Best Pet Insurance Companies

Pet insurance can reimburse you for most of your vet bills if your dog or cat suffers a sudden illness or accident. Most companies require you to pay your bills out of your pocket until your annual deductible is met before your coverage kicks in. This can be anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the provider and policy you choose. In general, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly payment will be.

Once you’ve paid off your deductible, your insurance will reimburse you for about 70% to 90% of any future vet visits for an accident or illness, as long as the service is covered under your policy. Most providers also have an annual limit of what they will pay out in claims, typically between $5,000 to $30,000 or more.   

Although pet insurance only covers the cost of vet services for accidents and illnesses, many providers also offer a paid add-on rider that will reimburse you for the cost of common preventive and routine care, like annual vaccines and checkups.

The best time to purchase pet insurance is when your cat is still a kitten, or your dog is still a puppy. Rates are much lower for younger animals, and some providers won’t cover or just offer limited coverage for older pets. As your pet ages, it’s also more likely to develop a pre-existing condition which will make it ineligible for pet insurance.

The price of pet insurance varies by the type, age, and breed of the pet, as well as where you live. It will also change based on what deductible, annual coverage limit, and reimbursement percentage you chose.

With that said, the cost to insure a two-year-old dog with a $15,000 annual coverage limit, 80% reimbursement, and a $500 deductible could be around $30 per month. Adding a wellness rider for preventive care coverage can bring this total to between $45 and $100 per month.

Nearly every pet insurance company will deny coverage for any accident or illness resulting from a pre-existing condition. Your pet can still be covered for other types of accidents or illnesses, however.

A handful of pet insurance providers will cover accidents and illnesses resulting from what it considers “curable” pre-existing conditions. These are usually defined by strict rules regarding how long a pet must be free from signs or symptoms of that condition to be eligible.

Age typically determines how much you’ll be paying for your coverage. In general, the older your pet, the higher your monthly premium.

Older pets can also develop pre-existing conditions, making them ineligible for coverage if they become sick or hurt due to their condition. Finally, many providers won’t even offer policies or will offer policies with limited coverage for pets 10 years or older.

Pet insurance reimburses you for the cost of medically necessary vet services resulting from an accident or illness. This typically includes exams, office visits, prescriptions, diagnostic testing, specialists, limited dental work, emergency services, surgery, imaging, hospitalization, cancer treatments, and more.

Some companies require that you purchase an add-on rider to be reimbursed for exam fees and office visits, while others offer coverage for additional dental work, prescription food, and holistic care and treatments.

Pet insurance will not cover accidents and illnesses resulting from pre-existing conditions. Most will also exclude services that are not medically necessary, including cosmetic and elective procedures, breeding, grooming, spaying or neutering, and preventive and wellness care, like vaccines, teeth cleanings, and parasite treatments.

Pet insurance also won’t reimburse you for the cost of accidents or illnesses resulting from abuse, neglect, intentional fighting, or natural and manmade disasters. 

Choosing the best pet insurance requires estimating how much coverage you would need to cover the vet bills if your pet becomes sick or injured. While there’s no way to predict the future, you can assess your coverage needs based on your lifestyle and your pet’s activities.

Pets with quieter indoor lifestyles are less prone to accidents or illnesses and thus can get by with a more affordable high-deductible policy. Outdoor dogs that belong to active owners might find themselves at the vet a few times a year, making a lower-deductible policy more desirable. Finally, pet owners with multiple animals will want to consider a provider with good preventive care to help head off potential future health problems.