10 Best Pet Insurance Providers in 2024 – Our Top Picks

Pet insurance is not new, but its demand has skyrocketed over the last several years. A North American Pet Health Insurance Association report shows a 27.7% annual growth rate in the pet insurance marketplace.¹ With an increase in demand comes an increase in service. There are now plenty of companies to choose from, making selecting the right one for your pets a challenge.

Today we’ll take an honest look at the ten best pet insurance plans available this year. We’ll look at their coverage options, cost, and closely examine each company’s benefits and drawbacks. So keep reading to find the perfect pet insurance plan for your beloved fur baby.

A Quick Glance at Our Winners for 2024

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Lemonade	Discount plan options available Highly customizable coverage Customizable payment options	Click to Get Quote
Best Value		Healthy Paws	Coverage for alternative therapies No lifetime or yearly caps Customizable rates	Click to Get Quote
		Spot	No upper age limits Multi-pet discount available Unlimited annual coverage is an option	Click to Get Quote
		Pumpkin	High reimbursement rate Optional preventative care package No upper age limits	Click to Get Quote
		Figo	Short injury waiting period 100% reimbursement option No per-incident cap	Click to Get Quote

The 10 Best Pet Insurance Providers

Policyholders have several opportunities to add to their base package. The “Great for Cats/Dogs” preventative care package includes a wellness exam, parasite test, three vaccines, one heartworm test, and one blood test. Their “Great For Kittens/Puppies” package includes the above and the spay or neuter procedure, microchipping, and flea/tick or heartworm medication. You may also choose to add on physical therapy coverage and end-of-life and remembrance coverage.

Your insurance will not cover dental care or the spay/neuter procedure (unless you add the kitten preventative package). The waiting period for injuries is two days, 14 days for illnesses, and six months for cruciate ligaments.

Receive a discount for bundling your insurance plans, paying for the entire year, or enrolling multiple pets.

Customize your monthly or yearly payment by adjusting what percentage Lemonade will cover of your bill (70%–90%), your annual deductible ($100–$500), and the maximum annual payout ($5,000–$100,000).

Lemonade’s insurance plans are not available in every state.

You can customize your monthly rate by adjusting your reimbursement percentage (70% or 80%) and your deductible ($250 or $500). While the monthly payment may be slightly higher than other insurance plans, the value you’ll receive from the coverage is unparalleled.

It’s easy to make a claim through the Healthy Paws app, and most payments are processed within 48 hours.

Healthy Paws does not provide coverage for spaying or neutering procedures, visit or examination fees, preventative or routine care, or pre-existing conditions. The waiting period is 14 days for accident and illness coverage and 12 months for hip dysplasia for pets under six.

You may add on one of two preventative care plans. The “Gold” preventative plan will provide coverage for things such as dental cleaning, deworming, wellness exam, fecal tests, and certain vaccines up to a total annual benefit of $250. The “Platinum” preventative plan adds onto the Gold plan by adding in urinalysis, blood test, flea/heartworm protection, and health certificate up to a total annual benefit of $450. The Platinum plan may also cover the spay or neuter procedure.

As with other companies, you can customize your monthly payment by adjusting your annual limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible. For example, you can opt for unlimited annual coverage and choose a deductible as low as $100.

There are no upper age limits, and you can get 10% off your policy by enrolling multiple pets. In addition, your policy will include VetAccess 24/7, a telehealth helpline that connects you with veterinary experts whenever you need their help.

The waiting period for coverage is two weeks.

Pumpkin offers pet insurance plans for kittens and puppies as young as eight weeks, and there are no upper age limits.

Customize your monthly payment by adjusting the annual limit ($10,000–unlimited) and deductible ($100–$500). Save money by taking advantage of their multi-pet discounts.

Add onto your base plan by opting for the Preventative Essentials package, which will reimburse routine care like your annual wellness exam, parasite screening, two vaccines, and more.

Pumpkin will not provide coverage for non-illness-related dental cleanings, orthodontic dental services, spaying or neutering, or elective procedures. Their waiting period is 14 days.

They have three policy options: Essential ($5,000 annual coverage), Preferred ($10,000 annual coverage), or Ultimate (unlimited annual coverage). Their plans cover things like diagnostic testing related to illnesses or accidents, FDA-approved medication, surgeries, and chronic and hereditary conditions. They provide knee condition and hip dysplasia coverage after a six-month waiting period. Some non-routine dental care may be covered if it is related to an injury or illness. Figo’s policies offer holistic and alternative treatment coverage but nothing for routine wellness care.

There are no per-incident caps on claims, allowing policyholders to make the most of their annual benefits.

Figo policyholders can use the company’s Pet Cloud app for making claims and uploading documentation. They will also have 24/7 access to a live vet chat through the app.

Customize your plan by opting for Figo’s policy “powerups, “including wellness care, exam fee coverage, and an extra care pack.

The waiting period for injuries is just one day, but 14 for illnesses. The six-month orthopedic waiting period can be waived by having a healthy orthopedic exam performed within 30 days of the policy being implemented.

You can customize your monthly payment by playing with your plan parameters. For example, choose between annual limits between $5,000 and $30,000, reimbursement rates between 70% and 90%, and yearly deductibles between $200 and $1,000. There are annual maximums but no lifetime caps. You can save 10% by enrolling in other pets, too.

Embrace is unique as they provide a Healthy Pet Deductible, which will decrease your annual deductible by $50 each year you don’t receive an insurance claim reimbursement.

Embrace allows policyholders to add “Wellness Rewards”, the company’s flexible preventative care plan, to their package. It is not an insurance policy, however. Instead, think of it as a budgeting tool.

While Embrace, like every pet insurance company, will not cover pre-existing conditions, they differentiate between curable and incurable conditions. So if your pet is symptom-free of a curable condition for 12 months, they may re-evaluate your coverage options.

The company will provide coverage for pets of all ages, but only accident-only coverage is available for pets over 14.

There are no caps on unexpected expenses like allergies, broken bones, or urinary obstructions. They even cover breed-specific conditions like hip dysplasia and thyroid disease. Unfortunately, there is no routine care covered.

You can enhance your coverage by adding on their Recovery & Complementary Care package to add coverage for alternative therapies. Their Pet Owner Assistance coverage supports you if your pet runs away, if you become hospitalized and need to board your pet, and for cremation or burial costs if your pet passes due to an accident.

One of the best things about this company is that direct billing is possible, provided your vet has Trupanion’s payment software. This means no complicated or long claims process and no waiting for your pet to receive care.

The company can apply discounts to policyholders whose pet is a working animal doing therapy work for others or those trained to mitigate symptoms of their owner’s disability. This does not apply to emotional support animals. They do not offer multi-pet discounts.

Trupanion has a five-day waiting period for injuries and 30 days for illnesses. They will not provide coverage for pets over 13.

Nationwide has three policy options: Major Medical with Wellness, Major Medical, or Whole Pet. You can select a 50% or 70% reimbursement level for their Whole Pet Plan, but the other two policies have defined annual benefits per condition. The Major Medical with Wellness is the most comprehensive plan as it includes coverage for wellness exams, vaccines, flea/heartworm prevention, bloodwork, and urinalysis.

For scaled-down coverage, the Major Medical plan will provide coverage for diagnostics and testing, hospitalization, surgeries, some hereditary conditions, and more. The Whole Pet plan covers exam fees, hereditary conditions without a waiting period, accidents, illnesses, and more. There is a $10,000 total annual benefits cap.

Nationwide will never drop your pet from coverage due to age, but you must enroll it before it turns ten. They offer a multi-pet discount of 5%.

The waiting period for accidents and illnesses is two weeks, but cruciate ligament injury coverage will not begin until one year.

You can opt to add on a Preventative Care package, of which there are two options. The Basic package provides an annual benefit of $250, while the Prime option offers $450. The Prime option offers more benefits, such as blood tests, urinalysis, health certificates, and flea and heartworm protection.

There is a two-week waiting period before your policy comes into effect. The ASPCA offers a 10% multi-pet discount but charges a monthly transaction fee of $2.00. If you choose to pay annually, this fee is waived.

Pre-existing conditions may not be permanently excluded from your plan. Once your pet has healed and shows no symptoms for 180 days, the company will no longer consider the condition to be pre-existing. The exceptions to this rule are knee and ligament conditions.

It takes 14 to 16 business days for your claim to be processed. This can result in longer than usual wait times to receive your reimbursement.

As with other pet insurance companies, you can customize your monthly premium to find a price that suits your budget. However, they don’t offer as much variety in payout, deductible, and reimbursement percentage options as other companies.

As a policyholder, you’ll receive coverage for virtual vet visits. Fetch will pay up to $1,000 per year for phone, email, text, or video calls with a vet.

Claims are processed within 15 days, putting Fetch at the high end of the processing time.

Fetch does not consider all pre-existing conditions to be excluded entirely from their plans. If your pet goes a year from the day you signed up for insurance without showing signs of a curable condition, it could be covered in your plan. The six-month exclusionary period for orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament injuries may be waived if you have a vet examine your pet within 30 days of your policy taking effect. This may or may not be an option available to you, depending on your state.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance Provider

What to Look for in Pet Insurance

Insurance can be exceedingly complicated, but we’ll make it easier for you to understand. You should look at a few key parameters when deciding which company is best. Let’s take a closer look.

Policy Coverage

Policy coverage refers to what your policy will reimburse you for. Not every plan will provide coverage for everything, so choose what is most important to you. Do you want help paying for wellness and routine care, or are you looking for assistance with unforeseen expenses resulting from injuries and accidents? Read your policy thoroughly to understand its benefits and limitations fully.

Customer Service & Reputation

Customer service is an essential aspect of any insurance. If you have any questions about your policy, coverage, or claims, you need to be able to speak to someone from the company for clarification. The best insurance companies are easy to access via phone, live chat, or email. They are responsive, kind, and understanding.

Claim Repayment

How you’re reimbursed for your claims and how quickly your payments come through is essential. It’s stressful to be faced with significant unexpected vet bills, so the faster you can get paid for your claims, the better. Some companies, like Trupanion, offer direct billing where the clinic can bill the company directly and receive instant repayment. However, most companies require you to send your bills electronically or via snail mail and will then pay you via direct deposit several days later.

Price of Policy

You shouldn’t purchase an insurance policy if you can’t afford the monthly payments. Thankfully, most companies have customizable payment plans that allow you to adjust your coverage, reimbursement percentage, and deductible until you find a monthly premium that works best for your budget.

Plan Customization

Not every insurance policy will consist of the features you’re looking for. That’s why many companies offer optional add-ons for further coverage. For example, accident and illness policies may not also cover routine care, but for a few extra dollars every month, you can add on coverage for things like wellness exams, tick prevention, and microchipping.

FAQ

Is pet insurance available outside of the U.S.?

Yes, you can get pet insurance outside of the U.S. Not all of the above-reviewed companies will be available in every country, just as some of the insurance companies in your area will not be available for Americans.

Can I get insurance before my pet gets major surgery?

You can get insurance, but the surgery likely won’t be covered. The condition your pet needs surgery is likely considered a pre-existing condition, which means the surgery wouldn’t be covered, nor would any follow-up care related to the surgery.

How do I know if my vet accepts pet insurance?

Any licensed veterinarian will accept pet insurance. After all, you’ll still pay them the full amount for services rendered. Your insurance company will then reimburse you directly for any covered expenses.

What’s the difference between hereditary and congenital conditions?

A hereditary condition is linked to your pet’s genetics. For example, hip dysplasia is common in breeds like Saint Bernards and Great Danes.

Congenital conditions are not linked to genetics but instead developed while your pet was in-utero. Commonly reported congenital conditions included cerebellar hypoplasia and heart defects.

What the Users Say

Current policyholders have conflicting opinions about the usefulness of their pet insurance. Most people seem pleased with their policy coverage, but this is not the case for everyone. Most of the complaints you’ll hear about pet insurance is the time it takes to receive funds. While some companies direct bill, others take up to a month to reimburse their policyholders. This can be frustrating for the already stressed-out pet parents, but the important thing to remember is that the funds are coming. It’s certainly better to receive reimbursements later than expected than to not be able to provide the care your pet needs.

Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?

It’s hard for us to tell you which insurance provider is best for your needs. You must consider your pet’s needs, medical history, and budget. Before getting quotes for insurance, make a list of what type of coverage is important to you. Do you have an adventurous cat that’s always getting itself into trouble? You might want a policy that provides accident coverage. Was your dog born with congenital liver disease? Find a policy that covers hereditary and congenital conditions.

Don’t jump into the first insurance plan you get a quote for. The beautiful thing about the internet is that you can shop for no-obligation quotes until you find a policy and monthly premium that best suits your needs and budget.

Conclusion

Pet insurance is a worthwhile investment that provides pet owners peace of mind. If your beloved pet were to fall ill or have a serious accident, the last thing you want to do is scramble to find ways to pay the significant vet bills. Though pet insurance is yet another expense to add to your monthly budget, it can save you much money in the long run.

Featured Image Credit: Rita_Kochmarjova, Shutterstock