Pet Therapy Programs Reimbursed via Employer Health Plans

 

A four-panel comic titled "Pet Therapy Programs Reimbursed via Employer Health Plans." Panel 1: A stressed office worker looks relieved as a golden retriever sits beside his laptop. Text: "Why Employers Are Paying for Pet Therapy." Panel 2: Three scenes show different pet therapy types — a woman petting a dog, a child with a dog during a wellness break, and a doctor with a therapy animal. Text: "Types of Pet Therapy Covered." Panel 3: A dollar sign and a doctor's note illustrate medical necessity for HSA/FSA use. Text: "IRS Rules: Can You Use HSA/FSA for Pet Therapy?" Panel 4: A woman points upward beside a checklist: "Survey Staff," "Find Providers," "Integrate Programs," "Track Outcomes." Text: "How to Introduce It in Your Company."

Pet Therapy Programs Reimbursed via Employer Health Plans

Imagine you’ve just been through three back-to-back Zoom meetings, your email inbox is exploding, and your neck feels like it’s made of concrete.

Then a golden retriever named Daisy trots into the office, flops down beside your desk, and lets out a happy sigh.

You smile. You breathe. You remember that you're more than just deadlines and deliverables. You’re human.

Welcome to the new frontier in workplace wellness: pet therapy programs reimbursed by employer health plans.

This isn’t just a trend — it’s a strategic move by forward-thinking companies that understand the ROI of emotional well-being. And it’s catching on fast.

๐Ÿ“Œ Table of Contents

๐Ÿพ Why Employers Are Paying for Pet Therapy

Stress, burnout, disengagement — these aren’t just HR buzzwords anymore. They’re major threats to productivity and retention.

Companies are realizing that proactive emotional support may prevent costly outcomes down the line — turnover, absenteeism, even lawsuits.

Enter pet therapy: a surprisingly effective and deeply human way to boost morale, reduce anxiety, and make the workplace feel... well, like a place worth coming back to.

Research by the NIH shows animal interaction lowers cortisol, increases serotonin, and enhances social cohesion — all outcomes linked to better performance.

๐Ÿ’ผ What Types of Pet Therapy Are Covered?

It’s not all puppies and playtime — though we wouldn’t complain.

Employer-sponsored plans are increasingly covering:

  • Certified Animal-Assisted Therapy: On-site or off-site sessions with a licensed therapist and trained animal.

  • Wellness Breaks with Therapy Animals: Short, casual de-stress encounters scheduled during the workday.

  • Occupational Therapy Involving Animals: Especially for PTSD, anxiety, or trauma recovery.

Some services are covered under Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), while others qualify as reimbursable through wellness accounts or out-of-network behavioral benefits.

๐Ÿ’ธ IRS Rules: Can You Use HSA/FSA for Pet Therapy?

And here comes the eyebrow-raiser — can you actually pay for pet therapy using your HSA or FSA?

Well, the IRS won’t make it easy. While pet therapy isn't directly listed under HSA-eligible services, a clever loophole exists.

If a licensed physician prescribes it as medically necessary — say, for managing PTSD or anxiety — you might be eligible under Section 213(d) of the IRC.

You’ll need:

  • A formal note from a licensed practitioner

  • Proof the animal is certified as a therapy animal

  • Detailed billing documentation from the provider

This works best when paired with high-deductible health plans that already allow creative wellness reimbursements.

๐Ÿ“Š Real Case Study: Salesforce's Therapy Thursdays

“I never expected therapy dogs to be part of our retention strategy,” laughs Jenna K., Director of People Operations at Salesforce Boston.

But that’s exactly what happened when the company launched “Therapy Thursdays” — where employees could book 15-minute cuddle sessions with certified dogs via the internal HR portal.

The response was overwhelming. After just two months, exit surveys showed a 14% drop in stress mentions and a 20% boost in team morale scores.

Best of all? The cost was reimbursed through their Lifestyle Spending Accounts — a taxable but flexible wellness fund used across various departments.

๐Ÿงพ Insurance Coding and Reimbursement Tactics

So how do employers — or providers — get reimbursed for pet therapy?

Currently, there's no standardized CPT code exclusively for animal-assisted sessions. However, providers are creatively using:

  • 90899 – Unlisted psychiatric service or procedure

  • 97139 – Unlisted therapeutic procedure

  • S9470 – Nutritional counseling, lifestyle modifications, including stress management (used in wellness contexts)

To avoid denial, documentation must clearly link the session to a diagnosable condition and emphasize medical necessity. Companies working with third-party wellness vendors often see higher approval rates.

Let’s not forget: pet therapy doesn’t bypass liability law just because it’s cute.

If a therapy dog nips someone, who’s at fault? If a colleague has a severe allergy attack, who absorbs the liability?

Smart companies do this:

  • Require proof of insurance and certification from all therapy animal providers

  • Ensure participation is always opt-in and not tied to performance reviews

  • Confirm that any session data collected is stored under HIPAA-compliant platforms, especially when used for claims

It’s also wise to double-check with your HIPAA compliance officer or external counsel if integrating this into existing benefit platforms that collect personal or health-related data.

๐Ÿš€ How to Introduce Pet Therapy in Your Company

You don’t need to work at Google to get this going.

Even mid-sized companies can add pet therapy by following these steps:

  1. Survey your team — Use anonymous wellness polls to gauge interest.

  2. Find credentialed providers — Work with certified, insured therapy animal organizations.

  3. Use existing platforms — Add as a reimbursable option under lifestyle or EAP plans.

  4. Launch quietly, track impact — Track productivity, sick day reduction, or even feedback quotes from staff.

One HR director we spoke with put it this way: “It’s not just wellness fluff. It’s measurable morale engineering.”

๐Ÿ’ฌ Final Thoughts: More Than Just a Trend

In an era of AI tools, remote fatigue, and digital burnout, pet therapy offers something refreshingly analog and deeply human.

It’s not just about barking dogs and Instagram photos — it’s about connection, emotion, and giving people a reason to breathe again between emails.

Thinking of starting your own program? Share this post with your HR team. Or better yet, book a session with a local provider and bring the idea to your next wellness committee meeting.

Have you experienced pet therapy at work? Or wished your company offered it? Drop your stories or ideas in the comments — and let’s keep the conversation (and tails) wagging.

๐Ÿ”— Learn More from Trusted Sources

Keywords: pet therapy, employer wellness program, HSA pet reimbursement, animal-assisted therapy, workplace mental health