There are a few key factors to consider when selecting the best pet insurance. These include: the policy’s reimbursement percentage, deductible and payout limits (annual or per incident).
We also consider whether companies exclude hereditary or congenital conditions, such as hip dysplasia, breed-specific health issues and alternative therapies. Embrace stands out for offering comprehensive coverage of these, as well as short waiting periods for accidents and illnesses.
1. Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws has been in business for over a decade and is more experienced than many of the newer pet insurance companies. It offers unlimited lifetime coverage and a simple claims process. It also has a foundation that gives medical grants to animal shelters and rescues. It scores well for providing no payout limits, unlike many pet insurers that place caps on per-incident or annual payouts. The company has a special waiting period for conditions like cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia, but it’s a relatively short wait time.
In our ratings, Healthy Paws scored higher than many of the competition when it comes to hereditary and congenital conditions, covering them from head to paw without an additional deductible. It also offers a low co-payment and a $100 annual deductible, which reduces your out-of-pocket costs for care. The only thing that kept Healthy Paws from a higher rating was its single plan system, which might be limiting if you want to choose a more customized policy.
In addition to hereditary and congenital conditions, Healthy Paws covers accidents and illnesses, as well as emergency care and behavioral training. It does not, however, cover routine wellness visits or dental work. To obtain a quote from Healthy Paws, you can use its online tool to enter your dog or cat’s information. After calculating your rates, you can select the reimbursement level (70, 80 or 90%) and annual deductible ($250 or $500). You’ll need to pay your first premium to begin coverage. Some of our top picks, such as Spot, offer more flexible plans that let you adjust these settings to suit your pet’s needs. You can also choose whether to add optional hereditary and congenital coverage to your Healthy Paws policy. Spot, which is underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company, distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions. This makes it easier to obtain coverage for chronic illnesses. Healthy Paws and Trupanion, which both use the same underwriter, don’t make this distinction.
2. Trupanion
If you love your pet like family, you want to make sure that their health needs are met. But veterinary bills can add up quickly, and a good pet insurance policy will help you cover the cost of care.
Trupanion provides one insurance plan that is designed to be a full-service option for pet owners. The company offers direct payment to veterinarians, allowing you to avoid the hassle of paying out-of-pocket for treatments and waiting for reimbursement.
In addition, Trupanion covers hereditary and congenital conditions, including hip dysplasia, as long as the symptoms were not evident prior to your coverage start date. This is a feature that isn’t available from many other providers. The insurer also offers a 90% reimbursed limit, which is higher than the average on the market.
Like Healthy Paws, Trupanion makes the process of purchasing a policy easy with their instant quote tool on their website. You can select your coverage options and receive a free quote within minutes. The company also has a convenient mobile app that lets you manage your account and submit claims. You can even use the app to find a participating direct-pay vet in your area.
The only drawback to Trupanion is that their monthly premiums are higher-than-average. They also don’t offer a wellness plan, so if you are looking for that type of coverage, you may want to look elsewhere.
While it is a positive that Trupanion has no age restrictions, the fact that they only provide a single insurance policy may be a turn-off for some pet parents. Additionally, they don’t offer a discounted rate for multiple pets on their policy, so you will have to pay the full price if you have more than one dog or cat.
One final thing to consider when choosing a pet insurance provider is their customer service. While many companies provide live chat and email support, some only have designated business hours and don’t offer phone support outside those times. Trupanion, on the other hand, has a 24/7 customer service hotline and allows you to chat online with a pet loving expert any time of day.
3. Pets Best
Pets Best offers robust coverage that is easy to customize, including an option for preventative care. The company’s plans include annual limits and deductibles, with reimbursement rates between 70% and 90%. It also boasts one of the shortest waiting periods: 14 days for illnesses, three days for accidents (0 days in Maine) and six months (30 days in Maine) for cruciate ligament events.
Pets Best is different from most other pet insurance companies in that it doesn’t exclude any pre-existing conditions from its policies. Instead, it uses a formula that looks at your pet’s medical history over the 18 months prior to coverage, excluding any condition that was present during that period.
It’s also one of the only pet insurance companies to offer a supplemental add-on for physical therapy, covering more than 10 types of therapy. But the company excludes treatments for parasites such as fleas, ticks, ear mites and hookworms — which could be a deal-breaker if your pet is already suffering from these common problems.
Another drawback of the Pets Best policy is that it only allows you to change your annual benefit, deductible and reimbursement percentage once per year at renewal time. Other companies let you make these changes at any time.
Like other companies on our list, Pets Best also offers a 24/7 pet helpline that provides veterinary advice at no cost to you. Its mobile app lets you access your customer account and submit claims at any time, even while visiting the vet’s office. Its website contains educational resources for new pets, comprehensive guides for pet owners and a vet locator tool. And its premiums are competitive, with military and multi-pet discounts that can further reduce your costs. But it’s important to keep in mind that unlike other top-rated pet insurance providers, Pets Best doesn’t cover end-of-life care or burial expenses. It’s a good idea to check out other options on Pawlicy Advisor before purchasing this policy.
4. Embrace
Embrace prides itself on nose-to-tail coverage that is easily customizable to your pet’s unique needs. Its policies include an annual maximum, deductible, reimbursement percentage and optional wellness rewards plan to help you manage premium costs. The insurer distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions to reduce coverage exclusions. It also separates these conditions into temporary and permanent ones to further reduce the number of pre-existing condition exclusions. In addition, Embrace offers military (active and retired), multi-pet and senior discounts to help you save on monthly premiums. Its accident-only plans have a $100 deductible and offer up to 90% reimbursement, while its accident and illness plans range from $5,000 to unlimited in coverage. The company does not drop pets or reduce coverage based on age or health history and will honor lifetime coverage.
Among the features that stand out with Embrace are its two-day waiting period for accidents and 14-day waiting period for illnesses, as well as its option to choose an annual deductible amount that diminishes by $50 each year you go claim-free. It also covers common genetic issues like hip dysplasia, allergies, ear infections and chronic diseases like arthritis and diabetes. Moreover, it does not exclude treatments like chemotherapy and radiation as long as they are not associated with any pre-existing condition.
Additionally, Embrace offers a one-time reimbursement of up to $1,000 for an accidental death, which is an excellent feature to have in place when you’re navigating a medical crisis. It also reimburses a portion of routine care, including spaying and neutering, nail trims, vaccines, annual checkups and heartworm medications. But, it does not cover dental cleanings or x-rays.
When it comes to filing a claim, Embrace typically processes claims within 10 to 15 business days. Afterward, it sends you a check via direct deposit or mail. You can track your claims and view a summary of the process on your online account or mobile app.
Embrace has received an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. However, it has a few complaints on Trustpilot regarding long wait times for claims review and confusion about pre-existing conditions. Nonetheless, it remains one of the top pet insurance providers for its ease of use, affordable premiums and customizable policies.
