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Veterinary Business Insurance for Vets: Cost & Quotes From $11

Fur parents love to pamper their pets. As most can’t bear with the thought of losing their fur babies, veterinarians help diagnose animal diseases and provide the appropriate treatment. 

Your clients have pet insurance that pays for your services. But how about you? Do you have comprehensive coverage against the risks common in your profession?

Veterinarian insurance will protect you against lawsuits, business property damage, employee injuries, and other unexpected occurrences. Read this guide to know how each inclusion works, the cost of premiums, and the best companies


Also read:

Veterinary Liability Insurance

Insurance programs for veterinarians always come with liability coverage. Veterinary liability insurance grants protection against lawsuits. The most common types of vet liability insurance are general liability and professional liability policies. 


Veterinary Professional Liability Insurance


CoverWallet NEXT Thimble (Best)HiscoxAVMA
Per occurrence limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$1,000,000$100,000/$1,000,000
Aggregate limit $2,000,000$2,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$1,000,000$300,000/$3,000,000
Name additional insureds?YesYesYesYesYes
Waiver of subrogation included?YesNoYesCan be includedNo
License defense coverage included?NoNoNoNoYes
Deductible $500$500$500$50/$10,000$500


Clients expect you to observe a high degree of care and expertise when dealing with their pets. Licensing bodies are also always on the lookout to ensure that your methods are ethically compliant with veterinary practice.  

Accusations of malpractice are the biggest problem when working as a veterinarian. Third parties can hold you liable for malpractice due to these reasons:

  • A pet died because you’re not attending to it well enough

  • You misdiagnosed a pet’s disease

  • You administered the wrong drugs or the incorrect dosage

  • You failed to disclose important information

  • You set the expectations too high and failed to meet them


Veterinary professional liability insurance grants comprehensive coverage against malpractice claims. Also called veterinary malpractice insurance or professional indemnity insurance, you can use this to cover the following:

  • Reimbursement for financial losses

  • Settlements

  • Defense costs

  • Court judgments


Note that malpractice isn’t the only peril covered by vet malpractice insurance. Other exposures included in its language are:

  • Inaccurate advice

  • Violation of fair dealing

  • Violation of good faith

  • Breach of contract

  • Missed deadlines


Some insurance companies underwrite a professional liability policy with a veterinary license defense insurance coverage and grants $50,000-$100,000 for lawsuits filed by state licensing boards against you. 

Veterinary indemnity insurance is available as a claims-made policy or occurrence policy. So what’s the difference? The first one only provides coverage when you notify a company at the moment a covered peril happened. The second, on the other hand, grants protection regardless of when you report a covered peril. 

Another thing you need to know is that while vet indemnity insurance is available as a stand-alone policy, some insurance companies offer this as an optional add-on to general liability insurance. 


Veterinary General Liability Insurance 


CoverWallet NEXT (Best)Thimble Hiscox
Per occurrence limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$300,000/$2,000,000
Aggregate limit $2,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$300,000/$2,000,000
Products and completed operations aggregate limit $2,000,000
$1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit $1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit $100,000$100,000$5,000$100,000
Waiver of subrogation included?YesNoIncludedCan be included
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included?YesNoExcludedCan be included
Equipment breakdown floater included?No YesYesCan be included
Can you get a certificate of insurance online?YesYesYesYes
Name additional insureds?YesYes
YesYes
Deductible$0$0$0$0


Accidents can happen within your veterinary clinic from time to time. In connection, general liability insurance for veterinarians can help if third parties get involved and sustain bodily injuries or property damage. Here are some situations where this policy is useful:

  • A client came to fetch his pet. He tripped over an unkept leash and fell flat on the floor, sustaining bruises on the knees and elbows

  • One of the pet’s admitted in your clinic broke loose and attacked other pets

  • Kids came over to visit your clinic. They got scratched by a cat that’s getting treated by an employee


We’ll explain how the general liability insurance for veterinarians works. Each time clients, visitors, and other third parties hold your business liable for bodily injuries or property damage, this veterinarian insurance will cover expenses for:

  • Medical treatment

  • Reimbursement for property damage

  • Legal defense costs

  • Court judgments


Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance of companies we recommend. 

By the way, your general liability insurance automatically comes with an advertising injury coverage. This type of vet insurance covers costs if another vet clinic, pet shop, or pet sitting business accuses you of using their intellectual properties for commercial purposes. Coverage also applies for claims filed because of slander and libel. 

Other add-ons that’s automatically included in a veterinarian’s general liability insurance policy are:

  • Rented premises liability coverage

  • Non-owned/hired auto liability coverage

Compare Cheap Veterinarian Insurance Quotes Online

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Commercial Property Insurance For Veterinarians


CoverWalletNEXT (Best)ThimbleHiscox
Building coverage limit (minimum)$50,000$250,000$25,000/$500,000$25,000
Contents coverage limit (minimum)$50,000$16,000$25,000/$500,000$50,000
Outdoor signsExcluded$2,500Excluded$2,500
Accounts receivable ExcludedExcluded$5,000/$10,000Excluded
Money and securitiesExcluded$2,500$1,000Included
Lock and keys Excluded$2,500ExcludedIncluded
Business interruption floaterExcludedIncludedIncludedIncluded
Equipment breakdown floaterExcludedIncludedExcludedIncluded
Inland marine insurance floaterExcludedExcluded$10,000Excluded
Employee dishonesty floaterExcluded$5,000$2,500Excluded


Similar to the insurance package for guard dog service, the insurance package for vet service offers a commercial property policy. 

Commercial property insurance helps your business survive when tragedies strike. With this veterinary business insurance, you can cover repair or reconstruction expenses easily if the clinic gets damaged or destroyed because of:

  • Fire

  • Theft

  • Vandalism

  • Malicious mischief

  • Lightning

  • Weather

  • Volcanic action

  • Sinkhole collapse

  • Aircraft

  • Vehicle

  • Falling objects


The coverage of commercial property insurance doesn’t only apply to your clinic but also to what’s inside it. Commercial property insurance for vet clinics can also reimburse your financial losses if medical equipment gets lost or damaged. Common items covered are:

  • Cauterizing machine

  • Lighting systems

  • Ultrasounds

  • X-ray imaging devices

  • IV pumps

  • Ophthalmic and aural examination kits

  • Weighing scales

  • Telemetry systems


Business Owner’s Policy For Veterinarians


CoverWalletThimble NEXT (Best)Hiscox
General liability aggregate limit $2,000,000$2,000,000$1,000,000/$2,000,000$300,000/$2,000,000
Commercial property coverage limit $50,000$500,000$250,000$50,000
Optional policies can be added?YesYesYesYes
Name additional insureds for free?YesYesYesYes
BOP discount?YesYesYesYes


Ask the insurance company if its veterinary insurance plan allows you to bundle general liability insurance and commercial property insurance into a business owner’s policy. Use the table above to compare the business owner’s policy of companies we recommend. 

Since it’s made out of general liability and commercial property insurance, a business owner’s policy protects your veterinary clinic’s property and takes care of bodily injury and property damage claims filed by third parties. 

Consider buying a business owner’s policy rather than having general liability and commercial property insurance as stand-alone policies because you’ll save money on premiums. Most insurance companies offer a 5%-10% discount on their business owner’s policy.


Veterinary Disability Insurance

It’s common for animals to retaliate when sick, afraid, and unfamiliar of their surroundings. Work-related injuries are very prevalent in veterinary services. While the death rate is low, the severity of injuries is alarming as some don’t only end up with wounds but broken noses, blackened eyes, and infections. 

That said, a day will come where you’ll have to take off work because of an injury. In connection, veterinary disability insurance can help. While your resting to heal, this insurance will cover the expenses for:

  • Weekly living expenses

  • Medication

  • Rent, mortgage, and house utility bills


Workers Compensation Insurance For Veterinarians 

Another way of getting covered against common work-related injuries or diseases in vet service is by purchasing workers' compensation insurance. 

Unlike disability insurance, workers compensation insurance is a requirement. You need to get this as soon as your vet clinic has one or more employees. 

By default, workers' compensation insurance only covers employees. However, insurance companies give you the option of naming yourself as an insured in the terms of this policy. 

Workers' compensation insurance will cover the following costs if you or an employee sustains a work-related injury or disease:

  • EMT service

  • Hospitalization

  • Medication

  • Rehabilitation

  • Lost wages

  • Death benefits and allowance to dependents in case of death 


Employment Practices Liability Insurance For Veterinarians

Employment practices liability is a vet business insurance that’s surely helpful if you have assistants or any other employees. Sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and workplace discrimination are problems you’ll face regarding employees. And these are what employment practices liability insurance covers. With this policy, you can pay for attorney fees, other legal costs, and compensation to aggrieved parties. 


Employer’s Liability Insurance For Veterinarians

Injured employees might file a lawsuit, accusing you of committing negligence. Lawsuits resulting from the occurrence of workplace accidents fall out of the scope of employment practices liability insurance. Instead, this is the job of employer’s liability insurance. Employer’s liability insurance’s function is the same. It provides money so that you can pay for lawyer fees, other legal costs, and settlements. 


Commercial Auto Insurance For Veterinarians

Does your veterinary clinic have its own pet ambulance? If so, consider getting commercial auto insurance. You can’t cover that vehicle using personal car insurance. And even if you manage to do so, know that premiums will be very expensive. 

Insuring a vehicle used for business purposes is better with commercial auto insurance because it’s cheaper and more comprehensive. The following are the coverages included in commercial auto insurance for vet:

  • Auto liability coverage

  • Physical damage coverage

  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

  • Emergency roadside assistance


It’s common for your vet clinic’s pet ambulance to rush. And while driving fast, the driver might get involved in an accident and cause injuries to third parties as well as property damage. Auto liability insurance covers medical costs if a claim is filed.

The underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage of commercial auto insurance will cover the medical expenses of the driver and passengers if your vet clinic’s pet ambulance gets involved in an accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver. 

Physical damage coverage comes in two types - collision and comprehensive. Collision physical damage coverage can be claimed if your vet clinic’s pet ambulance got damaged after colliding with another vehicle or object on the road. 

The second type-comprehensive physical damage coverage-can be claimed if your clinic’s pet ambulance got damaged because of extreme weather, fire, theft, vandalism, and other named perils. 

The pet ambulance might experience issues on the road. And so, don’t think twice about including emergency roadside assistance in your commercial auto insurance. Emergency roadside assistance coverage shoulders the cost of battery jump start, towing, and other types of services needed to get the pet ambulance running once again. 


Business Interruption Insurance For Veterinarians

You might need to stop business operations for a while to move to a new location. It’s also possible for you to stop doing business because the clinic needs to be renovated. 

Temporary business closure isn’t an excuse for you to stop paying bills.  And so, consider getting business interruption insurance

Business interruption insurance will provide money while your veterinary clinic isn’t generating income. The amount you’ll receive will be equal to a portion of or the total value of your business’s projected revenue. You can use the insurance money from business interruption insurance to pay employee wages, electricity and water bills, taxes, loans, rent, and other operational costs. 


Cyber Liability Insurance For Veterinarians

Consider getting cyber liability insurance if your veterinary clinic is running a system that collects payments from clients via credit card, bank transfer, or e-wallets. Hackers can breach your system and cyber liability insurance will protect you from the costs. 

A data breach will steal sensitive client data such as credit card numbers, phone numbers, addresses, etc. As a result, concerned parties might file a lawsuit. One job of cyber liability insurance is to pay for defense costs and settlements if such a thing happens. 

Of course, you’ll have to notify customers about the breach. And so, the second job of cyber liability insurance is to pay for public relations expenses. 

Note that cyber liability insurance is just an optional policy. You don’t really need this except if your vet clinic has a website or any other similar platform to collect payments and market services. 

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Veterinary Insurance Cost


Cost per MonthCost per YearDeductible
General liability insurance$92$1,104$0-$1,000
Malpractice insurance$96.66$1,159.92$500-$1,000
Commercial property insurance$105$1,260$1,000-$2,500
Business owner’s policy$160$1,920$500-$1,000
Workers' compensation insurance$190$2,280$2,500-$5,000
Employer’s liability insurance$150$1,800$500-$1,000
Employment practices liability insurance$180$2,160$500-$1,000
Cyber liability insurance$120$1,440$0-$1,500
Commercial auto insurance$100$1,200$500-$2,000


The average cost of veterinary malpractice insurance is $96.66 per month or  $1,159.92 a year for a $1 million coverage. Factors that affect veterinary malpractice insurance cost are location, policy limits, deductibles, and claims history. 

Animal care professionals incur varied veterinary liability insurance cost because the rates vary based on the coverage limit you choose and the type of animals your practice cares for. But on average, the cost of general liability insurance for veterinarians is $92 a month or $1,104 a year.

Here’s another table providing a more idea of the overall veterinary insurance cost by showing the best companies and their pricing:


Cost per MonthCost per YearBest for
NEXT$17$204Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for veterinarians
CoverWallet$22$264Veterinary insurance online quotes comparison
Tivly$25$300Comparing veterinary insurance quotes over the phone
Thimble$26.55$318.60On-demand veterinary insurance
Hiscox$32$384Vet insurance with worldwide coverage
AVMA$71$852AVMA members
Safehold$162$1,944Insurance for all kinds of veterinarians

Compare Cheap Veterinarian Insurance Quotes Online

Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!

Best Veterinary Insurance Companies

As mentioned earlier, it's critical to find an insurance company that provides personalized vet insurance coverage to cover your unique needs. Below are reviews of the best veterinary insurance companies. Know their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.


NEXT Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • Best overall

  • Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post

  • Fastest general liability insurance for veterinarians

  • Great customer service and reputation

  • Issues an online proof of insurance instantly

  • Outstanding value for money

  • Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount

Cons

  • Couldn’t find any 

NEXT veterinary insurance offers general liability, commercial property, and tools and equipment insurance. This company’s general liability policy has a $1 million per occurrence limit and a $1 million-$2 million aggregate. NEXT’s commercial property insurance provides $250,000 building coverage and $16,000 contents coverage. Equipment insurance, on the other hand, covers up to $5,000-$10,000 repair or replacement expenses. 

Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for veterinarians

Average cost: $17 per month

Our rating: 10/10


CoverWallet Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • Get covered online

  • Online certificate of insurance

  • Cancel a coverage anytime

  • Stable rates

  • Get the quotes of different carriers and compare pricing

Cons

  • Vet insurance is underwritten by third-party carriers

You have four coverage options with CoverWallet. If you don’t need a lot of protection, then the company can insure you with general liability insurance only. On the other hand, if you need to get covered against workplace mistakes too, then it’s possible to purchase general liability insurance with malpractice insurance.

Nonetheless, the best protection is through CoverWallet’s pro coverage that bundles commercial property insurance with general liability insurance and professional liability insurance. But if you think that best isn’t enough, you can also decide to get a custom coverage that allows you to choose and get all the available business insurance needed.

Best for: Veterinary insurance online quotes comparison

Average cost: $22 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Tivly Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • Call and compare veterinary insurance quotes over the phone

  • Responsive customer service

  • A partner of many reputable insurance companies 

Cons

  • Not an insurance company but an insurance broker

Tivly’s (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) veterinary insurance offers general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, malpractice insurance, and more. Note that this company provides protection regardless of your business profile. To compare quotes over the phone for free, you need to call Tivly and talk with a representative. 

Best for: Comparing veterinary insurance quotes over the phone 

Average cost: $25 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Thimble Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • General liability insurance can be added with pet protection coverage

  • Sells a short-term general liability policy

  • Easy to add optional policies to your existing coverage

  • Quick to issue an estimate of your rates

Cons

  • Doesn’t have a vet insurance program and covers you through its pet service insurance

Thimble doesn’t have a veterinary insurance program. But you can avail this company’s insurance plan for businesses involved with pet services. Policies offered are business owner’s policy, general liability, and workers compensation insurance. 

This company’s stand-alone general liability insurance has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence limit. Add-ons can be included such as customer property coverage, pet protection coverage, and business equipment coverage.

You can also go for a business owner’s policy. However, doing this will make you ineligible for a general liability policy. Otherwise, you risk purchasing overlapping policies. Thimble’s business owner’s policy offers a $1 million-$2 million general liability insurance and $25,000-$500,000 commercial property insurance. 

Best for: On-demand veterinary insurance

Average cost: $26.55 per month

Our rating: 9/10


Hiscox Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • Worldwide coverage

  • Automatic policy renewal

  • Considerable experience in underwriting commercial insurance

  • 14-day money-back guarantee 

Cons

  • Not an insurance company but an insurance broker 

Hiscox’s veterinary insurance is designed for the vets that work with domestic animals, large animals or both. You can only get a business owner’s policy and cyber insurance from this company online. That said, you’ll need to call an agent if you want stand-alone general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, and other business insurance solutions. 

Best for: Vet insurance with worldwide coverage

Average cost: $32 per month

Our rating: 9/10


AVMA PLIT Insurance

Pros

  • Provides professional, business, and personal veterinarian-focused coverage

  • Experienced insurance services (over 60 years)

Cons

  • Coverage available to members only

AVMA understands everything that happens in a veterinarian clinic. Therefore, the association's insurance policies provide the best protection for veterinary risks, from malpractices and disability to liabilities. With AVMA coverage, you can protect your practice, workforce, and the people you love.

AVMA PLIT is a tailored insurance package underwritten for veterinarians. This consists of liability insurance that offers specialized perks. 

AVMA liability insurance is a malpractice insurance coverage that provides $100,000-$1 million coverage for each claim. What makes AVMA malpractice insurance great is that it covers claims filed against your employers for which you become involved.  

AVMA business insurance for malpractice provides the following perks:

  • Consent to settle clause

  • Hammer clause

  • Coverage for part-time and volunteer work

  • Professional help in obtaining expert witnesses for your legal defense


So how much will you pay for premiums? The AVMA PLIT cost depends on your vet practice. For example, if you only deal with small animals, annual premiums begin at $193 annually. 

Disability insurance isn’t offered through AVMA PLIT. You get this through AVMA Life. AVMA disability insurance provides coverage for lost income, living expenses, and business operational costs. 

Best for:  AVMA members

Average cost: $71 per month

Our rating: 8/10


Safehold Veterinary Insurance

Pros

  • Provides veterinary business insurance for a wide range of risks

  • Seasoned vet insurance provider (over 55 years)

  • Available to all veterinarians

Cons

  • May not offer disability coverage

The Safehold Special Risk Veterinary & Animal Services coverage program protects against virtually all risks involved in the daily veterinarian operations: lost animals, bites, malpractice claims, data breaches, and employee management.

Established in 1965, the program offers insurance for veterinarians across the industry's sub-sectors, including single or national multi-location practices, specialty veterinary clinics, pet groomers, veterinary behaviorists, small and exotic animal practices, pet trainers, etc.

Safehold specialty risk insurance policies cover you for the following risks:

  • Professional liability

  • License defenses

  • Animal bailee

  • Workers' compensation

  • Business Auto

  • Excess liability

  • Kennel cough coverage


Best for: Insurance for all kinds of veterinarians

Average cost: $162 per month

Our rating: 8/10


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