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Pet Insurance Reviews 2018: Cost & Coverage Comparisons For All Companies

Kimberly Alt Updated: October 2, 2018 Pet Insurance 40 Comments

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Fido just leaped 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 provide you with a summary of what each company offers as well as pros and cons for each. Feel free to click on the “Read Review” text below the company name in the table below to go straight to its review.

Top Pet Insurance Companies 2018


Ranking	1st	2nd	3rd	Not Ranked	Not Ranked	Not Ranked	Not Ranked	Not Ranked	Not Ranked	Not Ranked
Total Score	4.65	4.55	4.30	3.20	3.31	3.80	4.15	3.70	3.38	3.55
Policy Coverage	4.25	4.75	4.75	3.75	3.25	4.75	4.25	4.75	3.75	4.25
Customer Service & Reputation	4.75	4.00	4.25	2.50	3.00	2.00	4.00	2.00	2.00	3.50
Timeliness of Claim Repayment	4.75	4.75	4.50	3.25	3.75	4.75	4.50	3.75	4.50	3.25
Policy Price	4.75	4.75	3.75	3.25	3.25	3.75	3.75	4.25	3.25	3.25
Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website
Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Pet Insurance Cost & Coverage Comparison Tables

Pet Insurance Cost & Coverage Comparison Table screenshot Our coverage comparison is fairly straightforward, but pricing gets a little more complicated as the price quote for your specific pet will be unique to your pet, their age, breed, geographic, location, and a number of other factors. 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 quote widget that will pull price quotes from our top 3 companies when you fill out one short form with your pet’s details.

Get 3 Free Pet Insurance Quotes

By entering your pet’s specific characteristics you can get a better understanding of the coverage he or she needs. We have put together a couple of comparison tables that address cost and coverage issues:

These links will open comparison tables in a new window so you can compare coverage and costs side-by-side as you research company reviews. If you are unsure where to start, be sure to read our main dog insurance guide.

Healthy Paws Review

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Healthy Paws continues to impress us with its unlimited benefits with no per-incident, annual or lifetime caps. There are also far fewer coverage exclusions than some of its competitors so, on paper, it appears that it is less likely your claim will be denied as long as you keep paying your bill on time.

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. In fact, check out the comment section in our Healthy Paws individual review. It is filled with real customer accounts.

What could it improve on? Healthy Paws does not offer a wellness plan to cover annual vet visits, which is becoming increasingly popular among pet parents.

Overall, we think Healthy Paws is a great pet insurance company. 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.

Pros

Cons

Annual deductible (not per incident)
Unlimited lifetime coverage so no annual or per incident limits on claims
Pricing is generally the best value vs competition (get quotes)
Your pet is covered when they travel with you in the United States or Canada
High customer satisfaction
Easy to submit a claim on the Healthy Paws app for quick claim reimbursement
BBB rating: A+
Great email response time
Good CCL (ACL) coverage, read this comment thread for more information
Direct deposit or check reimbursement

Veterinary exam fee and behavioral therapies are not covered
Excludes hip dysplasia in animals enrolled after age 6, so this might not be the best option for large breeds that are older than 6. There is also a 12 month waiting period.
There are age restrictions (if pet is older than 6 you must have vet exam within past 30 days for enrollment or within 15 days of policy issuance)
Pets older than 8-years-old are restricted to 60% reimbursement and a $750 annual deductible
15-day waiting period for accident and illness
No wellness plan
Charges a one time $25 fee

Coupon Code

Use this link and you will automatically receive up to a 10% discount. The actual discount varies based on individual state regulations. You can also visit our dedicated HealthyPaws promotions page to discuss current offers.

Read our full review of Healthy Paws

Pets Best Review

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Pets Best has stepped it up with the items it covers in addition to 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 average claim repayment of 5 days and it has a 24/7 Pet Helpline, which allows you to speak with a vet expert any time of day.

Its deductibles range from $50 to $1,000 and it offers 2 wellness plans for you to choose from. You can truly customize your coverage with Pets Best. Pets Best doesn’t require an exam to set your pet’s health baseline (something both Healthy Paws and Petplan require).

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). Further, its underwriter (APIC) is unrated by A.M. Best which we consider 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.

Pros	Cons
No lifetime limits on any plan Great pricing, consistently among the least expensive when we ran quotes BBB rating: A+ Multiple forms of customer support: live chat, phone, email, FAQ Claim payment is typically made in less than 5 days (electronic claim filing, and direct deposit options) 5% multi-pet discount No age limits	6-month waiting period for CCL injuries 14-day waiting period for Illness and 3 days for Accident $2 transaction fee (waived if pay annually) Holistic/experimental therapies are not covered

Coupon Code

Our readers have access to an exclusive PetsBest discount of 5% off BestBenefit plans for the first year! Just use this link to get started (Eligible in all states except AK, FL, HI and TN and does not apply to accident-only plan or wellness rider). You can also visit our dedicated Pets Best promotions page to discuss current offers.

View our full review of Pets Best

Petplan Review

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Petplan offers unlimited annual coverage but at a higher price on average compared to our top two picks. However, we still think Petplan offers some of the best coverage. Petplan has a great claim repayment reputation and allows 30 days for claim repayment but averages 5-14 days.

The company covers exam fees and has a shorter waiting period for hip dysplasia at only 15 days. In addition, Petplan’s policy has coverage for travel cancellation due to life-threatening pet injury or illness, as well as coverage for advertising expenses related to a lost pet and even, in some cases, reimbursement of the cost of the pet in the tragic case that it is 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 5% discount will be honored for this phone call as well).

Petplan is known for its outstanding customer service reputation and is among the best offering live chat, phone, email, FAQ, mail and fax. Petplan’s policy is crystal clear and it is specific about what your duties are as a pet parent for you to maintain your pet’s insurance policy.

The main thing keeping Petplan from the top two spots is its higher prices for similar coverage. You can get unlimited annual coverage from Healthy Paws and Pets Best for a less expensive monthly premium according to quotes we ran.

Pros

Cons

There is a 5% discount for users purchasing their insurance plan online
No lifetime or per condition claims limit
BBB rating: A+ (under its incorporated name, Fetch, Inc.)
Claims are typically paid within 5-14 days although they allow up to 30 days
App available to support claims via iOS and Android
Covers advertising lost pets, losing your pet, canceled vacation due to pet illness, etc.

Complaints from existing customers of premium increases being drastically higher than competitors
For coverage to apply, you must take your dog to the vet within 48 hours of noticing symptoms of an illness or injury
A number of policyholders complain that Petplan delays payment on claims (often due to a short upfront waiting period as a new customer) and requires extensive proof of treatment documentation
Dogs must have annual health and dental checkups in order for coverage to be applied. Failure to do so may mean your dog won’t get insurance coverage until that checkup is done.
Only covers CCL (ACL) on a second leg if the first leg remains healed for 12 months
Customers state (and our sample quotes show) it is more expensive than Healthy Paws for unlimited annual coverage
No wellness plan

Coupon Code

Use coupon code CanineJournal to receive an additional 5% discount (10% total if you sign up online). Alternatively, if you call 800-237-1123 you will automatically get the additional 5% discount! You can also visit our dedicated Petplan promotions page to discuss current offers.

Read our full review of Petplan

Other Pet Insurance Companies

The companies listed below did not make our top three rankings, but we have reviewed them in case you want to learn more. Every pet and every situation is different. You might find a great fit for your family below. Companies are listed in alphabetical order.

Note: companies with less than 5 years of nationwide business experience have been excluded from this ranking to provide reliable recommendations (e.g. FIGO was founded in 2013).

24PetWatch Review

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24PetWatch, founded in 2000, offers pet insurance for dogs as long as you enroll them before the age of ten years old. In the quotes we ran, 24PetWatch was consistently among the more expensive options.

It also does not 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 they will cover chronic conditions if your pet has gone 24 months symptom-free. This is not standard for pet insurance providers.

Pros

Cons

Wellness coverage available as an add-on
No waiting period for accidents
Submit and track claims in real-time online
Your pet is covered when they travel with you in the United States or Canada
No additional waiting period for ACL, elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia
Chronic conditions can be covered if they go 24 months without showing any symptoms

Limited enrollment age (8 weeks – 10 years) compared to other insurance companies
14-30 day waiting period for illness coverage to kick in
Many consumer complaints about the poor claims process (long time to get paid, lost claims, etc.)
A number of customer complaints about overall bad customer service
If one leg has a CCL (ACL) injury prior to enrollment the other leg will not be covered even if there are no prior issues. It is considered a pre-existing condition.
No unlimited claims options
$2.50 monthly transaction fee
Priced on the higher end when we ran quotes
Not BBB accredited

Coupon Code

There are no active 24PetWatch coupon codes at this time.

Read Our Full Review Of 24 Pet Watch

AKC Pet Insurance Review

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AKC Pet Insurance, founded in 2003, doesn’t require vet records or an exam prior to enrollment. There are age restrictions and it requires an additional fee for hereditary and congenital conditions to be covered, something we expect to be covered in the average pet insurance plan.

It has more limitations compared to other pet insurance providers and only covers hip dysplasia for dogs enrolled prior to their second birthday. AKC was also consistently among the most expensive when we ran our quotes.

Pros

Cons

No vet records or exam required to enroll
Option to add on a wellness plan, exam fee, euthanasia and hereditary condition coverages
BBB rating: A+ through PetPartners, Inc. (AKC’s other name)
Your pet is covered when they travel with you in the United States or Canada
5% multi-pet discount

No illness coverage for dogs enrolled after age 9
14-day waiting period for illness, 2 days for accidents
Coverage for inherited/congenital conditions must be purchased additionally
Hip dysplasia and congenital and hereditary conditions are only available for coverage if you enroll your dog at two-years-old or younger
Limits per incident reimbursements over the lifetime of the pet
$4 transaction fee, highest in this comparison
Among the most expensive
6-month waiting period for CCL injuries

Coupon Code

There are not any active AKC Pet Insurance coupon codes at this time.

ASPCA Insurance Review (aka Hartville)

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Unfortunately, when looking through the overall features of ASPCA insurance, we cannot highly recommend this company. It’s important to note that 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, which is identical to ASPCA pet insurance. They are not directly affiliated with the ASPCA. The company, founded in 1997, has a history of low reimbursements, even under its highest cost plan.

Pros

Cons

Offers optional wellness coverage
Wide variety of plan costs, with their cheapest plan starting at less than $15 per month for accident only coverage and a $100 annual deductible (for female 10-year-old labrador)
Conditions that are free of symptoms and treatment for 180 days are not considered pre-existing conditions
No waiting period for accidents
BBB rating A+ (C&F Insurance Agency, Inc.)
30-day money back guarantee

$2 transaction fee, if not paying annually
14-day waiting period for illnesses, including knee and ligament injuries
Can’t change/add some items to plan until the next 12 month period begins
Low reimbursements reported by customers

Coupon Code

There are no active ASPCA Pet Health Insurance coupon codes at this time.

Read Our Full Review Of ASPCA Pet Insurance

Embrace Review

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Embrace 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 a quote for your specific pet.

Regarding its claims, it says it averages 5 business days for wellness claims and 10-15 days for illness/accident claims. Embrace tends to fall a little behind on technology for claims submissions versus the top players in this field.

Tip: If you have USAA, you can get a discount with Embrace.

Pros

Cons

No per incident limits on their claims as they use an annual deductible method of accounting
No lifetime limit
Offers optional Wellness Rewards
Embrace is affordable on a monthly cost basis with an accident only policy premium starting around $20 a month for a 10-year-old Labrador Retriever
5% discount for payments made directly from bank account
BBB rating: A+
Claims are paid between 5-15 days
5% multi-pet discount

$1.00 monthly transaction fees
Requires a 2 day waiting period for accidents (14 days in some states), 14 day waiting period for illness coverage and a 6 month waiting period for orthopedic conditions, but can be reduced to 14 days through their Orthopedic Exam and Waiver Process
Only covers pets age 14 and younger for illness
If one leg has a CCL (ACL) injury prior to enrollment the other leg will not be covered even if there are no prior issues. It is considered a pre-existing condition.
Limited live chat & phone hours
No unlimited claims options

Coupon Code

Embrace offers a few different discount options. Spayed or neutered pets get a 5% discount. if you have multiple pets, each one gets 5% off. You can also pay annually and get 5% off. Click here to access any of these discounts.

Read Our Full Review Of Embrace

Nationwide Review

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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 company recently added the Whole Pet with Wellness plan that is more like most pet insurance companies, reimbursing a percentage of your vet bill for covered treatments. In the past, they only offered what they now call their 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 plan.

Nationwide is among the least expensive but 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.

Pros	Cons
Track claims in real-time online and submit them through your smartphone Unlimited claims for Major Medical and Whole Pet with Wellness plans One of the only pet health insurance companies to offer exotic pet insurance Among the lowest monthly cost options	Wellness plans are not available in all states High number of complaints overall (finding negative reviews is not difficult) 12 month waiting period for CCL (ACL) surgery for Major Medical plan 14-day waiting period for Whole Pet with Wellness and Major Medical plans. 24-hour waiting period for Pet Wellness plan < Major Medical Plan has annual limits per condition $2 transaction fee

Coupon Code

There are no active Nationwide Pet Insurance coupon codes at this time.

Read Our Full Review Of Nationwide Pet Insurance

PetFirst Review

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PetFirst was founded in 2004. 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).

Other than that, not too much stands out about PetFirst. We suggest you request a quote and read a sample policy to see if PetFirst is good fit for you and your pup.

Pros	Cons
Wellness plan option No vet exam required for enrollment Accident coverage begins the day after enrollment BBB rating: A+ No transaction or one-time fees	14 day waiting period for illness; 12 month waiting period for CCL surgery If one leg has a CCL (ACL) injury prior to enrollment the other leg will not be covered even if there are no prior issues. It is considered a pre-existing condition. Does not cover all non-routine dental treatments Must purchase routine care coverage for behavioral therapy coverage Among the most expensive

Coupon Code

There are not any active PetFirst coupon codes at this time.

Trupanion Review

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Trupanion’s deductibles are per condition and lifetime, meaning that once it is 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 is more expensive than our top 3 for similar coverage, in some cases Trupanion is double the price. We’d like to see its prices be more comparable to our top 3 in the near future.

Pros	Cons
90% reimbursement with no payout limits Offers optional benefits for additional expenses that cover acupuncture, physical therapy, hydrotherapy and behavioral modification training and therapy BBB rating: A 24/7 phone support Pet is covered in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico	More expensive One time $35 administration fee Policies have 5 day waiting period for injuries and 30 day waiting period for illnesses Allow up to a 20% increase on premiums from year to year (based on the state you live in) Pets are not eligible for enrollment after their 14th birthday No wellness plan Does not cover exam fees Per incident deductible

Coupon Code

There are not any active Trupanion coupon codes at this time.

Read Our Full Review Of Trupanion

Get Your Money Back

Dogs are quick and sneaky and there are times where you won’t be watching and they’ll do something they shouldn’t be doing. That’s exactly what Atlas did and fortunately, his parents had dog insurance for him. Atlas was able to get the care he needed and his parents didn’t go broke.

Decide Which Pet Health Insurance Company Is Best For You

The number of pet insurance companies to choose from is overwhelming. Most of the time, people choose to go with the largest company that is the most well-known so they don’t have to compare the companies themselves. If you decide to do the research yourself, there are some things you should take into consideration:

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 an important factor, it is not the most important. 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 deciding what you want covered for your dog and what 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 page.

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 winners guide 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: Information regarding insurance company offerings, pricing and other contract details are subject to change by the insurance company at any time and are not under the control of this website. Information published on this website is intended for reference use only. Please review your policy carefully before signing up for a new pet health insurance contract or any other contract as your unique circumstances will differ from those of others who may be used for example purposes in this article.

Disclaimer: The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.

Kimberly Alt

Growing up, Kimberly used to get the sniffles when she was around dogs. Thankfully, she grew out of her allergy and is now able to play and snuggle with dogs as much as she wants! She and her husband adopted Sally, a four-year-old hound mix, in early 2017, and she has brought so much joy into their lives. Life as pet parents has been very rewarding.

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Keith

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?

Jana

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?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

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!

Lisa

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.

Mary

Same thing happened to me with my two year old dog.

Laura

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.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

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. 🙂

Dayna

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.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

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!

Roberta

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.

Yolanda Lennie Mejia

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!

Jonah

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.

Dayna

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.

Tamara Dunn

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.

George Mack

AVOID NATIONWIDE!!!
They pay on virtually no claims. The amount they take out is ridiculous, and you have to fight with them on every claim. Eventually they give and reverse decision if you threaten to cancel, but that is about the best way to get them to do what they advertise.

jim

You have Figo as a negative 14-day illness waiting period, 5 days for accidents but health paws you don’t have in negative its 15 day illness waiting period and 15 day accident waiting period whice by my account is worse

Nancy

I’m also looking to replace PetPlan because of the price jump. I found when getting online quotes for my 3 pets, that your top pick Healthy Paws has a downside that is a deal-breaker for me. My 10-year-old cat (who is in perfect health) is only eligible for a plan that covers 60% (instead of 80%) and has a $750 annual deductible! You might want to mention that, and not just that they require a checkup for older pets 30 days prior (which wouldn’t be a problem). Also, I noticed in your coverage comparison that Trupanion is checked for covering alternative therapies, but that’s only if you pay an addition fee. I’m considering Pets Best, but still undecided.
Thank you.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Nancy, thank you for bringing these items to our attention. We double checked and you are correct. The restriction for Healthy Paws begins when the pet is enrolled after their 8th birthday. We will be sure to update these items. Thank you again for commenting with these updates! Please let us know if you need help choosing a pet insurance provider. 🙂

Nancy

How should I contact you for help in choosing a pet insurance provider?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

We typically help people through our comments and just go back and forth like we are here. That way our readers can read it as well and it may help them choose a company too. If you’d rather discuss via email, you can reach out through our contact form and ask specifically to speak with me, Kimberly.

Patrick

How often do you guys update your pet insurance reviews? Will new rankings be coming out Jan 1 2018?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Great question Patrick. We re-evaluate pet insurance quarterly and make any ranking updates we see fit. Sometimes there are no changes to the content. We can’t guarantee a ranking change but we can guarantee that the rankings that are live in this article are the most current rankings we have. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Amy

Thank you for this in-depth article! You’ve helped me pick out the best policy for my fur baby.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Happy we could help you Amy!

Kathleen

It would be interesting to know how much the plans go up every year or which company is worse about price hikes . How much do these plans go up after your dog reaches older age? What companies offer the option to pay annually or pay annually for a discount? How long have these company been in buisness?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

There is no guarantee on how much premiums will increase year to year because it varies by pet. We’d love to analyze this, but there is not concrete information that we have access to. We are not aware of any of these companies offering a discount for paying annually. Some of these companies charge a transaction fee, so by paying annually you would reduce the number of times you would pay the transaction fee. This is something we are in the process of adding to our Pet Insurance Quotes page. You can find the years these companies were founded if you scroll down to the heading “The Rest of the Pack” in this article.

Carlos

Thank you for this excellent summary. There is a lot of information on pet insurance on the internet and putting it all together as you have done is very helpful. The summary of benefits, the analysis of pros and cons, and the comments from users are all excellent features. Following Petplans recent 100% increase of premiums for my two 10-year old dogs I wanted to switch insurance companies if possible and your article helped me to quickly assess my options and make a decision. And I appreciate the 10% discount on Healthy Paws I was able to receive by signing up through your website! Thank you, thank you!

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

So glad we could help you Carlos. Thank you for the kind words.

barbsra sturtevant

Trupanion looks for ways to deny or chsrge deductibles on every claim. Your dog can have cancer and yet it will keep charging deductibles as different diagnosis if your animal has 2 or 3 different types even when continuing carevis the sane for all (continuing chemo or holistic rx or radiation for example). They want to not reimburse you.

Penny

Per the site, “Pets Best offers two tiers of routine care that can be added to one of our BestBenefit plans for additional premium at the time you enroll, within 30 days of enrolling, or at your annual renewal. Benefits are available to you the day after you enroll so you can start using your routine care plan as soon as your policy goes into effect.”

maldav

Another con for PetPlan is its systems security. Even when not requested, the PetPlan system sends to customers e-mail messages that contain their usernames and passwords in clear text, i.e. unencrypted. In addition, PetPlan customer service representatives have access to and can view customers’ account passwords, which conflicts with standard security practices. The practical implication is an unauthorized person could gain access to information about you and your pet. Fortunately, PetPlan does not store customers’ charge card information in the My Account section.

Keyai - Petplan Community Manager

Hi Maldav, we’ve made necessary changes to no longer allow for usernames and passwords to be passed via email in clear text. Your concerns were valid and we listened.

Mother Sunshine

Healthy Paws is not all-inclusive as they advertise. Pay close attention to the fine print. My dog had a knee injury 11 days into the policy and Healthy Paws wouldn’t cover any of it because the 15-day waiting period had not yet ended. Even though he had surgery after the waiting period, they wouldn’t cover it because “clinical signs or symptoms of the condition treated were noted in his medical records as being present during the waiting period”. They wouldn’t even cover the consultation because they don’t cover that either. They only cover the cost of the veterinary treatment (not the cost of the vet consult or anything other than the actual “treatment”) “related to an accident, illness or injury where the clinical signs or symptoms were first present after the enrollment date and waiting periods”. They require you to submit all previous vet records including doctor’s notes from birth to present. If there is any sign whatsoever that your pet had the problem before the policy, they will not cover it. And if they do, they only cover a part of it. Don’t waste your money and jump through hoops, like I did, for nothing.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Thanks for sharing your experience with Healthy Paws! Unfortunately, most insurance companies have waiting periods (some longer than others). Were you able to find another pet insurance company to go with?

Mother Sunshine

I won’t be able to use any other insurance company now that Healthy Paws has deemed my pup’s injury as pre-existing. Now I’m screwed for anything relating to his knee for his entire life. This whole experience has turned me off to pet insurance, period.

Maggie

Mother Sunshine, I just read a YELP review for Figo, and there’s a lady on there named Ashley singing its praises about its pre-existing condition clause. She has an older dog who has already had $12,000 worth of knee injury repair. So she too had a hard time finding the right insurance. Here’s an excerpt: “I chose Figo because if your pet doesn’t show any signs or symptoms or anything for 12 months after the last surgery on the knees were performed, then any injuries to that area will be covered again!” Please read the full YELP review and look into it for the sake of your dog. You might be pleasantly surprised! Also, I’d love to hear back from you regarding your experience. I hope all works out great for you and your pup!

Doktor Timo

USAA does not offer their own pet insurance, they simply offer an up to 15% discount with Embrace to USAA members.

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

Thank you for the information! The information we found was rather confusing for USAA but this helps clear it up some. Thanks again!

Chris

Excellent, thorough comparisons; thanks!

Concerning listing “Veterinary exam fee is not covered” as one of the CONS for Healthy Paws, for which the full review states: “No wellness add-on option for annual and other maintenance visits, so exam fees are not covered, but you can plan for these since they are about the same cost every time. Healthy Paws claims that this makes the monthly premium more affordable.”: Can you elaborate on what you mean by a “veterinarian exam fee”?

Unless I’m misunderstanding what you mean, as a former Petplan customer I can state that they do not cover these, either. For instance, unless their benefits have changed, Petplan doesn’t cover annual exams/checkups. To their credit, they *do* (or, at least, *did*) cover exam fees for illnesses, resulting in the diagnosis of conditions such as urinary tract infections, pancreatitis, etc. Are you saying that Healthy Paws wouldn’t cover the exam fees for illnesses?

Kimberly Alt (Admin)

A veteranary exam fee is what you pay to have the vet see your dog. So if your dog is in for his yearly checkup the fee that you pay for the exam alone is what the vet exam fee is.

If you look here under “What is Covered by Petplan” you’ll see that “Veterinary exam or office visit fees” are not covered but “Non-routine veterinary exam or office visit fees” are covered.
https://www.caninejournal.com/petplan-insurance-reviews/

Healthy Paws does not cover exam fees. Whether they are routine visits or unexpected illness/accident visits.

Does that make sense?

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