Pet insurance? I don’t need another expense. Plus, my pets are all super healthy! I feed them raw food, they get exercised regularly, I brush their teeth . . .
Yep, that’s what I said too when I first had heard about pet health insurance. At 11 years of age my best friend, Audrey the Great Dane, had no arthritis, no illnesses, no allergies. Her vet, Dr. Fryer at Animal Clinic of Oak View, was always commenting on how healthy she was for an elderly gal. Until she wasn’t.
Audrey was diagnosed with a rare form of quickly spreading stomach cancer. She was my best friend and soul mate, and I made the commitment when I adopted her that I would do whatever it took to keep her safe, happy, and healthy. Her cancer treatment with several doctors, an oncologist, two surgeries, medications, and more: $12,000. [Insert “thud” when my stomach dropped to the floor.] It was well worth the 6 more months I was able to spend spoiling her, however, I wish I’d been smarter and signed up for her health care reimbursement coverage as I’m still making up for that loss, even though I had savings just for her care.
Luckily today there are several choices when it comes to choosing pet health care.
So, how is one to choose the right plan?
When looking into purchasing a plan you’ll want to consider the following:
- What’s covered?
- What’s excluded?
- Is the deductible annual or per-incident? An annual deductible typically reimburses you more during a policy year than per-incident deductibles.
- What is the company’s reimbursement method? Some pet insurance companies pay a percentage on the actual veterinary bill. (Look out for benefit schedules or “usual and customary” policy language, as it may lower your reimbursement amounts.)
- Is there a cap on payouts? If so, is it per incident, per year, or over the pet’s lifetime?
- What do their customers have to say? Be sure to read through reviews to get a full picture of the pet insurance company you’re considering.
Below, I’ve listed six pet insurance companies with links to their websites, Better Business Bureau listings, reviews, and other details I’ve learned. Each company carries plans where coverage and exclusions may vary so exercise your due diligence by reading up on their websites and don’t be afraid to ask them questions. All make it easy to request a quote online, and all have much more detailed information on their websites that should be reviewed before making any decisions.
ASPCA
- Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Can cover the following:
- Hereditary/Congenital Conditions
- Dental Disease
- Chronic Conditions
- Behavioral Issues
- Alternative Therapies
- More
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Preventative Care
- Cosmetic Procedures (tail docking, ear cropping, dew claw removal unless medically necessary)
- Breeding Costs
- Deductible Type
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- 70%, 80%, and 90% options of covered cost you’ll get back.
- Cap on payouts?
- $5,000 to Unlimited (custom)
- Reviews
- –Yelp
- -Better Business Bureau
- Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
Embrace
- Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Breed-specific Conditions
- Chronic Conditioned
- Congenital Conditions
- Diagnostic Testing & Imaging
- ER & Specialist CareSurgery, Hospitalization, Nursing Care
- Alternative Therapies
- Prescription Drugs
- Dental Illness up to $1000/year
- Behavioral Therapies
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Preventative Care
- Breeding Costs
- Injury deliberately caused by you or someone in home
- Injury or illness resulting from fighting, racing, cruelty, or neglect
- Cosmetic procedures (tail docking, ear cropping, dew claw removal unless medically necessary)
- DNA testing or cloning
- Stem Cell Therapy not deemed medically necessary
- Avian Flu or Nuclear War
- Deductible Type
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- Custom per plan
- Cap on payouts?
- Yes
- Reviews
- –Yelp
- –Better Business Bureau
Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
Healthy Paws
- Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- ER & Specialist Care
- Hospitalizations
- Alternative Therapies
- Hereditary Conditions
- Congenital Conditions
- Cancer
- Chronic Conditions
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Preventative Care
- Exam Fees
- Behavioral Therapies
- Deductible
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- Up to 90% of your vet bills for covered conditions
- Easily upload photo of vet bill to their mobile app in seconds to submit claim.
- Most claims processed within 3 – 10 business days.
- Cap on payouts?
- No caps on annual or lifetime payouts
- Reviews
Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
Nationwide
- Coverage
- Exams
- Wellness Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- ER & Specialist Care
- Hospitalizations
- Surgeries
- Chronic Conditions
- Cancer
- Dental Diseases
- Prescription Medications
- Alternative Therapies
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Grooming
- Behavioral Therapies
- Food, specialty diets, supplements
- Diagnosis or treatment that is experimental, investigational, or otherwise not within the standard of care accepted by the veterinary medical board of California
- See website for specific plan info.
- Deductible
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- Up to 90% of your vet bills for covered conditions for top plan only.
- Cap on payouts?
- Yes
- Reviews
Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
Pets Best
- Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Cancer
- Hereditary Conditions
- Congenital Conditions
- ER & Specialty Care
- Hospitalizations
- Prescription Medications
- Chronic Conditions
- Diagnostics
- Behavioral Conditions
- Dental Diseases
- Euthanasia for Humane Reasons
- Routine Care (dependent on plan)
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Preventative Care (dependent on plan)
- Cosmetic procedures (tail docking, ear cropping, dew claw removal unless medically necessary)
- Parasites
- Food, specialty diets, supplements
- Herbal, holistic, and experimental therapies and medications
- Deductible
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- Percentage & Benefit Schedule
- Process most claims in 5 days or less and can do direct deposit if requested
- Cap on payouts?
- Yes
- Reviews
Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
PetFirst (Now Metlife)
- Coverage
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Hereditary Conditions
- Congenital Conditions
- Chronic Conditions
- ER & Specialty Care
- Diagnostic Tests
- Exam Fees
- Ultrasounds
- Prescription Drugs
- Alternative Therapies
- Hospitalizations
- See website for more after waiting period
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing Conditions
- Preventative Care
- Cosmetic procedures (tail docking, ear cropping, dew claw removal unless medically necessary)
- Breeding Costs
- Food, specialty diets, supplements
- Grooming
- Parasite Prevention, treatment, illness
- Dental Diseases
- Behavioral Therapies
- Organ Transplants
- Deductible
- Annual
- Reimbursement
- Up to 90% of your vet bills for covered conditions
- Claims are processed in less than 2 weeks
- Cap on payouts?
- Yes
- Reviews
Click on the company’s name (above) to view their website for more detailed information.
So who did I choose? Healthy Paws. Why? No cap on payouts, quick reimbursement, the best reviews, and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. I love their customer service as they are personable, make things easy, and fast when it comes to processing a claim. I liked the options and that they are able to cover my elderly pup. But your needs and budget for your critters can be very different so don’t take my word for it!
A year after Audrey passed away, we had a challenging night. After returning home from a day of sorting a tragic death in the family, our stressed pup, Greta the Redbone Coonhound, drank an entire bowl of water at once and bloated. We called VMSG in Ventura and headed out the door straight away as often dogs only have about 15 minutes to live in this situation.
Their vet techs were outside waiting for us with a stretcher and saved our girl’s life. She was in shock, had to have her stomach stapled to the side of her abdomen to prevent the situation from happening in the future, and she was hospitalized for several days under the care of the amazing Dr. Mary Dulisch. Dr. Dulisch also found Greta had paralysis of her larynx which required a separate surgery in order to allow her to breathe during the other treatments. Bottom line, this cost us a pretty penny (and for good reason!) but because we had Healthy Paws Pet Insurance it was no question whether or not they should go full tilt on saving our girl’s life. (She’s laying next to me snoring as I type this, the little stinker.)
A small monthly payment goes a long way when it comes to saving your loved one’s life. In my opinion, it’s totally worth it and there is definitely the right plan and company for you. You want only the best for your little loved ones, right?
Best of luck on your search!