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Fido just leapt for a frisbee, and now he’s limping. What’s wrong with him? Do I need to take him to the vet? How much will it cost? This is why pet insurance is so critical. In a time of panic, you should be worrying about the health of your dog, not the number in your bank account. We rate the biggest names in the pet health insurance industry based on our own research and customer feedback.
Best Pet Insurance Companies 2020
Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Ranking 1st 2nd 3rd Total Score 4.65 4.55 4.50 Policy Coverage 4.25 4.75 4.50 Customer Service & Reputation 4.75 4.00 4.00 Timeliness Of Claim Repayment 4.75 4.75 4.75 Policy Price 4.75 4.75 4.75 Read Review Read Review Read Review
Total Score, Policy Coverage, Customer Service & Reputation, Timeliness Of Claim Repayment and Policy Price are all on a scale of 0 to 5.
Article Overview
Free Pet Insurance Quotes
Get Free Pet Insurance Quotes
For this reason, we encourage you to get quotes from multiple companies before deciding on a pet insurance provider. We’ve made this easy for you by creating a free quote form that will pull quotes from top pet insurance companies when you fill out one short form with your pet’s details. By entering your pet’s specific characteristics, you can get a better understanding of the coverage needed.
Cost & Coverage Comparison Tables
The table below shows some of the deductible, reimbursement and claim options* for each company. Please know that not all deductible, reimbursement and claim limits are available for every dog in every state.
| Company | Review | Deductible* | Reimbursement** | Claim Limit Options*** | Limit Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Read Review | $100, $250, $500, $1,000 | 80% | $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 | Annual |
 | Read Review | $100, $250, $300, $400, $500, $600, $750, $1,000 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $100, $250, $500 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000 | Annual |
 | Read Review | $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000 (Unlimited available via phone) | Annual |
 | Read Review | $100, $200, $250, $500, $750, $1,000, $1,500 | 60%, 65%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100% | $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $100, $250, $500, $750 | 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% | Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $250 | 50%, 70%, 90% | Limited Per Condition, Unlimited | Annual & Per Condition Annually |
 | Read Review | $0, $50, $100, $250, $500, $2,500 | 70%, 80%, 90%, 100% | $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $250, $300, $350, $400, $450, $500, $550, $600, $650, $700, $750, $800, $850, $900, $950, $1,000 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, $25,000, Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $5,000, Unlimited | Annual |
 | Read Review | $0-$1,000 (in $5 increments) | 90% | Unlimited | Lifetime |
- *Deductible: The amount of money you must pay for vet treatment before your policy will begin to reimburse you and after coinsurance has been applied. For most companies, you must pay this deductible annually rather than per incident. Be sure to understand your agreement, as the annual vs per incident deductible is a big deal.
- **Reimbursement: The percentage of a claim that you’re eligible for repayment by the pet insurance company after you’ve paid the coinsurance.
- ***Claim Limit Options: The highest amount a pet insurance company will reimburse during the policy period. A lower claim limit means you may be liable for more costs if your pet experiences expensive vet treatment.
We’ve compiled a couple of comparison tables that address cost and coverage issues:
If you’re unsure where to start, you may want to read our comprehensive dog insurance guide, which addresses common questions such as how pet insurance works, what it covers, is it worth it for everyone, statistics, reimbursement stories, and more.
*You should expect annual increases on your premiums from any pet insurance company. These rates and increases will vary based on your location, changes in vet costs and more.
Healthy Paws Review
| #1 |  |
Healthy Paws, founded in 2009, continues to impress us with its unlimited benefits with no per-incident, annual or lifetime caps. This company also has far fewer coverage exclusions compared to many competitors, so it appears that Healthy Paws is less likely to deny your claim.
You can also customize your out-of-pocket expense risk by adjusting your policy’s reimbursement rate (70%, 80% or 90%) and deductible ($100, $250, $500 or $750) when you sign up. There are some restrictions on the reimbursement and annual deductible amounts for pets, depending on the age when they’re enrolled.
Healthy Paws has excellent customer service reviews. Check out the comment section in our Healthy Paws individual review. It’s filled with real customer accounts.
What’s missing with Healthy Paws? It doesn’t offer a wellness plan to cover annual vet visits, which is an increasingly popular feature among pet parents.
Overall, we think Healthy Paws is the best-bet for pet insurance. It has some of the best coverage and at one of the least expensive monthly premiums. If you do run into any hiccups, we’re sure you’ll get the help you need with its excellent customer service.
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Read Our Full Review Of Healthy Paws
Pets Best Review
| #2 |  |
Pets Best, founded in 2005, has stepped it up with the items it covers and its low-priced “Accident-Only Plan.” This unique policy allows you to insure against unexpected pet emergencies without charging you monthly for the lower priced (vet exams) or less-likely costs (rehab, chiropractic and acupuncture care).
Pets Best was consistently among the least expensive pet insurance companies when we ran quotes. We’re also impressed with its 24/7 Pet Helpline, which allows you to speak with a vet expert any time of day.
Pets Best typically has a reasonable claim repayment time averaging 8 days, but it has recently had an increase in customers which means an influx of claims too. Unfortunately, their claim repayment is averaging 25 to 40 days, but we hope to see it go back to its 8 day average soon. We will keep you updated while we continue to monitor this situation.
Its deductibles range from $50 to $1,000, and it offers 2 wellness plans from which to choose. You can truly customize your coverage with Pets Best. Pets Best doesn’t require an exam to set your pet’s health baseline (something Healthy Paws requires).
What kept it from being #1? Pets Best has one of the same underwriters (American Pet Insurance Company or APIC) as Trupanion (another pet insurance company), which is unrated by A.M. Best. We consider this a higher risk factor vs those who are rated.
However, we can’t dispute Pets Best’s low prices and excellent coverage, which is why we feel it deserves a spot in our top 3.
Note: Farmers Insurance and Progressive also trust Pets Best to provide and service pet insurance for their customers.
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- 5% multi-pet discount
- 5% discount for military members and their families
View Our Full Review Of Pets Best
Figo Review
| #3 |  |
We’re impressed with Figo’s coverage details, and it’s the only company in our top 3 to offer a 100% reimbursement option. You can submit claims through the app, fax, email or mail.
Should you run into any issues, you can reach Figo by phone, text, live chat, email, fax, Facebook Messenger or Twitter. Its waiting periods are comparable to competitors, although anything regarding the knees has a 1-year waiting period (many others have shorter waiting periods).
Figo, founded in 2013, entered our reviews in 2019 in our top 3 picks. This is extremely uncommon and speaks volumes that Figo has come out so strong and has maintained a place in the top 3 for 2020 as well. Figo has some of the lowest prices, comparable to companies that have been around much longer.
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Other Pet Insurance Companies
The companies listed below did not make our top 3 rankings, but we’ve reviewed them in case you want to learn more. Every pet and every situation is different. You might find an excellent fit for your family below.
24PetWatch | AKC Pet Insurance | ASPCA | Embrace | Nationwide | PetFirst | Petplan | Trupanion
Why Don’t We Review New Entrants?
In the past, we’ve seen new companies enter the pet insurance space at meager prices. However, after some time in business and paying some claims, these companies increase rates to make ends meet. This ends up hurting the customers because their premiums increase drastically — and if they submitted a claim, their pet now has a pre-existing condition. So, if they change providers, that condition will not be covered by another pet insurance provider. In the end, they may have been better off going with a different, more well-established company.
Because of these issues, we’ve decided only to review pet insurance companies that have at least 5 full years of national experience. We think this approach gives companies time to establish a consistent pricing system and reputation, which helps give customers and us a better idea of what to expect. Here is a list of companies on our radar and their founding year:
- Bivvy – 2019
- Prudent Pet – 2018
- Pumpkin – 2020
- Spot – 2020
24PetWatch Review
24PetWatch, founded in 2000, offers pet insurance for dogs as long as you enroll them before the age of 10 years old. In the quotes we ran, 24PetWatch was consistently among the more expensive options (but you get a lot of value for the price so could be worth it).
It also doesn’t offer unlimited claims as an option, which is a feature we’ve come to expect from pet insurance providers. However, one cool thing 24PetWatch does is to provide coverage for chronic conditions if your pet has gone 24 months symptom-free. This is not standard for pet insurance providers.
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Read Our Full Review Of 24 Pet Watch
AKC Pet Insurance / PetPartners Review
Visit Websites: AKC Pet Insurance / PetPartners
PetPartners, Inc. partnered with AKC in 2003 to administer AKC Pet Insurance and started offering insurance under its own brand name, PetPartners, in 2009. The policies offer the same exact coverage for customers, so the information shared here applies to both brands.
This policy doesn’t require vet records or an exam prior to enrollment. It has strict age restrictions and requires an additional fee for coverage of hereditary and congenital conditions, which we expect the average pet insurance plan to include.
It has more limitations compared to other pet insurance providers and only covers hip dysplasia for dogs enrolled prior to their second birthday. For all of these reasons, PetPartners Insurance and AKC Pet Insurance are not included in our top 3.
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Read Our Full Review of AKC Pet Insurance
ASPCA Insurance / Hartville / PetPremium Pet Insurance Review
Visit Websites: ASPCA / Hartville / PetPremium
C&F Insurance Agency, the administrators of the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program, pays a royalty fee to the ASPCA for the use of its mark through a licensing agreement. C&F Insurance Agency also administers Hartville and PetPremium, which have identical offerings to that of ASPCA pet insurance but is not affiliated with the ASPCA organization.
ASPCA/Hartville/PetPremium doesn’t require an exam to set your pet’s health baseline. It covers behavioral therapies and has an optional wellness plan. It has reasonable waiting periods and pays claims in an average of 8-9 days.
Unfortunately, the company, founded in 1997, has a history of low reimbursements, even under its highest cost plan, which is why it’s not in our top 3.
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Read Our Full Review Of ASPCA Pet Insurance
Embrace Review
Embrace, founded in 2003, has great customer support options and a rather good reputation overall. When it comes to monthly premiums, Embrace can be all over the board, so we recommend getting an individual quote for your pet.
Regarding claims, Embrace says it averages 10 to 15 business days. Embrace tends to fall a little behind on technology for claims submissions versus the top players in this field.
Note: USAA, Allstate, American Family & Geico all offer a pet insurance product through Embrace.
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Read Our Full Review Of Embrace
Nationwide Review
Nationwide Insurance (previously VPI) is one of the most well-known dog health insurance companies. VPI was founded in 1982, and Nationwide acquired and started selling VPI’s pet insurance product in 2015.
The Whole Pet and Whole Pet with Wellness plans are like most pet insurance companies, reimbursing a percentage of your vet bill for covered treatments. In the past, it only offered what it now calls its Major Medical policy, which uses a standard list of prices to determine payback prices for procedures and covered items, regardless of what your vet actually charges you. Major Medical is a cheaper option than the Whole Pet plans.
Nationwide is among the most expensive, and it doesn’t have a reputation for timely reimbursements despite the ability to track claims in real-time online. Unfortunately, Nationwide has a track record of poor customer service and quietly raising monthly premium rates as pets age. Plans starts at $35 per month, which is pretty high compared to competitors starting costs.
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Read Our Full Review Of Nationwide Pet Insurance
PetFirst Review
PetFirst was founded in 2004 and bought by MetLife in December 2019. Even though it has been in business for more than a decade, there are not a ton of reviews out there for us to share. It has a short waiting period for accidents (only one day after enrollment).
PetFirst is the only company in this review to offer a $0 deductible. It also offers a 100% reimbursement, something only Figo offers in our top 3. We suggest you request a quote and read a sample policy to see if PetFirst is a good fit for you and your pup. When we ran our quotes, PetFirst was consistently among the middle of the pack.
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Petplan Review
Petplan, founded in 2003, offers unlimited annual coverage but the main thing keeping it from our top spots is its higher prices for similar coverage. The quotes we ran indicate that in most cases you can get unlimited annual coverage from Healthy Paws, Pets Best and Figo for a less expensive monthly premium. However, we still think Petplan offers some of the best coverage and is worth getting a quote from to see if it works for you.
Petplan has a great claim repayment reputation and allows 30 days for claim repayment but averages 5-14 business days. In addition, Petplan’s policy has coverage for travel cancellations due to life-threatening pet injury or illness, as well as coverage for advertising expenses related to a lost pet. In some cases, it even offers reimbursement for the cost of your pet if they’re never found.
Petplan offers discounts on your premiums if you don’t file a claim for a period of time, rewarding you for keeping your pet safe and healthy. It has an annual coverage limit of $2,500 to unlimited, annual deductibles of $250 to $1,000 and 70%, 80% or 90% reimbursement rates. There may be even more options available to you through the call center at this number: 800-237-1123 (our exclusive reader discount will be honored for this phone call as well).
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Read Our Full Review Of Petplan
Trupanion Review
Trupanion’s deductibles are per condition and lifetime, meaning that once it’s paid, you never pay the deductible again for that condition. However, it also means that if your pet is sick or injured multiple times in one year, you may be paying a lot in deductibles. Trupanion, founded in 2000, is on the expensive side for similar coverage compared to our top 3 picks in the quotes we ran.
State Farm also offers pet insurance through Trupanion.
FLORIDA RESIDENTS: The plan reviewed here is not available for new customers in Florida. Contact Trupanion to learn more about what is available in your state and read the policy carefully for details.Pros | Cons |
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Read Our Full Review Of Trupanion
Decide Which Pet Health Insurance Company Is Best For You
The number of pet insurance companies to choose from is overwhelming, for sure. Most of the time, people choose to go with the largest, most well-known company, so they don’t have to compare the companies themselves. If you decide to do the research yourself, consider these factors:
- Your biggest concern as a pet parent should be the reputation of a pet insurance provider as offering the coverage you need at a price you can afford. Getting a pet insurance policy is useless if it doesn’t cover what you expect it to cover or if you can’t afford the monthly premium. Remember, although cost is important, it’s not the most crucial factor. Your pet’s protection and coverage in the case of an emergency is your number one priority so be sure to make your decision with the long term in mind.
- After you narrow your search down based on these requirements, the next step is to decide what type of coverage you want for your dog and which additional perks may be negotiable to lower your costs. If you’d like to learn more about terms you should know regarding insurance for dogs, reference our terminology info.
Picking a pet insurance plan is a personal choice, and no one knows what your dog needs better than you. Take the time to make an informed decision, and know that in the long run, it’ll be worth having the added protection. Check out our pet insurance comparison for more on our top 3, and don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comments below.
Which factor is most important to you when choosing a pet insurance company?
Disclaimer: This website contains reviews, opinions and information regarding products and services manufactured or provided by third parties. We are not responsible in any way for such products and services, and nothing contained here should be construed as a guarantee of the functionality, utility, safety or reliability of any product or services reviewed or discussed. Please follow the directions provided by the manufacturer or service provider when using any product or service reviewed or discussed on this website.
I just contacted Healthy Paws for a quote on my two new puppies – 11 week old Great Pyrenees and an 8 week old Newfoundland. It came back at 70% with $500 deductible. They then write in the automated response that they might not be the best value for my pet and pointed me toward other carriers (Embrace, Pet Plan, Prudent Pet, Agile). I thought that was odd – and the coats were high with no choice on the co-pay or deductible. Thoughts on this?
Terry,
We appreciate your consideration of Healthy Paws to protect your pups. In order to provide our coverage, with no annual or lifetime caps, we adjust our rates based on your pet’s information and our overall claims payout in each state. We have consolidated our policy options to reflect the most affordable and effective plans for pets that enroll with us. For each age group and breed, we offer reimbursement and deductible options that will provide affordable premiums while still offering coverage with no annual or lifetime caps. We include the information for other pet insurance providers in case you would want to investigate other plans that may offer lower deductibles and higher reimbursement levels for your babies. Give them big hugs for us.
Hi Kimberly. My corgi has had Petplan since he was a pup(currently 8) including when the company switched hands few years ago. I am not aware that they lower premiums for keep your pup healthy. Each year my corgis plans have gone up with age and we haven’t had claims.
With that said I am looking at different options for my incoming Frenchie. I live in CA and it seems the Insurance pricing for the breed Is just higher due to their known health concerns. I am debating between healthy paws and nationwide.
Healthypaws show $86.55/mo 500 annual deductible and only 70% reimbursement.
Nationwides whole pet show 193.39/mo 250annual deductible and 90% reimbursement.
Nationwides other two lower premium plans doesn’t seem to cover as much. I read somewhere they they don’t cover nares and soft pallet surgeries(hereditary), which most Frenchie s eventually need. I tried to read their other premiums sample coverage. Obviously it’s speaking in a medical language I don’t understand. The upside to nation wide is it covers basically everything but the annual cost is 1300 more than healthy paws. Not to mention, annual increases and my Frenchie is barely 8weeks. I did a calculation on nationwide based on the annual cost after the first year with preventative care. It’s about 400. Minus deductible and 90% reimbursement, I get about $120 back/year.
Healthy paws doesn’t cover any of the preventative. Out of pocket cost would be about 400 still excluding food toys etc. My concern is that healthy paws is only at 70% reimbursement with 500 deductible. I called them and inquired. It can’t be changed and there are no choices. They also don’t cover for special food/diets which frenchies sometimes may need depending on how sentive they are(not a huge deal breaker)
With that said healthy paws annually would cost me $2,450 including the $250 deductible and preventive care reimbursement of $120 or so with premium. Healthy paws annually would cost $1,938 including the deductible and $400 out of pocket preventative annual cost with premium.
I’m stuck as to which to choose. Nationwide will increase rates for sure. Not sure how feasible to pay more and more each year on their whole wellness plan. Healthy paws is only at 70% reimbursement….
Trupanion is $129/mo with 700 deductible.
Petplan is $136/mo with 300 deductible 80% reimbursement 15k max payout. These aren’t really on my radar.
Please provide your two sense. Would love to hear. I also think frenchies are just expensive! Lol I want an insurance that will cover the general Frenchie health concerns. Thank you thank you!
I’ve read Frenchie forms and most are on nationwide in seems. Not the whole wellness plan though. Healthy paws was next.
You have really done your research here, Carmen, I’m impressed! It’s crazy how expensive Frenchies are! Most pups enrolled around 8 weeks have drastically lower premiums than what your dog is requiring. I think if it were me, I’d go with Healthy Paws for these reasons:
1) Lower premium
2) Exceptional customer service
3) Customer rave about their experiences
There are no guarantees that your dog will require any claims but you are guaranteed to pay the monthly premium to maintain coverage. So I’d opt for the less expensive plan with Healthy Paws over the nearly $200/month plan with Nationwide. Nationwide also has many more complaints about it online that would cause me to hesitate purchasing it.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions and congrats on the new puppy!!
Hey Kimberly,
I think one concern I have going with any insurance is it feels as tho if I make the “wrong” move and then there’s a pre existing…that’s it. No switching, nothing. In which case something like the expensive nationwide plan would be great but hard to maintain cost wise.
I’ll call healthy paws again today. Do you know if they cover hereditary? I try to read their documents and again it’s in total vet language.
Is there another company you would recommend checking? It seems that each one is pretty expensive due to the breed…I assume?
This table includes all the pet insurance companies we review and what they cover, it may be helpful for you. Healthy Paws and all of the other pet insurance companies we review cover hereditary conditions, however, AKC requires it as a plan add-on (extra fee).
The top companies I would recommend are Healthy Paws, Pets Best, FIGO and Petplan. You can get quotes from each of them in our pet insurance quote form here. I know you currently have Petplan for your Corgi but you haven’t received a discount for having no claims. I would recommend speaking to them about this since it is a feature they really promote. I would suggest asking them specifically about the “no claims credit” and why your Corgi hasn’t benefited from it.
Have you gotten quotes from Pets Best or FIGO?
The ASPCA pet insurance did have an unlimited annual option available when I got a quote today. The above chart shows a max limit of $10,000 and elsewhere on this page lists ASPCA pet insurance as not having an unlimited option. The top of this webpage says this article was updated March 10th. It is possible the unlimited option only applies to certain plans or in some states or it is stately incorrectly in the article. For reference, I am based in New York City and used zip code 10463 for my quote.
I am currently pricing coverage options for my 3 year old mixed dog. My quote was $69.58 for Complete Coverage ($250 deductible, 90% reimbursement) with the unlimited annual limit. I added Prime Preventative Coverage to my quote for an additional $24.95. Adding Basic or Primary Preventative Coverage is the only way to get wellness coverage included in your plan. My total quote was $96.53 per month ( incl. $2 transaction fee charged to all payments except annual payment).
I like that when I selected the preventative coverage, the insurance website clearly displayed a list of the max annual benefits for the wellness services covered. It is a level of transparency I haven’t really come across during my research on pet insurances. This also made it easy for me to compare these max benefits to the medical records I keep for my fur baby. I want to have realistic expectation of how these limits may impact me directly. Vet costs can vary significantly in the same city. I am still shopping around for quotes and making calls with a list of questions I have written out.
Other Companies I am considering are Nationwide, Healthy Paws, Trupanion. These three were recommended by my long time vet as his office has not had issues getting claims covered for clients. My best friend had a positive experience with Nationwide. They were kind and helpful when she had to make end of life decisions for her ailing cat, covering prescription diet and other claims. She had him on the complete wellness plan. But I understand that exclusions for cats and dogs can differ greatly, hence why I’m not assuming I’ll have the same experience.
I also think it is important to keep in mind that the language used when filing out claim forms for insurance for pets is as important as it is for human insurance. Using the wrong medical code for an illness or not articulating the illness with clear medical terms can mean thousands of dollars in denied claims.
Thank you for sharing that with us. We will try reaching out to ASPCA Pet Insurance to get an answer to whether or not they offer unlimited to only specific locations or pets with certain characteristics. When I ran quotes with that zip code (including a 3-year-old mixed breed dog) I wasn’t getting an unlimited option. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this and update our content accordingly. Thank you for mentioning it to us!
If you have questions or need help choosing a pet insurance provider feel free to ask. I’d love to help you make the best decision for you and your dog.
Hi Kimberly,
I think I’ve narrowed down my choices to Embrace and Nationwide. I reached out to my vet regarding what plans his office recommends. I have a lot of trust in my vet‘s input as he helped me resolve a misdiagnosis one of my previous dogs received many years ago from a different vet office. His second opinion allowed her to avoid unnecessary surgery at $2000 estimate. He also saw me through another dog’s cancer diagnosis and treatment and end of life after his body couldn’t take anymore.
I was recommended Healthy Paws, Trupanion, Embrace, and Nationwide for the most approved claims and payouts – with the quickest payouts coming from Trupanion. I was also informed that many clients with Embrace have completed the Orthopedic Exam to shorten their 6 month wait periods for ortho conditions. So the office is familiar with how to fill out the documentation. Many clients have been denied claims with heart conditions with ASPCA. Clients have also reported back low payouts and a lot of denied claims in general. Therefore the office advises against ASPCA.
Trupanion’s quote for my dog was $132.80 per month 90% coverage, $250 deductible including Pet Owners coverage and Rehabilitation coverage. This quote is significantly higher than the $96.77 per month for the Whole Pet with Wellness coverage on Nationwide (90% coverage, $250 deductible). I do agree with another article on Canine Journal that states Nationwide strong arms you into the Whole Pet with Wellness plan. I read over the max coverage for the two other alternatives they offer for primary and secondary diagnosis, and would be very concerned about my dog lacking coverage.
My dog is listed as a mix breed in his medical records so this is what I list when attaining quotes, but he looks to be a golden retriever mix. Being that he’s turning 4 fall of this year, I expressed concern over Nationwide’s 12 month wait for ccl coverage and Healthy paws 12 month hip coverage. Vet agreed as this is a very long wait period and advised Embrace as the best option for me.
I will be contacting Healthy Paws and Nationwide to see if any sort of exam can be done to shorten the wait time for hip and ccl issues.
As far as health issues my dog has had, he is a rescue. I got him at 8-9 months old. He we underweight so the vet we took him too (not my usual one) put him on a calorie paste. He also had hookworm so I paid for deworming out of pocket. We were also given a script for eye wash as his eyes were cloudy. Vet suspected this was due to debris from scavenging outdoors. Vet noted in medical report that my dog’s right paw bends more than other but in the almost 3 years since then he has not had any oath issues. He has had no medical issues during his recent checkups with my vet. But I am still concerned this paw bending noted during his first checkup after being found will be considered a preexisting condition if he tears ccl later in life.
I am still uncertain whether we need wellness coverage but with the cost of his flea/tick and heart worm, we might. I approximate his annual expenses at $308. With Flea and heart worm preventative goes up to $660 (90 for year of Interceptor, $256 for nexgard as its 64 for 3 months).
I know that Nationwide’s payout for wellness is after the 250 deductible and after the 10% copayment but I don’t know if this is also true for Embrace.
I welcome any advice you may have to help me decide on a plan. Thanks!
I’m thoroughly impressed with the information you’ve gathered and to the best of my knowledge it all looks correct from my research as well. Three things I would suggest asking Healthy Paws and Nationwide about as well:
1) Do they have any type of coverage for pre-existing conditions that have been “cured” for a period of time. Petplan offers this after 365 days. We’ve written about Petplan’s feature more extensively here, if you’d like to learn more. Note, it’s only for curable conditions, which can be open to the company’s interpretation.
2) Since Healthy Paws’ 12 month wait period for hip coverage is a concern, maybe you can ask if you could have your vet conduct a hip exam to waive the 12 month wait period.
3) I would ask the same thing about Nationwide’s CCL coverage having a 12 month wait period. Perhaps your vet could conduct an exam to waive the wait period.
It sounds like you have a pretty great relationship with your vet and you’ve built that trust. One thing I would do is ask your vet why they don’t recommend Healthy Paws, Pets Best, Figo or Petplan. Those are commonly more raved about by customers as having better coverage and a lower price. Your vet may be able to offer more insight as to whether these companies push back with claims or if there’s something else that may be more negative about them.
Some things to be aware of:
1) Embrace has a 6 month waiting period for hip dysplasia and ACL surgery that can be reduced to 14 days through the Orthopedic Exam and Waiver Process. (as you noted in your comment as well)
2) Must pay an extra fee to have prescription meds covered through Embrace.
3) Embrace has a Healthy Pet Deductible (Your pet’s annual deductible goes down $50 each year you don’t receive a claim reimbursement)
4) Embrace has the following discounts: 5% military discount, 10% veterinary staff discount and 15% USAA discount
5) Nationwide has a policy that limits per condition for claims. This can be kind of confusing and cause difficulties with getting claims covered if your dog has high claims for an illness or injury.
6) Wellness plans aren’t available in every state for Nationwide, so if you’re interested in that make sure you check ahead of time for your state.
7) We’ve received and read many complaints for Nationwide’s pet insurance.
Overall, I would caution you to choose a company just because your vet’s office is familiar with it. Some vet’s have relationships with pet insurance providers and make money off of patients they get signed up so they can be a little more biased. However, there’s no guarantee this is what’s taking place with your vet. I just wanted to note it as something that can happen with some. Overall, the vet should be willing to work with a company they’re less familiar with if it means better coverage for you.
If it were me, I would be extremely cautious with going with Nationwide. I would try reading some customer reviews online for all companies you’re considering. Unfortunately, it’s not difficult to find negative reviews for Nationwide.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions!
I love it, Healthy Paws is the number one pick. But they can’t currently open policies in Washington State. THEY ARE BASED IN WASHINGTON STATE! What gives?
Cooper – We are temporarily unable to enroll new policies in Washington state until our rating plan for new pets is accepted by the Department of Insurance. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. If you have generated a quote with us, we will contact you when we are able to enroll new policies again.
Pets Best, when I just submitted a claim, said processing time is 25-40 days (time window they gave was mid-late March!). This is par for PB’s course, PLEASE change the “8 days” processing time to 25-40 days
Thank you for mentioning this. We have been looking into this and will be sure to update our content. In the meantime, here is some information we’ve received from Pets Best to offer more insight on the situation:
Claim processing time changes daily based on the claim influx received. We are currently estimating 25-40 days for the processing of claims. We do appreciate your patience while we process your important claims. To provide you with specific information pertaining to your policy we would need you to verify the account. Please feel free to give us a call or live chat with your policy number and pet’s name. At that time, we would be happy to assist you. We can be reached Monday-Friday 7am-7pm and Saturday 10am-2pm Mountain Time at 877-738-7237.
Please note that Figo changed underwriters and their exclusions on knees are now bilateral. If the left knee has/had a cruciate tear, they will not, EVER, cover a tear on the right knee. This information has changed since this article was posted (very helpful, by the way, thank you!) and I only discovered it by calling and inquiring specifically about the knee exclusion because my pup tore her right cruciate.
Thank you Samantha. We are currently auditing this category and came across that change as well. Please expect it in our update in the next few weeks.
Kimberly, based on all the great comparison information and reviews in your article, I just enrolled in Healthy Paws for my 6 month old lab puppy. Your article is just what I have been looking for — something to make sense of all the overwhelming pet insurance options out there! I’m so glad that I found this. Saved me a ton of research time! Now I have that “unlimited” peace of mind! 😉 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
We are so glad we could help you choose a pet insurance company! We hope you never have to submit a claim, but are glad you’ll be helped out financially in the event of an accident or illness. Congratulations on your new addition to your family!
Is AKC the only company covering your pet when you travel in US/Canada? Does Pets best does not cover your pet if you’re traveling???
Some companies have some type of coverage for out of the country, but it can vary. We will look into this further and include it in a future update for this article. Thank you for brining it to our attention.
Pets Best says your pet can be treated by any licensed veterinarian anywhere in the US, Canada, or Puerto Rico.
Pets best or AKC? for a 2 month old mixed retriever puppy with focus on Wellness plan + insurance coverage.
We can’t tell you which is going to be less expensive for you since we don’t know your dog’s location, pre-existing conditions, etc. but here are our thoughts as to why you should choose Pets Best vs AKC.
-AKC requires additional add-on purchases to get equal coverage to Pets Best.
-Pets Best typically pays claims in less than 5 days (AKC allows up to 30 days).
-Pets Best is consistently one of the least expensive companies when we run quotes.
-AKC limits per incident reimbursements over the lifetime of the pet whereas Pets Best has no lifetime limits on any plan.
-Pets Best’s transaction fee is $2 and AKC’s is $4, which is the highest we’ve seen.
Wellness plans from both companies are nearly identical costing you the same and having similar coverage.
We think Pets Best is better than AKC, which is why it’s #2 and AKC is unranked. You can get quotes from multiple companies here. You may also find this comparison table convenient because it shows what each pet insurance company covers.
Let me know if you have any other questions and best of luck!
I purchased Embrace Insurance 3 years ago for my new puppy. I elected to have a high deductible of $1,000 and my premium was slightly under $20 a month. He is now 3 years old and my new premium is slightly under $30. Be aware that while premiums may start out low they will increase as the pet gets older. The increases are larger each year. If I recall correctly, the first year it was about 3 dollars more a month and this year will be another 7. I am assuming next year when he is four, the premium will be nearly double–closer to $40 a month. I have made no claims. I hate to think what they will be once he is 10. I just wanted to warn people where this may be a problem and to inquire when selecting a company how much of an increase they should expect each year.
I am so grateful to Healthy Paws, and so happy that I selected them for my dogs’ insurance. My beloved mastiff was hospitalized for a week, critically ill in ICU, with aspiration pneumonia and post emergency surgery for a GI perforation. I was not ready to lose him, but was terrified what this was going to cost. He had been hospitalized before for a similar condition, and I was concerned that this would be considered pre existing and thus not covered. Not only was the $30,000 hospitalization and follow up care covered (at the 80% that I had selected), but they were even able and willing to tell me two days in that it would be covered so that I did not have to worry. I can’t tell you what a relief that was as the charges were rapidly adding up each day.
In general, I’ve been very happy overall as well. It takes under a minute to file a claim, and claims are processed and paid quickly. Highly recommend.
I’m not much for posting on social medial but the events of today with our pet insurance company, PetPlan, have compelled me to share my most recent horror story with this company. I received an e-mail quoting me the rates for Mattie’s insurance starting in August. Her coverage currently consist of a $100 deductible per illness and unlimited coverage of 90% of her vet bills. To date we have been reimbursed about $36,000 for the year and have been able to give Mattie the best medical care possible while paying $3,207 in premiums to PetPlan. The policy they are offering for next year limits coverage to $15,000, has a $750 deductible per Illness and only reimburses 70%. While the premium cost goes down to $774.56 per year, this in no way compensates for the drastic change in benefits. Just using the three conditions she is currently being treated for, the increase in cost for $15,000 in coverage is $5,250 more than the costs under the prior year. I have had a long conversation with a customer service rep to try to understand this change as no person would accept such changes in their health care policy. I was told that pets are treated as property, thus, as your car ages your insurance benefits go down and your premiums go down. I hope you see how absurd this policy is – pets that age don’t depreciate in value and insurance companies should not be permitted to lessen the coverage as they age so they can die rather then pay out benefits when most needed. I asked the right questions when singed up with this company and was assured that I would continue to have good coverage as my pet aged. There should be more transparency in the purchasing of pet insurance so that we can have a better idea of what a carrier will do with premiums and costs as a pet ages.
Hi Kimberly, I’m researching insurance for my 6-month yorkie and narrowed down my choices to Healthy Paws (based on their excellent customer ratings and reasonable premiums) and Petplan. I was ultimately leaning towards Petplan because of its exam fee coverage and the relatively comprehensive dental coverage (since Yorkies are known for their dental issues) whereas Healthy Paws offered neither. Then I came across this article from NBC News about premium increases throughout pets’ lives and was blown away by the projected increase in Petplan’s premiums. Now I feel I’m back to square one. I know how difficult it is to switch insurance companies in the middle (pre-existing conditions, etc.) so I want to get it right the first time. Your analysis in this article is extremely helpful, but any further insight would be extremely helpful. Thanks!!
You have definitely done your research, good job! From how I’m interpreting the article, it’s referencing signing a dog up as a puppy as well as a later age in life, not necessarily what you’ll be paying during those later years if you’ve been a steady customer with coverage for your dog during the pup stages too. If you sign a puppy up for coverage your rates will still increase throughout the dog’s life, but they shouldn’t be as high as they would be if you waited to sign up for coverage until the dog was 8-years-old. For example, if you sign your 6-month-old dog up today and it costs $30/month, by the time the dog is 8-years-old you may be paying $60/month. However, if you waited to sign your dog up until it reached its 8th birthday, you may pay $100/month. That is partially because dogs are more of a liability the later they are insured in life because the pet insurance company doesn’t know the full history of the dog as a puppy through adult life. Additionally, pet insurance companies try to incentivize an early sign up for pet insurance by offering lower rates for those who maintain steady coverage throughout a dog’s life. Does that make sense? So while the article is correct, in stating that insuring a dog later in life is more expensive, it is often more affordable if you sign your dog up as a puppy (the rate will typically not be as high in those later years).
Unfortunately, we can’t predict how your rates will increase with either company. All companies raise their premiums as the dog ages due to various reasons (e.g., vet care costs increasing, dog aging, etc.). Speaking from my experience moderating comments at Canine Journal, we seem to get more negative feedback from Petplan than Healthy Paws in terms of cost. However, as you mentioned, Petplan has more thorough dental coverage and covers exam fees. Neither company covers dental cleanings, but they both cover a portion of non-routine dental treatments.
We have a Healthy Paws vs Petplan article that may be helpful for you.
Additionally, our Yorkshire Terrier article mentions common health concerns including: retinal dysplasia, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (thigh bone degeneration), luxating patella (kneecap dislocation), collapsed trachea and portosystemic shunt (a liver condition). The breed can live 14-16 years, so as you mentioned, it’s important to get coverage in the beginning and stick with it to avoid any pre-existing conditions not being covered.
I hope everything I said made sense. We get a lot of great feedback about Healthy Paws from our readers, which is why it’s our #1 pick for pet insurance. However, Petplan has some of the most thorough coverage. If monthly premium cost is more of a concern to you, Healthy Paws may give you the lower price. If you want more thorough coverage, Petplan may be your company. Let me know if you have any further questions, I’d be happy to discuss more with you and help you get the coverage you are looking for!
Pet insurance in general is known to be a gamble, but Nationwide has perfected the claim denial game. I am a physician, so I know a thing or two about medicine and can speak the language. Our Boston came to us with diarrhea when he was about two years old. At age 6, he went through a spell of not eating and lost some weight. He never got a formal diagnosis from the vet, and eventually just started eating normally again. We filed a claim and it was denied due to “pre-existing condition.” They said his anorexia was the SAME as his diarrhea years earlier. Then they went so far as to provide a long list of vague and general “diagnoses” that they would never cover in his lifetime. I repeatedly asked them for medical evidence to support their assertions that his transient condition had anything to do with the long list of “conditions” they were refusing to cover in the future. Needless to say, we’ve cancelled our policy and are giving another company a try.
Hi. I am looking for Pet Insurance for my 2 year old pure bred standard poodle. He is healthy & happy. He had a slight seizure which I think is a side effect of flea medication. What would be the best insurance for us? I had VPI (which is now Nationwide) w/my previous dogs. I had a good experience with them. They covered well visits and one of the dog’s epilepsy. If this is a condition, which company will cover?
Great question! We suggest getting quotes from our top ranked pet insurance companies to see how much each will cost you. Since your dog has already had a seizure, pet insurance companies may not cover epilepsy since they may deem this a pre-existing condition. We recommend Healthy Paws for the best coverage and price. However, Healthy Paws does not cover wellness visits, so Pets Best may be more in line with what you want. If you’d like to share more with us about what you want covered and other features, we can try to cater to that and see if another company may be a better fit.
Buyer beware! Petplan interprets “pre-existing” conditions to include aspects that are often seen in normal, healthy animals. My dog had light tartar on her teeth, with NO indication of disease or problems, but that was the basis for denying a claim over 5 years later, involving a loose tooth, periodontal disease and the need for 8 extractions. Even the Amer. Vet Dental College says that tartar above the gumline does not cause periodontal disease. Even a year later after holding the policy, my dog had no evidence of dental or periodontal disease, yet the recent claim was denied because of a pre-existing condition. Company representatives say the policy does not require a medical condition to exist to be pre-existing, but merely a “clinical sign”- which they define as “changes in your pets normal healthy state”. No disease or medical condition, but it can preclude coverage 5 years later. Premiums have nearly doubled in the 5 years of coverage (now over $1500/year), even with only one small claim. Their ability phrase things in an oblique manner that nobody is likely to catch allows them to deny claims easily. That, on top of using terms in an unconventional way (e.g. a “clinical sign” does not mean that it is a sign of illness— merelly whatever they decide) leaves the buyer at tremendous risk. Unless you read the policy over with a fine tooth comb and know your animal has no indications of any problem at all before buying the policy, and as long as you don’t mind huge premium increases, this is not a good policy for you.
My husband bought me a beautiful terrier, but the breeder mentioned to him that this terrier’s mother had a lot of health concerns. I would really like to look into pet insurance so I can provide for her if her health deteriorates. Your advice to read reviews so I can find a reputable pet insurance provider is really helpful.
I am still having a hard time deciding on a company I have been back an forth With NationWide being pricey, while other like Embrace and Best Pet have been way lower in cost. So which is really the best that pays out without issue and not having to chase them to pay it? The one that has less issue and better service with customers all round?
This breakdown is incredibly helpful–thank you.
I saw in your full review of Healthy Paws that pets eight years and older are restricted to 60% reimbursement. Does Figo have age-related reimbursement restrictions?
Great question, Jana! I just finished up our summer audit and we will be sending those results live within the next month hopefully. In regards to Figo, we implemented a new policy to not review companies that have fewer than 5 full years of history and experience (Figo was founded in 2013). We did this because in the past pet insurance companies have popped up with extremely low prices (convincing pet parents to sign up) and then after some time, hike up their prices because they have claims to pay out. This leaves customers in a difficult spot because if their pet has developed any health issues they now have pre-existing conditions, so switching insurance carriers may not be possible.
We are not saying this is the case for Figo, but we are waiting to review them further until 2019. We feel 5 years gives companies enough time to establish consistent pricing and a reputation which helps us evaluate them in our rankings. In our updated reviews coming out this summer, you’ll notice Figo is not included in them because of this reason. If you are curious to learn more about Figo, I encourage you to reach out to their customer service. Let me know if you have any other pet insurance questions I can help you with!
Figo raised our monthly premium significantly after the first year, even with no claims, from $40.72 to $56.08. The dog is only 3 years old.
Same thing happened to me with my two year old dog.
I think that when you write this in the future, you should take into account the rating on other sites such as yelp. For example, you give Trupanion an honorable mention, but it has a 2 star rating on yelp, and the reviews are horrific. Healthy Paws has a good rating there, but seems to be going downhill since they were acquired by a larger company last year. It would help to know percentage of denied claims, and annual premium rate increases. I was looking for a plan for my mixed breed manx kitten, but I’m really skeptical that these policies will cover genetic conditions despite their aggressive marketing. I’d be very interested to see a comparison to just putting $50 a month into a savings account.
Thanks for the great input, Laura! Unfortunately, there isn’t a way for us to obtain the percentage of denied claims for each pet insurance provider. However, that would be a wonderful piece of information to share with our readers! As for annual premium rate increases, that’s tricky to share as well since it varies based on location and pet details.
Fortunately, cats are often much less expensive to insure than dogs (often less than $20 per month). Have you gotten quotes for your mixed breed manx kitten?
As for a comparison of what saving $50/month vs purchasing a pet insurance plan, we have this example we can share:
Let’s say you saved $50 a month for 5 years and your vet bill savings account sits at $3,000. I ran quotes for a 7-month-old manx kitten located in Iowa and received the following quotes:
-$19.73/month for Healthy Paws
-$14.93/month for Pets Best
-$20.69/month for Petplan
(Quotes have an unlimited annual limit, $250 annual deductible and 80% reimbursement.)
Instead of being limited to only having $3,000 in a savings account if an emergency arose for your kitten, you could have an unlimited amount available every year and paid around $20/month (totaling $1,200 in premiums for 5 years). Unfortunately, with the cost of vet care, $3,000 won’t stretch too far in 5 years. Testing, treatment, prescriptions and vet visits can add up quickly when you’re dealing with a sick pet. By investing in pet insurance, your ~$20/month can ensure your cat is covered for any minor and major illnesses including cancer, injuries, chronic conditions and more.
By purchasing pet insurance, you’re spending less and getting more coverage. Let me know if you have any other questions, I’d be happy to help you further. 🙂
I had my puppy on Trupanion but the lack of exam fees being covered was a deal breaker for me, as vets in our area typically charge $50 or more per visit. I did like the per incident deductible, but the premiums were really high even for $750 deductibles. Your #1 pick Healthy Paws has the same limitation. I hesitated to use Pets Best as their pricing goes up as dog the gets older, but I like that I have the flexibility to adjust deductible or pay out percentages to lower the cost as she gets older. So we are going to put her on Pets Best. Pet Plan was more expensive than Pets Best, and they had higher deductibles.
Glad you found a company your feel comfortable with! As a heads up, all insurance companies increase prices as the pet ages and vet costs change. Thanks for sharing your thought process with us, hopefully it helps another reader in the future!
Ive had Trupanion for my 2 dogs for 5 years. Each year the monthly rate has increased by a few dollars. Last month it went up $12, mind you I have NEVER made a claim, my dogs were just puppies when I enrolled them. I called inquiring about the substantial increase and they told me it was because of the age of my dogs, now 5 and 6 years old. I had to drop them at that. I’m now seeing that other pet insurance with more coverage is cheaper then what I’ve been paying. Lesson learned, do your research.
I cannot thank Healthy Paws enough for being there for our dog Kiki and my family when we need them. Kiki was diagnosed with Cushing syndrome and had a mass in her adrenal gland. Kiki underwent surgery to take out the mass which turned out to be cancerous. unfortunately, Kiki developed pancreatitis and kidney failure a couple of weeks later and was hospitalized several times. She lost appetite and lost a lot of weight and had to have a feeding tube inserted in her neck in order to help her get better. While we worried about Kiki’s health, we are thankful that we have a pet insurance to take care of the financial side. Whenever I see or talk to people and coworkers who have pets, I advocate that they get pet insurance for the sake of their pet and themselves. I encouraged my sister, my son and other friends to get Healthy Paws pet insurance and they thanked me because Healthy Paws was there for them as well in time of their need.
As for me, Kiki’s medical expenses are over $10,000.00 now. Healthy paws processed our claims always immediately.
their Customer Care even reached out to check on Kiki’s condition. Is that GREAT or what? Thank you, Health Paws for being there for us. You are the GREATEST!
FIgo offers the most generous coverage. Figo is also one of the most affordable. Here’s my experience so far:
I have had several dogs in my life. My last dog costs me a bundle in vet bills. So for my next dog, I wanted a pet insurance with generous coverage, one that is affordable, and one that was convenient. I narrowed my choices to FIgo and Healthy Paws. Both were similiar however, if you closely, FIgo offered more. FIgo covered vet exam fees, holistic and alternative medicine, shorter waiting periods, and overall more convenience. The major convenience with Figo is that with FIgo you can text them if you had a question, and they would reply back in minutes. Furthermore, although both FIgo and Healthy Paws had phone apps, Figo phone apps covered more than just claims processing. Best of all, Figo was a bit more affordable. So far, so good. I filed 3 three claims. The first claim took about 8 days, but the second and third claims with processed in less than 6 days. Figo should be ranked soon.. Figo has what I wanted: Generous Coverage, Phone App that covered paperless processing, Affordablility, and Exceptional Customer Serivice. I am glad I chose Figo. Figo although unranked i think beat the top 3 ranked here for exceptional coverage. Hope Figo is ranked soon.
Figo’s premiums in my area were higher than Trupanions and Healthy Paws and they wanted an additional $8 per month to cover exam fees.
Pets Best does not cover pregnancy or anything to do with breeding.
Out of curiosity, why wasn’t Nationwide Whole Pet with Wellness reviewed? It appears all levels of other company plans were included, but the only plan shown to be offered by Nationwide is their Major Medical… which is a stupid plan, but their Whole Pet with Wellness is significantly more comprehensive than the 3 top plans mentioned and is competitive in price. One of our dogs was diagnosed with a chronic condition and they’ve paid for her prescription diet, her meds, acupuncture for pain and all of her medical care, including office visits, CAT scans, ultrasound and xrays. They covered our other dog’s laproscopic spay and a dental with nine extractions on the pug mix we inherited. Is this an independent review or was it sponsored by any of the insurance companies? I ask because all of these reviews promote the top three, but only review Nationwide’s Major Medical. We would have had to euthanize our dog, who is now doing very well, if it weren’t for this plan and I find it disappointing none of the reviews ever mentions it.
Nationwide Whole Pet vs. the top 3:
Flea & Tick – Covered
Heartworm Prevention – Covered
Heartworm testing, vaccines, titres – Covered
Fecal exams – Covered
Deworming – Covered
Spay/Neutered – Covered
Acupuncture – Covered
Chiropractic – Covered
Cold Laser – Covered
Rehabilitation – Covered
Therapeutic Diets – Covered
Prescribed Neutriceuticals – Covered
All major medical, emergency and wellness, other than pre-existing conditions – Covered
Our monthly cost for these plans ranges from $58 to $109 a month based on the age of our dogs at sign up. We’ve used this plan for all 9 of our family dogs since spring 2016 when we switched them to this from Trupanion. We’ve had a LOT of claims, I process at least 1 to 2 claims a month on one dog or another, and so far none have been turned down. They do take longer to pay out, more like 2 to 3 weeks before you get the check, longer for extensive medical bills, but that’s not a bad trade off for the extensiveness of the coverage. They also won’t insure puppies on this plan, they have to be 1 year of age, a recent change… but other than that we’ve been pretty happy with the coverage.