Need a Deal on Pet Insurance for Your Furry Friend? Here Are 8 Affordable Options
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Provider | Plan Premiums |
$20—$100/month | |
Starting at $10/month | |
Starting at $15/month for cats, $20/month for dogs | |
Starting at $9.87/month for cats, $13.94/month for dogs | |
Starting at $6/month for cats, $9/month for dogs | |
Starting at $79 annually or $9.95/month for a cat or small animal, $99 annually or $11.95/month for dogs and large animals | |
Starting at $17.23/month for cats, $24.94/month for dogs | |
Wellness plans start at $20/month, insurance coverage starts at $13/month |
Pet owners know all too well how much pets can cost. From food and supplies to grooming and boarding costs, pets are expensive to own. According to the 2019 American Pet Products Association (APPA) annual report, Americans spent $95.7 billion on their pets. Over $29 billion of that amount was on veterinary care.
Best Deals on Pet Insurance Plans in 2021
One way to combat the rising costs of owning a pet is through pet insurance. Not only can having pet insurance save you considerable money, but it also provides your pet with comprehensive health care coverage. Purchasing pet insurance could come in handy if they end up having any illnesses or injuries down the road. Here’s a look at our picks for the eight most affordable pet insurance companies.
Best Customizable Coverage: Petplan
Pricing: $20—$100/month
Petplan keeps pet insurance simple, with only one policy available with no options for additional insurance riders. But one policy doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Pet owners can choose from a host of deductibles, reimbursement levels and annual limits. You decide how much coverage you need.
Your monthly premiums are determined by the coverage you choose, where you live and your pet’s age and breed. Older pets have limited coverage with Petplan. Also, note that Petplan coverage doesn’t include a wellness plan. However, there is coverage for vet exam fees and holistic treatments.
Petplan charges no enrollment fee. It also features 24/7 customer support, including a live chat option.
Best Price: Lemonade
Pricing: Starting at $10/month
Lemonade recently started offering comprehensive pet insurance coverage. There are also options to add a wellness package and an extended accident and illness package. Coverage includes diagnostics, procedures, illness, medications and accidents. Customers need to provide a veterinarian exam from within the last 12 months to qualify.
Existing Lemonade customers get a 10% discount on pet insurance. Unfortunately, Lemonade only offers pet insurance in 33 states and Washington D.C. currently.
Lemonade launched in 2015, so it is relatively new to the insurance scene. The company currently only offers renters, homeowners and pet insurance. Also, there’s no option to contact customer service or file claims outside of its mobile app. Lemonade relies on AI and a customer service team to process all insurance claims.
Best Value: Healthy Paws
Pricing: Starting at $15/month for cats, $20/month for dogs
Pet owners looking for good value should turn to Healthy Paws. The company only offers one pet insurance plan, but it includes most of the features people look for in a pet insurance carrier.
Pet owners will love that annual and lifetime insurance payouts aren’t capped. Healthy Paws is also known for its quick turnaround, with 99% of claims processed within two days.
Coverage through Healthy Paws does require a medical exam and features a 15-day waiting period to start. It includes diagnostics, hospitalization, surgeries and medications. Unlike many other insurers, there is no option for add-on coverages. Deductibles and reimbursements are limited to three options.
Healthy Paws restricts coverage considerably on pets over five years old, though. Keep that in mind if you have older pets. Coverage doesn’t include preexisting conditions, wellness care, preventative care and examination fees.
Best for Multiple Pets: ASPCA
Pricing: Starting at $9.87/month for cats, $13.94/month for dogs
Most pet owners are probably familiar with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). In 2006, they formed a partnership with Hartville Pet Insurance (rebranded as Crum & Forster in 2017) to sell pet insurance.
One of the main draws to pet insurance through ASPCA is its discount for multiple pets. Pet owners receive a 10% discount on insurance coverage for multiple pets. You can even list all of your pets under one policy, so you only have one monthly premium to worry about.
Coverage costs are based on place of residence and your pet’s species, breed and age. It includes accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions, dental, behavioral issues and more. Customers can add preventative coverage for an additional cost. If you don’t need full coverage, there’s accident-only coverage available too.
Plans do have annual caps — $10,000 for cats and dogs, and $7,000 for horses. ASPCA is one of the only pet insurance carriers with coverage for horses. If you want to see how they stack up to competitors, there is a handy free comparison tool right on their website.
Best for Older Pets: Pets Best
Pricing: Starting at $6/month for cats, $9/month for dogs
Pets Best is another top pet insurer to consider. With its low costs and unlimited annual and lifetime benefits, Pets Best could be an excellent option for your pets. Plans come with customizable annual limits, deductibles and reimbursement levels. They also offer pet wellness plans for an extra charge.
There is no upcharge for accident-only and illness coverage with older pets. Pets Best also has some of the shortest waiting periods around, only three days for accident coverage and 14 days for illness.
Pets Best’s coverage can be a little confusing with several accident and illness options available. Make sure you understand what you want and what you are signing up for before paying for coverage.
Best for Exotic Pets: Pet Assure
Pricing: Starting at $79 annually or $9.95/month for a cat or small animal, $99 annually or $11.95/month for dogs and large animals
While Pet Assure does have coverage for dogs and cats, it also offers coverage for exotic pets like monkeys, birds, llamas and almost everything else. That’s not the only thing different about Pet Assure. They also have no waiting periods, no annual limits, and no deductibles. That’s because it’s they don’t offer traditional pet insurance. Instead, it’s a discount program aimed at lowering veterinary bills.
Pricing is based on your location and the number of pets you want to be covered. That’s it. Pet Assure offers a simple membership structure with options for monthly or annual payments. Because it’s a discount program, every medical procedure is covered. There are also no age limitations and, unlike most pet insurance carriers, preexisting conditions are covered.
The discounted amount is 25% at the most, so Pet Assure doesn’t compare to the reimbursements you see with pet insurance coverage. Also, note that it doesn’t include any prescriptions. But if you’re looking to save money on pet care, especially if you have an exotic pet, Pet Assure is a solid option.
Best for Hereditary Conditions: Trupanion
Pricing: Starting at $17.23/month for cats, $24.94/month for dogs
Trupanion is another insurance provider offering one straightforward base plan. Only the deductible is customizable with its plan. Coverage is 90% after hitting the deductible, much higher than most pet insurance carriers.
Trupanion also offers additional coverages for an extra cost. Recovery and complementary care covers non-clinical procedures like acupuncture, behavior modification, physical therapy and more. Pet owner assistance coverage is for expenses outside of the vet’s office like advertising and rewards for lost pets, select boarding fees and more.
Insurance coverage includes diagnostic tests, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, supplements and herbal therapy and prosthetic devices. Where Trupanion shines is its coverage of conditions that other insurance companies don’t like to touch. This includes hereditary conditions, congenital conditions and even unidentified issues.
Best for Wellness Plans: Wagmo
Pricing: Wellness plans start at $20/month, insurance coverage starts at $13/month
Wagmo does offer pet insurance coverage, although it’s not available nationwide yet. The real draw for Wagmo is its wellness plans. There are three Wagmo wellness plans available that vary in price, services and reimbursements. Plans cover office visits, vaccines, routine bloodwork, fecal tests and more. The plans are set up like a membership program.
Unlike traditional insurance, Wagmo’s wellness plans don’t require a medical exam and have no waiting periods or deductibles to meet. Wellness plans are available nationwide.
Which Pet Insurance Option is Right for You?
The right pet insurance for your depends on what type of coverage you feel is right for your pet. Like any other insurance coverage, we tend to feel like its wasted money until it’s needed. But having a pet is a special relationship, often similar to being a member of the family. Take time to survey all of the options available and how much coverage you want, and then choose what works best for your pet.
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While we work hard on our research, we do not always provide a complete listing of all available offers from credit-card companies and banks. And because offers can change, we cannot guarantee that our information will always be up to date, so we encourage you to verify all the terms and conditions of any financial product before you apply.
