Best Pet Insurance Quotes (2024)

Pet insurance is one option to boost your family’s financial stability. For example, if your pet gets hurt or becomes unwell, you can avoid paying the full cost of unforeseen vet bills by finding the best pet insurance quotes.

While coverage types are similar for hereditary and congenital disorders, accidents, and other basic issues in pet insurance plans, there are variations in benefits, costs, and extras. To find the best pet insurance, we compared 12 different policies.

What is insurance for pets?

A health insurance plan for your pet called pet insurance covers medical bills and other expenses. Reimbursement-based pet insurance policies often require you to pay the pet’s medical expenses upfront before filing a claim with the insurance provider. However, a few businesses can make direct payments to the veterinarian, minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses.

Usually, there’s a deductible before coverage begins. So, for instance, you might have to pay the initial $500 in veterinary expenses before your pet insurance begins to cover them.

Pet insurance may not cover all of your medical expenses, even if you pay your deductible. Often, you can choose your refund amount, with typical reimbursements of 70%, 80%, or 90% of your veterinary expenses.

What does pet insurance cover?

The type of pet insurance plan you purchase will determine what is covered. What are the types of pet insurance? There are primarily three plans:

• Accident and illness plans: Plans for accidents and illness typically cover broken bones, inherited disorders, congenital conditions, cancer, and more.
• Accident-only strategies: Accident-only coverage only pays for accident-related incidents, like a broken bone.
• Wellness plans: You can sometimes get a pet insurance add-on for basic treatments like your pet’s annual wellness exam, immunizations, heartworm medication, and other regular care expenses.

Pre-existing conditions, or ailments your pet had before the policy’s start date and any waiting period, might not be covered by pet insurance. To cover circumstances before the look-back period, find out if there is one.

How to Pick the Best Pet Insurance Provider for Your Needs

While looking for pet health insurance, there are several things to take into account. You can find the best company and coverage for you and your pet by following the tips listed below.

First, you should consider the policy type you require for your pet. Typically, pet owners have three options for insurance policies:

• Accident and illness insurance: Covers treatment for cancer, UTIs, ear infections, broken bones, and ingested items.
• Health insurance: Covers standard procedures, including immunizations, examinations, spaying and neutering, and nail trimming.
• Exotic pet insurance: For animals other than cats or dogs, such as hamsters, rabbits, geckos, and snakes. Learn more about exotic pet ownership here.

After you choose your policy, determine what it does and doesn’t cover, like any ailments, diagnostic procedures, and treatments it covers. Note any restrictions, age exclusions, or other limitations.

Read more: Best Pet Insurance For Service Animals

For example, if you have a breed of pet predisposed to inherited or congenital illness, like hip dysplasia or asthma, ensure your policy covers treatment for them. Generally, pet insurance doesn’t cover preexisting conditions.

You should also define your deductible — or the out-of-pocket amount — before an insurer pays out a claim. The businesses in our rating often provide two categories of deductibles:

• Yearly deductibles: What is an annual deductible? Yearly deductibles are comparable to health insurance plans for people. You must pay an annual sum, like $500, for any insured care, regardless of the kind. Any additional expenses that fall within your coverage limitations get paid for by the insurer after you meet your deductible.
• Per-condition deductibles: A group of deductibles unique to various situations is called a per-condition deductible. For instance, a policy may have a different deductible for conditions including liver illness, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

An annual deductible might be less expensive if your pet needs to see the vet more than once a year, and each visit is for a new injury or illness. On the other hand, a per-condition deductible might be more affordable if your pet gets sick or has a problem that requires ongoing care or frequent visits but doesn’t have any other problems.

Both deductibles have advantages and disadvantages, but neither is fundamentally superior.

What else can affect the choice of pet insurance coverage?

A few more aspects can influence your choice of pet health insurance coverage. Most businesses in our ranking provide various customer service alternatives, including mobile app access, email, phone, and online chat help. You can discover insurance that suits your preferences for policy administration and claims handling by looking at customer service and support alternatives.

Any add-on or additional coverage you might want is also important to consider. For example, several businesses in our review provide wellness or complementary care packages, including hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. When all else is equal, considering your alternatives for extra coverage and customer support might assist you in making your choice.

How to Save on Pet Insurance

If you’re still looking to save on your pet insurance coverage, consider the following tips below:

• Choose a reimbursement percentage. Find a reimbursement percentage with monthly rates you can afford. The percentages of your veterinary charge that are typically reimbursed range from 60% to 100%, depending on the insurer.
• Find out what restrictions are available. Limits are the maximum sums that an insurer will cover (for example, $10,000 per year). While some insurers don’t have yearly limits, others do. If a policy contains an annual cap, your insurance company will only pay out costs up to that cap. You must pay for further expenses until the following policy year.
• See if you can alter your premiums. Some insurers allow consumers to tailor their premiums if they change one or more policy components. For example, you could get lower premiums if you lower your payout thresholds and reimbursement rate or increase your deductible. However, each adjustment could result in higher out-of-pocket costs.
• Look for exclusive offers. Some insurers provide discounts that can lower coverage costs. Discounts come in various forms and aren’t always available, though they could be for annual pay, multiple pets, military service, or employee benefits. For instance, Lemonade gives a 10% discount if you already have a policy with the company, like home insurance.

While comparing pet insurance quotes can be discouraging, there are various ways for customers to find a policy that fits their needs and budget.

What does pet insurance cost?

Pet insurance for cats is typically less expensive than pet insurance for dogs. For dogs and cats, the average monthly cost of pet insurance with accident and illness coverage is about $50. However, the precise cost of insuring your pet will vary depending on several factors, not only the insurance you select.

Factors Affecting Pet Insurance Costs

Based on the following variables, pet insurance costs can vary:

• Pet’s age and breed: Purebreds typically cost more to insure than mixed-breed pets. No matter the breed, premiums rise with age. In addition, your options for insurance will dramatically decrease after your dog or cat reaches 10 or 12.
• Location: Pet insurance is frequently more expensive for animals that reside in cities, particularly along the beaches.
• Deductibles: You can usually choose your deductible or the amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance policy begins to provide benefits. Remember that while annual deductibles for all treatments are typical, certain employers may also impose incidental or conditional deductibles.
• Preventative care add-ons: An accident or illness coverage plan provides the best value, but you can also include preventative care coverage. Comprehensive insurance refers to policies covering routine medical care and treatment for accidents or illnesses.

In conclusion, pet insurance costs can vary greatly depending on several factors, such as the type of pet, the age of the pet, the location of the pet, the breed of the pet, the coverage chosen, and the deductible selected. Understanding these factors and how they affect the cost of pet insurance can help pet owners make more informed decisions when selecting a pet insurance plan.

Extra Insurance Costs to Know About

Pet insurance costs more than just the premiums — you’ll probably still have to pay out-of-pocket costs even after the insurance begins to pay. So while planning your budget for your pet’s insurance coverage, keep the following in mind:

• Reimbursements: You pay for all veterinarian visits and associated costs before requesting a reimbursement, though some providers may offer direct payment to vets. Usually, 70% to 90% of covered expenses get reimbursed by plans.
• Payout caps: After you’ve used up all of your policy’s maximum coverage, most plans stop paying out. Most pet insurance has an annual expense cap, but others include caps for each disease or injury, or even for the entire animal’s life. For greater caps, be prepared to pay higher rates.

Pet insurance is a great way to provide financial protection for your pet in the event of illness or injury. However, it is important to be aware of the additional costs involved in pet insurance. Before you decide on a plan, make sure to research all of the costs associated with the policy to ensure that you are getting the best bang for your buck. Find the best pet insurance for service animals.

What are the best pet insurance companies?

You can choose from many pet insurance companies with great policies and various coverage options to fit certain pet family situations. We’ve made it easier by choosing some of the top pet insurance companies and describing why they’re ranked the best.

Spot

You can easily maximize your pet’s coverage with Spot pet insurance. It’s one of the few businesses offering insurance with a complete (100%) coverage option, which frees you from any co-payment obligations. The business also has a very low ($100) deductible option, lowering your out-of-pocket medical care expenses even more.

However, selecting a low deductible or a low co-payment will result in a higher coverage rate. Even though Spot has no maximum age for insuring new animals, its premiums are still higher than average for young pets, so it might be a suitable option if your furry friends are older.

Lemonade

Lemonade’s accident and illness coverage covers diagnoses, procedures, and drugs for covered conditions. However, the base policy won’t cover veterinarian bills, dental problems, end-of-life care, and physical therapy, though you can add these benefits as riders if your state offers them.

A preventative care rider that covers the cost of yearly examinations, vaccinations, and parasite screening can help pet owners further improve coverage.

While Lemonade insurance is only available in 38 states, you can register for updates on the company’s website. Yet, consumers can find it challenging to navigate Lemonade’s website. For example, you must enter a lot of information that other insurers don’t require to get a quote. You can also check our 24PetWatch insurance review to find out more about this company.

Embrace

Pets up to 15 years old can receive accident and illness coverage from Embrace. After that age, you can still buy insurance, but it only covers accidents. This fact makes Embrace stand apart from its competitors since most pet insurance companies won’t insure pets older than 10.

You can’t get wellness benefits as separate insurance with Embrace. However, pet owners can enroll in the Wellness Rewards program to pay a certain amount for preventative treatment. Since unused funds don’t transfer to the next year, ensure your annual payments correspond to the anticipated level of preventative care. Find out more in our Embrace pet insurance review.

Read more: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review & Complaints

The Bottom Line

Most pet insurance policies cover situations where your pet gets hurt or ill and the policy occasionally gets divided into different accident and illness policies. However, wellness policies, plans, and riders are rare. While many businesses offer distinct wellness insurance policies, like Nationwide pet insurance, others like ASPCA pet health insurance, 24PetWatch pet insurance, and Pets Best insurance offer routine care or preventative care rides.

One thing to watch out for is the wellness rewards program that some businesses, like Embrace, provide. While they cover things like check-ups and other preventative care up to a specific sum each year, they aren’t insurance policies or riders. When comparing companies that provide wellness add-ons, check to discover whether the wellness plans are insurance policies.