Best Pet Insurance Companies of 2020

The best pet insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options at reasonable prices. Premiums will differ for each pet, depending on their age, breed and the insurance provider. It’s important to get multiple quotes to find the best price on the coverage you want.

The best pet insurance companies of 2020

• ASPCA Pet Health Insurance — Best for older animals
• Blue Bridle — Best for horses
• Embrace — Best no-deductible option
• Figo Pet Insurance — Best digital experience
• Healthy Paws — Best for low prices
• PetFirst — Best overall
• Nationwide — The best option for exotic pets
• Trupanion — Best for unlimited lifetime coverage

Each of the providers in this list of pet insurance reviews offers customizable, comprehensive medical and wellness coverage at competitive pricing.

The best pet insurance companies

Any of the following pet insurance providers will be able to offer you customizable policy options that allow you to have as much or as little coverage for your pet as you want. We recommend requesting quotes from a few providers on this list to find your best rate for the coverage that’s most important to you.

ASPCA: Best for older animals

ASPCA highlights

• Covers up to 90 percent of your vet bill
• No maximum age of pet allowed to be insured
• No maximum annual benefit (but there are per-incident benefit limits, ranging from $2,500 to $7,000)

ASPCA will insure animals of any age, which is great if you have an older pet.

There’s also no maximum annual benefit for coverage, which includes accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions and behavioral issues. Per-incident limits range from $2,500 to $7,000 depending on your plan, but the good news is that they reset every year, so a chronic condition won’t break the bank.

ASPCA’s illness and accident waiting period is 14 days, and an optional add-on for preventive care has no waiting period. There’s also an accident-only plan available for all pets, and a money-back 30-day guarantee. You also get a 10 percent discount on each additional pet you insure.

Blue Bridle Equine Insurance: Best for horses

Blue Bridle highlights

• Offers equine insurance, liability coverage and farm property insurance
• Licensed in 42 states
• Insurance for riding clubs, horse shows and clinics

Blue Bridle Equine Insurance offers three policy options. Basic equine coverage includes mortality, major medical, accident and illness, air transit and colic care with add-ons to cover colic only, loss of use and stallion accident/sickness/disease.

Liability coverage can be used by private horse owners and commercial facilities, riding clubs and horse shows, clinics, therapeutic riding programs, or other equestrian events. It includes both bodily injury and property damage. Underwriting for Blue Bridle’s policies is by a handful of insurers including the Hartford and American Reliable Insurance Company.

Embrace: Best no-deductible option

Embrace highlights

• Covers up to 90 percent of your vet bill
• 5 percent discount for paying your premium in full annually
• No deductible or copay for any routine care procedures with a wellness plan, and no waiting period before being able to use this benefit

Embrace’s flagship plan provides “nose to tail” coverage that includes all the basics and extras like dental illnesses, breed-specific and genetic conditions and exam fees. Alternative therapies and rehabilitation are covered, and you can add behavioral therapy, prosthetics and prescription drugs.

Embrace offers additional wellness rewards that cover routine care, from grooming to toenail trimming, and an accident-only insurance policy if that’s your main concern.
Waiting period is 14 days for illness and two days for accidents. A 30-day money-back guarantee is in effect as long as a claim hasn’t been paid.

Figo Pet Insurance: Best digital experience

Figo highlights

• Three levels of protection that provide $5K, $10K or unlimited annual benefits
• Unlimited annual vet benefits coverage available
• PetCloud app features live video chat and digital claims assistance

Figo offers several tiers of coverage that allow you to tailor your policy. All three plans cover a range of veterinary procedures and treatments, from hip dysplasia to prescription meds, with no upper age limit for pets. Non-routine dental and behavioral issues treatments are covered. Chronic conditions, cancer treatments, and emergency services are also covered under all three plans. The only difference is the annual cap on your claims, which ranges from $5,000 to unlimited.

The PetCloud app is Figo’s benchmark product, and it’s a good one. It includes access to a live vet, 24/7, who is there to help in an emergency. The app also allows you to maintain your policy online and find pet parks and dog walkers no matter where you are. You can also connect with others who are interested in pets.

Plans are reasonably priced with solid coverage available for under $50 a month. Deductibles are only payable once each year, not per injury or illness, and waiting periods vary.

Healthy Paws: Best for low prices

Healthy Paws highlights

• No maximum annual or lifetime payouts
• 99 percent of claims processed within two days
• Donates to non-profit pet organizations with every quote

Healthy Paws covers accidents, illnesses, cancer, emergency care, genetic conditions and alternative care including chiropractic and acupuncture. You can get a policy for a healthy, young dog with a $250 deductible for roughly $40 a month and half that for a cat. Its policies are underwritten by the Chubb Group, which is known for financial strength, leading to an A+ rating from AM Best. It also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, indicating a solid customer experience for policyholders.

Healthy Paws doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions or regular veterinary care. For pets over six years of age, the provider won’t cover hip dysplasia. The lack of an annual or lifetime cap, however, makes it an excellent value for your dollar. Healthy Paws says it pays out 99 percent of its claims within two days, and a mobile app makes it easy to submit a claim online. If you care about homeless animals, you’ll be pleased to note that the Healthy Paws Foundation has given more than $1 million to animal rescue organizations across the country.

Nationwide: Best for exotic pets

Nationwide highlights

• Covers up to 90 percent of your vet bill
• Currently the only provider in the U.S. to offer an avian and exotic pet plan
• If you already have a Nationwide insurance policy, you’ll save 5 percent on your pet insurance policy

If you are the proud parent of a chinchilla, cockatoo, tortoise, or any of a number of other exotic animals, Nationwide should be your first stop. Most pet insurers limit themselves to dogs and cats, but Nationwide covers birds, amphibians, ferrets, reptiles, and more. Plans cover accidents, illnesses, examinations, lab fees, medicine, x-rays and hospitalization. Plans start at $35 a month and allow you to use a vet of your choice.

Nationwide offers three plans for cats and dogs: Pet Wellness, which includes exams, flea and heartworm prevention and vaccinations; Major Medical, which covers exams, x-rays, surgeries, chronic conditions and more; and Whole Pet with Wellness, which covers everything the others do along with hereditary conditions and more. Wellness coverage is not something that other insurers offer frequently, so Nationwide is a good option if you’re looking for that.

PetFirst: Best overall

PetFirst highlights

• Pays up to 90 percent of your vet bill
• Unlimited lifetime benefits with an annual deductible (no matter how much care your pet needs, your policy will help cover it)
• Covers periodontal disease for dogs

PetFirst offers the most comprehensive coverage of all the companies reviewed. What was most impressive was that it does not have lifetime payout limits or per-incident limits like other insurers; only annual limits. If you have a young pet that develops a chronic condition or needs surgery plus rehabilitation treatment, you won’t max out on your benefits early and be left without coverage for future treatments or incidents. PetFirst’s robust annual coverage limits (up to $10,000) reset every 12 months.

The other way PetFirst stands out is with periodontal disease coverage. Covering this is impressive. Dog dental diseases are fairly common (the most common disease in dogs and cats, and it’s preventable, according to the American Veterinary Dental College). So, many insurers stay away from this, knowing they’ll likely have to pay out.

Trupanion: Best for unlimited lifetime coverage

Trupanion highlights

• Covers up to 90 percent of your vet bills, with unlimited payouts for accidents and illness
• 24/7 customer service
• No reimbursement checks: payments go right to the vet at checkout

Trupanion offers one plan with a rate that may be higher than some of our other picks, but which does not go up as the animal ages. If you insure your one-year-old lab for $104, you’ll still pay that amount when he turns 12. There are no annual policy caps or payout limits.

Trupanion has a 30-day waiting period for illness and five-day waiting period for injuries. Pre-existing conditions may be covered, even conditions your breed is prone to, such as diabetes, hip dysplasia, or thyroid disease. Coverage includes diagnostic tests, surgeries, medications and supplements and herbal therapy, which is not covered by many providers.

Trupanion has several riders, including a recovery and complementary care rider, which covers acupuncture, behavior issues, chiropractic and rehab therapy and a pet owner assistance package, which would cover advertising and rewards for a lost pet, boarding fees for your pet if you’re hospitalized and cremation.

How does pet insurance work?

Pet insurance is similar to any other insurance policy, such as auto or homeowners. There’s usually a deductible, which generally ranges from $250 up to $1,000. This is the amount you’ll pay before your insurance kicks in when you make a claim. You may use the vet of your choice, and you’ll pay for services and then be reimbursed by your insurer.

There may also be a reimbursement percentage. Many of our top picks pay 90 percent of the vet bills after your deductible. Your policy may also include a maximum claim payment, either per incident or annually. Plus, there will be a waiting period that ensures you won’t take out a policy once you know your pet is sick. Waiting periods can vary, from several days to a month to even as much as a year for some conditions.

Can pet insurance be cheap?

Pet insurance costs vary depending on the animal’s age, breed, medical history, and more. A top-of-the-line show dog used for breeding purposes, for example, will cost more to insure than a beloved back yard mutt. Plus, your insurance costs will likely go up as your pet ages.

Pet insurance costs start at less than $50 a month, and for some, may be considerably less. Cats tend to cost less than dogs. According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), the average monthly premium in 2019 for an accident and illness policy was $48.78 for dogs and $29.16 for cats. An accident-only policy is even cheaper: an average of $16.17 for dogs; $10.51 for cats.