Pet health insurance can provide pet owners with peace of mind and financial security knowing their dog’s medical bills will be covered in the event of an accident or illness.
With a myriad of pet health insurance plans to choose from, we have reviewed them to help pet owners navigate their way through the intricacies of said plans.
Our aim is to recommend plans that provide sufficient insurance coverage for a reasonable price.
The cost of pet insurance varies greatly as it depends on the following factors:
Level of coverage
Generally, pet insurance is offered in three different coverage tiers: accident and illness, accident-only, and wellness. The most comprehensive pet health insurance protects against accidents and illnesses. This type of coverage is highly recommended because it provides coverage broad enough to protect pets from any unexpected mishaps or conditions.
Accident - only plans provide less coverage but are generally cheaper than comprehensive plans. As its name implies, it only covers accidents such as poisoning, cuts and lacerations, foreign body ingestion, injuries, bite wounds, and the like. Conditions, disorders and illnesses are excluded from coverage.
Wellness plans cover just preventative or routine veterinary care such as vaccines, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention medication. These may be standalone plans or may be an add-on to comprehensive or accident-only plans.
Type of pet - The type of insured pet influences the premium price. Cats are comparatively cheaper to insure than dogs. Some insurance companies also insure birds, reptiles, and other exotic animals, for which the premium varies depending on the type of animal.
Pet’s age – Younger pets are generally healthier than older ones. Thus, younger pets are considered less risky to insurance companies, making them cheaper to insure. Price aside, it’s best to insure pets as early as possible before any hereditary conditions manifest and are considered pre-exisiting conditions that the policy won’t cover.
Pet’s breed – Each breed is predisposed to certain illnesses, which then influences the insurance premium. For instance, French Bulldogs are prone to developing cherry eye and brachycephalic respiratory distress. A pet’s breed is also directly correlated to pet’s size. It costs more to insure larger dogs.
Pet’s location – Veterinary care costs vary by location, which is why if pet owners and their pets live where veterinary costs are high, the insurance premium will reflect that. Usually, a pet that lives in an urban area is more expensive to insure than a pet that lives in a rural area.
Insurance plan’s deductible
The insurance plan deductible chosen by a pet owner is the amount of money he or she will have to pay out of pocket before the insurance covers the rest of the veterinary costs. The higher the deductible, the lower the insurance premium will be. In general, there are three types of deductibles offered:
- Annual deductibles – Once these are met, the insurance will cover the percentage of reimbursement agreed on for the rest of the calendar year.
- Per condition lifetime deductibles – are those that the company will cover per condition for the remainder of the pet’s life, once the deductible has been paid. Per condition annual deductibles reset annually per condition.
- Insurance benefit limits- These plans may offer unlimited lifetime benefits or annual maximum benefits. Unlimited lifetime benefits are those that do not have an upper limit for the insurance company to cover after the deductible is met. Annual maximum benefits caps payouts on an annual basis, which means that once the yearly limit is reached, the insurance will cease to reimburse the pet owner.
Reimbursement percentage
This refers to the percent of the veterinary bill that the insurance will cover, once the deductible is paid. That said, higher reimbursement percentages increase the insurance premium. The amount left over after the insurance issues the corresponding payout is termed the copay.
- There are also annual per-incident limits reimbursement for a particular illness, condition or procedure during a given year, or lifetime maximum, which is the maximum amount of reimbursement paid in total or per condition during the pet’s lifetime.
Other than price, when considering different pet insurance companies, pet owners should consider how many plans each company offers, how much these can be customized to specific needs or budgets, additional coverages such as prescriptions and supplements, as well as customer service ratings.
Pet owners may find it useful to consult a veterinarian prior to choosing a pet health insurance plan. The veterinarian can shed light on conditions that are common for a pet’s breed and break down the cost of specific treatments. This information will provide insight on the potential benefit of insuring a pet.
When our editors reviewed the best dog insurance, we looked at a number of factors, including:
- Customer satisfaction and reviews online
- Coverage for puppies or dogs (what types of things are covered)
- Benefits caps (if they exist)
- Structure of their deductible
- Emergency care and choice of vet
Considering more than 10 providers of pet insurance, we found that the best choice for dogs is Healthy Paws. When looking at multiple sources of online reviews, Healthy Paws was consistently ranked as the #1 choice by dog owners.
That's because they take customer care seriously and they are truly there to support their canine customers in times of injury or need.
WHY DID HEALTHY PAWS STAND OUT?
Coverage for Healthy Paws stood out to us because they offer illness and accident coverage that is the most comprehensive.
Some other plans have a lot of really subtle aspects to their policies where they won't cover certain types of conditions whereas coverage for Healthy Paws starts almost immediately (within two weeks) and will cover just about everything.
ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS WITH THE POLICIES OFFERED BY HEALTHY PAWS?
Yes, one noteworthy thing to watch out for is that hip dysplasia is not covered by Healthy Paws for 12 months. If coverage is needed sooner for hip dysplasia we recommend looking into Pet Plan.
Healthy Paws also does not cover the cost of spay/neutering. This allows their plans to be cheaper and we believe it will save a pet owner more money in the long term by sticking with Healthy Paws as opposed to buying a potentially more expensive plan from a company like Embrace, who will pay for spay/neutering in the short term, but cost more over the life of the pet.
Healthy Paws was also our top choice because they were one of the only providers we reviewed that offer truly unlimited benefits with absolutely no benefit caps. This is really important because pet insurance is about preparing for the unexpected.
Pet owners get pet insurance in the first place to ensure that the corresponding veterinary treatment or procedure is covered for their dog regardless of price.
Healthy Paws’ annual deductible schedule—as opposed to per-incident—prevents pet owners from having to pay deductibles repeatedly within a calendar year if their dog has multiple ailments over time.
Healthy Paws also covers emergency care. Lastly, like the other providers we reviewed, it allows pet owners to choose their own veterinarian.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Every pet parent should first consider the needs of his or her pet, and then, based on those needs, get a quote from Healthy Paws, as well as at least one other company. No matter which company pet owners may go with, their pup should be covered for the unexpected.
To further learn about pet insurance options, read our review of the top 10 companies of 2019.
When our editors reviewed the best dog insurance, we looked at a number of factors, including:
- Customer satisfaction and reviews online
- Coverage for your puppy or dog (what types of things are covered)
- Benefits caps (if they exist)
- Structure of their deductible
- Emergency care and choice of vet
Considering more than 10 providers of pet insurance, we found that the best choice for dogs is Healthy Paws.
When looking at multiple sources of online reviews, Healthy Paws was consistently ranked as the #1 choice by dog parents.
That's because they take customer care seriously and they are truly there to support their canine customers in times of injury or need.
Why did Healthy Paws Stand out?
Coverage for Healthy Paws stood out to us because they offer illness and accident coverage that is the most comprehensive.
Some other plans have a lot of really subtle aspects to their policies where they won't cover certain types of conditions whereas coverage for Healthy Paws starts almost immediately (within two weeks) and will cover just about everything.
Are there any limitations with the policies offered by Healthy Paws?
Yes, one noteworthy thing to watch out for is that hip dysplasia is not covered by Healthy Paws for 12 months. If you need coverage sooner for hip dysplasia you should also look at Pet Plan.
Healthy Paws also does not cover the cost of spay/neutering your puppy.
That allows their plans to be cheaper & we feel that you will save more money in the long term by sticking with Healthy paws as opposed to buying a potentially more expensive plan from a company like Embrace who will pay for your spay/neutering in the short term but cost you more over the life of your pet.
Healthy Paws was also our top choice because they were one of the only providers we reviewed who offers truly unlimited benefits with no caps period. Not annual, not per condition, not anything - just unlimited!
That is really important because pet insurance is really about preparing for the unexpected. You want to make sure that the surgery is covered for your dog no matter what the price.
That's why you're getting pet insurance in the first place!
Their deductible as an annual (as opposed to per incident) prevents you from having to pay a deductible again and again within a calendar year if your dog has multiple ailments over time.
Healthy Paws also covers emergency care and like the other providers we reviewed, allows you to choose your own vet.
The Bottom Line
Every pet parent should first consider the needs of their pet, then, based on those needs, they should get a quote from Healthy Paws & at least one other company because no matter which company you go with, your pup should be covered for the unexpected.
If you would like to read further about pet insurance options, read our review of the top 10 companies of 2018.