As pet owners, our commitment to our pets doesn’t end in providing them with a bed or stocking up on their food supply.
We must also ensure that they are given the best medical care especially when they are already reaching the prime of their age. This is where pet insurance becomes extremely useful.
Here at Bubbly Pet, we made it our goal to help you choose the best insurance company for your pet companion. Check out our top five below!
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance – Best Overall
Healthy Paws has been offering insurance policies for cats and dogs since 2009. They are highly rated by their customers since their coverage includes illnesses, accidents, cancer, genetic conditions, emergency care, and alternative care.
Over 500,000 pets are currently enrolled in their policies, so you can easily find a pet owner who has availed and ask about their experience.
It is pretty easy to claim reimbursements from them because they have developed a mobile app that helps you process all your bills. All you have to do is snap a photo of your vet bill and submit it through the app.
They will only ask for your pet’s full medical history during the first claim, but you would no longer need to repeat the process in the succeeding ones.
Claims are often processed within two business days, so you won’t have to wait long before receiving your money. What’s more, they don’t have lifetime or annual maximums for their claims. And their premiums for dogs start at $20 per month.
Apart from all these, what I personally love about availing pet insurance from this company is that they know how to give back. They’ve been donating to various rescue organizations since 2009 and as of April 2020, they have already spent over $1 million to aid homeless pets.
Where did they get all that money, you ask? Well, for every pet insurance quote, they donate a percentage to different non-profit organizations.
Pros
Claim repayment is within two business days.
Their app can help you easily process your reimbursement.
They have unlimited lifetime coverage.
They respond immediately to emails.
They shoulder fees for sick visits.
Includes travel coverage within the U.S. and Canada
Cons
12-month waiting time for hip dysplasia examination
Vet fees and behavioral therapy costs are not covered.
Their plans aren’t customizable.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance – Best Budget
The ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is in partnership with Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group. They were already able to insure 400,000 dogs and they have processed 1.6 million claims since 2006.
The main inclusions of the insurance offered by ASPCA are accidents and injuries, illnesses, behavioral conditions, alternative therapies, and congenital and hereditary conditions.
However, if you just want to avail of an accident-only plan to serve as your cushion in case anything happens to your pet, this is very much possible. Adding preventative care coverage is also an option if you want vaccines, screenings, and dental cleanings to be included.
For the amount, you can choose among the annual deductibles which are $100, $250, or $500.You can also raise your annual limit to $15,000.
So basically, you can fully customize your plan annual limit to deductibles and reimbursement percentage. This is quite impressive as compared to other companies.
To claim your reimbursement, all you have to do is access their My Pet Insurance app. You can submit claims through the app, track them, pay bills, find nearby vets, and check your coverage details. Pretty handy just like the one Healthy Paws has.
Pros
Discounts for multiple pets (maximum of 10% off per pet)
Uses smartphone app for easy processing of reimbursement
Unlimited annual benefit option
You can choose to add wellness coverage.
They have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
When your pet travels to the U.S., Canada, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, they are still covered.
They offer an accident-only plan.
They don’t have any upper age limits for all their coverage.
Cons
This is provided by Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group and not directly from ASPCA.
The wellness benefits are subject to the treatment’s limits.
There is a $2 transaction fee if you are not annually paying.
There are no unlimited claims.
Embrace Pet Insurance – Best Coverage
When it comes to coverage, nothing will beat Embrace Pet Insurance. Why? Take a look at this list of inclusions:
All illnesses & injuries
Hereditary and breed-specific conditions
Emergency and specialty care
Hospitalization & surgery
Congenital conditions
Cancer treatment
Chronic conditions
Behavioral therapy
Prescription drugs
Alternative therapies
Diagnostic testing
Rehab
Apart from all these health and accident-related inclusions, you can also purchase “wellness rewards” which reimburse you for training, grooming, routine vet visits, spay or neutering surgery, vaccines, and preventatives, etc.
Similarly, you can also choose the “accident-only insurance coverage” if your pet is already 15 years and older.
Sounds too good to be true, eh? Not really. All that I have presented are pure facts. In fact, Embrace also fairly evaluates pre-existing conditions and all other health issues and accidents. They have a diminishing deductible as well through what they call “Healthy Pet Deductible.”
The premise of this program is that, for every year that you don’t file or claim a reimbursement, they will deduct $50 for your annual fee. This may seem little, but in the long run, this will help you save a lot of money if your pet remains healthy.
If you have any questions regarding your claims, you can always contact their PawSupport hotline which will answer your queries 24/7.
Pros
Great coverage
You can opt for an accident-only plan.
Their helpline is available 24/7.
You can claim your reimbursement in 8 to 9 days.
There’s a 10% discount for multiple pets.
When your pet travels to the U.S., they are covered by insurance.
They have optional wellness rewards.
They have no lifetime limit.
Cons
They don’t have an unlimited benefit option.
No zero-deductibles
There is an enrollment fee of $25 and a monthly transaction fee of $1.00.
If you are a new customer, you must call them to have access to unlimited claims.
Pets Best Pet Insurance – Best for Quick Reimbursement
Have you ever heard of a pet insurance company that doesn’t ask for medical records for you to reimburse? Well. Pets Best Pet Insurance sure has upped their game. You only have to send them med records if they request them. And most of the time, they do not!
They are known for their fast claims because you can do it all online. Their direct deposit is also free, and you can ask them to pay your vet pronto. Totally hassle-free.
Pets Best Pet Insurance only has a 3-day waiting period for accident claims, 14 days for covered illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligaments.
For accident coverage, you would only need to pay $9 per month for pet dogs and $6 per month for pet cats. These fees do not take age and breed into consideration, which I think is quite awesome.
Similar to other pet insurance companies, they cover accidents and illnesses. But what’s more interesting is that euthanasia is also included for humane reasons.
Other reasons why this company is an excellent choice are that they have unlimited annual plans, they have no upper age limits, and they have exam fees and routine care coverage. You can also contact them 24/7 with their hotline.
Pros
They have convenient tools for fast reimbursement.
Direct vet reimbursement
Low premiums
A lot of discounts are available.
They have a flat rate for their wellness and accident plans.
Cons
Their annual limit options are only two.
Their accident and illness plan is somehow complicated.
They do not cover end-of-life expenses.
Petplan – Best for Senior Dogs
Petplan insurance is deemed to be perfect for senior dogs because of its “covered for life” policy. This enables you to keep your dog covered for the rest of their life as long as you keep renewing each year.
Aside from this agreeable feature, Petplan does not raise your premium after claiming, unlike other insurance companies. They can directly pay your veterinarian as well, so you won’t have to worry if you are really financially incapable of shouldering vet fees during that time.
This is expected from them since they are an award-winning insurance company. They’ve been providing insurance claims for 40 years now and they have already insured 1.3 million pets.
Some of the reasons why 90% of Petplan’s customers renew each year are due to the fact that they do not impose a penalty on claims and they were already able to pay 97% of the reimbursement claims they receive. They are also run by pet specialists, so their policies are well-designed.
If you want to learn more about how much it will cost you to avail of a plan from them, all you have to do is visit their website to get a quote.
Pros
No lifetime claim limit
They have an app to facilitate your claim.
They cover fees for sick visits.
Your pet is covered whenever they travel to the U.S.
They have a 5% discount if you purchase their plan on their website.
They have no claims credit.
They also cover losing your pet, advertising that you lost a pet, and your canceled out-of-town vacations due to your pet’s illness.
Cons
There are no wellness plans offered.
Repayment of claim is within 22 days.
No discount for multiple pets.
Final Thoughts
Before choosing the first pet insurance company that is reflected in your Google search, carefully evaluate the plans they are offering. Make sure that they won’t give you a hard time with your reimbursement payout and they also cover practically anything health-related.
The five insurance companies I have listed above are chosen among many because they are well-reviewed and they have their strengths. I suggest you read more about them on their website to see which one will really work well with your pet.
Commenti