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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
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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
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.
Free Quotes From Our Top 3
- Pet Insurance Cost Comparison
- Pet Insurance Coverage Comparison
- Get Pet Insurance Price Quotes from Top Three Companies (FREE)
These links will open comparison tables in a new window so you can compare coverage and estimated 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
#1 | ![]() |
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.
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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
#2 | ![]() |
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.
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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
#3 | ![]() |
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.
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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, so it will be added this year).
24PetWatch | AKC | ASPCA | Embrace | Nationwide | PetFirst | Trupanion
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.
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Coupon Code
There are no active 24PetWatch coupon codes at this time.
Read Our Full Review Of 24 Pet Watch
AKC Pet Insurance Review (aka PetPartners)
AKC Pet Insurance, a PetPartners brand, was 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.
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Coupon Code
There are not any active AKC Pet Insurance coupon codes at this time.
Read Our Full Review of AKC Pet Insurance
ASPCA Insurance Review (aka Hartville)
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.
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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.
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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.
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Coupon Code
There are no active Nationwide Pet Insurance coupon codes at this time.
Read Our Full Review Of Nationwide Pet Insurance
PetFirst Review
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.
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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 |
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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: 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 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?
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!
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. 🙂
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!
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.
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.
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.
Thank you.
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?
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?