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CarePlus by Chewy is a newbie on the pet care market, with pet insurance and wellness plans offered through partner provider Trupanion. American Pet Insurance Company underwrites CarePlus plans.
Here's what you should know about CarePlus pet coverage and how it compares to other popular pet insurance companies.
What Insurance Plans Does Chewy Pet Insurance Offer?
A critical note about CarePlus by Chewy is that the insurance isn't yet available for customers in certain states.
While the company plans to expand nationwide, this current limitation is a big deal. If you move to one of the states without CarePlus by Chewy pet insurance coverage, you may need to switch insurance carriers. At that point, any medical treatment your pet has already received is a preexisting condition now ineligible for coverage under your new company.
You can choose from separate plans for pet insurance and wellness if you're in a state that CarePlus by Chewy covers. Pet parents can use this to create comprehensive and personalized plans.
To get an online quote from CarePlus by Chewy, you'll need to create an account and have some basic information on hand.
Unlike other insurance providers, Chewy CarePlus requires a little more detail about your pet beyond the usual age and breed information. For example, you'll need to share if your pet has been spayed or neutered, know how much it weighs, and have an approximate birth date and adoption date. These details did not change our quoted insurance rates.
We trotted out Insider's favorite imaginary Golden Retriever, 3-year-old Caboodle, to help us price out Chewy CarePlus insurance and wellness coverage rates.
There are two tiers of wellness coverage and four tiers of insurance coverage to choose from. While you can purchase a wellness plan without medical health records, you can't buy a pet insurance policy until your pet has an annual check-up with up-to-date health records. If you've been to the vet recently, Chewy may use the exam results.;
Wellness (preventive care)
As the name suggests, wellness plans reimburse some of the costs associated with specific preventative procedures for your dog or cat, such as annual check-ups, vaccinations, blood tests, and pest prevention.
The base-level Wellness plan covers up to $290 annually for one annual check-up, vaccines, bloodwork, and specific tests for identifying parasites such as heartworms and pests such as fleas. You'll also have access to Chewy's free Connect with a Vet texting service.
The upgraded Comprehensive plan includes the same benefits as the Wellness plan, with increased coverage for your annual check-up and bloodwork. You'll also get up to $125 for medications treating fleas, ticks, and heartworm and free video and text-based consultations with CarePlus vets.
Chewy CarePlus offers the following four insurance tiers for pet coverage:
Accident-Only
Under this policy, Chewy CarePlus will reimburse 80% of your expenses after a $250 annual deductible for the following:
- Accidents: Accidents include, but are not limited to:
- ingestion and removal of toxic or foreign substances such as chocolate or pills
- broken bones
- ligament issues
- injuries due to trauma, such as an attack from another dog
- any surgeries, hospital stays, or treatments related to the above issues
- Surgeries, hospitalization, or lab tests: If your pet needs specialized medical care due to a covered accident or injury, CarePlus will cover associated costs, including surgery, hospitalization, or lab work prescribed by your vet.
- Diagnostic tests: Medically necessary diagnostic tests associated with your pet's accident or injury and prescribed by your vet are covered under CarePlus.
- Orthotics & prosthetics: CarePlus covers medically necessary mobility devices such as orthotics or prosthetic limbs due to covered paralysis, amputation, or surgery recovery.
- Medicine & supplements (reimbursed at 100% if purchased through Chewy): Medications and supplements are the lone exception for reimbursement under the Accident-Only plan. If your vet prescribes medication and supplements related to a covered incident, CarePlus will reimburse 100% of the cost if, and only if, you make your purchase through Chewy.com. If a prescription are not filled through Chewy, it would pay 70-90% based on your chosen plan.
Accident-only insurance does not include new illnesses, allergies, issues that arise with age, preexisting conditions, physical therapy, chiropractic care, behavioral training, acupuncture, special diets, or vet exam fees. So you may want to seriously consider how much you'll save with minimal coverage, particularly if you have a pet with an unknown background or breed-specific risks like hip or back issues.
Essential Accident and Illness
This policy combines all the coverage benefits from the accident-only plan with some additional protection in case of illness. CarePlus Essential will reimburse 70% of your eligible costs after a $250 annual deductible has been met.
- New illnesses: Chewy's Essential Plan covers new illnesses your pet experiences (nothing related to a preexisting condition). This can include vomiting or diarrhea related to illness, allergies, and conditions such as itchy or irritated skin, ear infections, arthritis, heart disease, and hypertension.
- Vet-prescribed diet food: If your vet decides your pet needs specialized diet food, CarePlus Essential will cover 100% of your prescription pet food for four months if purchased through Chewy.com. Alternatively, you can buy the pet food elsewhere and receive a 70% reimbursement for four months.
Essential-Plus Accident and Illness
The Essential-Plus plan includes all the benefits listed above for the Essential program. However, the Essential-Plus plan has a higher reimbursement rate of 90% for vendor specified services after a $250 annual deductible has been met.
Complete Accident and Illness
The Complete plan offers everything referenced above, as well as:
- Vet-prescribed diet food: With the Complete plan, you'll get six months of prescription pet food reimbursement instead of four months. As with the previous plans, prescription diet food is reimbursed at 100% if purchased through Chewy.com and less, depending on your plan, elsewhere.
- Advanced care treatments: The Complete plan includes physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and behavioral treatments.
- Advanced care treatments: The Complete plan also covers exam and consultation fees from your vet's office if related to the diagnosis and treatment of a new accident or illness.
Additional Coverage Options from Chewy
- Free Live Vet Access (Chat Only): CarePlus by Chewy's Connect with a Vet live chat service is free with most CarePlus plans. CarePlus vets and vet techs do not diagnose or prescribe medication, but you can exchange messages, photos, or videos of your pet's ailment for real-time feedback.
CarePlus vets can answer pet health questions via chat between 6 a.m. and midnight EST, seven days a week.
How Much Does Chewy Pet Insurance Cost?
Pet owners who purchase coverage for multiple pets can enjoy a 10% discount on CarePlus by Chewy premiums for either wellness or insurance plans.
The average cost of pet insurance that Chewy CarePlus gave us for Caboodle were as follows:
CarePlus Plan | Monthly Cost for Caboodle | Reimbursement % | Annual Deductible |
Wellness | $20 |
| N/A |
Comprehensive | $33 |
| N/A |
Accident Only | $17 | 80%; you pay 20% | $250 |
Essential | $88 | 70%; you pay 30% | $250 |
Essential Plus | $106 | 90%; you pay 10% | $250 |
Complete | $131 | 90%; you pay 10% | $250 |
Wellness (Preventive Care)
The base-level Wellness plan covers up to $75 for one annual check-up, up to $40 on fecal tests for parasites, up to $80 for vaccines, up to $50 for bloodwork, and up to $45 for heartworm tests.
That's a $290 maximum benefit payout on a policy that costs $20 per month ($240 per year). Chewy CarePlus' plan generates a maximum savings of $50 per year if you take advantage of the total coverage limits.
The upgraded Comprehensive plan includes up to $90 for one annual check-up, up to $40 on fecal tests for parasites, up to $80 for vaccines, up to $075 for bloodwork, and up to $45 for heartworm tests. It also includes up to $125 for medications treating fleas, ticks, and heartworm. Policyholders can also take advantage of free video consultations with Chewy CarePlus vets (worth $20 per 20-minute virtual visit).
That's a $455 maximum benefit payout on a policy that costs $33 per month ($240 per year). So buyers enjoy a max savings of $59 per year before factoring in the value of virtual vet visits if they max out all individual coverage limits.;
Insurance
All CarePlus by Chewy insurance plans require a $250 annual deductible and include fixed reimbursement percentages based on your selected coverage tier.
How Do I File Claims with Chewy Pet Insurance?
CarePlus by Chewy's insurance partnership with Trupanion Pet Insurance can be a boon for pet owners since some veterinarians can accept payment directly through Trupanion. If your vet has a Trupanion Pet Insurance account, you'll pay your portion of the vet invoice when leaving the office, and Chewy CarePlus will handle the rest.
If your vet doesn't have a Trupanion Pet Insurance account, you can go to your member portal or mail a copy of your itemized invoice to Trupanion.
Member portal: Submit a digital claim through the My Pet Health dashboard
Mailing address:
Trupanion
6000 4th Avenue South
Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98108.
If you have questions, you can reach Chewy's insurance customer service team 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
Phone: 1-800-672-4399 x44480 to reach the CarePlus insurance team
Email: Contact Chewy's customer service team through this link
Chat: Chewy's live chat team is very responsive and timely. You can either click on the "24/7 help" chat at the top right corner of the Chewy.com website or scroll to the bottom and click on the relevant icon.
What Preexisting Conditions Are Excluded with Chewy?
CarePlus by Chewy insurance does not cover preexisting conditions. The terms of service state that any injuries or illnesses your pet has before your enrollment date or during your waiting period are considered preexisting conditions
Trupanion Pet Insurance, the partner insurance provider, will evaluate your pet's medical history and notify you if any previous concerns are considered a preexisting condition.
Preexisting conditions won't impact your eligibility for reimbursement under a CarePlus by Chewy wellness plan for preventive care such as annual check-ups. Premiums also are not affected. But the cost of vet bills, later on, could be high. So getting pet insurance when you bring your pet home is ideal.
Are There Waiting Periods for Chewy Pet Insurance?
CarePlus by Chewy's wellness policies do not have a waiting period. Therefore, you can begin filing claims for eligible preventive care as soon as you enroll in the plan.
Plans require you to wait a few days after enrollment before filing an eligible claim. Here's what you need to know about each type of plan and its associated waiting periods.
Reason for vet visit | Accident Only | Essential | Essential Plus | Complete |
Accident | 5 days | 5 days | 5 days | 5 days |
Illness | n/a | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
Cruciate Knee Injury | 30 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
Compare Chewy Pet Insurance vs. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Neither CarePlus by Chewy nor Healthy Paws Pet Insurance cap annual reimbursement limits, which is helpful for pet owners with fur babies that need a lot of care.
However, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance offers more customization, which can lower prices. With Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, you can choose between 70% or 80% reimbursement and an annual deductible option of either $250 or $500.
Using Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, we would have paid $49 per month for a pet plan with 70% reimbursement and a $250 deductible. With Chewy, the same 70% and $250 deductible plan costs $88 per month.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance does not offer a wellness plan option, while Chewy does. However, CarePlus by Chewy's wellness plans may be more trouble than simply paying out of pocket since the payout limits for each covered activity are relatively low. Ultimately, you save money if you use the full benefits. But a claim must be filed, resulting in inconvenience every time you utilize one of the covered services.
Compare Chewy Pet Insurance vs. Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Pumpkin Pet Insurance and Chewy CarePlus offer multi-policy discounts for pet parents with multiple fur babies. Pumpkin Pet Insurance offers a flat 90% reimbursement rate on all eligible claims, while Chewy CarePlus offers options with 70% or 90% reimbursement tiers. In addition, Pumpkin Pet Insurance provides various deductibles from $100 to $1,000, while Chewy CarePlus has a flat $250 annual deductible on all plans.
We made a side-by-side price comparison of coverage for Caboodle, with a 90% reimbursement rate and a $250 deductible. Pumpkin Pet Insurance would have cost us $117 per month, marginally higher than CarePlus by Chewy's $106 monthly.
Compare Chewy Pet Insurance vs. Lemonade Pet Insurance
CarePlus by Chewy and Lemonade Pet Insurance share a partnership that will launch in Spring 2023. In the meantime, pet owners shopping for healthcare protection should check the fine print for both companies since neither company is available in all 50 United States.
In a side-by-side price comparison of comparable policies, Lemonade Pet Insurance came out ahead cost-wise before adding optional benefits such as physical therapy and vet exams.
Methodology: Our Chewy Pet Insurance Review
When we look at pet insurance plans, we evaluate the comprehensiveness of coverage, the cost to the consumer, how easy it is to file claims, and the speed of reimbursement. In addition, we use resources like TrustPilot for customer satisfaction. Finally, we include AM Best ratings when available.
You can read more about our insurance rating methodology for pet insurance. This comprehensive process lets us objectively rate pet insurance products side-by-side to help consumers make informed decisions.
Chewy Pet Insurance FAQs
CarePlus by Chewy offers pet insurance and wellness plans for dogs and cats. It differentiates the Chewy online retail store from its pet insurance sector.
PetSmart does not own or manage any part of Chewy at this time. Although online pet retailer PetSmart acquired Chewy in 2017, the companies split in 2020.
Shopping around for pet insurance is always a good idea. Insurance companies vary in scope of coverage. Your pet may have extenuating circumstances that one provider will cover or another may not.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.