There are many factors that determine how much you pay for pet insurance, including your pet’s age and breed. Younger and smaller pets tend to cost less, while older pets are more susceptible to accidents or illnesses. Also, depending on the region, some vets are more expensive than others, and these costs can factor into your premium as well.
The best way to find affordable pet insurance is to compare policies and consider your options for deductibles, annual coverage limits and reimbursement percentages. Most providers offer multiple policy options to help you customize your plan. You can even buy add-ons to cover routine care expenses like dental cleanings or flea/tick prevention. Another option is to opt for a policy that pays your vet directly, which can save you money on a copay or deductible.
You can get quotes from a few different companies to get an idea of what a policy will cost. Then, make sure you take into account other important aspects of a policy like waiting periods and access to 24/7 vet lines. In addition, you can usually save money by purchasing a policy in full, rather than paying monthly or every six months.
The cheapest pet insurance policies are often accident-only plans that only cover injuries, rather than illness or treatment for pre-existing conditions. These typically have low deductibles and high reimbursement levels, but you should expect to wait 180 days for these plans to cover orthopedic injuries and other conditions.
Embrace offers both accident and illness plans that you can tailor to your budget by choosing from a range of deductibles and annual coverage limits. Its standard accident and illness plan covers treatments like acupuncture and physical rehabilitation, as well as exam fees and medication. Unlike most other pet insurers, Embrace will not exclude hereditary and congenital conditions from its policies unless they are diagnosed during the first 180 days of the policy, which is a nice feature for owners who want to avoid waiting on coverage.
While some pet owners opt for more comprehensive policies, these tend to come with higher premiums. Pets Best is an exception, as its standard accident and illness policy offers treatments few other insurers include, such as dental disease and prosthetics. It also does not raise its premiums as your pet ages, and it has add-ons that you can use to cover other expenses, such as rehabilitative therapy, alternative medicine and prescription medication.
This provider has a unique per-condition deductible, which you can choose in addition to its unlimited annual and lifetime coverage limits. It also offers a pet wellness plan and reimburses for exam fees, supplements and prescription diets (though it charges extra for acupuncture and rehab). Plus, you can pay your vet directly through its app, which makes this company stand out from the competition. Its one drawback is that it does not include coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions in its standard accident-and-illness policy, which you must select as an add-on. affordable pet insurance