Best Pet Insurance Companies for December 2024

Embrace pet insurance covers the usual issues—namely, unexpected illnesses and accidents. But where the company really shines is with its wellness plans designed to keep pets healthy and reduce the likelihood of preventable illness.

Embrace pet insurance offers a flexible pet wellness plan that covers vaccination, spay or neuter surgery, annual wellness exams, preventative medications, grooming, teeth cleaning, training, and even massage therapy. The wellness plan is a reimbursement plan, so you’ll need to submit a claim. You can choose between three annual reimbursement amounts ($250, $450, and $650) to suit your budget and your pet’s anticipated needs. Opting for a wellness plan can help you budget more easily for preventative care, rather than paying a hefty vet bill when you take your pet in for their annual visit.

Additional perks of opting for an Embrace pet insurance pet insurance plan include a wide range of maximum annual coverage amounts (up to unlimited) and deductible choices ranging from $100 to $1,000. These choices make Embrace a good choice for pet owners with various budgets.

Although Lemonade doesn’t offer an accident-only plan, it does have more add-on options than many other pet insurance companies. These options include physical therapy, vet visits, acupuncture, tooth extractions, behavioral conditions, end-of-life and remembrance, and preventive care for adult animals or for puppies and kittens (the latter of which includes microchipping).

Lemonade doesn’t have a waiting period for accidents, so you can file a claim immediately. Waiting periods are 14 days for illness and 30 days for orthopedic conditions. The specific waiting periods can vary depending on your state of residence. One downside: Lemonade insurance is only sold in 37 states and the District of Columbia. 

The maximum annual coverage ranges from $5,000 to $100,000. Reimbursement rates are 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%, and deductibles range from $100 to $500 annually. A bonus: You can get a 10% discount on your pet insurance if you bundle it with Lemonade’s homeowners, renter’s, or car insurance. You can also get a 5% discount for adding another pet and a 5% discount if you pay your premium annually instead of monthly.

Most pet insurance plans are limited to dogs and cats, but it can be harder to find coverage if you own a horse. ASPCA is an established, well-known brand that offers insurance plans for horses, cats, and dogs. 

There are two plans available for horses. Both plans cover colic, a common problem for horses, and coverage applies whether the ailment is caused by an accident or an injury. The Colic + Accidents plan also pays for vet bills associated with cuts, hoof abscesses, toxic ingestions, and injuries from trailer accidents, among other things. The Colic + Accidents + Illness plan also covers illnesses such as Cushing’s disease, strangles, cancer, and hereditary conditions. 

Coverage for dogs and cats includes an Accident-Only plan and a Complete Coverage plan. The Accident-Only plan covers bite wounds, swallowed objects, broken bones, cuts and lacerations, fractured teeth, and toxic ingestions. This is the most affordable plan, but it’s only designed for emergencies. The Complete Coverage plan also covers ailments like arthritis, hip dysplasia, behavioral disorders, cancer, and even hereditary conditions that may not appear until later in a pet’s life. The plan also covers alternative therapies like acupuncture and physiotherapy. With both plans, the waiting period for accident coverage is 14 days. 

ASPCA also offers preventive care add-ons for wellness exams, vaccines, and dental cleanings, though no stand-alone wellness plan exists. Annual deductibles range from $100 to $500, annual coverage limits range from $3,000 to $10,000 (on the low side), and reimbursement rates are 70% to 90%. ASPCA offers insurance in all 50 states and gives a 10% discount when you insure more than one pet.

Many pet insurance providers won’t cover animals under eight to 12 weeks old, but Fetch offers coverage to puppies and kittens as young as six weeks. In addition, there’s no maximum age limit, so you can cover your pet using Fetch for almost their entire lives.

In addition to covering young animals, Fetch covers exam fees for sick visits and has a waiting period as short as five days for claims, which means you’ll receive claim approval quickly. Fetch also offers up to a 10% discount on premiums for members of AARP and for veterans and active military members, allowing certain pet owners to save even more on their premiums. Fetch claims its average monthly premiums are $35 for dogs and $20 for cats, which is already relatively affordable even before discounts are applied.

Pets Best offers pet owners the option of direct reimbursement to vets, so you won’t have to pay a large vet bill and wait for your reimbursement claim to be approved. This can help alleviate concerns about being out of pocket on a big bill after your pet has a medical emergency, so you can focus on helping your furry friend recover. Pets Best has coverage for dogs and cats of all ages, from baby to senior, so you can keep your pet covered under the same provider for the entirety of its life.

Deductibles for Pets Best policies range from $50 to $1,000. You can choose a maximum annual coverage as low as $5,000 or as high as unlimited, allowing you to tailor your policy to your pet’s medical needs. Reimbursement rates can be 70%, 80%, or 90%. Pets Best also has 24/7 vet support, which can be a comfort for those middle-of-the-night cat or dog emergencies.

Figo Pet Insurance offers several reimbursement rates to choose from: 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. The latter is unusual for pet insurance plans, which makes Figo stand out among its competitors. Figo also boasts an unlimited annual coverage option (as well as $5,000 and $10,000) and deductibles that range from $100 to $1,500, depending on your pet's age, allowing you to create a more customized plan. 

Figo also offers add-on packages called “powerups” for routine care like vaccines, annual exams, and diagnostic tests. Waiting periods are one day for accidents—better than most other insurers—and 14 days for illness, which is more standard. There is no upper age limit for coverage, though Figo asks that owners of pets older than eight years follow their vet’s recommendations regarding senior wellness testing. Figo’s plans cover illness and injuries; there is no option for an accident-only plan.

You can download the Figo Pet Cloud app to connect with local pet owners and manage your account and claims. Mobile claims close in an average of 2.6 days, so you can get reimbursed for your pet’s care faster. Finally, if you change your mind about coverage, you have 30 days to get your money back.

Nationwide Pet Insurance is the only provider to offer coverage for exotic animals and birds. If you have a pet bird, reptile, ferret, chinchilla, mini pig, goat, guinea pig, rabbit, or turtle, Nationwide has a policy for you. The coverage you receive depends on the type of pet you have.

• Small mammals are covered for dehydration, constipation, overgrown teeth, eye infections, bladder infections, and upper respiratory infections, among other illnesses.
• Birds are covered for feather picking or feather loss, excessive egg-laying, soft tissue trauma, diarrhea, and runny nose, among other ailments.
• Reptiles and amphibians are covered for internal parasites, diarrhea, dehydration, constipation, upper respiratory infections, and soft tissue trauma, to name a few.

There are some exceptions when it comes to coverage. For example, your exotic pet or bird may not be eligible for a policy if it is a venomous or poisonous species, an endangered or threatened species, an animal that requires a permit or license to own, or a hybrid wild/domesticated animal.

The cost of coverage for an exotic pet depends on the type of animal, its medical history, and the coverage chosen, but Nationwide claims that coverage is usually under $21 per month.

Nationwide also offers accident, injury, and wellness plans for cats and dogs, with coverage starting at $7 per month. If you have a more traditional pet and an exotic pet, being able to insure them all under the same provider can make life easier.

Odie is a relative newcomer to the pet insurance marketplace, launching in 2020. But since then, it has become popular with those who have a limited budget for insurance coverage. Odie has two basic types of plans (accident-only and accident and injury), plus an optional pet wellness add-on, so you can tailor your pet’s coverage to your needs and budget.

Odie offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you no longer want coverage, you can cancel within that time frame at no charge. As an Odie customer, you’ll also have access to a free 24/7 vet chat feature, allowing you to ask a professional your pet-health questions at any time of the day or night. For example, if your dog ate something weird on a walk, you can chat with a vet to see whether you need to be worried.

MetLife is a solid option if you have more than one or two pets. The company’s pet insurance plan lets you cover up to three pets on one policy with a shared deductible rather than each pet having a separate deductible. Deductibles range from a low of $50 to $500 per year, with annual limits of $2,000 to $10,000 and reimbursement rates of 70%, 80%, and 90%. If MetGen underwrites your policy, you’ll also have a 50% reimbursement rate option, and plans underwritten by IAIC have a 65% option. There is also a high deductible plan if you know your pet needs significant care in a particular year: $2,500 for the deductible, with an annual limit of $10,000 and a 100% reimbursement rate. 

MetLife’s pet insurance plan covers accidents and illnesses, and you can also opt for a preventive care plan that covers dental cleanings, bloodwork, and microchipping. The waiting period for accidents is among the best of this group—coverage starts at midnight the day you sign up—while its illness coverage waiting period is a more typical 14 days.

Unlike many pet insurers, Trupanion will cover foods, supplements, and herbal treatments, provided a licensed vet prescribes them for a specific condition. The insurer also offers a rider that covers illness/injuries related to breeding. Also uncommon: Coverage can start at birth, while most other companies begin coverage when dogs or cats are eight weeks old. 

Trupanion doesn’t have a maximum annual coverage limit. Instead, the company provides unlimited coverage for vet care for your pet, regardless of age. Certain ailments are excluded from coverage, including pre-existing conditions and preventable conditions. However, several add-on options exist for dental care, behavioral therapy, rehabilitation treatment, and congenital or hereditary conditions.

Trupanion also offers direct vet reimbursement for partner veterinarians. Before coverage kicks in, the waiting period is five days for accidents and 30 days for illness—longer than many other insurers. In addition, there is no add-on option for wellness coverage—Trupanion’s focus is unexpected illness or injury, not expenses that a consumer can plan for, such as vaccinations. There is also no discount for insuring multiple pets. However, Trupanion’s perks, including coverage for prescription foods, direct vet reimbursement, and unlimited annual coverage, can outweigh the potential downsides to coverage.