15 Best Pet Insurance Providers in Illinois – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks
By Jessica Kim
Updated on
Veterinary care is a growing pet care cost that can leave many pet owners in situations where they must make difficult decisions. While pet insurance isn’t very common in Illinois, it may start becoming more normal as it can help pet owners make significant savings.
Pet insurance helps make budgeting for pet care more predictable, and it can help pet owners pay for treatments that are normally too expensive. There are many different pet insurance providers, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when shopping through all the options. So, we’ve made the process more manageable with our reviews of some of the best pet insurance providers in Illinois.
A Quick Comparison of Our Top Picks in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
|
|
Lemonade Pet Insurance |
|
Click to Get Quote |
Best Value
|
|
Bivvy Pet Insurance |
|
Click to Get Quote |
|
|
Trupanion Pet Insurance |
|
Click to Get Quote |
|
Pumpkin Pet Insurance |
|
Click to Get Quote | |
|
Embrace Pet Insurance |
|
Click to Get Quote |
The 15 Best Pet Insurance Providers in Illinois
1. Lemonade Pet Insurance – Best Overall
Lemonade is one of the best pet insurance providers in Illinois. It has affordable plans and covers all the essential veterinary care services your pet needs. It’s one of the best options for healthy pets with common healthcare needs. However, it doesn’t provide coverage for more specialized care, like alternative therapies and experimental treatments.
Its plans are only offered in 36 states, but this isn’t an issue for Illinois residents because Lemonade sells plans in Illinois. You also don’t have to worry about submitting claims for care received in outside states because Lemonade accepts claims from any veterinarian in the US. Lemonade is known for its excellent customer service and quick claims processing.
- Affordable plans
- Excellent customer service
- Fast claims process
- Plans available for purchase in only 36 states
- Doesn’t cover holistic or experimental therapies
2. Bivvy Pet Insurance – Best Value
Bivvy has one of the most affordable accident and illness plans and has one of the fastest application processes. It offers a flat rate of $14 a month regardless of a pet’s age and breed.
While Bivvy is affordable, it doesn’t really cover anything past basic veterinary care procedures. It also provides a low annual limit and a lifetime coverage limit of $25,000.
So, Bivvy’s a great option for young and healthy pets, but it probably won’t provide substantial coverage or payments for older pets with more extensive care needs.
- Fast application process
- Flat monthly rate of $14
- Suitable for young and healthy pets
- Low annual limit and lifetime coverage limit
3. Trupanion Pet Insurance
One of the best things about Trupanion is that all its plans have 90% reimbursement rates and no annual limits. Premiums tend to be a little more expensive as a result, but you spend less time worrying about paying for veterinary care bills, and you’ll also have great customer service on your side.
Trupanion offers outstanding riders, like the Complementary Care Rider, which helps pay for unique alternative therapies. You can also choose the Pet Owner Assistance Package, which helps pay for boarding costs if you encounter a medical emergency. It also helps pay for materials needed for lost pet notifications.
Trupanion can also send direct payments to veterinarians as long as they’re enrolled in their direct deposit system.
- All plans have 90% reimbursement rates and no annual limits
- Excellent customer service
- Offers direct payments to participating veterinarians
- Unique riders available
- Relatively expensive premiums
4. Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Pumpkin Pet Insurance has one accident and illness plan for cats and dogs and only offers 90% reimbursement rates for all its plans. You can also add a wellness care rider to the plan, and it’s offered at a flat rate for all pets. However, most customers haven’t experienced very significant savings with this rider.
While Pumpkin offers only one reimbursement rate, you can still make customizations on your deductible and annual limit. Making these customizations is helpful in making costs more manageable because Pumpkin tends to have more expensive premiums than its competitors.
- 90% reimbursement rate on all plans
- Various selections for deductible and annual limit amounts
- Wellness care rider is available
- Wellness care rider doesn’t provide significant savings
- Premiums are relatively expensive
5. Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace is a well-established company with a solid customer support system that consistently delivers excellent service. All customers are also able to use its 24/7 pet telehealth line.
Embrace has accident-only and accident and illness plans. In addition to the usual services, the accident and illness plan covers dental care and will help pay for implants and root canals. Embrace also offers one of the most extensive deductible selections, and you can choose from 10 different amounts.
Embrace is an excellent option for younger pets, but it does have an age restriction on senior pets. Pets older than 14 years aren’t eligible to enroll in a plan, which is typically an age when pets need the most veterinary care.
- Excellent customer service
- Accident and illness plan includes dental care
- 24/7 pet telehealth available
- Age restriction is 14 years old
6. ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA offers some of the most customizable and extensive pet insurance plants. You can choose from a selection of accident-only and accident and illness plans. The accident and illness plans come with the option to choose your deductible amount, reimbursement rates, and annual limits. Their coverage also includes unique services, like alternative therapies and prescription foods.
ASPCA Pet Insurance is a considerable option for people living with multiple pets. It has a 10% discount for additional pets. Along with providing coverage for cats and dogs, ASPCA also has plans for horses. However, it doesn’t have plans for small pets, birds, and exotic pets.
- Customizable accident and illness plans
- Provides coverage for alternative therapies and prescription foods
- 10% multi-pet discount
- Plans available for cats, dogs, and horses
- Doesn’t provide coverage for exotic pets
7. USAA Pet Insurance
USAA is an excellent option for military families, veterans, and individuals in active service. You can find a lot of different savings and have the potential to receive up to a discount of 25%.
USAA uses Embrace Pet Insurance as its provider, so you’ll receive the same excellent customer service when submitting pet insurance claims.
USAA offers accident-only and accident and illness plans. The accident and illness plan has competitive coverage. However, it has an age restriction on senior pets. Pets older than 14 years old will automatically move to the accident-only plan, even if they’ve been on the accident and illness plan.
- Significant discount opportunities
- Excellent customer service
- Offers accident-only and accident and illness plans
- Only available for military families, veterans, and active servicemen
- Senior pets are only eligible for accident-only plan
8. ManyPets Pet Insurance
ManyPets Pet Insurance offers accident and illness plans for cats and dogs. Its rates start at $20 a month for puppies, $35 a month for dogs, $15 a month for kittens, and $25 a month for cats.
The base plan covers treatments for accidents and illnesses and also includes coverage for virtual visits, hereditary conditions, and dental illnesses. You can also expect to receive reimbursements for preventive and holistic care with ManyPets Pet Insurance. ManyPets also provides coverage for any curable pre-existing conditions as long as pets don’t show signs of symptoms for 18 months.
ManyPets is offered in the UK, Sweden, and the contiguous US. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to purchase a plan in Hawaii or Alaska. However, there are no geographical restrictions to submitting claims.
- Comprehensive coverage
- Helps pay for dental care and holistic therapies
- Can cover curable pre-existing conditions
- Not offered in Alaska or Hawaii
- Only offers accident and illness plans
9. Nationwide Pet Insurance
Nationwide is one of the only pet insurance companies that offers coverage for pets other than cats and dogs. It also offers a 5% discount for multi-pet homes, so it’s a great option for people living with more than one pet.
Nationwide offers accident-only, wellness, and accident and illness plans. There are different tiers within each plan that offer varying types of coverage, so you’ll have an easier time finding a plan that best matches your pet’s needs and circumstances.
While Nationwide offers many customizations, their availability will depend on your pet’s age and breed. Nationwide also places an age restriction on dogs and won’t offer plans for dogs older than 10 years old.
- Wide selection of plan types
- Offers plans for exotic pets
- 5% multi-pet discount
- Limited offerings based on pet’s age and breed
- Age restriction on dogs older than 10 years old
10. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Healthy Paws offers just one type of insurance plan, but it’s highly customizable. Its accident and illness plan allows you to choose your deductible amounts, reimbursement rates, and annual limits. So, you have a little more wiggle room with customizing your plan to better fit your budget.
It’s important to note that prices are significantly higher for older pets, so Healthy Paws is ideal for younger pets. If customer service is a high priority for you, you’ll appreciate Healthy Paws’ excellent and responsive customer service. It also has a very user-friendly website and app that makes submitting claims fast and easy.
- Customizable accident and illness plan
- Affordable rates for younger pets
- Excellent customer service
- Easy to submit claims
- No accident-only or wellness plans
- Relatively expensive for older pets
11. Figo Pet Insurance
Figo doesn’t have accident-only or wellness plans, but it has one of the most comprehensive accident and illness plans. The plan includes alternative therapies, and your pet may also be eligible to receive coverage for prescription food. You can add wellness care to the accident and illness plan if you want even more extensive coverage.
Figo also has excellent customer service and an intuitive app that makes claims processing easier. It’s also a considerable option for pet owners with older pets because it doesn’t have any age restrictions. You can also choose a 100% reimbursement rate for your plan and remove annual limits. So, although Figo isn’t the cheapest option, it does offer very robust pet insurance plans.
- Very comprehensive and customizable plans
- Excellent customer service
- No age restrictions
- 100% reimbursement rates
- No accident-only or wellness plans
- Plans are relatively expensive
12. Hartville Pet Insurance
Hartville offers both accident-only and accident and illness plans. The great thing about the accident-only plan is that it has a flat rate, so all pets will have the same premiums.
Hartville’s accident and illness plan is more comprehensive than basic plans and will help pay for hereditary conditions and treatments for behavioral issues. It’s best to get Hartville pet insurance as soon as possible because you’ll find a significant price hike after pets get older than 5 years old.
You’ll find that Hartville offers several different customizations to help you save on costs. You can choose to pay your premiums either monthly or annually, and the annual premium rate is cheaper than the monthly rate. You can also choose different deductible amounts and reimbursement rates. If you want extended coverage, you can choose to remove annual limits.
- Flat rate on accident-only plans
- Option to remove annual limits
- Many plan customizations available
- Significant price hike for older pets
13. AKC Pet Insurance
AKC only offers dog pet insurance, but it has some of the best coverage customizations you can find in the market. In Illinois, you can find add-ons for services, like breeding coverage, wellness care, hereditary conditions, and end-of-life and death services.
AKC will also cover curable pre-existing conditions after your dog remains symptom-free for over 12 months. Because it specializes in breeding and pregnancy coverage, AKC pet insurance is a suitable option for breeders and owners of purebred dogs. Just keep in mind that it has an age restriction of 8 years. Once your dog passes 8 years old, it’s no longer eligible to enroll in a plan.
- Offers coverage for breeding and pregnancy care
- Helps pay for end-of-life and death services
- Will cover curable pre-existing conditions
- Only provides plans for dogs
- Has age limit of 8 years
14. Progressive Pet Insurance
You can find some of the cheapest insurance plans with Progressive. Pet owners with young and healthy pets can get premium rates as low as $10 a month. However, there’s little room for customizing your annual limits as Progressive only offers two options—$5,000 or unlimited.
You can still customize your deductible amount, which ranges from $50 to $1,000. Your reimbursement rate can also be set to either 70%, 80%, or 90%. Progressive doesn’t offer full reimbursements.
Progressive offers wellness, accident-only, and accident and illness plans, so you have many more options to find the right coverage for your pet. Just keep in mind that all accident-only plans have a set annual limit of $10,000.
- Affordable insurance plans
- Wide selection of coverage options
- Offers unlimited reimbursement options
- Not a lot of options for annual limit amounts
- No 100% reimbursement rates
15. Geico Pet Insurance
You can find some of the most affordable rates through Geico if it’s already your insurance provider. Geico provides accident and illness plans for cats and dogs, and you can add preventative care for an additional cost. Along with covering the basic accident and illness expenses, Geico will help pay for up to $1,000 in dental care.
Geico offers annual limits that range from $5,000 to $30,000, but you can’t choose your annual limit amount. Geico will make an offer to you once you input your pet’s information.
Another great thing about Geico is its customer service. Most customers receive quick responses, and you also have access to 24/7 telehealth care for your pet to avoid any unnecessary visits to your vet.
- Affordable insurance plans
- Offers up to $1,000 for dental care coverage
- Preventative care add-on available
- Access to 24/7 telehealth line
- Can’t customize annual limits
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance Plan in Illinois
What to Look for in Pet Insurance in Illinois
Navigating the world of pet insurance can get confusing and overwhelming pretty quickly. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a plan. Here are some key things to keep in mind that’ll help you stay on course while shopping for pet insurance.
Policy Coverage
There are three general types of pet insurance plans that companies will sell. Standalone wellness plans are the least common, and they cover routine care costs, like vaccinations and flea and tick medication.
Accident-only plans are some of the cheapest plans, and they cover costs related to care from an unforeseen incident. So, they’ll help pay for diagnostic testing and surgeries. These plans are popular for pet owners with younger, healthier pets because they’re cheaper, and these types of pets typically don’t require extensive health care.
Accident and illness plans are the most popular plans and offer the most comprehensive care. Coverage will vary from company to company, and different companies will also offer riders to help expand your coverage. It’s best to consider getting an accident and illness plan sooner than later because pet insurance companies will not cover pre-existing and bilateral conditions.
Customer Service & Reputation
It’s important to purchase a plan from a pet insurance company with a responsive and reputable customer service arm. Since pet insurance operates under a reimbursement model, it’s extremely helpful to have customer service at hand to help you track your claims.
Most pet insurance companies now have convenient phone apps that make claim submissions easy. Some also offer 24/7 telehealth services that connect you to a veterinarian so that you can avoid any unnecessary trips to the vet’s office.
When shopping for a plan, make sure to work with a pet insurance representative that cares about your pet’s well-being rather than prioritizing selling the most expensive plan. The most robust plan may not be the best option for your pet and could end up costing you more than helping you save money.
Claim Repayment
It’s important to find a pet insurance company with a reliable claims processing system. Some companies can process claims within a couple of days, while others may request up to 30 days of waiting.
Most pet insurance companies have several different ways to submit claims. You can complete forms and mail them or email them. Many companies have websites where you can submit claims through your online account. In this competitive market, companies are making strides to make the claims process easier by providing intuitive phone apps for their customers.
In some rare cases, pet insurance companies offer a direct payment option, so you can skip the claims process altogether. However, this service is still fairly limited as veterinarians must first adopt the company’s direct deposit software before they can accept payments.
Price of Policy
Policy prices depend on several different factors. First, your pet’s age and breed can affect costs significantly. Older pets will have more expensive premiums, and breeds known for being predisposed to many genetic health conditions will also have higher premiums. For example, French Bulldogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Munchkins, and Persians tend to have some of the highest premiums.
Price will also be affected by your location. Larger cities usually have much higher premiums than rural towns. Lastly, your plan customizations will change your premiums. Typically, plans with high deductibles and low reimbursement rates and annual limits will have the cheapest premiums.
Plan Customization
Most pet insurance companies offer plan customizations to fit your budget. First, some companies offer riders to expand your coverage. Companies will also allow you to choose your deductible amount, reimbursement rate, and annual limit.
The reimbursement rate is the percentage your pet insurance will pay after you pay your deductible. Reimbursement rates can range anywhere between 50%-100%. The annual limit is the maximum amount the pet insurance company will pay under a single policy. Annual limits can range anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000, and some plans offer no limits.
FAQ
What is the average cost of pet insurance in Illinois?
You can expect to pay between 25-$30 per month for cats and $40-$50 per month for dogs. Many factors affect pet insurance prices in Illinois. Towns and cities with higher living costs will naturally have higher premiums. Your pet’s age and breed will also affect costs, along with the type of coverage you choose.
What is covered by pet insurance?
The most common pet insurance plans will cover vet bills related to accidents and illnesses. So, you can expect to receive coverage for diagnostic testing, surgeries, hospital stays, and treatments. Some pet insurance companies will also help pay for alternative therapies, dental care, and prescription food.
Pet insurance companies typically do not cover routine care costs unless you purchase an add-on or rider. They will not cover pre-existing conditions, injuries and illnesses caused by abuse or neglect, and preventable conditions.
Which pet insurance is the most widely accepted at vet offices?
Most pet insurance plans are accepted by any vet office because pet insurance operates through a reimbursement model. You usually have to pay vet bills out of pocket first and then submit a claim to your pet insurance company to receive a reimbursement. Many pet insurance companies will also reimburse you if you happen to take your pet to a vet or emergency clinic while out of the country.
What the Users Say
Lemonade has positive reviews amongst the majority of its customers. Many customers are satisfied with their low premiums and how easy it is to submit claims. While most customers have had satisfactory experiences and reliable help from Lemonade, some wish that it offers 24/7 pet telehealth as a part of its customer service offerings.
Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
In general, Lemonade is the best option for pet owners with relatively healthy pets. It covers all essential veterinary care services and treatments while keeping premiums affordable. Pet owners will also appreciate its quick claims processing and excellent customer service.
If you’re looking for more robust care coverage and are willing to pay more in premiums, Trupanion and Pumpkin are considerable options. If you’re simply looking for an accident-only plan to give you peace of mind, Progressive offers some of the cheapest plans.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Lemonade Pet Insurance is the best provider in Illinois. It covers all essential veterinary care costs while keeping rates low. If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, Bivvy is a considerable choice. Older pets needing more robust care may benefit more from Trupanion or Pumpkin.
Keep in mind that pet insurance companies don’t cover pre-existing conditions. So, make sure to shop around sooner than later so that you can purchase a plan and have peace of mind that your pet’s veterinary care needs are covered.
Leave this heading and comment in place. We may put a table here.
Featured Image Credit: thodonal88, Shutterstock
