How to Find Affordable Pet Insurance
The best pet insurance will help you avoid the financial pain of unexpected illnesses and accidents. A good plan should cover your pets for their entire lives, even as they age. But finding affordable pet insurance can be tricky, especially if you have multiple pets or are paying for older animals’ care. The key is to do your research and compare prices. We’ve ranked the best pet insurance companies based on annual limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates, as well as the breadth of covered treatments. We also looked at additional features such as wellness or preventive care add-ons and mobile apps.
A comprehensive accident and illness plan should cover all sorts of potential medical emergencies, including hereditary or congenital conditions, cancer and more. The top picks in our review, Spot and Pumpkin, offer strong coverage, as well as low premiums. They both also include a wellness or preventive care add-on that pays toward routine vet visits, heartworm treatment and vaccinations.
Other notable providers in our rankings are Figo and Healthy Paws. Both offer plans that cover a range of possible health issues, with Figo’s offering more comprehensive options like alternative/holistic treatments and C-sections. It also offers a one-day waiting period for accidents and is the only provider we reviewed to cover curable pre-existing conditions if they’ve been cured and free of symptoms and treatment for 180 days.
Some pet owners choose to purchase a limited plan for their animals, such as those that only cover accidents or hereditary conditions. These plans typically cost less, but don’t always pay for the full cost of expensive treatments or can exclude certain conditions, such as cruciate ligament injuries. Others opt for a more comprehensive plan, which costs more but can help them save money in the long run by covering potentially high-cost medical bills.
Choosing the right plan for your animal depends on a number of factors, including its species and breed, as some diseases are more common in some breeds than others. For example, large dog breeds may be more prone to hip dysplasia than smaller breeds. Some insurers will only insure certain breeds, and many have a maximum weight that they’ll cover.
Most of the insurers we tested provide multiple plan options, so you can customize your coverage to suit your pet’s needs. Some also offer a discount if you choose to pay annually rather than monthly, and they’ll likely give you the option of automatically renewing your policy each year.
The biggest factor that affects how much you’ll pay for your pet insurance is the deductible and reimbursement level. The lower the deductible, the higher the premium; the higher the reimbursement rate, the lower the premium. Many of the top-rated providers offer a varying range of options in these categories, so you can make a plan that’s right for your pet and budget.
