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During our recent review of best dog insurance we were stumped on who to pick for our #2 spot (Keep in mind pricing will vary based on your dog’s age, breed, location, etc. So be sure to get your own quote to find which is best for you – for price and coverage). Petplan held our top ranking for years due to its low prices and excellent customer service until Healthy Paws swept it out from underneath them a few years back. In the past year, Pets Best has improved its coverage options, moving it higher and higher in our rankings. The company continues to be competitive offering similar coverage to other companies but at more reasonable rates. Fast forward to today, if we were faced with picking between Petplan and Pets Best, which would we pick? We’ll tell you more below!
Petplan vs Pets Best
Before we tell you our winner, we want to point out some similarities and why it was a difficult decision to make. First of all, Petplan and Pets Best offer similar coverage. The only truly meaningful difference, in our opinion, is that Petplan covers alternative/holistic therapy and behavioral therapy, and Pets Best offers a wellness plan that includes check-ups, vaccines, spay/neuter, teeth cleaning, etc. Overall Pets Best has shorter waiting periods by a day or two. So when it came to coverage, the two companies were roughly equals.
Underwriters and Why They Matter
If it were 2015, the answer to which company is better would be easy; however, a few years have passed and things are not so simple today. Petplan changed its underwriter in 2016 to XL Specialty Insurance Company, which created a lot of negativity towards Petplan. Prices increased, online complaints of customer service increased and we received a higher number of comments and emails from customers stating their dissatisfaction with the company.
Pets Best also experienced an underwriter change recently. Independence American Insurance Company has been Pets Best’s underwriter since 2012, and in 2017 they added a second underwriter, American Pet Insurance Company. This resulted in an increase in price according to our past quotes but it also opened up the possibility to offer customers unlimited coverage plans.
As you can see, underwriters are where the two companies differ. After an underwriter change, it’s common for prices to increase as they are taking on more “unknown” risk. However, we do not expect complaints of an insurance provider’s customer service to increase with this change, which is part of the reason why we believe Pets Best is currently better than Petplan.
Winner: Pets Best
Pets Best is our #2 pick for best pet insurance for these reasons:
- Claim payment is typically within 5 days
- In 8 out of 12 quotes we ran Pets Best was cheaper than Petplan
- Offers a wellness plan, which is becoming more popular
- No enrollment fee
- Offers unlimited claim limits and no lifetime limits
For similar coverage, you can typically pay less by going with Pets Best over Petplan. Petplan charges more for its unlimited coverage option than Pets Best on average, which is a big reason why we think Pets Best is better. The company is continuing to make positive changes to stay competitive in the pet insurance field.
Visit Pets Best’s Website | Read our Pets Best Review
How Does Petplan Compare?
Petplan rounds out our top three due to these reasons:
- Covers behavior and holistic/alternative therapies
- Claims are generally paid within 5-14 days
- Relatively high customer satisfaction except for the increase in price since change in underwriter
- More expensive than Healthy Paws (our #1 pick) and Pets Best on average
- No wellness plan currently available
Overall we still think Petplan is a great pet insurance provider. Our main concern is the increase in premiums for new and existing customers. For similar coverage, you can pay less per month to other insurance companies. We recommend getting a quote from all three of our top-rated companies though because your dog could be among the cases where Petplan is less expensive.
Visit Petplan’s Website | Read our Petplan Review
Compare Pet Insurance Coverage
It’s helpful to see how Petplan and Pets Best compare when you see what’s covered by each company side by side. The table below shows how the two are similar and how they differ in what they cover.
| Pets Best | Petplan | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking in our Pet Insurance Reviews | 2nd | 3rd |
| X-Rays |  | |
| Blood Tests | | |
| Ultrasounds | | |
| MRI | | |
| Rehabilitation | | |
| Surgery | | |
| Hospitalization | | |
| Emergency Care | | 20% copay unless it's life threatening (covered at 100%) |
| Specialty Care | | |
| Pre-Existing Conditions | ||
| Check Ups, Vaccinations, Spay/Neuter, Teeth Cleaning | Extra Fee 14 Day Waiting Period | |
| Exam Fees | | |
| Non-Routine Dental Treatment | | |
| Hip Dysplasia | Waiting Period - 14 Days | Waiting Period - 15 Days |
| Chronic Conditions | | |
| Illnesses | Waiting Period - 14 Days | Waiting Period - 15 Days |
| Accidents | Waiting Period - 3 Days | Waiting Period - 5 Days |
| Hereditary Conditions | | |
| Congenital Conditions | | |
| Cancer Treatments | | |
| Diagnostic Treatment | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Behavioral Therapy | | |
| Prescription Medications | | |
| Enrollment Fee | None | $25 |
| 30-Day Money Back Guarantee | | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| Unlimited Lifetime Benefits | | |
| Claim Limits | $5,000, $10,000 or Unlimited | $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, $25,000 or Unlimited |
Pets Best vs Petplan Quote Comparison
Another way to compare two of the best pet insurance providers is to run quotes for both. Keep in mind that quotes vary based on breed, age, location and more, so it’s important to get quotes for your particular pet. We recommend running quotes from our top three pet insurance companies to help you make your decision. Below are some quotes we’ve gathered to help you see how these two companies compare regarding monthly premiums.
Dog – Yellow Labrador Retriever Pet Insurance Quote
Characteristics considered for these quotes:
- Age: 8 months
- Male
- No Microchip
- No Multi-pet Discount
- No Pre-Existing Conditions
- Residency in Chicago, Illinois (zipcode 60615)
- Quote is from February 7, 2017
| Deductible | Reimbursement % | Annual Maximum | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets Best | $100 | 80% | Unlimited | $75.31 |
| Petplan | $100 | 80% | Unlimited | $82.00 |
| Pets Best | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $45.93 |
| Petplan | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $43.09 |
| Pets Best | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $37.06 |
| Petplan | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $33.90 |
| Pets Best | $1,000 | 90% | $5,000 | $18.30 |
| Petplan | $1,000 | 90% | $5,000 | $25.15 |
Dog – Standard Poodle Pet Insurance Quote
Characteristics considered for these quotes:
- Age: 2 years
- Female
- No Microchip
- No Multi-pet Discount
- No Pre-Existing Conditions
- Residency in Tulsa, Oklahoma (zip code 74128)
- Quote is from February 7, 2017
| Deductible | Reimbursement % | Annual Maximum | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets Best | $100 | 80% | Unlimited | $35.53 |
| Petplan | $100 | 80% | Unlimited | $52.19 |
| Pets Best | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $21.67 |
| Petplan | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $27.97 |
| Pets Best | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $17.48 |
| Petplan | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $22.24 |
| Pets Best | $1,000 | 90% | $5,000 | $28.56 |
| Petplan | $1,000 | 90% | $5,000 | $19.66 |
Pet Insurance Reviews
Keep in mind that there are other pet insurance providers that you can consider as well. You can learn about each company’s pros, cons, pricing, coverage and more in our pet insurance reviews.
Which company do you think is better, Petplan or Pets Best?
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2 Comments on "Petplan vs Pets Best: Who’s Best in Class?"
My lab is 9 years old and still very active. 3 years ago she blew her ACL diving off a dock after her Frisbee. Recently she got a severe kidney infection and spent 13 days in the hospital. I had so many invoices that the system wouldn’t accept them so my happiness manager had me send them to her personal account and I had them processed through her. Great company and really great employees a lot has been about cost, Well in the 6 years I’ve had petplan I would have had to save almost $2000 a year to cover medical costs. So I am a happy camper
Paw’s down, Pet’s Best in my book!