Best Pet Insurance Companies

Best Pet Insurance Companies of June 2022

Nationwide

• Annual deductible options: $250
• Reimbursement options: 50%, 70%, 90%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: 5 days

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% discount for current Nationwide customers
• Offers coverage for exotic pets
• Optional wellness plans available

Cons

• Pets must be enrolled before the age of 10
• No unlimited reimbursement options
• Only one possible deductible

Why We Chose It

Nationwide is a leading insurance company and has been offering pet insurance since 1982. It now insures over 1 million pets, and it’s one of the only pet insurance companies to cover exotic pets as well as dogs and cats.

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Nationwide offers four plans:

• Major Medical: Major Medical is Nationwide’s basic accident and illness policy. It covers treatments and procedures for sudden injuries or illnesses. The deductible is $250. This plan uses per-condition annual limits, meaning you’ll have to look at the coverage details to see how much they’ll pay depending on what has happened to your pet.
• Whole Pet: Whole Pet coverage is for unexpected accidents and injuries. It has a $10,000 cap on annual benefits and a $250 deductible. You can choose a reimbursement percentage of 50% or 70%. Besides accidents and illnesses, Whole Pet also covers hereditary and congenital conditions.
• Pet Wellness (Basic and Plus): These plans provide coverage for routine and preventative care, like wellness exams, vaccinations, and flea and heartworm preventatives. They have per-condition annual limits; Basic has a $400 overall annual limit, and Plus has a $500 overall limit. Pet Wellness can be added on to Major Medical plans.
• Avian and Exotic Pet Coverage: Nationwide covers birds, reptiles, and other exotic pets. Less details are available online as you can only get quotes and purchase coverage for exotic pets over the phone.

Nationwide’s plans have 14-day waiting periods for both accidents and illnesses.

Figo

• Annual deductible options: $100–$750
• Reimbursement options: 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: 7-10 days

Pros & Cons

Pros

• One-day waiting period for injuries, 14 days for illnesses
• Offers up to 100% reimbursement
• No upper age limit for enrollment

Cons

• Veterinary exam coverage requires an additional rider
• Rehabilitation and alternative therapies require an additional rider

Why We Chose It

With most pet insurance companies, the maximum reimbursement—the percentage of your veterinary bill the insurance company covers—is usually 90% or less. But with Figo, you can choose a reimbursement percentage as high as 100%, so your bill will be completely covered after reaching your deductible.

Figo offers three accident and illness policies for dogs and cats:

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• Essential: The Essential plan provides up to $5,000 in annual benefits.
• Preferred: The Preferred plan’s annual benefits are capped at $10,000.
• Ultimate: The Ultimate plan has an unlimited annual benefit.

Figo does have optional riders you can add to your policy, such as wellness plans for vaccines and preventative care, veterinary exam fee plans, and extra benefits like coverage for boarding fees, and third-party property damage liability protection.

Figo also offers a diminishing deductible. For each year that you are claim-free, Figo will reduce your deductible by $50 until it reaches $0.

Figo was founded in 2013, and it’s based in Chicago. Its policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company.

MetLife

• Annual deductible options: $50–$2,500
• Reimbursement options: 70%-100%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: Less than two weeks

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Family plans available
• No upper age limits
• Plans cover veterinary exams and medications

Cons

• Annual benefits limited to $10,000 for online enrollment
• Coverage for parasitic conditions requires an additional rider
• Six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament conditions and IVDD

Why We Chose It

Although many companies offer multi-pet discounts, you usually have to reach the annual deductible for each pet. But with MetLife, you can enroll your pets in a family plan and have just one deductible that applies to all of your pets. MetLife’s family plans tend to be less expensive than enrolling pets in individual plans, helping you save money.

MetLife offers accident and illness policies for dogs and cats nationwide. Its policies have two-week waiting periods for illnesses, but accident coverage starts the day after you enroll your pet.

MetLife also has routine care riders you can add to your policy to get coverage for wellness visits and preventative care. The company offers multiple discounts, and it works with employers to offer discounted pet insurance to eligible workers. Take note that some policy options (like deductibles and coverage limits) may vary by location and pet.

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MetLife is a major insurance and financial services company founded in 1868. Its policies are underwritten by the Independence American Insurance Company. For more information, see the full MetLife pet insurance review.

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance

• Annual deductible options: $100, $250, $500
• Reimbursement options: 70%, 80%, 90%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: 30 days or less

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Pets can regain coverage for some pre-existing conditions
• Higher-than-usual multi-pet discount
• Covers stem cell therapy

Cons

• Somewhat limited reimbursement percentage options
• No high-deductible option to lower your premiums
• Must call for some coverage options

Why We Chose It

There are no pet insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions. If your pet was diagnosed with or showed clinical signs of a condition before your policy effective date or during the waiting period, all companies will exclude treatments for that issue.

However, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance stands out from most other companies in handling curable pre-existing conditions. If your pet has a curable condition and is free from treatment and symptoms for at least 180 days after enrollment, the condition is no longer considered pre-existing, and future treatments will be covered. But this provision doesn’t apply to ligament or knee conditions, so your pet cannot regain eligibility for coverage for issues like hip dysplasia or a luxating patella.

ASPCA has reasonable waiting periods for all conditions, including orthopedic issues (14 days). And it’s one of the few companies that cover stem cell therapy for qualifying injuries or illnesses, making it a good choice for breeds known for hereditary or congenital issues.

ASPCA has two main plans for dogs and cats, along with preventative care riders:

• Complete Coverage: The Complete Coverage plan is ASPCA’s accident and illness plan. The maximum allowable annual benefit is $10,000 when enrolling online, but you can call for more options.
• Accident-Only Coverage: Accident-only coverage only reimburses you for treatments for injuries and emergencies related to sudden accidents. The maximum allowable annual benefit is $10,000.
• Basic/Prime Preventative Care: The preventative care add-on reimburses you for routine care like annual exams, dental cleanings, heartworm/flea prevention, and vaccinations. The Prime plan costs more than the Basic, covers more treatments, and offers more reimbursement.

ASPCA also has separate policy options for horses: Colic + Accidents, Colic + Accidents + Illnesses, and Routine/Platinum preventative care packages.

Despite its name, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is not owned or run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Instead, it is owned by Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group and gets its name through a branding partnership with ASPCA. Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group has been providing pet insurance since 1997.

Odie

• Annual deductible options: $50–$1,000
• Reimbursement options: 70%-90%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: 5 days to process plus a couple weeks to receive

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No upper age limit
• Lower-than-average premiums (based on internal research)
• Wide range of deductible amounts

Cons

• Regular teeth cleanings and exams required for periodontal disease coverage
• Reimbursement sent through postal mail

Why We Chose It

Dental diseases are common in dogs and cats. In fact, periodontal disease affects 80% of dogs over three years of age.2 Some insurance companies limit dental coverage, but Odie’s plans provide significant protection. If you follow the company’s care requirements for dental exams and cleanings, Odie will cover periodontal disease, endodontic treatments, extractions, and more.

Odie has one accident and illness policy, with multiple optional riders that provide coverage for wellness exams and routine care. There’s no upper age limit for enrollment, and you can get up to 90% reimbursement for qualifying treatments. You can choose a deductible between $50 and $1,000, so you can adjust your policy to fit your budget.

Odie is a relatively new company, founded in 2020.

Prudent Pet

• Annual deductible options: $100–$1,000
• Reimbursement options: 70%, 80%, 90%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: “Lightening fast” claims process

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No upper age limit
• 24/7 veterinary support available
• Quick claims processing

Cons

• Six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament and soft tissue conditions
• Basic plans don’t cover office visits

Why We Chose It

Because pet insurance companies usually work via reimbursement—you pay for your pet’s treatment, submit a claim, and wait for the insurer to reimburse you—processing times are important. Some companies can take weeks to process and pay out claims. But with Prudent Pet, the claims process is “lightening fast” and uses AI to get you your money faster.

Prudent Pet has three plans for dogs and cats:

• Accident-Only
• Essential
• Ultimate

The Accident-Only and Essential plans each have a $10,000 annual maximum, while the Ultimate plan is unlimited. The Ultimate plan also includes additional benefits like mortality coverage, vacation cancellation reimbursement, and advertising and rewards for lost pets.

Prudent Pet also has three wellness plan options you can add to your policy—for an additional fee—to get coverage for preventative care. There is also exam fee coverage that can be added.

Prudent Pet was launched in 2018, and it issues policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

USAA

• Annual deductible options: $200–$1,000
• Reimbursement options: 70%, 80%, 90%
• Avg. claim turnaround time: 10–15 days

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Diminishing deductible
• Covers complementary treatments and rehabilitative care
• Significant discounts available

Cons

• Senior pets aren’t eligible for accident and illness protection
• Bilateral conditions are not covered
• Six-month waiting period for most orthopedic conditions

Why We Chose It

Pet insurance can be expensive, and budget-conscious pet owners can save a significant amount of money through USAA. Most USAA members can get up to 15% off their premiums. But if you are current or former active duty military or have multiple pets to insure, you can get up to 25% off.

USAA membership is required to purchase insurance from USAA; to qualify for USAA membership, you must be a current or former member of the U.S. military. Spouses and children of current or former military service members are also eligible.

USAA doesn’t issue or underwrite pet insurance policies. Instead, it partners with Embrace to provide discounted pet insurance options to eligible members.

Embrace offers accident and illness policies along with accident-only policies for dogs and cats. Embrace also sells a wellness plan that helps pay for routine care like vaccinations or microchipping.