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Life is not a bed of roses.
The only thing constant in life is change.
While growing up, you would have heard these two statements while doodling in English class, reading a wonderful drama novel before bedtime, or watching a heart-throbbing soap opera. However, it’s possible that you wouldn’t have fully comprehended what it means until you’ve had certain experiences.
In a nutshell, comments similar to the first two sentences are aimed at preparing you for the various uncertainties that come with everyday life. Just as winter ripens to spring and spring ripens to summer, life can never remain the same regardless of how much we wish it would.
There are two ways you can handle the uncertainties of the future. You can either wait until it bulldozes you, or you can try to make choices that would cushion some of the ripple effects of the challenges life might decide to throw at you.
This, of course, brings up the topic of insurance and explains why it is crucial to make preparations to protect the things and people you love even when seasons change.
Once you decide to adopt a pet and welcome them into your home as a companion, they become another variable you’d want to protect.
Securing insurance for your pets has several advantages. Aside from the fact that it helps cover veterinary costs, it also provides peace of mind knowing there are contingency plans available to ensure your pet gets the best life possible.
9 Insurance Companies For Pets (USA)
We understand how difficult it is to secure the best coverage and insurance company to cater to your pet’s needs at an affordable rate. Currently, there are several companies offering insurance for pets. However, you must consider several factors before selecting an insurance company, such as monthly costs, deductibles, and coverage limits.
To aid your search, we’ve listed nine of the best insurance companies for pets located in the USA. Let’s get started!
1. ASPCA
The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA for short, is a prominent insurance company that made our list because of its fantastic policies for hereditary and congenital conditions. Like humans, animals can suffer from diseases and defects inherited from their ancestors or caused due to complications during birth.
If you’re not very sure about the health history of the parents of your pet or you’re worried about inherited illness, getting a policy drawn up by ASPCA is a great idea.
Unlike most other insurance companies, ASPCA doesn’t have an age restriction for you to enroll your pet. However, it doesn’t guarantee coverage if the condition has been pre-diagnosed. ASPCA also offers policies that cover microchipping and stem cell therapy.
However, getting insurance reimbursement from ASPCA can take up to 30 days which can be a bit discouraging since veterinary expenses are usually on the pricey side. Nonetheless, ASPCA is an excellent insurer to consider as it has several lovely policies for pets.
2. Figo
Typically, each insurer has outstanding policies and attractive pros that make them stand out. Figo made our list because it has the best reimbursement options compared to most insurers.
If you’ve ever tried to use your health insurance before, there’s a high chance you would have had to pay a certain percentage of the cost for a particular treatment depending on the policy you’re using.
Pet insurance typically has copayment options that determine how much you would be expected to pay for prescriptions, visits, and treatments even with the insurance policy. As expected, the copayment can be a bit of a hassle as it could be stressful trying to determine how much you actually have to pay.
Figo is remarkable because you can skip the copayment and opt for a 100% reimbursement policy. It also doesn’t enforce any annual limit, offers a free vet helpline that is open 24/7 and allows you to enroll your pet regardless of age.
However, Figo’s reimbursement policy has a lifetime maximum. Unlike ASPCA, Figo’s coverage has some limitations on hereditary conditions, which means it doesn’t cover treatment if you enroll your pet after its second birthday. Also, Figo doesn’t cover preventive treatment, and you would have to pay more for a premium policy for its 100% reimbursement option.
3. Trupanion
After getting your pet’s diagnosis and treatment expenses, nothing is more exasperating than finding out the cost is way above your monthly budget, causing you to dip your fingers into your savings. Again. Also, it takes some time for most insurers to reimburse the cost, which can put a damper on the other plans you have.
Thankfully, Trupanion came up with a brilliant solution that solves this problem by using a direct payment scheme so you wouldn’t have to go through the stress of filing claims. This means that they pay your vet directly as far as they have the Trupanion direct payment software.
Although getting a policy from Trupanion has a lot of advantages, it’s on the pricey side and only offers one plan option, which could be a problem if your current budget can’t cover it. Also, Trupanion doesn’t cover preventive care.
4. Pumpkin
When a child is born, their immune system is very fragile. Thus, they’d have to get vaccines, a proper diet plan, and regular check-ups until they’re much stronger. Similarly, younger animals such as puppies and kittens require regular shots and preventive care to ensure they live long, healthy lives.
If you’ve just adopted a puppy and are searching for an insurer, Pumpkin is your best bet. This insurance company has excellent options and care packs with its Pumpkin Preventive Essentials for younger animals which you would undoubtedly find very attractive.
For instance, Pumpkin covers the cost of lab tests for parasites and would also cover one yearly fecal test and four puppy vaccines. It also covers prescription food and has a short waiting period for all conditions.
Unfortunately, this package isn’t available in all states in the US, and their policies also have a limited deductible option.
5. Embrace
Just as babies require lots of care to build up their immune system, seniors also need multivitamins and regular check-ups to keep them in good shape.
As animals get older, it’s easier for them to contract diseases and they would require more help getting better. This is why you shouldn’t think twice about getting a policy drawn up for your senior cat or dog.
Of all the companies we’ve mentioned so far, Embrace is the most suitable for older animals. If your pet is under 14 years, you can purchase a comprehensive coverage for them. Once they’re over 15, the coverage is restricted to accidents. Embrace also has policies that cover curable pre-existing conditions.
Although Embrace has limited wellness benefits, with a certain amount, you can sign up for its Wellness Rewards Plan, which can help cover preventive care costs. Sadly, Embrace’s packages are limited to cats and dogs.
6. Odie
If you’ve ever had a toothache or been forced to remove a couple of teeth, you’d understand how important oral health is. For animals, oral health is equally as important.
Typically, dental diseases begin early for most dogs and cats. It can be extremely painful for them and cause them to have bad breath and yellow teeth. Also, not all dental diseases are easily noticed, so you’d have to carry out x-ray tests to diagnose dental diseases. Like most illnesses, early detection of dental diseases is critical to prevent further complications.
In terms of policies for dental coverage, Odie is the best insurer. You can easily enroll your pet for a policy as there’s no upper age limit.
However, your pet must have regular tooth exams and cleanings to qualify for coverage for certain dental diseases. Also, you should note that Odie sends reimbursements through postal mail.
7. MetLife
If you have two pets, selecting the best insurance plan for them can be a bit difficult because you have to consider their needs, medical history, age, and budget. If you have three or four pets, getting the best policy and a good discount will be even more tasking.
MetLife is a great insurance company for families with more than one pet. It has a perfect family plan with a lovely discount policy that allows you to have one deductible for all your pets.
MetLife’s accident coverage begins the day after you enroll your pet, but there is a two-week waiting period for illness coverage.
However, this company takes long before it reimburses expenses which can be a considerable drawback for you. Also, the maximum annual benefit you can get from this policy is $10,000.
8. 24PetWatch
24PetWatch is another phenomenal insurance company we decided to list because of its great benefits. For starters, this insurer has no waiting period for accidents and other coverages have a short waiting period. It also has low deductibles, which is very alluring.
24PetWatch offers coverage for chronic conditions after 24 months symptom-free and covers invoice amounts such as fees spent on medical examination.
However, its policies have some drawbacks. There’s a limited enrollment age which means you can’t draw up a policy for your pet if it doesn’t fall within their specified range. There’s also the fact that the company only offers 80% reimbursement and has a shortage of discounts.
Nonetheless, it’s perfectly capable of meeting your insurance needs as long as its drawbacks aren’t a huge barrier for you.
9. Fetch by The Dodo
If you didn’t like Pumpkin’s limited deductible option or you’re residing in a state where its services aren’t available, don’t fret. Fetch by The Dodo is another phenomenal insurance company that allows you to enroll pets once they’re about six weeks old. It also doesn’t give any upper age limit, which is incredible.
There’s no lifetime or per condition limit too. Fetch by The Dodo offers multiple deductibles and no sign-up fee, which gives it an edge over its competitors.
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks. For starters, they don’t offer preventive care packages, and the coverage only applies if you call the vet within 48 hours after noticing symptoms. Also, this insurer might not be a good fit for you if you have multiple pets, as they don’t offer multi-pet discounts.
Conclusion
As you can see, each insurer has its specific pros and cons, which you should consider before selecting them for your pet insurance needs. By outlining the distinct features which make each company unique, we believe your decision-making process will be much easier.
After going through this comprehensive list, we hope you’d have been able to shortlist at least two companies whose policies are perfect for your needs. Best of luck!