Banfield Pet Insurance
Sometimes known as Petsmart Pet Insurance
Banfield has over 500 pet hospitals across the United States located in Petsmart stores and thousands of Banfield customers have Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans. But it's important to understand that there is (currently) no such thing as Banfield pet insurance.
Once you understand the differences between a pet insurance policy and a Banfield wellness plan, you may want to conduct a pet insurance comparsion to understand the differences between companies.
Banfield vs Pet Insurance Plan
Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans are contracts that give you a pre-determined number of vaccinations, office visits, diagnostic tests, and more but do not reimburse you for the unexpected and costly illnesses and accidents your pet can run into. You cannot use your Banfield plan at a non-Banfield veterinary hospital.
On the other hand, pet insurance plans can be used at any veterinary hospital and they do cover unexpected illnesses and accidents.
To make it easier to understand, we've summarized the key differences between Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans and pet insurance plans.
| Feature | Banfield
Wellness Plan | Pet Insurance
Plan |
| Use any veterinary hospital | No | Yes |
| Cancellable if pet dies | No | Yes |
| Reimburses you for accidents & illnesses | No | Yes |
Reimburses you for visits to vet ER
| No | Yes |
Covers preventative care
| Yes | Optional |
Unlimited office visits at Banfield
| Yes | No |
| Discounts on other services at Banfield | Yes | No |
| Pay upfront for services | No | Yes |
| Plan cost varies with breed & age of pet | No | Usually |
| One-time Membership fee | Yes | No |
An Example
Let's say your dog started vomiting at 3am and you rushed him to a non-Banfield hospital. One of the first things your veterinarian might do is take X-rays to rule out an intestinal obstruction from swallowing something.
If it turns out that your dog did swallow something then a visit like this can easily cost $1,500 to $2,000. A pet insurance plan would reimburse you around 80% or 90% of the cost. You can read other claims stories for yourself to get a feel for how much modern veterinary treatment can cost.
A Banfield plan would not help you financially in this situation and would not reimburse you because it's not a Banfield hospital.
Pet Insurance Offers Wellness Cover Too
Many pet insurance plans offer wellness or routine care packages. These are usually optional and purchased along with your pet insurance plan. Pet insurance wellness plans reimburse you for the cost of vaccinations, office visits, preventative care, and more.
Embrace Wellness Rewards also offers flexible wellness care through an annual allowance that you can spend on things such as office visits, vaccinations, and lab tests. More importantly, with Wellness Rewards you can use any veterinarian.
| Benefit | Banfield
Wellness Plan | Pet Insurance
Wellness Plan |
| Office visits | Yes | Yes |
| Vaccinations | Yes | Yes |
| Heartworm test | Yes | Yes |
Basic blood test
| Yes | Yes |
Electrocardiogram
| Yes | Yes |
| Urinalysis | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible or co-pay | No | No |
| Supplements & nutraceuticals | No | No |
| Behavioral or training issues | No | No |
Choosing the Right Plan
The good thing is you can use pet insurance and your Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan together. If you already have a Banfield plan then you can purchase pet insurance along with it to cover you for the unexpected, expensive things such as accidents, illnesses, and emergency visits.
If you already have pet insurance, you should feel comfortable knowing that a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan will cover your pet's regular care at Banfield hospitals and your pet insurance can be used anywhere else, including your regular Banfield vet.
Do the Right Thing for Your Pet
No matter what you choose to do, protect your pet with pet insurance for the unexpected and keep him healthy with a good wellness plan from Banfield, your pet insurance company, or your local veterinary hospital.
Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan is a registered trademark of Banfield. To learn more about Banfield Wellness Plans, you can call them at 1-866-277-PETS (1-866-277-7387).