10 Pet Insurance Comparisons in 2024
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Choosing the right pet insurance plan may not seem particularly important to some people. After all, you can drop coverage and get new coverage anytime, unlike human health insurance in the US which has restrictions on coverage changes.
However, choosing the right coverage before there’s an issue is extremely important. The primary purpose of pet insurance is to help you pay for expensive and unexpected veterinary services as they arise. With the wrong plan for your needs, you may find yourself in a financial pickle. To choose the right plan for your needs, you need to understand the types of coverage available to you.
A Quick Look at the Winners in 2024
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Best Overall
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Lemonade |
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Best Value
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Pumpkin |
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Embrace |
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Click to Get Quote |
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MetLife |
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Fetch |
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Comparing 10 Pet Insurance Plans
1. Lemonade Pet Insurance – Best Overall
Not only is Lemonade the best overall pet insurance company, but they offer budget-friendly options to help make their plans affordable for everyone. They will cover your pet’s veterinary care, no matter where you are in the US, including during travel. With customizable deductibles and reimbursement rates, Lemonade allows you to build a plan you can afford.
If you’re looking just for coverage of diagnostics, prescriptions, procedures, and surgeries, then the base policy offered by Lemonade will cover what you need. If you prefer more coverage, you can choose from an add-on plan that will cover services like dental care, access to a vet helpline, and wellness care. You can also get a special plan to cover the specific needs of your puppy or kitten.
Make sure to select the policy options you feel will provide you with the best coverage for your pet’s needs. Lemonade will only allow you to make changes to your policy within 14 days of the beginning of coverage or during your annual renewal period.
2. Pumpkin Pet Insurance – Best Value
Pumpkin is the best value pet insurance because they offer a 90% reimbursement rate for everyone, no matter what. If you have two or more pets receiving coverage, you can expect a 10% premium discount, and Pumpkin offers coverage across the whole US. In their base policy, you can expect coverage of dental services up to $1,000. Choosing a plan is simple due to the limited options, but they do offer the option of a wellness care add-on plan.
If you have a senior pet that you’re wanting coverage for, Pumpkin has your back. They offer coverage for pets of all ages, as well as coverage for some pre-existing conditions. The stipulations of pre-existing condition coverage are that your pet cannot have required treatment of the condition and cannot have had any symptoms of the condition in 180 days prior to the beginning of coverage.
At this time, Pumpkin does not offer coverage of elective surgical procedures, including spay and neuter surgeries. This applies even if you have the wellness care add-on plan.
3. Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace is a great pet insurance option for multiple reasons, including included coverage of dental care up to $1,000. Pre-existing conditions are covered with some limitations. Your pet must not have had symptoms or required treatment for the condition in the year prior to the beginning of coverage, and the condition must be curable.
Embrace offers multiple add-on plans, including plans that provide coverage of services like grooming, behavioral training, rehabilitation services, alternative therapies, and wellness care. They will give you a $50 deductible discount for every year that your pet doesn’t require any insurance payouts.
4. MetLife Pet Insurance
MetLife allows customization of deductibles, reimbursement rates, and annual payout maximums, allowing you to build a policy that fits your budget. They offer the option to pay your premiums monthly, like most companies, or to pay a single annual premium for a slight discount.
If you purchase your coverage directly through the MetLife website, you will receive a premium discount. You may also be eligible for discounts if you are a veteran, veterinarian, shelter worker, or another type of animal care worker. You can also check with your employer to see if they are partnered with MetLife to offer discounted pet insurance policies.
All grooming services are not covered by any MetLife policy or add-on plan, including medically necessary grooming services, like hygiene trims and medicated baths.
5. Fetch Pet Insurance
If you’re looking for a simplified pet insurance option, Fetch is a great option. They currently only offer one policy, so you’ll be able to quickly and easily determine if this is the right pick for your needs. The single Fetch policy covers emergency services, breed-specific conditions, and dental care services. Coverage extends across the whole US and Canada, so your pet will be covered at home and during traveling. You can customize the reimbursement rates offered by Fetch with up to 90% reimbursement.
While costs will be higher, Fetch offers pet insurance coverage for senior pets, so you’ll be able to get coverage for all of your pets, regardless of their age. Due to the limited options available, wellness care is not available, and Fetch doesn’t offer any add-on plans.
6. ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA pet insurance is so committed to providing pet insurance coverage that you’re happy with that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee to ensure you’re satisfied. You can count on coverage across the entire US and Canada, and you will receive a multi-pet discount if you have two or more pets receiving coverage. You’ll also be able to customize your deductibles and reimbursement rates to fit your budget.
The top policy offered by ASPCA is the Complete Coverage Plan, which offers comprehensive coverage of services like dental care, inherited conditions, injuries, and illnesses. The less expensive primary policy offered by ASPCA is made for tighter budgets, but it’s limited to coverage of accidental injuries and the ingestion of toxins and foreign bodies.
At this time, the ASPCA reimbursements are based on a fee schedule, which means they have set an expected cost for services. They will reimburse you based on their fee schedule and not necessarily the amount of money you spent on services. If you live in an area with low costs, this may work out well for you, but in more expensive areas, you may not receive reimbursement to fully offset your costs.
7. Progressive Pet Insurance
Progressive is a great option if you want near complete control over your annual maximum payouts. You can customize your annual payout rate from a $5,000 minimum, all the way up to an unlimited maximum. They offer the option to customize your deductibles and reimbursement rates.
You will be able to choose between three policies, and with all plans, you’ll be able to add on a wellness care plan. However, the wellness care add-on plans available through Progressive have a set maximum annual payout, regardless of how you’ve customized your annual payout maximums.
If you’re interested in Progressive pet insurance, you should check with your employer to see if they are partnered with Progressive. They often offer discounted rates through employers, and you may be able to get a payroll deduction to pay your premiums.
8. Trupanion Pet Insurance
If making out-of-pocket payouts and waiting on reimbursements is a concern for you, then Trupanion may be a good pet insurance pick for you. This company offers direct-to-vet payments, although this is limited to vets that have Trupanion’s payment software. Deductibles and reimbursement rates are customizable through Trupanion, allowing you to build your plan to fit your budget.
Currently, Trupanion offers multiple base policies to choose from, so you can pick the policy that best fits your coverage needs and budget. They also offer multiple add-on plans, including plans that offer coverage of things like prosthetics, hospitalizations, alternative therapies, and breed-specific conditions. Alternative therapy coverage does have some limitations on specific services, though.
Trupanion doesn’t offer wellness care add-on plans or any coverage of exam fees for any type of visit, including exam fees for services that are covered by their policies.
9. USAA Pet Insurance
With USAA pet insurance, you can expect a premium discount if you are a USAA member. The base policy available through USAA offers comprehensive coverage, including coverage of services like surgical procedures, prescription medications, breed-specific conditions, and alternative therapies. They offer a wellness care add-on plan and a $50 deductible every year if your pet doesn’t require any claims payouts.
If you have a senior pet, you will be able to get some coverage through USAA. However, this coverage is limited to accident-only coverage for pets aged 14 years and above. Senior pets under 14 years are eligible for all of USAA’s policy options. Intentionally injuries are not covered for pets of any age, and this includes injuries sustained from other pets in the home.
10. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
If your pet is of a breed that is prone to genetic conditions, then Healthy Paws is a good pick because they cover genetic conditions in their base policy, as well as generally comprehensive coverage including alternative therapies. Their payout maximums are unlimited for all customers, so you won’t run out of coverage. They offer an annual deductible, instead of the more common per-claim deductible.
Wellness care coverage is not provided by Healthy Paws at this time. They also have restrictions on the coverage of injuries to the cranial cruciate ligaments. If your pet has experienced any injury to their CCL, including during the 15-day waiting period before your coverage begins, then injuries to either CCL will not be covered. This rule applies throughout the life of your pet.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Compare Pet Insurance Plans
What to Look for in Pet Insurance
The biggest thing you should look for in pet insurance is insurance policies that will actually cover your pet. If you have an exotic pet, for example, you will find restrictions on pet insurance coverage. Once you find companies and policies that will cover your pet, then you’ll need to find ways to narrow down some of the options available to you to find the perfect policy for your needs.
Policy Coverage
Finding a pet insurance policy that covers your pet’s needs is the top thing to look for in pet insurance. If your pet belongs to a breed that is at high risk for genetic conditions, then choosing coverage that doesn’t cover genetic conditions would be doing yourself and your pet a disservice. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the conditions that your pet may be predisposed to, whether it’s related to their breed or their family history.
You may even need to consider your geographical area. If you live in the Southern US, your pet will be at higher risk of developing heartworm disease than a pet that lives in the Northern US, so coverage of heartworm treatment would be more important for your geographical area.
Customer Service & Reputation
Dealing with bad customer service can leave you with massive regret about a company you’ve chosen. Looking for a company that has exceptional customer service is the best way to ensure that your pet will receive the coverage and care they need. A good customer service agent will work with you to ensure you understand your coverage and help you get the best coverage for your pet.
When choosing a pet insurance company, you may start by calling around and talking to customer service representatives. They will be able to help you make sense of the available policies and choose the best one to suit your needs. On top of that, this will give you a good feel for the customer service the company will provide you with.
Claim Repayment
The whole point of having pet insurance is to help you afford your pet’s care and ensure they can receive the care they need. Most companies require you to pay the bill upfront, though, and then they will reimburse you after processing the claim. While this does help you better afford your pet’s care, it also requires you to spend the full amount out of your own pocket at the time of services rendered. The longer you have to wait for claim processing and repayment, the longer you’ll be short on the money in your pocket.
It’s important to choose a company that is committed to quickly processing pet insurance claims and sending out repayments. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the expected claim processing time and the repayment period. You’ll also want to become familiar with how repayments are provided. Some companies only offer mailed checks for repayments, but most also offer direct deposits or repayments via electronic means.
Price Of Policy
The monthly cost of your policy, including the amount you’ll be expected to spend when care needs arise, can be the difference between a policy being affordable and unaffordable. Choosing a policy that offers premiums you can afford to pay every month, while also offering affordable deductibles and repayment rates, is the best policy for you.
If you choose a policy that is too expensive, you will likely have difficulty making your premium and deductible payments. Most companies will provide you with a forgiveness period of a few days between when your premium payment is due and the late date it can be paid. If you’re not able to make the payment before the forgiveness period is up, you will lose your pet’s insurance coverage. Most companies will require you to restart coverage from scratch beyond the forgiveness period, which means your pet will have to redo the waiting period and their current issues may become considered pre-existing conditions.
Plan Customization
Customization is the best way to ensure you will have a policy that you can afford and that will adequately fulfill the needs of your pet. The less customization that is available to you, the more likely you will be to end up with a policy that doesn’t meet your needs or that will be unaffordable to you. Choose a plan that offers significant customization options so you can build the perfect plan for your pet and your budget.
FAQ
How much should I expect to spend on my pet’s vet visit?
With most companies, you should expect to pay the full bill at the time of the service. The exception to this is Trupanion, who may be able to pay your vet directly for their portion of the coverage. If you are unable to pay the full amount, you may be able to work out a payment plan with your vet. However, this may impact the claim processing and reimbursement you receive from your pet insurance company, so make sure to check with them prior to setting up any payment plans.
How do fee schedules and percentage repayments differ?
Most pet insurance companies offer repayments based on a percentage of your total spending. So, if your repayment rate is set at 60% of your spend and you spend $100, then you’ll receive $60 back from your pet insurance company. If your company repays based on a fee schedule, though, then the numbers won’t necessarily add up perfectly. If you spend $100 on a service that the fee schedule values at $50, then your repayment will be based on the set fee schedule price and not the amount of money you actually spent on the service.
Why is it so difficult to get coverage for older pets?
Like with older humans, older pets are more likely to experience significant medical conditions. Some pet insurance companies won’t cover older pets due to the risk of their spending exceeding what they earn from the policy. Some companies do offer coverage for older pets, but this usually results in higher premiums, limited coverage, and potentially fewer customization options for the policy.
Most likely, yes. There is typically a grace period between the due date and the date at which the service will fully lapse. If you’ve entered into an unexpected financial crisis, like due to illness or the loss of a job, your pet insurance company may be able to work with you on a payment plan or a longer forgiveness period of non-payment. If you think you won’t be able to afford your premiums due to a sudden change in your circumstances, then the best option you have is to call the company to talk to them about the changes and what options they may have available.
What the Users Say
- Not only does Lemonade offer customizable and affordable policies, but they also are a customer favorite for making insurance lingo easy to understand, as well as making insurance more approachable for their customers.
- Pumpkin is a top pick for quick repayments, and their customers consistently report that their claims are processed quickly and that they receive their repayments quickly after submitting a claim.
- Embrace is loved by their customers because of their efficiency and quick processing times, as well as their friendly and helpful customer service agents.
- In general, pet insurance customers are consistently pleased with the ability of pet insurance to make providing their pets with the highest quality care more accessible and affordable.
Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
The right pet insurance provider is going to be entirely based on factors like your budget, your pet’s needs, and your pet’s potential needs. It may take multiple phone calls and lots of research to choose the perfect company and policy for your pet. You will be able to transition between companies if you find that your first choice isn’t working well, but keep in mind that this will result in a short-term lapse in insurance coverage for your pet.
Conclusion
Pet insurance is a great way to help yourself and your pet out by making care services more affordable. In many cases, pet insurance can help you better afford specialty services and expected services, like wellness care. These are all great companies that offer high-quality services to help their customers best care for their pets. It may take time and research to find the right company for you, but once you do, you’ll be able to work with them to build the perfect coverage to meet your pet’s needs.
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Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
