Accident Only Pet Insurance: What It Covers and Who It Suits

What does accident only pet insurance cover?

Accident only pet insurance pays for sudden injuries and the vet care that follows them. ASPCA’s accident-only plan names swallowed objects, bite wounds, cuts, fractured teeth, broken bones and toxic ingestions. It also pays for the X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, blood work, stitches, medication, hospital stays and surgery used to treat those injuries.

Nationwide’s accident-only page adds being hit by a car, heatstroke, lacerations, animal attacks and snakebites. Pets Best describes its plan the same way: emergencies such as snake bites, broken bones and foreign object ingestion, with no illness cover.

Like any pet policy, it reimburses you after you pay the vet. First you pay the deductible, the amount you cover yourself each policy year before the plan pays. Then the insurer pays its reimbursement rate, the share of each covered bill it returns, often 70% to 90%. Payouts stop at the annual limit, the most the plan will pay in a year.

What do accident-only plans exclude?

Accident-only plans exclude every illness. ASPCA lists illnesses, hereditary conditions, behavioral issues, dental illness and preventive care as not covered, along with pre-existing conditions.

A pre-existing condition is any injury or illness that started, or showed signs, before your coverage began or during a waiting period. Nationwide’s wording is clear: an accident that happened before the start date or during a waiting period will not be covered. Nationwide also excludes emergency transportation.

That leaves common problems uncovered: ear and urinary infections, vomiting and diarrhea from a stomach bug, allergies, diabetes, cancer and arthritis. Those are exactly the conditions an accident and illness policy is built for.

How much does accident only pet insurance cost?

Accident-only cover costs roughly a quarter of what accident-and-illness cover costs. NAPHIA, the North American pet insurance trade group, published these average US premiums for 2025.

Plan type	Dogs, per year	Cats, per year	Dogs, per month (NerdWallet)	Cats, per month (NerdWallet)
Accident only	$190	$112	$16	$9
Accident and illness	$836	$435	$70	$36
Accident, illness and wellness	$1,414	$859	$118	$72

Insurer examples land in the same range. Nationwide advertises accident-only cover from $13 a month for a 1-year-old medium dog with a $5,000 annual limit, 80% reimbursement and a $250 deductible. Your price depends on species, breed, age, ZIP code and the options you choose. Our dog insurance cost guide breaks down those factors.

Few people buy accident-only cover. An NAIC regulator guide reported that 98% of policies written in 2017 were accident-and-illness plans.

Accident-only vs accident and illness: side by side

The difference is simple: one plan pays for injuries, the other pays for injuries and sickness.

Feature	Accident only	Accident and illness
Broken bones, bites, swallowed objects	Covered	Covered
Infections, stomach upsets, allergies	Not covered	Covered
Cancer, diabetes, kidney disease	Not covered	Covered
Hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia	Not covered	Often covered, varies by insurer
Average dog premium (NAPHIA 2025)	$190 a year	$836 a year
Illness waiting period	None needed	Typically 14 to 30 days
Routine care	Not covered	Only with a wellness add-on

What does an accident bill actually look like?

A swallowed sock is a typical accident claim. The example bill on this page adds up to $2,105 for an emergency exam, X-rays, blood work, endoscopic removal, fluids and medication. Each line uses a price inside the ranges published by MetLife Pet Insurance and Figo.

With a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, the plan would pay $1,484 and you would pay $621. If the object can’t be reached with an endoscope, Figo puts surgery at $2,000 to $5,000 instead. MetLife lists hospitalization at $800 to $1,500 per night, which can push a surgical case far higher.

Broken legs vary even more. Pumpkin’s claims data shows dog leg fracture claims from as little as $70 up to $12,388, with an average claim of $1,008. Spot puts broken bones at $200 to $2,000 depending on location and severity. A splint costs far less than plates and screws. Our emergency coverage guide covers more of these scenarios.

Who are accident-only plans best for?

Accident-only plans suit owners who want a safety net against a sudden big bill and can’t stretch to full cover. ASPCA describes the plan as helpful for energetic, curious or mischievous pets, and as a cheaper option for owners on a tight budget.

They can make sense if:

• Your budget only allows about $10 to $20 a month, and the choice is accident-only or nothing. Our low-income pet insurance guide covers other options too.
• Your dog is young, healthy and active, so injuries are the most likely claim.
• You already have savings set aside for illness and only want help with a sudden large emergency.
• Your pet has many pre-existing conditions that full cover would exclude anyway.

Who should skip accident-only cover?

Owners who could not pay a large illness bill should usually skip it. Illness is not covered at any price on these plans, and illness can cost as much as any accident. Spot puts the first diabetes visit with blood work and urinalysis at $225 to $500, and insulin at $40 to $150 a month after that.

It is also a weak fit for breeds prone to inherited problems. Accident-only plans exclude hereditary conditions, so hip dysplasia in a large breed would not be covered. If you own a breed with known health risks, such as a golden retriever, look at accident-and-illness cover first.

Older pets are another case. As pets age, illness claims tend to dominate. Our guide to insuring senior dogs walks through those trade-offs.

Which insurers sell accident-only plans?

Several large insurers do, but many do not. NerdWallet lists ASPCA, Spot and Hartville as offering accident-only plans, and MetLife and Pumpkin as not. Forbes Advisor notes that Pets Best offers one, while Figo, Healthy Paws and Prudent Pet do not. Nationwide also sells one.

Lemonade does not sell an accident-only plan. Its base policy covers accidents and illnesses together, including hereditary and chronic conditions. It also reimburses you after you pay the vet rather than paying the clinic directly.

Do accident-only plans have waiting periods?

Many do, though usually short ones. A waiting period is the time after you buy a policy before claims are covered. Nationwide says most of its plans have a 14-day waiting period. NerdWallet lists 14-day accident waiting periods for ASPCA and Spot. Forbes Advisor reports three days for Pets Best in most states.

State law can override these. The NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act prohibits accident waiting periods outright, and a growing number of states have adopted laws based on it. Our waiting periods guide compares insurers and explains the state rules. If your pet had an injury before you enrolled, read our guide to pre-existing conditions as well.

Bottom line

Accident only pet insurance is cheap, averaging about $190 a year for dogs and $112 for cats, and it does pay for injuries like broken bones and swallowed objects. It pays nothing for illness, which rules it out for many owners. If you can afford accident-and-illness cover, it protects against far more of the bills pets actually run up. If you can’t, accident-only cover is better than no plan for a sudden emergency.