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Does pet insurance cover emergency visits?
Emergency and Specialty Care
Does pet insurance cover emergency visits?
Odds are, your dog or cat will eventually need some kind of emergency or specialty care, which typically costs two to three times more than standard veterinary services. The Healthy Paws plan reimburses you for emergency or specialty care at the same rate as you are reimbursed for primary veterinarian care. You can visit any licensed 24-hour emergency animal hospital and ensure your dog or cat gets the potentially life-saving medical care they may need.
What is considered veterinary specialty care?
Specialty hospitals are often needed for advanced surgeries or treatment that falls outside the services of your primary veterinarian. Under the Healthy Paws Plan, you can see any specialist without the need for referrals, such as:
- Critical Care / Emergency
- Orthopedic specialists
- Oncologists for cancer care
- Internal Medicine Experts
- Ophthalmologists
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Cardiology
What emergency hospitals provide
Pet emergencies can happen any time, and since they inevitably occur on evenings or weekends when regular vet offices are closed, you may need to visit a pet emergency hospital at some point. Emergency vet hospitals are also equipped with advanced equipment and tools that may not be available through your regular vet. Every Healthy Paws pet insurance plan covers pet emergency visits at the same rate as you are reimbursed for primary veterinarian care.
Unexpected vet emergencies and cost
Allergies
Cats and dogs can suffer from various allergies, including environmental/seasonal, food, and flea saliva allergies.
While most allergies don't require immediate life-saving treatment, sometimes a reaction may be so severe may be so severe that it needs to be treated
at an emergency vet.
Cost estimate (avg) $211-$709
Bite wounds
Wounds from a
bite from another animal or insect could require stitches or become infected and require emergency care.
Cost estimate (avg): $2,937
Broken bones
Any fractured bone
will require immediate care to minimize pain and avoid permanent damage.
Cost estimate (avg): $1,784
Poisoning
or toxic ingestion
Toxic plants or foods, chemicals, marijuana or alcohol, and mushrooms are just a few of the items that can
poison your pet and send them to the emergency vet.
Cost estimate (avg): $2,044
Foreign object ingestion
Also known as eating something they shouldn't, ingesting a foreign object is a common reason people go to
the emergency vet, for both dogs
and cats.
It often requires surgery to remove the offending item if there is an intestinal tract blockage.
Cost estimate (avg): $4,069
Abdomen conditions
Abdomen or stomach issues are among the top reasons dog and cat owners go to the vet. This can include gut
inflammation, ingesting an indigestible or toxic substance, parasites, infections, some types of cancer, and
other serious illnesses.
Cost estimate (avg): $5,351
Internal
injuries
Damage to internal organs, whether from a fall, a car accident or other trauma, will require an
emergency vet visit and possibly surgery.
Cost estimate (avg): $4,012
Seizures
Whether caused by epilepsy, a tumor or a fungus, seizures
are scary and will need to be assessed by an emergency vet.
Cost estimate (avg): $247 (initial visit)
Torn ligaments
Dogs especially are prone to cruciate
ligament (knee) injuries and these tears often require surgery to repair.
Cost estimate (avg): $2,771
Cancer
Cancer is the number one cause of death in senior pets and comes in many forms, just as in humans. Treatment
is expensive and may include everything from tumor removal surgeries to blood work, X-rays, medication,
chemotherapy and even special diets.
Cost estimate (avg): $1,600-$2,785
Bloat surgery cost
When a dog's stomach becomes bloated due to gas, food, or liquid, that bloat can lead to a stomach flip.
This is a life-threatening emergency for dogs because it can prevent food from moving from the stomach into
the intestines.
Cost estimate (avg) $13,246
Cost estimates are based on Healthy Paws internal claims data using the average cost of claims for such
conditions filed for dogs during a 1-year period from Oct. 1, 2022 through Oct. 1, 2023. Estimates may be
low as multiple invoices are often submitted for one condition.
Emergencies or specialty care not covered by insurance
The Healthy Paws plan provides coverage for almost all emergency or specialty veterinary care, with exclusions for pre-existing conditions and veterinary exam fees. There are two exceptions:
- The Healthy Paws plan includes coverage for hip dysplasia when you enroll your pet before the age of six.Please review your state-specific information regarding pet enrollment age and waiting periods for more details
- The Healthy Paws plan has a bilateral exclusion for cruciate ligament injuries. This means if the cruciate ligament on one leg is injured prior to enrollment or during any applicable waiting period, the cruciate ligament on the other leg is excluded from coverage.
You can help protect yourself from the financial impact of this expensive veterinary care and give your pet the right medical care with a Healthy Paws plan. After all, pets get sick. Accidents happen and more often than you think!
"I signed off
on his life-saving procedures knowing he would be covered by Healthy Paws. The claims process is
straightforward and efficient. Customer service is kind, responsive and helpful. Wonderful company!"
Amber from San Fransisco, CA Healthy Paws customer
"I
signed off on his life-saving procedures knowing he would be covered by Healthy Paws. The claims process is
straightforward and efficient. Customer service is kind, responsive and helpful. Wonderful company!"
Amber from San Fransisco, CA Healthy Paws customer
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