Does Pet Insurance Cover Prescription Food?

The unfortunately vague answer is “sometimes.” Prescription food isn’t covered by most providers, but you can find it in some plans. Pet insurance policies are generally more useful for covering unexpected accidents or illnesses and the diagnostics and exam fees that result.

All pet insurance excludes preexisting conditions, so don’t start your search hoping that you can get a current prescription covered. Buying pet insurance when your pet is young and healthy will ensure you get the most coverage. 

If your pet already has a health issue that requires prescription food, the underlying concern is a preexisting condition and will not be covered by any pet insurance provider. If your pet no longer requires the food but later needs to resume eating it (typically after a year or more has passed), some pet insurance companies may cover it.

Some pet insurance providers cover prescription food, but others don’t. Our top picks for companies that do cover prescription pet food are Spot, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance and Embrace. Use the table below to compare the depth of coverage for our top-rated pet insurance companies:

*Lemonade may offer shorter waiting periods depending on where you live.