One way to provide financial security for your family is to use pet insurance. This is a way to protect yourself from paying the full cost of unexpected veterinary bills if your pet is injured or sick.
While pet insurance plans share a common foundation of basic coverage, such as B. Injury and Genetic and Congenital Conditions, there are differences in services, prices, and surcharges. We evaluated 13 plans to find the best pet insurance plan.
The Best Pet Insurance Plans
- ManyPets – Best For Lowest Out-Of-Pocket Claims Costs
- Pets Best – Great For Choices Of DeductibleFigo – Great For Short Waiting Period For Accident Coverage
- Embrace – Best For Superior Benefits
- Spot – Best For Annual Coverage Choices
- Lemonade – Best Price For Kittens And Puppies
- ASPCA – Great For No Waiting Period For Special Conditions
- Prudent Pet – Great For Extras
- Nationwide – Best For Unlimited Wellness Coverage
- TrustedPals – Great For Service Dogs.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance is medical coverage for your pet that covers medical expenses and sometimes other expenses. Pet insurance plans are usually reimbursement-based, which means you pay the animal’s veterinary bills up front and file a claim with the insurance company. Some companies can pay the veterinarian directly, which can help lower your out-of-pocket costs.
There is usually a deductible before coverage begins. For example, you can pay the first $500 in veterinary bills before your pet insurance starts paying.
Even with the deductible paid, pet insurance may not cover 100% of your veterinary bill. You can usually choose your reimbursement level. Common reimbursement options are 70%, 80% or 90% of the veterinary bill.
What does pet insurance cover?
The coverage of pet insurance depends on the type of plan you buy. There are generally three types of pet insurance:
- Accident and Sickness Program (most common)
- Accident plan only
- Wellness plans for routine treatments (such as vaccines), often offered as add-ons
Accident and sickness plans typically cover injuries or illnesses such as fractures, cancer, genetic and congenital conditions, and more. The accident-only plan only covers accident-related issues such as: B. Fractures.
You can add a regular health plan to many pet insurance policies. This offsets the cost of annual veterinary checkups, vaccinations, heartworm treatment and other routine grooming expenses that help keep your pet healthy.
Pet insurance may not cover pre-existing medical conditions, known as H. The health of your pet prior to the policy taking effect, including any qualifying periods. Ask if there is a lookback window so that conditions prior to the lookback window are covered.
What does pet insurance not cover?
Some typical pet insurance exclusions include:
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Prerequisites. Pet insurance generally does not cover pets if they are diagnosed with signs of illness or injury, or if they show signs of illness or injury before coverage begins. However, some pet insurers have expanded coverage for “curable” pre-existing conditions in pets. For example, Embrace Pet Insurance will restore coverage for curable pre-existing conditions if medical records do not indicate the condition for at least 12 months.
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Preventive or selective procedures. The plan does not include preventive or elective procedures such as nail trimming, ear clipping, declawing or tail docking.
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Exam fee. Some insurance companies exclude exam fees from coverage, even if the fee is for an accident or illness visit. The exam fee is what the veterinarian charges to see your pet.
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Personal hygiene. If you bring your pet to the spa for pampering, pet insurance does not cover grooming or shampooing.breeding costs. Breeding costs are not included.
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Expenses not related to veterinary care. This includes fees such as taxes or administrative fees charged by the veterinarian.food and vitamins. Regular food is not covered, but some plans do cover prescription pet food.
“It’s also important to note that some policies exclude coverage if pet owners don’t follow the veterinarian’s recommended level of care,” said Beth Wymer, a spokeswoman for Pumpkin Pet Insurance. “Let’s say your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning because of a dental problem, and you decide not to follow that recommendation. If so, some pet insurance companies will now no longer cover the costs associated with this condition.”
How to Find the Best Pet Insurance for You
Pet insurance plans can be difficult to compare. Coverage, exclusions, and pricing changes make it difficult to calculate the potential value of each plan. How to Find the Best Pet Insurance for You
Choose the type of pet insurance that works best for you
Do you want pet insurance that goes the extra mile every time, or do you want to keep costs down with an accident-only insurance plan that doesn’t pay for pet illnesses? Or somewhere in between?
Comprehensive pet insurance plans that cover a variety of health issues and wellness tend to be the most expensive, but may be worth considering if you want comprehensive coverage.
Pet insurance plans can generally be divided into the following plan types:
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Fully cover. Sometimes referred to as a “start-to-finish” policy, this usually provides coverage for accidents and injuries, including serious or chronic illnesses, genetic diseases, diagnostic tests, surgery, treatment and health such as routine veterinary check-ups and vaccinations.
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Accident and sickness coverage. This type of policy typically covers veterinary costs for accidents (such as a ruptured cruciate ligament) and illnesses, including common diseases, hereditary diseases, and serious diseases (such as cancer). You won’t get health checks, such as routine veterinary checkups, flea and heartworm prevention, or vaccinations, but you can often add a health plan for full coverage.
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Accidental protection only. This type of policy only covers veterinary expenses if your pet is injured in an accident and you are not covered for medical expenses related to the illness.
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Pet Spa Set. These plans cover health-related medical expenses, such as routine veterinary exams, flea and heartworm prevention, and vaccinations. You can usually add health benefits to accident and sickness plans.
Find the coverage you’re happy with
When you buy pet insurance, you typically choose an annual maximum, deductible, and reimbursement level.
- Annual policy maximum: You can usually choose an annual maximum payout. This is the cap that pet insurance pays for a year. Many pet insurance plans offer a choice between $5,000 and unlimited coverage. Opting to pay unlimited will increase your premiums, but if your pet needs very expensive treatment, you don’t have to worry about going over the annual maximum.
- Deductible: Choosing a higher deductible will lower your monthly pet insurance costs. Typical deductibles are $100, $250, and $500. Once the deductible is reached, you can submit a veterinary bill to the pet insurance company for reimbursement. Trupanion offers a unique lifetime deductible for each condition: you pay the deductible once for each new condition without having to reset it every year.
- Reimbursement Percentage: You choose the reimbursement level when you purchase the plan, the lower the reimbursement level, the less you will pay for pet insurance. The most common reimbursement options are 70%, 80% or 90%.
Check Pet Insurance Wait Times
The waiting period is the time from the date the policy is purchased until coverage begins. Every animal insurance company has a waiting period. Make sure you find one that you are comfortable with. For example, Embrace’s accident insurance waiting period is only two days. Other plans, like ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, have 14 days.
How to Get Pet Insurance
The best way to find a policy within your budget is to compare pet insurance quotes from different insurance companies.
For free pet insurance quotes, visit:
- Online: Many pet insurance companies offer free quotes online. Usually, you will answer some basic questions about your pet. You can also use pet insurance comparison sites to view multiple options at once.
- Phone, email or in person: If you wish to communicate directly with someone, you can contact an insurance company representative or an independent insurance agent.
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