Guide

How your deductible changes what you pay

Your deductible is the part of eligible vet costs you cover each policy year before reimbursement reaches you. Odie applies your reimbursement rate first, then subtracts what's left of your deductible. A lower deductible means more comes back on your first claims of the year. Changing it can also change your price, so check your quote for each option.

A worked example

Say your plan reimburses 80%, and each bill below is your first claim of the policy year, so your whole deductible is still left.

Your share of a hypothetical eligible bill at 80% reimbursement, with the full deductible remaining and the annual limit not reached. These show the math. They are not typical vet costs or prices.
Eligible bill	With a $250 deductible	With a $500 deductible	Difference
$400	$330	$400	$70 more
$1,240	$498	$748	$250 more
$3,000	$850	$1,100	$250 more

What the numbers show

On a small bill, a higher deductible can mean nothing comes back yet. 80% of $400 is $320, and the $500 deductible uses all of it.
The gap never grows past the difference between the two deductibles, $250 here. The deductible applies once per policy year, not once per claim.
Your price is the other half of the choice. We don't guess it here. Your Odie quote shows the price for each deductible.

Choosing one

No deductible is right for everyone. A helpful question is how much you could comfortably pay toward vet bills in a year before reimbursement starts. Then compare that with the prices in your quote.

Sources

Checked against these sources on September 24, 2026. This guide is general information, not advice about your pet's coverage. Your policy or plan documents set out your terms.