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How to Get Pet Insurance for Multiple Pets
By Susan Doktor MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Do you live in a house with multiple furry friends? That can add up to a lot of love, but also a lot of expenses.
Owning more pets means higher bills for everything from food to veterinary care. The latter costs might have you considering whether you should get pet insurance for your non-human housemates.
Even with a single pet, it’s not a sure bet that getting insurance will pay off, as a Money analysis found. With multiple pets, the insurance premiums can really add up, perhaps even hitting three figures a month. And you can’t be assured that the coverage will take care of every veterinary expense you’ll face; pet insurance rarely does.
On the other hand, owning more pets also raises the risk — or the worry, at least — that the vet bills could grow larger than you can comfortably handle. And buying insurance in bulk can cut the cost for each policy. Most insurers offer discounts when you sign up to cover two or more animals in a household.
Here’s a rundown of how insurance for multiple pets works, and of the best pet insurance plans for several fuzzy friends.
Table of contents
- Can you cover multiple pets under one insurance policy?
- How does pet insurance for multiple pets work?
- Can you get a discount for insuring multiple pets?
- How to get insurance for multiple pets
- Summary of our guide to pet insurance for multiple pets
Can you cover multiple pets under one insurance policy?
Pet insurance covers a portion of your veterinary bills for treatments of accidents or illnesses, depending on your chosen plan. Typically, if you have more than one pet you want to insure, you will purchase separate policies from the company for each pet. In some cases (albeit infrequent), you may be able to purchase a single policy with coverage for two or more pets. It depends on the company.
Regardless of their offerings, most pet insurance companies provide discounts if you purchase coverage for multiple pets. And whether you have separate policies or one combined one, you’ll be able to customize coverage for each pet.
How does pet insurance for multiple pets work?
The ability to tailor each pet’s insurance policy to your requirements is welcome since every animal is unique. Depending on the pets’ needs, you can choose different coverage types, reimbursement percentages and deductibles for each (regardless of whether they’re on the same policy or different ones).
Generally, pet policies come in two varieties: accident-only or accident and illness plans. Many pet insurance companies also offer wellness plans as add-ons. These cover a portion of routine veterinary services and preventative care (like check-ups and vaccinations).
Since your pets’ needs may not be the same, here’s an area where you can customize. Perhaps one of your dogs is of a breed that is more susceptible to a severe illness. You may be able to get accident and illness coverage for that dog while getting accident-only coverage for your other pooch, who’s of a hardier breed.
You can get a quote from most pet insurers online. Some quoting engines allow you to add both pets to your quote if you’ll be purchasing the policies at the same time.
Filing a claim also works the same way a policy for one pet would. You would pay the vet bill upfront (as pet insurers almost always require), and then submit your claim for reimbursement under the appropriate pet’s coverage.
If your pet insurance company offers an online account management system or mobile app, you should be able to manage all your coverage and policies under a single account.
What to know about pet insurance
In general (whether you have one pet or multiple), here are some things to know about pet insurance:
- Coverage limits: Many pet insurers provide a choice of annual coverage limits, ranging from $5,000 to unlimited coverage. Some base coverage on annual coverage limits and some impose caps per condition.
- Deductibles: Your annual deductible is the amount you must pay for pet health care before your insurance kicks in. Annual deductibles are typically $250 or $500. Some companies, however, offer bigger and smaller options than those. Choosing a higher deductible will result in lower monthly premiums.
- Reimbursement rates: Most pet insurance companies offer a choice of several co-pays: 10%, 20% and 30%. Correspondingly, reimbursement rates are usually between 90%, 80% and 70%. Choosing a higher reimbursement rate drives up the premiums you will pay.
- Policy exclusions: Check with your company to see what the policy includes or excludes. Typically, though, the exclusions include pre-existing conditions. (Those are usually defined as illnesses or injuries your pet was diagnosed with before purchasing the policy or during the policy’s waiting period.) There also may be exclusions for older pets, like an upper age limit for coverage. Routine care won’t be covered unless you have a wellness plan.
- Costs: The cost of pet insurance varies based on your pet’s species, breed, age, health and medical history. It can also vary by location.
Can you get a discount for insuring multiple pets?
Nearly all pet insurance providers offer a discount for insuring multiple pets — usually between 5% and 10% of the policy price. The discounts work differently for every insurance provider. Sometimes it’s a percentage off of your total cost for all policies or for each policy. For other insurers, the first policy is at full price, and a discount is applied to the premiums to cover additional pets.
You may also be able to save if you carry homeowners and auto policies from an insurance company that also offers pet insurance. (More rarely, there are also discounts for those who have life and pet insurance from the same company.) These general-purpose companies may offer discounts when you bundle two more types of insurance coverage with them.
What is the best pet insurance for multiple pets?
Below are a handful of insurers that offer multi-pet discounts, all of which are among the best pet insurance companies. Trupanion and Healthy Paws don’t offer this type of discount.
| Company | Multiple Pet Discount |
| Embrace | 10% total |
| Spot | 10% for each additional pet |
| ASPCA | 10% for each additional pet |
| Figo | 5% for each policy |
| Lemonade | 5% total |
| Pets Best | 5% total |
How to get insurance for multiple pets
Applying for multi-pet coverage is essentially the same as applying for single-pet coverage. Compare prices and policy features from a few different companies. Some insurers allow you to get a quote for coverage of two pets combined, but it depends on the company’s process. If you already have pet insurance for one pet and want to add another, you can usually do this through your online account, provided that your insurer offers that.
Pet insurance for multiple pets FAQs
How important is it to have pet insurance?
Whether pet insurance is worth it or not depends on your pet. The costs are very dependent on how old your pet is and what breed — or mixture of breeds — it is.
If your dog or cat has an accident or illness that racks up your vet bills, a policy may be worth it to help cover those costs. There's a peace of mind element to it, but it may not pay off financially if your pet does not need much medical treatment.
When should you consider getting pet insurance?
If you want to purchase pet insurance, you should do so as soon as possible. Policies are more affordable for younger pets and don't cover pre-existing conditions. So, if you were to get a policy after your pet was diagnosed with something, any treatment for that condition wouldn't be covered.
What factors affect the cost of pet insurance?
The cost of a pet insurance policy depends on your pet's age, breed, health and even where you live. The breed can affect the cost drastically because some breeds are more susceptible to medical conditions than others. Likewise, it's more expensive for older pets because they are more likely to need medical care. Policy specifics that you choose also influence the price: coverage limits, annual deductible and reimbursement percentage. If you purchase a wellness plan add-on, your costs will be higher.
Summary of our guide on pet insurance for multiple pets
If pet insurance appeals to you, and you own a menagerie of animals, you might want to consider insuring them all. Doing so can provide peace of mind and yield some discounts for purchasing coverage in bulk.
The processes for multi-pet insurance coverage work similarly to insuring only a single pet — from enrollment to filing a claim. Most companies require you to get separate policies for each pet but usually allow you to manage and pay for the policies together. It’s less common (but still possible) that you can get a single policy for all your pets. Either way, most companies offer policyholders a multi-pet discount of either 5% or 10%.
Regardless of whether you have a single policy or multiple ones, you can customize each pet’s coverage options. There’s usually the option to buy multi-pet insurance online. You typically select the number of animals you want and then enter information on each and on the coverage you want.
What if you already have pet insurance for one of your pets but want to get coverage for another pet? You may be able to add your second pet (and enjoy a discount on your overall bill) through your online account or by contacting the company.
