coverage.
While it won't cover illnesses or routine care, it can provide valuable financial protection for young, healthy pets or serve as a safety net when full coverage isn't an option.
