CarePlus by Chewy is a newbie on the pet care market, with pet insurance and wellness plans offered through partner provider Trupanion and Lemonade Pet. American Pet Insurance Company underwrites CarePlus plans.
Business Insider compared Chewy to the best pet insurance companies and found it to lag behind the rest of the industry, lacking the flexibility necessary to cover a wide range of pet needs.
Pros and Cons
Chewy Pet Insurance Pros
- 100% prescription medicine coverage on some policies
- Free video consultations
- Trupanion policies can cover 100% of veterinary diet food for 120 to 180 days.
- Trupanion policies can pay vets upfront
- Trupanion policies have 14-day ligament issue waiting period
- 5% to 10% multi-pet insurance, depending on which pet insurance you choose
Chewy Pet Insurance Cons
- Chewy does not offer its own policies
- Inflexible annual limits and coinsurance
- High premiums on Trupanion policies
- Wellness does not have coverage for spaying/neutering
- Lemonade policies only available in 39 states
- No curable preexisting condition coverage for Trupanion policies
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- Provides lifetime care with unlimited spending
- Low price with low deductibles
- 100% coverage for prescriptions if order is shipped via Chewy.com
- Average premiums for wellness and accident and illness plans are affordable
- Plans are not available in all states
- Claims may take longer
- Chewy pet insurance is one of the newer companies with limited history
Compare Chewy Pet Insurance
Chewy Pet Insurance Overview
Chewy is a well-known online retailer for pet supplies and food. It branched out into pet insurance in 2022 through partnerships with Trupanion and Lemonade, more established pet insurance providers.
Chewy offers four plans that increase in coverage, two cheaper plans provided by Lemonade, and two more expensive plans provided by Trupanion. These plans aren't much different than plans you'd find by going directly to its partners. The main benefit that Chewy adds is free video consultations and 100% prescription medicine reimbursement on some of its plans.
The trade-off for these benefits is a lack of policy flexibility, which is unfortunate as policy flexibility is one of Lemonade's best features. Reimbursement levels and coverage limits are pre-set and customers can choose a deductible of $250, $500, or $1,000. Additionally, Chewy doesn't offer many of the optional riders available with its partners.
Chewy's policies also wildly uneven across tiers. Lemonade and Trupanion are extremely different services, on opposite ends of the cost spectrum. Shopping for a Chewy policy feels less like you're looking at one pet insurance option, but choosing between two very different insurance companies.
Ultimately, we found very little reason to buy pet insurance through Chewy over buying a policy directly from its partners.
Chewy Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage
Chewy pet insurance offers one accident-only plan and three accident and illness plans: Value, Essential Plus, and Complete. These plans are offered through partnerships with Lemonade and Trupanion, not Chewy itself.
We'll go through Chewy's plans by focusing on policies offered by Lemonade and Trupanion separately, as policy details hinge on which partnership policy you choose.
Lemonade Plans Through Chewy
Lemonade pet insurance is known for its policy's flexibility and its discount options. Lemonade is responsible for Chewy's accident-only plan and Base and Value accident and illness plans. Plan availability varies based on your location and your pet's age and breed.
Customers have deductible options of $250, $500, and $1,000 for all Chewy policies. Additionally, all Chewy policies include free video consultations.
Accident-only: Lemonade's accident-only plan through Chewy offers unlimited coverage with 100% reimbursements on accident-related prescription medicine and 80% reimbursements on accident-related surgeries, tests, and treatments.
Chewy Base: Lemonade's Base plan offers accident and illness coverage with a $20,000 annual limit and 70% reimbursement on medicine, treatments, tests, and surgeries.
Chewy Value: Lemonade's Base plan offers accident and illness coverage with a $20,000 annual limit and 80% reimbursement on medicine, treatments, tests, and surgeries. It also offers coverage for vet exam fees.
Lemonade does not cover certain dental issues, therapy for physical or behavioral conditions, or prescription food. It also doesn't cover pre-existing medical conditions. However, certain curable pre-existing conditions are no longer considered pre-existing if your pet is treatment- and symptom-free for 12 months.
Trupanion Plans Through Chewy
Trupanion pet insurance is responsible for Chewy's upper-tier Essential Plus and Complete policies. Once again, all policies have deductible options of $250, $500, and $1,000 and video consultations. It's also worth mentioning that plans are exclusively for pets who have seen a vet within the last 12 months.
Chewy Essential Plus: Trupanion offers accident and illness coverage with unlimited coverage and 90% reimbursement on surgeries, hospital stays, and tests. It offers 100% reimbursement on prescription medicine and coverage for dental illnesses. However, it lacks the vet exam fee coverage that Chewy's Value plan provides.
Chewy Complete: Like the Essential Plus plan, Chewy's Complete plan offers accident and illness coverage with unlimited coverage and 90% reimbursement on surgeries, hospital stays, and tests. It offers 100% reimbursement on prescription medicine and coverage for dental illnesses, vet exam fees, and therapy for behavioral and physical issues.
All Trupanion policies bought through Chewy offer 100% reimbursement for veterinary diet food for 120 days for Essential Plus and 180 for Complete. They also cover orthotic and prosthetic devices.
On the other hand, Trupanion policies don't cover pre-existing conditions, regardless of whether they are curable or incurable.
Wellness (Preventive Care) Plan
As the name suggests, wellness plans reimburse some of the costs associated with specific preventive procedures for your dog or cat, such as annual check-ups, vaccinations, blood tests, and pest prevention.
Chewy offers two wellness plans through Trupanion: Wellness and Comprehensive. The policies offer $299 and $455 in annual benefits, respectively.
Benefits for these plans are as follows:
| Wellness | Comprehensive | |
| Annual check-up | Up to $75 | Up to $90 |
| Fecal test | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
| Vaccines | Up to $80 | Up to $80 |
| Blood test | Up to $50 | Up to $75 |
| Heartworm tests | Up to $45 | Up to $45 |
| Flea, tick, or heartworm meds | N/A | Up to $145 |
| Video consultations | N/A | Included |
CarePlus vets can answer pet health questions via chat between 6 a.m. and midnight EST, seven days a week.
Chewy also offers two tiers of wellness if you choose a Lemonade policy: Preventative and Preventative+. They offer the following benefits:
| Preventative | Preventative Plus | |
| Wellness exam | $50 | $50 |
| Blood test | $65 | $65 |
| Fecal test | $35 | $35 |
| Heartworm test | $40 | $40 |
| Three vaccines | $75 | $75 |
| Dental cleanings | Not included | $150 |
| Flea, tick, and heartworm medication | Not included | $65 |
How Much Does Chewy Pet Insurance Cost?
Pet owners who purchase coverage for multiple pets can enjoy a 10% discount on CarePlus by Chewy premiums for either wellness or insurance plans.
To get a better idea of how much Chewy pet insurance costs, we'll look at how much a pet owner living in New York City would pay in pet insurance premiums. We chose New York City for our quotes because it is one of the most expensive places to receive vet care, which insurance premiums will reflect. Your premiums will likely be lower than the prices below.
Business Insider acquired the following dog insurance quotes for a Chewy Value plan with a $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement, and $20,000 annual limit:
| Breed | 2-year-old (monthly) | 6-year-old (monthly) |
| French Bulldog | $70.42 | $113.47 |
| Labrador Retriever | $46.03 | $73.96 |
| Golden Retriever | $43.07 | $69.16 |
| German Shepherd | $46.54 | $74.78 |
| Poodle | $35.05 | $56.58 |
| Mixed Breed (45 lbs.) | $29.12 | $46.56 |
The cost for dog wellness with Chewy's Value and Basic plans was $17.58 monthly for Preventative and $26.71 monthly for Preventative+. Its Essential and Complete packages cost $20 monthly for Wellness and $33 monthly for Comprehensive.
Let's go over premiums for a New York City cat covered under a Chewy Value plan with a $500 deductible, 80% coinsurance, and $20,000 annual limit:
| Breed | 2-year-old (monthly) | 6-year-old (monthly) |
| Ragdoll | $19.73 | $31.34 |
| Maine Coon | $21.58 | $31.87 |
| Devon Rex | $21.91 | $34.89 |
| Exotic | $20.33 | $30 |
| Persian | $21.27 | $24.93 |
| Mixed Breed | $19.12 | $26.37 |
The cost for cat wellness with Chewy's Value and Basic plans was $11 monthly for Preventative and $17.59 monthly for Preventative+. Its Essential and Complete packages cost $20 monthly for Wellness and $33 monthly for Comprehensive.
As you can see from the quotes above, pet medical coverage from Chewy can be affordable for younger pets. It's also worth noting that there is a sizable price gap between Chewy's Lemonade and Trupanion policies. Lemonade policies are generally among the cheapest in the industry, and Trupanion policies are among the most expensive.
Factors Affecting Chewy Pet Insurance Premiums
Pet insurance premiums depend on a variety of factors, both out of and within your control. Most significantly, your premiums vary based on where you live, your pet's breed, and your pet's age. If you live in a city where pet care is expensive, your premiums will be higher.
You can also customize your policy by choosing lighter coverage through a lower reimbursement level, lower coverage limit, and a higher deductible. Or, you can simply choose a cheaper pet insurance company.
How to Purchase and Manage a Chewy Pet Insurance Policy
To purchase a Chewy pet insurance policy, you'll need to obtain a quote on its website. Be prepared to provide your pet's name, species, breed, age, sex, and whether your pet is neutered/spayed. If you have a mixed-breed pet, you must also provide your pet's weight.
You'll also provide several details about yourself, such as your birthday and your address, as your location is one of the most important factors when pet insurance companies calculate your premiums.
It's also worth noting that to choose a Trupanion plan, your pet must have been seen by a vet within the last 12 months.
Plans require you to wait a few days after enrollment before filing an eligible claim. Here's what you need to know about each type of plan and its associated waiting periods.
| Reason for vet visit | Accident Only | Base | Value | Essential Plus | Complete |
| Accident | 5 days | 2 days | 2 days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Illness | n/a | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| Cruciate Knee Injury | 30 days | 6 months | 6 months | 14 days | 14 days |
Chewy's wellness policies do not have a waiting period. Therefore, you can begin filing claims for eligible preventive care as soon as you enroll in the plan.
Chewy Pet Insurance Claims Process
CarePlus by Chewy's insurance partnership with Trupanion Pet Insurance can be a boon for pet owners since some veterinarians can accept payment directly through Trupanion. If your vet has a Trupanion account, you'll pay your portion of the vet invoice when leaving the office, and Chewy CarePlus will handle the rest.
If your vet doesn't have a Trupanion account, you can go to your member portal or mail a copy of your itemized invoice to Trupanion.
Member portal: Submit a digital claim through the My Pet Health dashboard
Mailing address:
Trupanion
6000 4th Avenue South
Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98108.
Coverage offered in partnership with Lemonade can be managed through the Lemonade app, which you'll be prompted to download after setting up your policy. To file a claim, choose "File a Claim" in the Lemonade app and upload your invoice. The company says about half of all claims are settled instantly.
If you have questions, you can reach Chewy's insurance customer service team 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
Phone: 1-800-672-4399 x44480 to reach the CarePlus insurance team
Chat: Chewy's live chat team is very responsive and timely. You can either click on the "24/7 help" chat at the top right corner of the Chewy.com website or scroll to the bottom and click on the relevant icon.
Chewy Pet Insurance Customer Service and Claims Experience
Chewy has an average of 3.5 stars on its Trustpilot page. However, these pertain to Chewy's retail customer experience, not its pet insurance.
Because Lemonade and Trupanion process claims from Chewy policies, it's best to look at how those companies are rated.
Lemonade has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Trustpilot, receiving an average of 4.4 stars out of five. That said, it's important to note that reviews pertain to all of Lemonade's products, not just its pet insurance. Customers were happy with Lemonade's claims process, reporting fast claims processing and payouts. Lemonade was also quick to answer any questions that customers had.
Lemonade's responsiveness to customer reviews is also encouraging. The insurance provider usually responds to reviews within a day or so, making it a reliable way to contact the company.
Similarly, Trupanion has mostly positive reviews on Trustpilot, receiving an average of 4.1 stars. Trupanion is known for its quick claims processing. On the other hand, most negative reviews pertained to increasing premiums and issues with preexisting conditions. While Trupanion says that it doesn't increase premiums based on pet age or policy usage, customers reported steep increases year over year.
Numbers aside, Trupanion makes an effort to respond to negative reviews on its Trustpilot and BBB pages. A Trupanion customer service representative usually responds to negative reviews within one to two days, sometimes even within a few hours.
Let's look at third-party reviews of Chewy's underwriters.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' complaint index rates insurance companies based on how many complaints they receive against its share of the market. A 1.00 means that a company has an expected number of complaints based on its size. A lower score indicates fewer complaints than expected and a higher number indicates more complaints than expected.
Trupanion policies offered through Chewy are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company, which scored 0.21, indicating that it has far fewer complaints than expected.
Lemonade underwrites its own insurance policies. It scored 12.15, indicating that it has far more complaints than expected given its size.
Alternatives
Below, see how Chewy compares to three other options for pet insurance coverage: Healthy Paws, Pumpkin, and Lemonade.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
- All plans come with unlimited coverage
- Average claims processing time of two days
- Low deductible options
- Healthy Paws may cover curable pre-existing conditions after a waiting period
- Premiums increase with age
- Options may be limited depending on pet breed, age, and location
- Rates may be higher than some competitors
Healthy Paws offers comprehensive and affordable pet insurance plans with unlimited coverage, high reimbursement options, and more. These features earned it a spot on our guide to the best pet insurance. However, Healthy Paws does not cover preventative care, encouraging pet parents to budget for known annual costs.
Healthy Paws Pet InsuranceComparing Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Chewy can be difficult, as Chewy's benefits are completely different depending on which partner policy you choose.
Generally speaking, both Chewy and Healthy Paws aren't very flexible. All Healthy Paws policies have unlimited coverage, which is helpful for pets that need a lot of care, though it drives up premiums. Chewy benefits and coverage levels are tied together. So, if you want a lower annual limit and reimbursement level, you'll also have to choose a plan with fewer benefits.
Healthy Paws policies are more expensive than Lemonade policies through Chewy and cover more. However, it offers fewer benefits than Trupanion policies through Chewy, but costs far less.
Healthy Paws does not offer a wellness plan option, while Chewy does. However, Chewy's wellness plans may be more trouble than simply paying out of pocket since the payout limits for each covered activity are relatively low. Ultimately, you save money if you use the full benefits. But a claim must be filed, resulting in inconvenience every time you use one of the covered services.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance
- Unlimited annual coverage available after deductible available for dogs and cats
- Vet exam fee coverage for illnesses and accidents
- Multi-pet discounts available
- 14 day waiting period for accidents
- No 24-7 pet healthline
- Rates may be higher than some competitors
Pumpkin pet insurance offers 90% reimbursement on all pet insurance plans. It has accident and illness and wellness options, but monthly premiums may be on the higher end.
Pumpkin Pet InsurancePumpkin Pet Insurance and Chewy CarePlus offer multi-policy discounts for pet parents with multiple fur babies. Pumpkin offers a flat 90% reimbursement rate on all eligible claims, while Chewy CarePlus offers options with 70% or 90% reimbursement tiers.
However, it also provides coverage for dental illnesses and behavioral issues. Pet owners can also get reimbursed for treatments like prescription medication and surgery. It also provides coverage for end-of-life services and prescription foods for covered conditions, which isn't common among pet insurance providers.
Once again, Pumpkin policies are more expensive than Lemonade policies through Chewy and cover more. However, it offers roughly the same coverage as Trupanion policies through Chewy, but costs far less.
Lemonade Pet Insurance
- $12 premiums for basic care
- Add-ons available for other preventative care
- Comprehensive mobile experience for claims and support
- Only available in 37 states and Washington DC
- No 24/7 telehealth line for veterinary advice
Lemonade offers auto, homeowners, renters, pet, and life insurance. It's been around since 2015 and is known for offering some of the lowest rates. Lemonade ranks on J.D. Power's customer satisfaction surveys for renters insurance, however, it doesn't rank for life and homeowners insurance.
Lemonade Pet Insurance- Discounts for bundling policies and having multiple pets
- Starts at $10 a month
- Offers a discount for enrolling in an annual payment plan
Lemonade Pet Insurance is one of the cheapest pet insurance companies in the industry. Lemonade and Chewy launched a partnership in Spring 2023. Buying a Lemonade policy through Chewy gives you access to Chewy's video consultation feature, which isn't available in standalone Lemonade policies.
However, when you buy a Lemonade policy directly, you have far more coverage options, such as various riders that offer benefits like dental issue coverage, wellness, physical therapy, and end-of-life coverage. Additionally, Lemonade offers a wide range of coverage levels, with annual benefits ranging from $5,000 to $100,000.
Lemonade's wellness plan also offers more than Chewy's, with coverage for spaying/neutering and microchipping. Lemonade's wellness plan is also cheaper than Chewy's.
Compare Pet Insurance Companies
Why You Should Trust Us
Let's go over the factors that we considered when evaluating Chewy pet insurance:
Coverage levels (25%): Pet insurance generally gives customers a variety of deductible, coinsurance, and coverage limit options. We consider the variety of options pet owners can choose from. We like to see companies with a variety of coverage levels, ideally with an option for unlimited coverage. We also look to see if the company has any lifetime limits.
We also look at the variety of riders that a company offers and how customizable it is, so pet owners can tailor their policy to their needs and exclude coverages they don't want. Lastly, we look at availability, as some insurance companies will not cover pets over a certain age or pets that live in a certain state.
Inclusions/Exclusions (15%): This category considers the actual benefits included in (and excluded from) coverage. Certain benefits are often excluded from coverage, such as vet fees, dental care, and prescription food.
We also consider the length of waiting periods for certain conditions, like knee and ligament conditions, which often have waiting periods of up to six months. We also look to see if the company has any leniency toward preexisting conditions, as some companies offer coverage for curable conditions after a waiting period. For example, Lemonade plans through Chewy might offer curable preexisting condition coverage after 12 months, but its Trupanion policies do not cover any preexisting conditions.
Cost (40%): We compare pet insurance prices using the same pet profiles and for equivalent coverage. We compare quotes qualitatively, meaning that we look at premiums within the context of what owners are getting for the price. We also look at how premiums are adjusted year by year and any discount opportunities that a company offers, like multi-pet or bundling discounts. We also look at the price of wellness.
Customer service (15%): We look at customer reviews from multiple sources to assess how well a pet insurance provider treats their customers and pets. We pay special attention to how quickly claims are paid and patterns of unfair denials. We also see if the company offers any additional ways to ease the claims process, such as direct pay. Additionally, we consider any additional features a provider offers to improve the customer service experience, such as mobile apps or 24/7 vet hotlines.
Unique features (5%): We also look for unique features and benefits that a provider might offer, like coverage for an exotic pet or specific coverage that many of its competitors lack, like coverage for incurable illnesses or coverage for lost pets. Maybe a company has a significant philanthropic division that may resonate with certain customers. Regardless of the specifics, this is where those unique features are acknowledged.
For more details, check out Business Insider's pet insurance rating methodology.
FAQs
Does Chewy pet insurance cover preexisting conditions?
Chewy pet insurance's Lemonade policies cover curable preexisting conditions after a symptom-free, 12-month waiting period in certain states. Its Trupanion policies don't cover preexisting conditions.
Does Chewy pet insurance have waiting periods?
Yes, Chewy pet insurance accident waiting periods range from two to five days. Its illness waiting periods are all 14 days. Its ligament waiting periods range from 14 days to six months.
Does Chewy pet insurance offer wellness options?
Yes, Chewy pet insurance offers four wellness options across its Lemonade and Trupanion policies.
Does Chewy pet insurance cover spaying and neutering?
No, Chewy pet insurance does not cover spaying or neutering.
How do Chewy pet insurance premiums compare?
Chewy pet insurance premiums for its Base and Value plans are relatively low, but its plans through Trupanion are some of the most expensive in the industry.
