Does Pet Insurance Cover Heartworm Prevention?

Wellness (aka preventative) plans cover a portion of routine vet items, such as annual exams, spaying/neutering procedures, heartworm testing and prevention medication, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention medication, microchipping, and more. The covered items and amounts vary based on the pet insurance company and policy you purchase. Accident and illness pet insurance policies alone don’t cover these preventative expenses.

Heartworm preventative is something you’ll need to purchase regularly year for your dog since it is recommended to administer it monthly. Before your vet prescribes heartworm prevention, your dog will need to be tested to ensure she is not currently inflicted with heartworms. Giving heartworm preventative to a dog already infected with heartworms can be deadly.

Sometimes pet parents only give their dogs heartworm prevention during the warmer months when mosquitos are more prevalent. (Mosquitos are common transmitters of heartworm disease.) However, mosquitos can come inside your home during the colder winter months, so there is still a risk of your dog contracting heartworm disease year-round. It’s also easy for us busy humans to forget to restart it when the weather gets warmer. This is why most veterinarians recommend dogs have one dose of heartworm preventative each month of the year.

Testing and medication for heartworm prevention starts around $100 per year and goes up depending on where you live, the size of your dog, and the cost of vet care supplies. Additionally, you’ll be charged a fee for the veterinary wellness exam, which can be anywhere from $20 to $85+ depending on where you live and the cost of vet care.

So, if your dog lives 12 years, you could pay $2,200 or more for your dog’s wellness exams, heartworm testing, and preventative medications over her life. A wellness plan could help you cover a portion of these expenses and other preventive items as well.