Pet Advice With over 40 years’ experience in pet insurance we consider ourselves something of an expert. We’ve collated our top tips from breed advice to health information and everything in between. Get pet advice
We recommend the best products through an independent review process, and advertisers do not influence our picks. We may receive compensation if you visit partners we recommend. Read our advertiser disclosure for more info. If your pet were to be seriously injured and needed emergency medical care, how would you cover the cost? In a recent study, 46% of pet owners said an unexpected emergency expense of $500 or less caused financial stress. If an emergency veterinary bill would cause you financial issues, pet insurance can be an essential safeguard. There are many pet insurers out there, but we selected the best pet insurance companies based on available reimbursement levels and coverage. Leading companies offer multiple benefit options, a range of deductibles, and allow you to customize your policy with optional add-ons.
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Nationwide is a leading insurance company and has been offering pet insurance since 1982. It now insures over 1 million pets, and it's one of the only pet insurance companies to cover exotic pets as well as dogs and cats. Nationwide offers four plans:
Nationwide’s plans have 14-day waiting periods for both accidents and illnesses. For more information, see the full Nationwide pet insurance review.
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With most pet insurance companies, the maximum reimbursement—the percentage of your veterinary bill the insurance company covers—is usually 90% or less. But with Figo, you can choose a reimbursement percentage as high as 100%, so your bill will be completely covered after reaching your deductible. Figo offers three accident and illness policies for dogs and cats:
Figo does have optional riders you can add to your policy, such as wellness plans for vaccines and preventative care, veterinary exam fee plans, and extra benefits like coverage for boarding fees, and third-party property damage liability protection. Figo also offers a diminishing deductible. For each year that you are claim-free, Figo will reduce your deductible by $50 until it reaches $0. Figo was founded in 2013, and it’s based in Chicago. Its policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company. For more information, see the full Figo pet insurance review.
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Although many companies offer multi-pet discounts, you usually have to reach the annual deductible for each pet. But with MetLife, you can enroll your pets in a family plan and have just one deductible that applies to all of your pets. MetLife’s family plans tend to be less expensive than enrolling pets in individual plans, helping you save money. MetLife offers accident and illness policies for dogs and cats nationwide. Its policies have two-week waiting periods for illnesses, but accident coverage starts the day after you enroll your pet. MetLife also has routine care riders you can add to your policy to get coverage for wellness visits and preventative care. The company offers multiple discounts, and it works with employers to offer discounted pet insurance to eligible workers. Take note that some policy options (like deductibles and coverage limits) may vary by location and pet. MetLife is a major insurance and financial services company founded in 1868. Its policies are underwritten by the Independence American Insurance Company. For more information, see the full MetLife pet insurance review.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
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There are no pet insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions. If your pet was diagnosed with or showed clinical signs of a condition before your policy effective date or during the waiting period, all companies will exclude treatments for that issue. However, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance stands out from most other companies in handling curable pre-existing conditions. If your pet has a curable condition and is free from treatment and symptoms for at least 180 days after enrollment, the condition is no longer considered pre-existing, and future treatments will be covered. But this provision doesn’t apply to ligament or knee conditions, so your pet cannot regain eligibility for coverage for issues like hip dysplasia or a luxating patella. ASPCA has reasonable waiting periods for all conditions, including orthopedic issues (14 days). And it’s one of the few companies that cover stem cell therapy for qualifying injuries or illnesses, making it a good choice for breeds known for hereditary or congenital issues. ASPCA has two main plans for dogs and cats, along with preventative care riders:
ASPCA also has separate policy options for horses: Colic + Accidents, Colic + Accidents + Illnesses, and Routine/Platinum preventative care packages. Despite its name, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is not owned or run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Instead, it is owned by Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group and gets its name through a branding partnership with ASPCA. Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group has been providing pet insurance since 1997. For more information, see the full ASPCA pet insurance review.
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Dental diseases are common in dogs and cats. In fact, periodontal disease affects 80% of dogs over three years of age. Some insurance companies limit dental coverage, but Odie’s plans provide significant protection. If you follow the company’s care requirements for dental exams and cleanings, Odie will cover periodontal disease, endodontic treatments, extractions, and more. Odie has one accident and illness policy, with multiple optional riders that provide coverage for wellness exams and routine care. There’s no upper age limit for enrollment, and you can get up to 90% reimbursement for qualifying treatments. You can choose a deductible between $50 and $1,000, so you can adjust your policy to fit your budget. Odie is a relatively new company, founded in 2020. For more information, see the full Odie pet insurance review.
Prudent Pet Pet Insurance
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Because pet insurance companies usually work via reimbursement—you pay for your pet’s treatment, submit a claim, and wait for the insurer to reimburse you—processing times are important. Some companies can take weeks to process and pay out claims. But with Prudent Pet, the claims process is "lightening fast" and uses AI to get you your money faster. Prudent Pet has three plans for dogs and cats:
The Accident-Only and Essential plans each have a $10,000 annual maximum, while the Ultimate plan is unlimited. The Ultimate plan also includes additional benefits like mortality coverage, vacation cancellation reimbursement, and advertising and rewards for lost pets. Prudent Pet also has three wellness plan options you can add to your policy—for an additional fee—to get coverage for preventative care. There is also exam fee coverage that can be added. Prudent Pet was launched in 2018, and it issues policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, see the full Prudent Pet insurance review.
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Pet insurance can be expensive, and budget-conscious pet owners can save a significant amount of money through USAA. Most USAA members can get up to 15% off their premiums. But if you are current or former active duty military or have multiple pets to insure, you can get up to 25% off. USAA membership is required to purchase insurance from USAA; to qualify for USAA membership, you must be a current or former member of the U.S. military. Spouses and children of current or former military service members are also eligible. USAA doesn’t issue or underwrite pet insurance policies. Instead, it partners with Embrace to provide discounted pet insurance options to eligible members. Embrace offers accident and illness policies along with accident-only policies for dogs and cats. Embrace also sells a wellness plan that helps pay for routine care like vaccinations or microchipping. For more information, see the full USAA pet insurance review and Embrace pet insurance review.
Pet wellness and discount plans can help make some treatments that aren’t covered by pet insurance—such as dental cleanings or spay/neuter procedures—more affordable. They work differently than accident and illness coverage from pet insurance.
When shopping for pet insurance, you need to be confident that your company will be around for the long haul and will be able to process your claims quickly. Nationwide is our top pick because it has a long history of providing pet insurance and paying out claims, and current Nationwide customers can get 5% off their premiums by purchasing pet insurance. If you are looking for an insurer that has no upper age limit, Figo may be a better choice, while those with multiple pets may find that MetLife’s family plans offer the most affordable coverage. Whatever your situation, spend some time shopping around and comparing quotes and exclusions from multiple companies to find the best coverage for you and your pets. If you aren’t sure if you should buy pet insurance, consider your budget and pet’s needs. For example:
All insurance plans exclude pre-existing conditions: issues that were present before your pet’s policy effective date or that occurred during the policy waiting period. If a pre-existing condition is considered curable, some companies will remove the exclusion if your pet is symptom-free for some period of time, like 6 to 12 months. Some companies have bilateral exclusions, meaning if your pet is diagnosed with an issue on one side of the body, treatments for that condition on the other side are excluded from coverage. And besides those common exclusions, most pet insurance companies have their own lists of excluded treatments (you can sometimes find these in sample policies). Be sure to understand the policy exclusions so you aren’t surprised later on. Pet insurance companies vary a great deal in terms of coverage, pricing, and exclusions. When comparing companies, consider the following:
Once you choose a company, you can usually get a quote for coverage and enroll your pet online. Most pet insurers have online portals (and some have mobile apps) where customers can view their policies, make payments, and submit claims. When you purchase a policy, be sure to read the fine print. Some companies require you to submit all of your pet’s medical records after you enroll; otherwise, your claims will be denied.
Like health insurance for humans, pet insurance involves deductibles, copays or coinsurance, and coverage limits. Most pet insurance companies pay claims through reimbursement, so the policyholder pays for the pet’s care at the veterinarian’s office at the time of treatment and submits a claim afterward. If the insurer approves the claim, the company sends the policyholder reimbursement via check or electronic transfer. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, approximately 98% of pet insurance policies issued are accident and illness plans. These policies cover treatments for unexpected injuries and diseases, including cancer, kennel cough, and broken limbs. The remainder of the plans tends to be accident-only plans that only cover unexpected injuries, not illnesses or chronic conditions. Pet insurance doesn’t usually cover routine care or preventative treatments like vaccinations, wellness exams, or dental cleanings. However, it may be possible to get partial coverage for these expenses by purchasing a separate discount plan or wellness plan, or by adding a wellness rider to your policy.
It is possible to get coverage for senior pets, but you should expect higher premiums. Health risks tend to increase as a pet ages, so enrolling an older pet will be significantly more expensive than insuring a younger one. Once your pet is insured, you can expect the premiums to increase as your pet gets older. Some pet insurance companies have maximum enrollment ages for certain policies, such as 10 or 12 years; after that age, you won't be able to enroll your pet. If you enroll before your pet reaches the cutoff age, coverage will typically continue regardless of your pet's age, as long as there are no gaps in coverage. Your best option is to find a carrier that has no age limit. Here are our top-rated pet insurance providers with no maximum enrollment ages, along with their annual deductible options.
Pet wellness and discount programs, like those offered by Eusoh and Pet Assure, usually have no maximum enrollment age.
In 2021, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association reported that the average annual premium for accident and illness coverage for a dog was $583.91, and it was $342.84 for a cat. Those amounts are significant, so how do you know if pet insurance is worth the cost? When deciding whether to enroll your pet in a policy, consider these variables:
In general, pet insurance can be a cost-effective choice if your pet is relatively young and healthy. If you have a senior pet or a pet with existing health issues—or if you have a substantial financial safety net—you may be better off skipping insurance and self-financing instead. Our team evaluated 25 pet insurance providers, including wellness-only programs, and collected over 2,000 data points before selecting our top choices. We weighed 43 criteria and gave a higher weight to those with a more significant impact on potential customers. The top picks were selected based on factors like plan options (weighted 33% in total), company features (29% in total), and fees, discounts, and limits (13% in total). We took into account the availability of instant online quotes, claim turnaround times, and whether or not the insurer will conduct a medical record review when you apply, among other important considerations. We also conducted a survey of 408 people who currently have pet insurance (23% of respondents), are considering getting pet insurance (56.4%), or have had pet insurance in the past (20.6%). Their responses were used to better understand customer satisfaction with the available features, claim reimbursements, and customer service of pet insurance companies. For more information about our selection criteria and process, our complete methodology is available. |