Pets Best Insurance Reviews: Customer Service, Wellness Plan, vs Healthy Paws, vs Trupanion, How To Cancel, Referral Code, And More

Pets Best has many ways to customize your plan to fit your budget. With inflation driving the price of everything up, it’s nice to have control over how much your pet insurance costs without sacrificing coverage. And if waiting on reimbursement is an issue for you, you may be able to utilize Pets Best’s vet direct pay option.

Let’s dive deeper into what you can expect from Pets Best, including price, coverage, customer service, claim processing, customization options, and more. We even have personal experience from someone on our team who has unfortunately filed eight claims with Pets Best during one policy period.

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Pets Best Overall Rating

Pets Best Review

Product Name: Pets Best Insurance

Product Description: Pets Best offers pet insurance for dogs and cats.

Summary

Pets Best is a popular pet insurance pick among pet parents due to their lower quotes and extensive coverage. If your budget is tight, you can purchase an accident-only plan from Pets Best. Or, if you find routine expenses to be a concern for you, you may be interested in adding a wellness plan to your insurance policy. There are many ways to customize your plan to fit your needs and budget.

Our pet insurance experts read through each pet insurance company’s policy to provide detailed comparisons and information regarding how a provider fares against others in the industry. We also speak with customers, read online feedback, and communicate one-on-one with pet insurance companies to obtain a well-rounded, unbiased analysis of a company’s standings.

Our team rates pet insurance companies based on several factors, including A.M. Best ratings (an indicator of financial stability), claim processing reputations, contract coverage, customer service, pricing, plan customizations, and more.

Overall Score

4.8

Pros

• No lifetime limits on any plan
• Competitive pricing
• Discounts available for multi-pets and military
• Multiple forms of customer support
• Electronic claim filing and direct deposit options
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• No upper age limits (pets must be 7 weeks or older)
• Your pet is covered when they travel with you in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico
• Optional wellness plan

Cons

• $2 transaction fee (waived if pay annually or live in MD or AK)
• Alternative/holistic therapies are not covered
• Average claim processing is longer than competitors

Key Features

• Underwriters: American Pet Insurance Company & Independence American Insurance Company (California only)
  • A.M. Best rating (a measure of financial stability): Unrated & A-
• No exam is required at enrollment
• Bilateral exclusions (a condition or disease that affects both sides of the body): includes, but not limited to, luxating patellas, cruciate ligament events (CCL/ACL), glaucoma, entropion, ectropion, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cataracts, cherry eye, and osteochondritis dissecans
• Claims process:
  • Must submit claims within 180 days of the date of service
  • Submit claims via customer’s online account, app, mail, email, or fax
  • Claim processing currently averages 7-14 days, and direct deposit and check are both options
  • Option to have Pets Best pay vets directly, so you don’t have to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement (not available everywhere)
• Can transfer ownership of a pet, and coverage will continue if the new owner contacts the company within 30 days
• Progressive and Farmers Insurance sell Pets Best
• Covers curable pre-existing conditions they are healed or are curable and require no further treatment (e.g., broken legs, kennel cough, etc.)

Customer Service Options & Hours

• Phone
  • Monday – Friday: 6am to 7pm MST
  • Saturday: 6am – 2pm MST
  • Sunday: Closed
• Email and live chat
• 24/7 Pet Helpline allows you to speak with a vet expert day or night about your pet’s health or behavioral concerns
• FAQ
• Mail
• Fax

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What Are Pets Best’s Waiting Periods*?

Pets Best will reduce or waive waiting periods, according to its policy:

Section 2, C5: The waiting periods may be reduced or waived for coverage acquired through pre-approved channels where the health of your Pet is certified by a participating veterinarian prior to coverage being purchased. Please refer to your Declaration Page for your Pet’s specific waiting period.

• Illnesses: 14 days
• Accidents: 3 days
• Cruciate Ligament: 6 months
• Hip Dysplasia: 14 days
• Wellness: 1 day

*Waiting periods for California, Maine, and Mississippi are as follows:

• Accidents - 0 days
• Illnesses - 14 days
• Cruciate Ligament Conditions - 30 days
• Routine Care - 0 days

Waiting periods for North Dakota are as follows:

• Accidents – 3 days
• Illnesses – 14 days
• Cruciate Ligament Conditions – 30 days
• Routine Care – 0 days

What Does Pets Best Cover?

The details below are for Pets Best’s three accident and illness policies. Pets Best also offers an accident-only plan and routine care coverage, which we discuss in more detail below.

Please know that none of the providers in our pet insurance comparison cover pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.

All of them cover the following items when deemed medically necessary: emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. However, this coverage may have limitations, so please review your policy carefully.

Condition	Essential	Plus	Elite
Behavioral Therapies
Alternative/Holistic Therapies
Accident & Illness Exam Fees
Rehabilitative, Acupuncture & Chiropractic Coverage
Wellness Care	Extra Fee	Extra Fee	Extra Fee

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What’s Pets Best’s Accident Only Plan?

Pets Best is one of the few pet insurance companies that offer an Accident Only plan. It includes a $10,000 annual payout limit, $250 deductible, and 90% reimbursement. It only covers accidents (as its name suggests) so things like broken bones are covered.

It doesn’t cover any illnesses, routine care, acupuncture, or chiropractic treatment. This plan has a flat rate of $9 per month for dogs and $6 per month for cats. There is a three-day waiting period for Pets Best’s Accident Only plan before coverage kicks in.

What’s Covered?

• Trauma
• Poisoning
• Bite (animal, insect, snake)
• Hit by car or moving vehicle
• Foreign body ingestion
• Bone fracture
• Laceration, cut, abrasion
• Wound
• Torn nail
• Medical problems directly attributable to accidental injury

Note: Torn ligaments are not covered in this plan.

Does Pets Best Offer Wellness Plans?

Pets Best offers two wellness plans shown below in the table. Included are the maximum amounts that Pets Best will pay each year for that specific routine care per year.

How Is Pets Best’s Pricing Determined?

Pets Best has no one-time fees and a $2 transaction fee for every payment (waived if you pay annually or live in AK or MD). Your monthly premium is based on the deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual payout options that you choose from the table below.

Pricing is also based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, pre-existing conditions, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from Pets Best for your specific pet to get an idea of how much a policy would cost you.

You can also use our pet insurance quote form below to see how top providers compare for your actual pet.

Does Pets Best Have Any Discounts?

Pets Best offers the following discounts:

• 5% off for multiple pets 
• 5% off for military members and their families

Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. You can also visit our dedicated Pets Best promotions page to learn more

How Does Pets Best Reimbursement Work?

Pets Best uses a “copay then deductible” reimbursement method. This is calculated in the following way:

• (Eligible vet expenses x Reimbursement percentage) – Remaining annual deductible = Reimbursement amount

For example, let’s say you have a plan with 90% coverage, a $1,000 deductible, and unlimited annual payouts. Your dog gets kennel cough, and the vet bill includes sick exam fees, blood work, and other diagnostic testing.

1. You pay the total of the vet bill to your vet’s office, which is $1,356.23.
2. In your Pets Best account under Claim Center -> Submit a Claim, you fill out the information asked for (type of claim, date of vet service, health condition, name of vet clinic) and upload the paid itemized vet bill.
3. A Pets Best specialist reviews the claim and your policy coverage to determine any eligible reimbursement. If the claim is approved (typically within a few weeks), you receive an email with an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), which shows how your benefits were applied to your claim.
4. In this case, the waiting period has passed, and kennel cough qualifies as an illness with no pre-existing conditions, so you receive the following reimbursement:
   • [$1,356.23 (eligible vet expenses) x 90% (reimbursement percentage)] – $1,000 (remaining annual deductible) = $220.61 (reimbursed amount)
5. For the remainder of the policy period, any eligible vet bills will be reimbursed 90%. Only 10% will be due out of pocket because the deductible has been met for the year.

Watch this quick video to see how easy the claim submission process is (from a current customer).

Our Personal Experience With Pets Best

Below is how Pets Best helped our team member save on eight claims filed with her two-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel within the first year of coverage.

Previous Experience With Pet Insurance

We had pet insurance with our previous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and it was sadly needed within a year of adopting her since she was diagnosed with cancer shortly after signing up. We couldn’t imagine not giving her access to specialists and chemo treatment, which wouldn’t have been financially feasible without having insurance to rely on that covered the expensive vet bills.

Signing Up For Pets Best

Since our new dog was a puppy, I wanted to sign him up when he was young and the rates would be less expensive given he’s relatively healthy. After shopping around and comparing plans and pricing options, we went with Pets Best because they had the best rates and customer service reputation. 

We enrolled him with an accident and illness plan for his second birthday in early September 2022, not thinking we’d have to use it anytime soon.

Many Health Issues Occurred In The First Year Of Being Insured

Within weeks, we needed to see a behaviorist for anxiety issues. Sadly, those were not covered since it was during the waiting period.  We had a follow-up visit with our behaviorist for a medication refill, but that wasn’t covered because it was a condition that he had treated while he was under the waiting period (and therefore considered a pre-existing condition).

Shortly after that, he got kennel cough (while at the groomer) and found himself in the emergency room for bloodwork, tests, and medication. That visit alone met our annual deductible ($1,000), so any other new illnesses or accidents would be covered at 90%.

During his spring 2023 annual checkup, they detected a heart murmur. We were encouraged to see a cardiologist for further testing and diagnosis.  Knowing we would have 90% of the bills covered because it was a covered illness (and no previous history of heart conditions), we scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist for a consultation and echocardiogram. Thankfully, we had 90% of the total bill reimbursed because it was another pricey visit. Without pet insurance, we may have thought twice about making an appointment with a specialist, given he’s so young to be considered at risk for heart issues. But knowing the breed is susceptible to heart murmurs, we were glad we could get a second opinion without worrying about how much it would cost. He then had a follow-up with his primary vet about his heart murmur, which was covered 90% as well.

Shortly after that, his anal glands ruptured, and we were back at the ER. He had anal gland issues before (and ruptured previously), but since it’s a curable condition, Pets Best covered it. 

Another month or so later, he got an upset stomach from switching dog food brands (because of his anal gland issues) and was in the ER again for the third time in less than a year. While the vet visit was covered at 90%, the medication wasn’t since it was just an over-the-counter supplement to help with his tummy.

Finally, in August 2023, we were back at the cardiologist for a six-month re-check to do another echocardiogram and see if there were any changes in his heart valve leak. They covered 90% of the bill since the deductible was already met.

Thousands Of Dollars Saved Thanks To Pets Best

Overall, the total cost of our first year covered by Pets Best was well worth it, and I’m so glad I signed him up.

• Monthly Premium – $21.51 ($258.12 for the year)
• Total Cost For All Vet Visits – $4,588
• Final Vet Cost For Pet Parents (10% copay and $1,000 deductible) – $1,993
• Pets Best Reimbursed – $2,595

We Renewed His Policy

We just renewed his plan, and his monthly premium didn’t increase. We hope he won’t have as many claims to file this year, but we have peace of mind knowing that his now lifelong heart murmur will be covered going forward in addition to any other unexpected emergencies.

What Are The Most Common Claims Submitted To Pets Best?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions regarding Pets Best pet insurance from our readers.

Is Pets Best The Same As Progressive?

Progressive partnered with Pets Best to offer their pet insurance policies.

How Do I Cancel Pets Best Insurance?

Pets Best has a pretty straightforward cancellation policy. Simply fill out this online form, and Pets Best will cancel your policy the day it receives your notice.

If you’d like a replacement for your Pets Best insurance policy, take a look at our pet insurance reviews to see which pet insurance companies we recommend.

Does Pets Best Premium Increase?

Your premium won’t increase based on the number of claims filed. However, as your pet ages, your premium will adjust to account for the increased likelihood that there will be age-related health issues.

How Long Does It Take For Pets Best To Process A Claim?

Pets Best’s current claim processing average is 7-14 days. The amount of time it takes for a claim to be processed is dependent upon the claim type.

Pets Best vs Other Companies

Interested in seeing how Pets Best stacks up against other popular pet insurance companies? We’ve written comparison articles for you to see how Pets Best and other leading pet insurance companies compare in coverage, customer service and reputation, claim processing, plan customization, and price.

• Pets Best vs ASPCA
• Pets Best vs Embrace
• Pets Best vs Fetch
• Pets Best vs Figo
• Pets Best vs Healthy Paws
• Pets Best vs Lemonade
• Pets Best vs Nationwide
• Pets Best vs Pumpkin
• Pets Best vs Trupanion

Our Final Verdict On Pets Best

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We recommend Pets Best for its extensive coverage, customizable plans, and extremely competitive pricing. This company also offers an optional wellness plan. However, its underwriter is unrated by A.M. Best, which we consider a higher risk factor vs those who are rated. Further, Pets Best has received an influx of negative customer feedback regarding their lengthy claim repayment timeline in recent years.

If you want to know how Pets Best stacks up against other pet insurance carriers, check out our comparison of pet insurance providers. We compare the top ten pet insurance providers and rank them, explaining each company’s strengths and weaknesses. We also have many comparison tables to help you see where pet insurance companies differ. We answer frequently asked questions, walk you through a pet insurance claim example, list out all of your pet insurance options in an easy-to-digest directory format, and more. We’re sure we can answer all your pet insurance questions, so you feel equipped to make the best decision for your pet.