A Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan can help pay for your dog or cat’s preventative care only at Banfield Pet Hospitals. The tailored plans can cover your pet’s routine care needs at any stage, with packages for puppies, kittens, and senior pets. Optimum Wellness Plans aren’t pet insurance; there’s no coinsurance or deductible required.
An Optimum Wellness Plan from Banfield covers many of the most important types of routine care, like annual exams (including virtual visits), vaccines, fecal exams, teeth cleaning, and blood tests. But unlike pet insurance, it doesn’t cover emergency visits for accidents or treatment for illnesses.
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Multiple plans available based on your pet’s age and lifestyle
Covers virtual pet care and includes access to 24/7 vet telehealth
Customers get discounts on some Banfield products and services that the plan doesn’t cover
Plans can only be used at Banfield Pet Hospitals
No coverage for emergencies, accidents, or illnesses
Must make an appointment at a Banfield Pet Hospital within 30 days of enrolling
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Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans are prepaid packages of bundled preventative care services. For a fixed annual fee, your plan will cover specific vet services and procedures at more than 1,000 Banfield Pet Hospitals. As long as the service is covered under the plan, you won’t pay anything additional.
Unlike most pet insurance policies, Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans don’t have a deductible, coinsurance, or annual maximum. There’s also no waiting period, so you can start using your plan right away.
Because Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plan isn’t an insurance policy, you don’t have to file claims. When you take your pet to a Banfield Pet Hospital, the routine care services included with your plan are automatically covered, which eliminates the need to pay upfront and file a claim for reimbursement.
If you’re already a Banfield Pet Hospital customer, purchasing an Optimum Wellness Plan could be a more affordable way to pay for your pet’s routine vet care. The company says that an Optimum Wellness Plan saves pet parents an average of 30% versus paying for routine vet expenses individually.
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Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans cover a wide range of preventive care services. All plans include unlimited office visits at Banfield Pet Hospitals, 24/7 vet telehealth through Pet Chat, and pet wellness coaching and nutrition services. The types of routine care and the number of covered services depend on the plan you choose.
Banfield offers two Optimum Wellness Plans for puppies and kittens under six months:
Early Care: Covers comprehensive exams, recommended vaccines, fecal exams, deworming, testing, and more. You can save 5% on certain Banfield products and services that the plan excludes.
Early Care Plus: Covers everything in the Early Care plan, plus spaying/neutering for puppies and kittens, and a 10% discount on select Banfield services.
For adult dogs and cats older than six months, these are the plans available:
Active Care: Covers nose-to-tail wellness exams, routine vaccines, diagnostic tests for parasites and diseases, fecal exams, and deworming. There’s a 10% discount on some Banfield products and services that the plan doesn’t cover.
Active Care Plus: Covers everything in the Active Care plan, plus professional dental cleaning and descaling, urinalysis, and a 15% discount on select Banfield services.
Special Care: Covers everything in the Active Care Plus plan, with coverage for additional diagnostic tests, like an eye pressure test, electrocardiogram, and preventative X-rays as well as a 20% discount on select Banfield products and services.
Senior Care: Covers two comprehensive exams per year, routine vaccines, and in-depth diagnostic testing, including an electrolyte panel, blood work, urinalysis, electrocardiogram, radiographs, thyroid testing, and more. The plan includes a 20% discount on some Banfield services, like surgical and elective procedures.
Senior Care Plus: Covers everything in the Senior Care plan as well as one professional dental cleaning per year. The same 20% discount on qualifying Banfield products and services applies with the Senior Plus Plan.
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The other plan option is called Banfield Access, which is a more budget-friendly version of the Optimum Wellness Plans. It provides more basic coverage, such as:
Unlimited office visits
24/7 vet telehealth through Pet Chat
Two comprehensive exams per year
Heartworm test
10% discount on select Banfield services and products
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Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans only cover routine and preventative care services. These plans exclude coverage for the following:
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Although these expenses aren’t covered, you might be able to use your Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan discount to pay for them. For example, with a Senior Care or Senior Care Plus plan, you can save 20% on some surgical procedures at a Banfield Pet Hospital.
Learn more: Why a pet wellness plan is worth considering
You can change your Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan, but the company recommends switching your pet’s plan during the renewal period. You can choose any plan you want, but your vet will confirm your pet’s eligibility for the plan during an exam and determine if a different plan might be a better fit for their needs.
The cost of a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan depends on your pet’s age and breed, your location, and the type of plan you select. You’ll also pay a one-time enrollment fee. You can pay for your annual plan upfront or in 12 monthly installments with AutoPay.
To give you an idea of what you might pay, we collected sample quotes for several dog ages and breeds in various locations. These quotes are for Banfield’s recommended Optimum Wellness Plan based on the dog’s breed and age.
Learn more: How much does pet insurance cost?
Yes, Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan customers can save $15 for each additional pet they enroll. The discount is applied when you confirm your pet’s enrollment at a Banfield Pet Hospital.
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Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan customers can use the company’s mobile app to schedule appointments, access 24/7 vet telehealth, view their pet’s medical records, review payment information, and see their plan details.
You can purchase a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan in most states. Currently, Banfield plans are not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming, because these states don’t have Banfield Pet Hospitals. You can visit Banfield’s website to find a hospital near you.
Yes, when you enroll in a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan, you must take your pet for an exam at a Banfield Pet Hospital within 30 days. If your enrollment is not confirmed within 30 days, you’ll need to re-enroll, and your quoted plan price could change.
Here’s how you can get in touch with Banfield’s customer service:
You can cancel a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan at any time. However, if your pet received vet services that exceeded the value of the payments made, you’ll have to cover the difference. Because of that, it’s recommended to wait until your plan renews to cancel.
Tim Manni edited this article.
