Accident, illness and wellness coverage: what’s the difference?
Fetch offers accident and illness pet insurance, plus an add-on for coverage for routine & preventive care. Let’s break down the differences and advantages to each plan.
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“I worry about gum disease. My toothbrush is an old stick.”
— Rugby
Compare accident & illness pet insurance with wellness coverage
In the market for the best pet insurance plan? Fetch has the most comprehensive coverage in the U.S. and Canada for new accidents and illnesses. In addition to coverage if your pet gets sick or hurt, you’ve also got options to add on a plan for routine and preventive care. Here’s one way to think about it: an accident and illness plan is for the unexpected, to help cover the vet visits you don’t see coming. A wellness plan is for the expected, with coverage for the vet appointments that keep your pet healthy. Having both gives you the total package for your pet's health.
Accident & illness
Treatment when your pet gets hurt by accident
Treatment when your pet gets sick
Canine infectious respiratory disease
Sick-visit exam fees (including online vet visits)
Prescription medications & supplements
Surgery
Hospital stays
Breed-specific issues
Specialists
Physical & behavioral therapy
Diagnostic tests
Dental accidents and diseases for every tooth, plus gums
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Fetch Wellness
Annual exam
Vaccinations
Dental cleanings
Spaying & neutering
Blood, urine & fecal tests
Heartworm, flea & tick prevention
Heartworm tests
Microchipping
Anal gland expression
Behavioral exam
Health certificate
Activity monitor
What is accident & illness coverage?
With Fetch, accident and illness coverage comes as a package deal in one comprehensive plan. The “accident” part of accident and illness pet insurance covers your pet when they get hurt. You usually can’t predict when your dog will tear his ACL or your cat will swallow a marble she found under the couch. But when your pet needs to be rushed to the ER, the last thing you want to think about is how much the trip is going to cost or how you’re going to cover it. That’s where pet insurance comes in. Fetch covers unexpected accidents and treatment your vet recommends as your pet recovers, including X-rays, surgery, specialty care and more.
The “illness” part of accident and illness pet insurance provides coverage for unexpected sickness. This could mean illnesses like common gastrointestinal issues and gum disease or more critical conditions like cancer and diabetes. With Fetch, the vet bill for prescribed medications and sick-visit treatments is eligible for reimbursement as part of illness coverage.
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What is wellness coverage?
With Fetch, a wellness plan is separate from your accident and illness policy and is offered as an optional add-on to cover routine and preventive care. If you think of accident and illness as pet insurance coverage for the unexpected, think of a wellness plan as coverage for what you can expect — the routine care that helps keep your pet healthy. Vet visits aren’t exclusive to emergencies; it’s just as important to take our dogs and cats to the doctor for checkups and preventive treatment. Pets need routine care like dental cleanings and regular screenings to ensure they’re healthy and aren’t hiding an underlying problem. But just because it’s routine doesn’t mean it’s free, and we want to help with those vet bills, too. You can add a wellness plan to accident and illness coverage for as little as $10/month.
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Choosing the right pet insurance coverage
Fetch makes it easy to get a personalized plan that fits your pet and your budget. We look at three key factors: your pet’s age, breed and location. From there, you’ve got options to customize your price.
When customizing your plan, you’ll be able to choose the deductible, max annual payout and reimbursement rate that’s right for your pet and your budget. Choosing a higher deductible will make your price lower, but you’ll pay more out of pocket before your insurance begins paying you back. Your max annual payout is the maximum amount you can be paid back by your insurance provider each year, so choosing a lower max annual payout means your price will also be lower. Choosing a lower reimbursement rate will also make your price lower.
We recommend enrolling in pet insurance as early as possible because like most other providers, we don’t cover pre-existing conditions. What this means is any accident or illness that occurred or your pet showed clinical signs of before you enrolled, during the waiting period of up to 15 days or before your pet’s first exam will not be covered. 1 out of 3 pets need unexpected veterinary care each year, so it’s crucial to protect your pet (and your wallet!) with pet insurance coverage before you actually need to use it.
Once your dog or cat is enrolled in an accident and illness policy, you can add on wellness coverage. Fetch Wellness plans can also be customized to meet your needs with three different options to choose from.
What pet parents say about Fetch
Fetch covers over 450,000 pets (and counting!), but don’t just take our word for it — hear directly from members of the Fetch community about their experiences.
Protect your petWally
Pitbull
ACL tear
Medical costs: $4,607
Fetch paid back: $3,685
“Fetch is that safety net and peace of mind that medically he was going to be okay, financially we would be okay.”
- Elizabeth and Andrew
Wally’s parents
Diego
Mixed Breed
Bladder stones
Medical costs: $21,436
Fetch paid back: $18,042
"Just like humans, insurance offers peace of mind that you are protected, at least financially, for your pets' needs. That's what's really important about having pet insurance."
— Clay and Michael,
Diego’s parents
Greyson
Pitbull
Swallowed object
Medical cost: $3,466
Fetch paid back: $2,456
“It’s just such a peace of mind having pet insurance and knowing that, if anything happens, they’re covered.”
- Mishel and Gert
Greyson’s parents
Pet insurance FAQs
What are the different types of pet insurance coverage options?
Fetch offers comprehensive accident and illness pet insurance coverage with the option to add on a plan for wellness coverage.
Accident and illness pet insurance covers your dog or cat when they get unexpectedly sick or hurt. For example, an emergency vet visit for vomiting or a broken tooth is covered under accident and illness coverage.
Wellness pet insurance coverage is for preventive care that keeps your dog or cat healthy. Think: routine care like vaccinations, heartworm prevention and dental cleanings.
How does pet insurance coverage work?
Every pet insurance provider is different, but you'll usually submit a claim (this can include your vet bill and your pet's medical records) to your pet insurance provider, and you’ll typically be paid back if the treatment your dog or cat received is covered under your plan.
Will pet insurance cover routine and preventive care?
Enrolling in Fetch Wellness will help cover the costs of routine and preventive care for your pet, and you can choose a plan that works best for your budget. Pay a little less each month for coverage of the essentials like annual exams and vaccinations. Or pay a little more and get the essentials, plus things like microchipping and behavioral exams. Whatever you choose, you'll get second-to-none coverage and savings.
Should I get a pet insurance plan or a wellness plan?
Signing up for an accident and illness pet insurance policy and adding a wellness plan is the best way to cover your bases for your pet’s vet visits — whether it’s an emergency or a routine checkup. With both, you'll have the total package for your pet's health — superior coverage for accidents and illnesses, plus routine and preventive care to help them stay healthy.
If I get pet insurance, do I have to get wellness coverage too?
You can enroll in Fetch accident and illness coverage without adding wellness. You can add Fetch Wellness to your policy for up to 30 days after your policy effective date (or renewal date). If you don’t add wellness when you enroll, you’ll have to wait until your policy renews next year.