Does Pet Insurance Cover Cremation Costs?

Losing a pet is never easy, but fortunately, some pet insurance plans ease the financial strain if you can't afford the total cremation costs by covering the costs of euthanasia and burial or cremation. However, this is entirely dependent on the plan you choose. There are three main types of pet insurance:

1. Wellness
2. Accident
3. Comprehensive

Each provides a specific set of coverage that differs from the other policies. For example, wellness cover would include routine and preventative care like annual checkups, vaccinations, and some dental work but provides no illness or accident cover. The accident policy will only cover random accidents and does not cover wellness or illness. Comprehensive policies cover both illness and accident but rarely provide wellness coverage as well.

Pet Insurance Coverage

Even if you manage to find a comprehensive plan with no annual limit, the insurance company might still not pay you back for every expense. It is best to check directly with your chosen provider about what they cover and what they don’t, but here are some general guidelines:

Wellness Plans

• Vaccinations
• Deworming
• Microchipping
• Spaying or neutering
• Annual checkups
• Dental cleaning
• Nail trimming

Accident and Illness Plans

• Accidents
• Illnesses
• Surgeries
• Medication

Comprehensive Plans

• Accidents
• Illnesses
• Surgeries
• Medication
• Annual checkups
• Vaccinations
• Chronic conditions
• Orthopedic Conditions
• Euthanization

Common Exclusions in Pet Insurance Plans

Pet insurance companies generally will not cover pre-existing conditions on just about every pet insurance plan. Pet insurance typically covers new injuries and illnesses, not conditions the pet has before the policy takes effect.

The coverage of euthanization, burial, and cremation are all highly dependent on the individual service provider and the policy you choose. Some plans cover euthanization but not cremation or burial. Other plans cover all three but not for pets over a certain age. With that being said, there are pet insurance companies that will cover the cremation cost—it is, therefore, essential to read the fine print to ensure you know what you’re getting.

Learn more about cremation costs in Cat Cremation FAQs.