The short answer
A health plan spreads the cost of routine care; insurance pays towards unexpected illness and injury. At three UK vet groups on 21 October 2026, dog plans were listed at £17.50 to £34.99 a month and cat plans at £15.50 to £29.99. Neither replaces the other.
What does a pet health plan include?
A pet health plan is a monthly subscription run by a vet practice or group. It bundles routine, preventive care and usually adds discounts on other treatment. Here is what three UK vet groups list on their own plan pages, in alphabetical order. None of them pays Pawwala.
CVS Vets: Healthy Pet Club (Core and Advanced)
Included
- Vaccinations (kennel cough for dogs, feline leukaemia for cats)
- Vet-prescribed parasite protection
- A six-monthly health check
- Microchip implantation
- Unlimited consultations on Advanced only, under a fair use policy
Discounts and extras
- 10% off vet fees and products
- 20% off neutering
- Fixed-price dental
- £1 a month off for each additional pet
Monthly direct debit or one annual payment. Minimum term and cancellation terms are in the plan's terms and conditions, not on the plan page. Source: CVS Vets plan page, checked 21 October 2026.
Medivet: Medivet Healthcare Plan
Included
- Annual vaccinations
- Regular flea, worm and tick treatment (tick where clinically appropriate)
- Two nose-to-tail health checks a year
- Microchipping
Discounts and extras
- 10% off veterinary care and prescribed medication
- 15% off dental procedures
- Half-price long-term prescription medication
12-month term. Early cancellation may incur a fee (amount not stated on the page). Sign-up is through a local practice, not online. Source: Medivet plan page, checked 21 October 2026.
Vets4Pets: Complete Care Plan
Included
- Annual vaccinations and an annual check (initial course included; a restart fee may apply)
- Year-round vet-prescribed flea, tick and worm protection
- 2 face-to-face vet consultations
- 3 nurse checks
- Microchipping if needed
- 24/7 vet helpline
Discounts and extras
- An annual health blood screen for £45
12-month minimum term from the start date. Cancelling within the minimum term costs £60. The dog plan page does not list cat prices. Source: Vets4Pets plan page, checked 21 October 2026.
How much is a pet health plan?
| Plan | A month | A year (12 × monthly) | Price date stated by the provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVS Vets: Dog, Core | From £21.99 | From £263.88 | No price date stated on the page |
| CVS Vets: Dog, Advanced | From £34.99 | From £419.88 | No price date stated on the page |
| CVS Vets: Cat, Core | From £20.99 | From £251.88 | No price date stated on the page |
| CVS Vets: Cat, Advanced | From £29.99 | From £359.88 | No price date stated on the page |
| Medivet: Small dog | £17.50 | £210 | Prices stated as correct January 2026 |
| Medivet: Big dog | £19.50 | £234 | Prices stated as correct January 2026 |
| Medivet: Cat | £15.50 | £186 | Prices stated as correct January 2026 |
| Vets4Pets: Small dog or puppy (under 25 kg) | £19.99 | £239.88 | Prices stated as correct as of 15 September 2025 |
| Vets4Pets: Large dog (over 25 kg) | £23.99 | £287.88 | Prices stated as correct as of 15 September 2025 |
For comparison, the average annual pet insurance premium reported with the ABI's 2024 figures was £389 across all pets, and the average claim was £685 (Insurance Business, reporting ABI data, May 2025). Those are averages, not prices for your pet, and they pay for different things.
Pet health plan vs insurance: what is the difference?
| Health plan | Pet insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| What it pays for | Routine, preventive care at the practice: vaccinations, parasite treatment, health checks | Unexpected illness and injury, up to the policy limit |
| Routine care | Included (the plan's main purpose) | Usually not covered: the PDSA lists vaccinations, spaying and castration, flea, worm and tick treatments and more |
| Where you can use it | The practice or group that sells it | Any vet, subject to the policy |
| What you pay at the time | Nothing for included items; a discount on some others | The excess, and any co-payment, on each claim |
| Is it insurance? | No: Medivet says its plan is not insurance, and Vets4Pets says its plan and insurance cover different things | Yes |
| Pre-existing conditions | Not relevant to routine care | Usually excluded |
The cost of a serious illness is where the two differ most. Our average vet bill guide lists published UK prices for surgery and scans; a health plan's discount, such as 10% off vet fees, still leaves most of such a bill to you. What insurance does and does not pay is in what pet insurance covers.
Is a pet health plan worth it?
A plan saves money only if you would buy the included care anyway, at that practice. Medivet says its plan can save up to £280 a year, which it describes as an average across dogs, cats and rabbits over 12 months: the cost of the treatments bought one by one, minus the plan fee, excluding the extra discounts (Medivet, checked 21 October 2026). That is the provider's own figure, not ours.
To check for your own pet:
- Ask your practice for its one-off prices for each item in the plan: vaccinations, a year of parasite treatment, health checks and nurse visits.
- Add up only the items you would actually use in a year.
- Compare that total with twelve months of the plan fee, from the table above or your practice's own price.
- Count the discounts only for treatment you expect to need.
Our dog vaccination cost and cat vaccination cost guides have published practice prices to start from.
Who each may suit
This is general information, not advice.
A health plan may suit you if
- you plan to stay with one practice and use most of the routine care in the plan
- you prefer a fixed monthly cost to separate bills for vaccinations and parasite treatment
- you have more than one pet and the plan has a multi-pet discount
A health plan may suit you less if
- you may move practice, or your pet would not use much of what is included
- you were hoping it would pay for illness or injury: it does not
- you can buy the same care for less one item at a time
Insurance is a separate decision. Our guide to whether pet insurance is worth it works through it, and the excess guideexplains what you pay on a claim. If you are worried about your pet's health, contact your vet.
Can you cancel a pet health plan?
Yes, under each plan's terms, so read them before you sign. Vets4Pets' Complete Care plan has a 12-month minimum term and charges £60to cancel within it. Medivet's plan runs on a 12-month term and early cancellation may incur a fee, which the plan page does not state. CVS Vets' plan page points to separate terms and conditions for its minimum term and cancellation rules.
Getting quotes
If you also want cover for illness and injury, a comparison site shows quotes from several insurers at once. Comparison sites do not cover the whole market.
Not advice. Pawwala earns a fee if you get a quote through this link. Read the policy wording before you buy.
How we researched this · 7 sources, checked 21 October 2026ShowHide
What we did
What we did not do
Sources checked
- CVS Vets: Healthy Pet Club (Core and Advanced) · 21 October 2026
- Medivet: Medivet Healthcare Plan · 21 October 2026
- Vets4Pets: Complete Care Plan · 21 October 2026
- CVS Vets: Healthy Pet Club for dogs · 21 October 2026
- CVS Vets: Healthy Pet Club for cats · 21 October 2026
- PDSA: A guide to pet insurance (leaflet) (August 2017) · 21 October 2026
- Insurance Business UK: report of the ABI's 2024 pet insurance figures (27 May 2025) · 21 October 2026
Prices and terms change. Confirm on the retailer's page before you buy.
Questions
What is a pet health plan?
A monthly subscription run by a vet practice or group that bundles routine, preventive care, such as vaccinations, parasite treatment and health checks, often with discounts on other treatment. It is not insurance: it does not pay for unexpected illness or injury.
Is a pet health plan worth it?
It depends on whether you would buy the included care anyway, at that practice. Add up what you would pay for each item one by one and compare it with twelve months of the plan fee. Medivet says its plan can save up to £280 a year, an average it works out across dogs, cats and rabbits. This is information, not advice.
How much is a pet health plan?
At the three vet groups we checked on 21 October 2026, listed dog plans ran from £17.50 to £34.99 a month and cat plans from £15.50 to £29.99 a month, before any multi-pet discount. Some are "from" prices, and your practice may charge differently.
Pet health plan vs insurance: do I need both?
They pay for different things. A health plan spreads the cost of routine care; insurance pays towards unexpected illness and injury, which a plan does not. Medivet notes that many owners hold both, and Vets4Pets says its plan and insurance cover different things. Whether you need either depends on your pet and your finances.
How do I cancel a pet health plan?
Through the practice, under the plan's terms. Vets4Pets' Complete Care plan has a 12-month minimum term and charges £60 to cancel within it. Medivet's plan runs for 12 months and early cancellation may incur a fee. CVS Vets publishes its terms separately from the plan page. Check before you sign.