Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Healthy Paws
"Best of all, there are no caps on payouts, so you can feel secure knowing your furry friend will get the care they need, no matter what the cost."
Best Claims Process: Trupanion
"Their Vet Direct Pay feature prevents you from having to pay out of pocket or submit claims to select veterinarians."
Best Coverage Options: Embrace Pet Insurance
"Every policy also includes coverage for alternative therapies like acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and physiotherapy."
Best App: Figo
"The app helps you find pet-friendly places or services, and connect with other pet owners in your area to chat or plan play dates."
Best for Exotic Pets: Nationwide Pet Insurance
"Need coverage for an exotic pet like a bird, snake, hedgehog, or goat? Nationwide offers insurance for these and many other rarer pets."
Best for Quick Reimbursement: Pets Best Pet Insurance
"Routine care coverage can be added on for an additional premium, covering things like vaccinations or teeth cleaning."
Best for Pet Owners on a Budget: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
"Their Complete Coverage covers accidents, illnesses, behavioral issues, and hereditary conditions, not excluding exam fees or diagnostics."
Best for Creating a Custom Plan: 24PetWatch Pet Protection Services
"They'll work with any licensed veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada, with policies covering the diagnosis, testing, and treatment of ailments."
Best for Older Pets: Petplan
"Customers can take their pet to any licensed vet in the U.S. or Canada, with coverage on accidents, injuries, and illnesses."
Best Overall: Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws
Get a QuoteHealthy Paws is a highly rated pet insurance company that's known for its comprehensive, affordably priced plans for dogs and cats. Their claim process is designed to be quick and painless for customers - simply visit any licensed vet or emergency clinic in the U.S., submit a photo of your bill using their app, and expect for the claim to be processed within two days.
Pre-existing conditions, exam fees, and preventative care aren't covered by Healthy Paws' pet insurance plans, but accidents, illnesses, hereditary and congenital conditions, surgery, prescriptions. Even alternative treatments like hydrotherapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture are included if performed by a licensed veterinarian.
Best of all, there are no caps on payouts, so you can feel secure knowing your furry friend will get the care they need, no matter what the cost. There is a 15-day waiting period from the policy effective date, meaning you must wait to submit claims for accidents and illnesses until that period has passed. You'll have to look elsewhere for pet insurance if your animal companion is more exotic than a cat or dog.
Best Claims Process: Trupanion
Trupanion
Get a QuoteWhile many pet insurance companies hike premiums - sometimes dramatically - as pets age, Trupanion offers one simple plan for all pets, regardless of breed, gender, or age. Although they don't cover preexisting conditions, preventative/wellness care, and exam fees, all unexpected illnesses and injuries are covered. They reimburse at 90% (after the deductible is met) with no payout limits, whether your pet is suffering from hereditary conditions (like diabetes, thyroid disease, hip dysplasia), congenital disease (heart disease, cataracts, liver disease), or unidentified issues (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing).
Their Vet Direct Pay feature prevents you from having to pay out of pocket or submit claims to select veterinarians. Instead, the veterinary hospital will submit a claim as you check out, and you'll just pay a portion of your bill while Trupanion pays the rest directly to the care provider.
For an extra fee, pet owners can opt in to Recovery and Complementary Care Rider coverage, which covers things like veterinary-recommended acupuncture, homeopathy, and chiropractic care. Trupanion's customer support team is available 24/7, so you can rest easy knowing they'll be there when you need them.
Best Coverage Options: Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace Pet Insurance
Get a QuoteWhile there are no pet insurance companies that cover preexisting conditions, Embrace Pet Insurance stands out from the pack by distinguishing between curable and incurable preexisting conditions. If a condition is deemed curable, they'll cover it after 12 months of a pet being free of symptoms and treatments.
They also offer coverage for exam fees, which some other pet insurance companies don't do. Their diminishing deductible feature is another nice budget-saver that reduces your annual deductible by $50 every year that you don't receive a claim payment.
Embrace-covered pets can visit any clinic, vet, or specialist for care, with coverage plans including accidents, illnesses, dental illnesses, cancer, genetic conditions, and chronic conditions. Every policy also includes coverage for alternative therapies (acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy), behavioral therapy, prescriptions, diagnostic testing, and prosthetics.
Accident-only coverage is available for pets older than 15. To submit a claim with Embrace, you'll fill out a claim form, attach itemized invoices from your vet, then send in your paperwork to the claims department. Direct deposit is available to make claims payouts quick and easy.
Best App: Figo
Figo
Get a QuoteFigo offers three flexible plans, promising to reimburse up to 100% of your vet bills when it comes to unexpected illnesses and injuries of dogs and cats. They'll work with any licensed veterinary practice, specialist, or emergency hospital in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Exam fees are an optional add-on for coverage, while emergency treatment and hospitalization, surgery, chronic conditions, cancer treatments, prescriptions, imaging, and prosthetics and orthopedics are all covered (when not preexisting conditions).
Premiums are based on a pet's age, breed, and where you live. Your chosen plan, deductible, and copay will also factor into your monthly bill with Figo. Bills are submitted through the Figo Pet Cloud app, which lets you follow your claim electronically and get paid quickly via direct deposit.
The app also helps you find pet-friendly places or services, and connect with other pet owners in your area to chat or plan play dates. The Pet Cloud's Live Vet feature lets you connect with a vet virtually, anytime of the day or night.
Best for Exotic Pets: Nationwide Pet Insurance
Nationwide Pet Insurance
Get a QuoteNeed coverage for an exotic pet like a bird, snake, hedgehog, or goat? Nationwide offers insurance for these and many other types of animals, along with dogs and cats. They offer three types of plans: Whole Pet with Wellness is the most comprehensive, covering everything from exams and X-rays to surgeries, emergencies, hereditary conditions, and wellness (vaccinations, flea control, microchipping, heartworm, physical exams, etc.).
This plan calculates reimbursement based on how much you paid your vet - you'll get a specified percentage back. The Major Medical plan is slightly more limited, with no wellness coverage and a waiting period for some hereditary conditions. This plan follows a benefit schedule when it comes to reimbursement, with reimbursement capped at a set amount for each condition.
And their Pet Wellness plan is focused fully on wellness, including vaccinations, wellness exams, and flea/tick prevention. Their VitusVet app allows you to easily submit a claim from your smartphone. Nationwide's base monthly premium for the Whole Pet with Wellness policy is $92.85.
Best for Quick Reimbursement: Pets Best Pet Insurance
Pets Best
Get a QuotePets Best claims to be North America's first pet insurance company, founded by veterinarian Jack Stephens in 2005. Their mission is to end “economic euthanasia” - pet euthanasia that occurs when owners don't have enough money to treat their pets illnesses or accidents.
If you're looking for quick reimbursement, Pets Best boasts one of the quickest rates in the industry at 2-5 days. Their coverage is available for all dogs and cats from the age of 7 weeks up, with no breed or age restrictions.
They'll work with any licensed vet in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada. There are a range of premium options to suit all sorts of needs and budgets, from an affordable accident-only plan (priced at $6/month for cats and $9/month for dogs) to their comprehensive, customizable BestBenefit plans that cover most injuries and illnesses.
Routine care coverage can be added on for an additional premium, covering things like vaccinations or teeth cleaning. Preexisting conditions, elective procedures, parasites, and herbal/holistic remedies aren't covered by Pets Best.
Best for Pet Owners on a Budget: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
Get a QuoteConsider turning to North America's first and oldest humane society for a pet insurance policy for your cat or dog. Pet parents can visit any vet, specialist, or emergency clinic in the U.S. or Canada, pay their bills, then file a claim and have ASPCA's reimbursement mailed or deposited directly into their bank account.
Their Complete Coverage covers accidents, illnesses, behavioral issues, and hereditary conditions, not excluding exam fees or diagnostics. You'll get 70-90 percent of your vet bill reimbursed, depending on the option you select when you enroll. Preexisting conditions, breeding costs, and cosmetic procedures are excluded.
For those on a budget, ASPCA does offer accident-only coverage, which includes exam fees and costs of diagnostics and treatments for accidents. Preventative care coverage is available as an add-on, with basic and “prime” coverage options including common vaccinations, dental cleanings, and tests. Manage your account easily through their app or Member Center, which allows you to file claims, find nearby clinics, review your benefits, and contact customer service.
Best for Creating a Custom Plan: 24PetWatch Pet Protection Services
24PetWatch Pet Protection Services
Get a QuoteOffering both pet insurance and pet protection services (microchipping and online services to help find lost pets), 24PetWatch's insurance programs are open to dogs up to 10 years old and cats up to 12. Like human health insurance, you'll find flexible coverage options with prices that vary depending on the maximum annual limit, co-insurance, and deductible that you select when choosing your policy.
They'll work with any licensed veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada, with policies covering the diagnosis, testing, and treatment of covered accidents and illnesses. This includes vet visits, lab tests, X-rays and CAT scans, hospitalization, and prescriptions (including prescription food).
They offer four different tiers of wellness coverage along with add-on benefits that cover costs like boarding kennel fees, euthanasia and cremation, and trip cancellation. Routine Wellness starts at just $10 a month, Advanced Wellness, starting at $25 a month, has more comprehensive benefits like dental cleanings and flea treatments. All claims must include the claim form, itemized invoices, and your pet's medical records in order to be processed.
Best for Older Pets: Petplan
Petplan
Get a QuotePetplan doesn't discriminate against older cats and dogs - as long as they're older than six weeks, their comprehensive plan will cover them for life. However, as with other pet insurance companies, factors like your pet's age, breed, and where you live will impact your premium (along with key details like your chosen annual coverage and deductible).
Customers can take their pet to any licensed vet in the U.S. or Canada, with coverage on accidents, injuries, and illnesses, diagnostic treatments, pet exam fees, prescriptions, imaging, cancer treatments, non-routine dental treatments, surgery and rehab, specialist treatments, and even holistic treatments, when performed by a licensed vet.
They also offer $1,000 in coverage per term for consultations with a licensed vet to diagnose and treat behavioral problems, as long as an underlying medical condition is causing the issue.
Claims can be filed via Petplan's app. All of the company's claims adjusters are fully trained veterinary technicians - meaning they speak your vet's language. Reimbursement will be made within 30 days of the receipt of all necessary information, which includes the claim form, invoices, proof of payment, and full medical records for your pet.