Best Pet Insurance Companies for Dogs and Cats
Unexpected veterinary care for dogs and cats can cost thousands of dollars, but pet insurance may cover some of the expenses. It’s important to compare companies and get multiple quotes to find the best pet insurance for dogs and cats.
To help you choose the right insurance company for your dog or cat, we reviewed the best pet insurance companies based on coverage, financial strength, user experience, price, and policy terms.
Reviews of the best pet insurance companies
Several factors, such as pet type, breed, age, location and policy terms, determine your insurance premium. Most providers allow some form of policy customization so you can tailor your coverage to your budget.
Read:The Dark Side of Social Media: What You Need to KnowWe received multiple quotes from the providers reviewed below, and prices ranged from less than $20 to over $130 per month. However, some providers claim to offer insurance policies with lower premiums than we received.
- Best Coverage  : Fetch
- Best for quick prompts  : Lemon juice
- Best for quick cover-ups  : Embrace
- Best Unlimited Coverage Rates  : ManyPets
- Best set of terms  : Spot
- Best for direct payment to the vet  : Trupanion
- Best for preventative care  : Pumpkin
- Best in terms of reliability  : ASPCA
- Best family plan  : MetLife
Best Coverage: Bring
LendEDU Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Read:This Simple Trick Will Change the Way You Cook Forever!- $1,000 per online vet visit, boarding fees, and lost pet advertising
- Use any vet in the US or Canada
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Fetch’s pet insurance policy offers the best coverage out of the companies we reviewed. It covers more than 24 categories of accidents, illnesses, emergency diagnoses and treatments.
Unlike some other providers, Fetch doesn’t make you choose between a menu of optional coverage add-ons. They include everything you think you need in their policy so you can visit any vet in the US or Canada and benefit from coverage.
Fetch recommends  that premiums average $35 per month for dogs and $20 per month for cats.
Eligibility requirements
LendEDU Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Read:New Scientific Discovery Unveils Surprising Benefits of Sleeping 10 Hours Daily!- Coverage up to $100,000 per year
- Fast claims process powered by artificial intelligence
- Choose up to 6 optional coverage add-ons
- Accidents covered after two days from the policy start date
Lemonade  is an insurance company that sells insurance policies online through its website and mobile app. Policyholders must download the app to manage their insurance policies and submit claims.
Through its AI-powered claims process, Lemonade can pay approximately 50% of pet insurance claims instantly. For more complex claims, you can wait a few days, but the company will keep you updated along the way.
Lemonade’s basic premiums start at $10 per month and are customizable.
Eligibility requirements
Best for quick coverage: Embrace
LendEDU Rating: 4.7 out of 5
- Accidents are covered after two days from the start date
- Highly customizable policies
- 24/7 free pet helpline
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Embrace sold  its first insurance policy in 2006 and has been an industry leader ever since. The company only offers pet insurance, ensuring that its customers and their pets receive full support.
Accident coverage begins on the policy effective date. For comparison, most pet insurance companies have a 14-day waiting period before you can use your benefits in the event of an accident.
Eligibility requirements
Best for Unlimited Coverage Pricing: ManyPets
LendEDU Rating: 4.7 out of 5
- Reasonable installments
- No registration fees
- There are no limits to annual medical coverage.
Thanks to the combination of affordable premiums and comprehensive coverage, ManyPets was  our pick for the best price for unlimited coverage.
Of all the companies we reviewed that offer unlimited annual coverage, ManyPets’ policies were the least expensive.
Eligibility requirements
Best choice of terms: Spot
LendEDU Rating: 4.5 out of 5
- Choose from 105 different sets of policy terms
- 24/7 Pet Helpline
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
While most pet insurance companies allow you to customize your policy to find the coverage you need at a reasonable cost, none offer more customization than Spot  .
Spot lets you choose from five deductibles, three indemnities, and seven annual coverage limits. That gives you 105 different combinations for your policies.
Spot advertises monthly payments as low as $15 for dogs and puppies and $9 for cats and kittens.
Eligibility requirements
Best for direct payment to your vet: Trupanion
- Some vets can be paid directly
- There are no limits to annual medical coverage.
- There is no minimum age requirement.
- Prices don’t rise simply because of aging
Trupanion aims  to eliminate the traditional reimbursement model by paying selected veterinarians at the time of checkout. This saves you money and eliminates the stress of waiting for claims to be processed.
You can check to see if your vet accepts direct payment through the Trupanion website.
Eligibility requirements
What is not covered
Best for preventative care: Pumpkin
LenEDU Rating: 4.4 out of 5
- Visit any licensed veterinarian in the United States or Canada.
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
- Welcome box and toy for your pet after registration
Pumpkin offers  preventive care coverage as an optional addition to your standard pet insurance policy. This coverage is designed to assess your pet’s current health status, prevent disease, and detect parasites early.
When you sign up for the Pumpkin Preventive Essentials plan, the company will send a welcome box and toy for your pet.
Eligibility requirements
Best for Reliability: ASPCA
LendEDU Rating: 4.3 out of 5
- 600,000 dogs and cats are insured, with more than 2.2 million claims processed
- Anytime, Pet Health Line
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA Â , also known as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is widely known for its efforts to prevent cruelty to animals. However, starting in 2006, a strategic partnership was established with the ASPCA for pet health insurance.
Over the past 20 years, the Fire Insurance Company of the United States has insured more than 600,000 dogs and cats while processing more than 2.2 million claims. So this team of more than 1,000 employees is not short on experience.
Eligibility requirements
Editorial rating: 4.2 out of 5
- Include up to 3 pets on one policy.
- 24/7 telehealth concierge chat
- Discounts start from $0
MetLife offers  the best pet insurance plan for pet owners looking to enroll up to three pets on one policy. This policy includes one deductible instead of one per pet enrolled. Other pet insurance companies typically offer a reduced premium for each additional pet enrolled but under different plans with separate discounts.
Eligibility requirements
What is the best pet insurance?
Before choosing a pet insurance company, it is wise to compare several providers to find the best option for your needs. Here are some things to consider when shopping for pet insurance:
- Coverage Options  : Every pet insurance plan includes coverage for various veterinary expenses and services. Decide whether you need an accident-only plan or an accident-and-sickness plan and whether you want coverage for preventive care.
- Cost  : The cost of pet insurance depends on several factors, including the insurance company that issues your policy. Get quotes from several insurance companies to find the plan that best suits your coverage needs.
- Waiting Periods  : Most pet insurance plans require a waiting period before you can use your benefits. If you want to be able to use your coverage as quickly as possible, choose a plan with short waiting periods for accidents and illnesses.Â
- Exclusions  : All pet insurance plans have certain exclusions and limitations. Be sure to read the fine print to see what is and is not covered. This applies to covered veterinary expenses and covered medical conditions. Â
- Reimbursement Rate  : When you get pet insurance, you select the reimbursement rate, which is the amount of your vet bill that your insurance company pays. Plans with higher reimbursement rates cover more of your pet’s vet bills but have higher premiums. Choose a plan that offers the amount of coverage you want at the best price.
Instructions
How does pet insurance work?
Pet insurance pays a portion of your dog or cat’s veterinary expenses. When your pet visits the vet, you can file a claim for reimbursement based on your plan’s reimbursement rate. However, you must reach your deductible before your plan will start paying for covered expenses. Many pet insurance plans also have a waiting period before you can use your benefits in the event of an accident or illness.Â
What is the best pet insurance?
Most pet insurance companies offer high-quality coverage with some differences from the rest. These differences can be significant when it comes to the costs of caring for your pet for a lifetime.
In our latest review of pet insurance companies, ManyPets and Embrace received a rating of 4.9 out of 5, the highest of all the companies reviewed.
Is the best dog insurance different from the best cat insurance?
All of the pet insurance companies we reviewed offered coverage for both dogs and cats. For this reason, our picks for the best pet insurance companies remain the same for either dogs or cats.
But one difference we noticed relates to preventive care options. Some plans imposed benefit limits on vaccinations, and although they were equal in value, they were allocated to different types of vaccinations (such as rabies vaccination versus cat vaccination, for example).
When is the best time to get pet insurance?
To get the full benefits of pet health insurance, we recommend insuring your pet at the youngest age possible. Younger pets are less likely to have accidents or illnesses than older pets. For the insurance company, less risk is better, often resulting in less expensive premiums.
Another benefit of younger pets is that they typically haven’t developed any pre-existing conditions yet. Pet insurance providers don’t tend to cover pre-existing conditions, which limits your coverage options. Overcoming these risks is essential to maximizing the value of your policy.
>> Read more  : Is there pet insurance without a waiting period?
How much does pet insurance cost?
There are several factors, such as pet type, breed, age, location, policy terms, and more, that determine the price of pet insurance. Most providers allow for some form of policy customization, allowing you to see different prices while keeping many of the factors listed the same.
We received several quotes from the providers mentioned above, and prices ranged from under $20 to over $130 per month. However, some providers claim to offer policies with lower premiums than we saw.
What does pet insurance cover?
Pet insurance aims to cover  unexpected accidents and illnesses. Coverage can vary by company, policy type selected, and any inclusion of optional add-ons.
In general, policyholders are reimbursed for accidents, illnesses, genetic and congenital conditions, alternative treatments, behavioral issues, chronic illnesses, cancer treatment, diagnostic tests, examination fees, prescriptions, specified dental work, hospitalization, surgery, and more.
What does pet insurance not cover?
The excluded treatment will vary by company, but in general, most exclude the same things. Some of these items include pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, experimental treatments, breeding costs, and preventive care.
Review the questions below to better understand how to manage pre-existing conditions and preventive care.
What happens if my pet has a pre-existing condition?
Pre-existing conditions are excluded from the policies of almost all pet insurance providers. Providers don’t want pet owners to sign up for coverage only after their pet suffers an unexpected injury or illness.
These pre-existing medical conditions will not limit your ability to enroll in the insurance plan; Rather, it only limits the claims the provider will pay you. However, there is a new trend that is growing in the pet insurance industry. Many providers have begun to differentiate between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions.
A pre-existing, curable condition is free of treatment and symptoms for a certain number of days. Once this period is met, the provider will begin offering coverage for this condition.
Learn more about how pre-existing conditions affect pet health insurance  .
Does pet insurance cover routine care?
Pet insurance does not cover routine care. Providers offer this as an optional health plan that you can attach to your pet insurance policy. It typically comes with an added monthly cost, no deductible, and a set benefit limit each year.
A wellness plan can cover preventative care items such as an annual exam, vaccinations, blood work, stool tests, urinalysis, heartworm or flea prevention, and spaying or neutering.
>> Read More  : Pet Care Plans vs. Pet Insurance
How We Selected the Best Pet Insurance Companies
Our team conducted over 40 hours of research to compare companies based on eligibility, policy terms, coverage inclusions, exclusions, quotes we received, added benefits, user experience, financial strength, and customer reviews to determine the best pet insurance companies.
Here’s a brief overview of what we looked at and what we rated within these categories.
- Eligibility  : Factors included age limits and state availability. We appreciate companies that offer coverage for both small and senior pets while being available nationwide.
- Policy Terms  : Factors we considered included waiting periods, deductibles, reimbursement rates, benefit limits, and discounts. We value pet insurance and custom plans that clearly outline what the policyholder can expect if they sign up.
- Coverage Inclusions and Exclusions  : This is where we delve into sample policies and company resources to determine what can and cannot be covered for your pet. We appreciate comprehensive coverage.
- Quotes We Received  : We provided quotes to compile a picture of how affordable each company’s insurance premiums are. We value companies with fair rates and premiums that won’t break the bank.
- User Experience  : We went through the signup process to see how each company explains complex terms to pet owners to make sure the experience on the company’s website was good.
- Financial Strength  : We examined each company’s AM Best rating to ensure they have excellent financial strength ratings. Financial strength ratings are used to evaluate a company’s ability to pay claims made by policyholders.
- Customer Reviews  : We used Trustpilot primarily to find out how customers feel about each company, their customer service experience, and the policies they offer. We appreciate positive customer feedback because happy customers are a good sign for any product.
Now that you can better understand what we looked at when determining which companies were the best, here’s a complete list of the pet insurance companies considered in our review.
Check out our reviews of the best pet insurance companies in Canada  .
Additional reading to help make your decision
- Pet insurance that pays the vet directly
- Should service dogs have pet insurance?
- Pet Insurance for Adopted Pets
- Pet insurance for senior pets
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