This story was updated October 2018.
Pet insurance in the USA has become increasingly popular over the past decade. A study conducted by Embrace Pet Insurance discovered that more than 1 million dogs, cats and other pets are currently covered by one of the leading companies. I am a fan of getting your pets insured because it can make a lifesaving difference if they need expensive emergency care. That said, owners of disabled dogs and cats should take a hard look at their policy. Some of the most popular plans do NOT cover physical therapy, ongoing rehab or alternative care. And other plans only offer limited coverage and time limits. If you aren’t sure whether your pet insurance cover rehabilitation services, it’s time to check.
Why rehab coverage is important
Coverage for treatments like hydrotherapy, acupuncture and physical therapy are extremely important for the recovery and well-being of paralyzed dogs, post-op patients and pets with neurological and orthopedic special needs. It took a long time for these services to get mainstreamed into veterinary medicine and it’s disappointing to see them excluded or limited in pet insurance policies.
Click to read: What To Expect When Your Dog Goes To Water Therapy
My personal experience
When Sophie got sick in 2008 I decided to enlist the help of a holistic veterinarian for her care. My regular veterinarian wasn’t particularly happy with that news so I went rogue and did it without her blessing. I felt like I was sneaking around during Sophie’s acupuncture, chiropractic and laser sessions. It was a sad situation because all of veterinarian specialists involved in Sophie’s care weren’t in communication with each other. There was little coordination of my dog’s care.
So when pet parents told me times had changed and their dogs and cats are now routinely referred by their primary veterinarian to rehab and alternative care specialists, I was over-the-moon with joy. We’ve made headway and now it is time for all pet insurance companies to get onboard by including these treatments in their coverage.
What are alternative therapies?
In case you aren’t up-to-date on the many kinds of rehabilitation services offered by holistic veterinarians, canine physical therapists and rehabilitation/integrative veterinarians, here is an idea of the treatments they offer:
- Chiropractic care
- Acupuncture
- Hydrotherapy (aqua therapy, water therapy)
- Underwater Treadmills
- Physical therapy/Range of motion/Balance/Flexibility
- Massage
- Therapeutic laser therapy
- Chinese herbal medicine
- Homeopathy
- Assistive therapy/ carts, orthotics, prosthetics
These services are a great benefit to disabled dogs, but they can get expensive fast. That’s because they are ongoing therapies that require a pet to have them several times a week for an extended period of time. Without adequate coverage on an insurance plan they can become cost prohibitive, leaving families with the unfortunate choice of going into debt or discontinuing the care.
The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV) put together a list of the type of alternative services the top pet insurance companies offer. You should check it out because the coverage varies a lot.
Click here to read: How Pet Insurance Can Make Veterinary Bills Affordable
Pet insurance company rehab requirements
- Some require pet owners to buy an additional rider policy for rehab or alternative care. (This is done in advance of your dog needing services).
- Some plans limit the amount policy holders can spend on rehab services.
- Some pet insurance companies Do Not cover your initial rehab evaluation, but do cover treatment.
The one part I like is all of the pet insurance companies require rehabilitation services to be supervised by a veterinary professional that has special training and expertise in the field.
A breakdown of pet insurance rehabilitation plans
The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians puts together an annual chart that compares the breakdown of rehab/alternative treatments covered by the leading U.S. pet insurance companies. It describes the type of treatments and coverage limits. You can read and print the chart by clicking on the PDF below.
Click here to read: 2017 AARV_Pet_Insurance_Summary (PDF)
I’d love to hear how your insurance company stacks up. Has your pet ever been denied rehabilitation because the insurance company said no?
photo credit: baroo? via photopin (license)
photo credit: Matilda’s acupuncture session via photopin (license)
Rehab coverage is important to consider! Thanks.
I was surprised at the difference in coverage between the insurance companies.
Very good article. I looked and found an updated list of insurance companies
lhttp://www.rehabvets.org/_docs/AARV-Pet-Insurance-Summary-030516.pdf
Thank you.
I am a believer in alternative therapies and think it would be awesome if they worked WITH the vets!!
Like any other insurance, pet must be insured with a good plan which will cover all the major health issues. It gives guarantee for the service which are available in the respective hospital. But before choosing for an insurance plan you must check it in details whether it covers major services like surgery, massage, physical therapy, treatment for dental diseases etc or not. If the chosen plan covers all of the above treatments that will be very much helpful to assist the pet owner in financially. Take suggestion from your pet’s vet to choose the right plan for your pet.
Great advice. I agree that it is important for pets to be covered by a good health insurance plan. Thank you for sharing.
This is a great article! So many people don’t know enough about these vital and expensive treatments. My dog Logan had surgery for a herniated disc this past February and did not have Veterinary care insurance. His emergency surgery, MRI, and a week of hospitalization cost about $8000. His physical therapy began about 6 weeks later supervised by Specialized veterinarian. I think her initial assessment cost $55 and he was periodically reassessed as time went on. He started in April with twice a week PT sessions which cost $590 for 8- 60 minute sessions. These sessions are conducted by amazing and extremely qualified therapy technicians. The treatments for Logan include laser therapy, underwater treadmill, pool exercises, dry land therapy and instruction for me to be able to do daily exercises at home. Logan began to walk about a month after these wonderful treatments began and are still ongoing once a week. I am very blessed to be able to do this with Logan and he and these treatments are worth every penny I’ve spent. But there are so many people who would not be able to make the mobility restoring choices I was fortunate to be able to make. Thank you for making people aware of the need to look into their Veterinary insurance policies, so that they will be better prepared if their beloved pet needs extensive rehab and PT like Logan did. I will continue these treatments for Logan as long as possible so that he will continue to have good mobility and flexibility going forward. Not everyone extends treatment as long as I have chosen to, but I did not want him to “backslide” if I stopped physical earlier.
Linda, Thanks for sharing your story about the cost of rehab care for Logan. For some reason, pet insurance is popular in other countries like the UK where nearly every animal has coverage. But it has not caught on in the USA. Logan is very lucky to have you. I get emails every day from owners who have to make tough decisions about their dog’s care because of financial concerns. Just today a pet owner wrote about his daughter’s Dachshund who needs a surgery he can’t afford. It is such a sad situation. Best wishes to you and Logan.
I just adopted a paraplegic dog who seems to respond to “deep pain” reflex and appears to bend her little knees while in her wheelchair. I have an appt with the vet later this week to see if they think pursuing treatment would be reasonable. She doesn’t have pet insurance and this would be a pre-existing condition…my question is, does anyone know if the rehab for a preexisting condition be covered? Or is this just not an option? Thsnks!
Georgina, Congratulations on adopting your dog. Pre-existing conditions can be tricky with pet insurance companies. Some like Embrace, have a definite no coverage policy, some allow you to buy an insurance rider to add special services and Pet-Assure states it will cover pre-existing conditions. My suggestion would be to contact the companies you have researched and like best and see if they will cover treatment and rehab. I think their worry is over big ticket items like surgery or cancer treatment. They might be more receptive to covering rehab services. However before you move ahead, it will be interesting to hear what your veterinarian says about your dog’s condition. Some paralyzed dogs move their legs involuntarily or learn to spinal walk, but the condition doesn’t get better. Did the rescue where you adopted the dog give you a diagnosis? If your dog will benefit from rehab and you can’t get insurance coverage, please know there are exercises, massage and water therapy techniques you can do at home. Best wishes.