One of the hardest problems with choosing the right pet insurance is trying to figure out what means what, and which carriers are actually the best, based on your pet and their current health.
Some insurers will cover one diagnosis while having another will disqualify you, and others cover a wide range of problems that you may not necessarily encounter, but also charge a higher monthly premium.
We set out to figure out which insurance company is the best by performing some mystery shopping to help you make an informed decision about which insurer is going to be best for you and your pet.
We found that Trupanion, Petplan, and Healthy Paws has the least amount of exclusions and the most transparency in their policies and pricing. We’ve worked to obtain a wide range of quotes for different types of pets, ages, and breeds, and have put them into an easy to read comparison chart.
While Trupanion, Petplan, and Healthy Paws ranked near the top, Nationwide and the ASPCA both ranked closer to the bottom. Each company had problems with either getting reimbursed for costs, or paying them out in a timely manner, and Nationwide was given a fairly poor rating for customer service by us, along with other people who have tried to receive quotes from them.
Keep in mind, though, that if your pet is older or has a pre-existing condition, it may not fit into one of the pricing models we’ve included below. For situations like that, make a determination on the best company through the chart below, and then perform your own research to find the best policy that fits what you need.
To get started, you can use the links below to jump to the section that is closest to your pet, and the types of coverages you’re going to require.
If you get confused with any of the terms listed in the comparison tables below, make sure to check out our article that breaks down the terminology that you’re going to encounter in the policies and quotes that you receive from each company.
Contents
Top Pet Insurance Companies In 2016
To save you some time, you can use the comparison table below to make a quick determination on the best pet insurance companies to protect your pet.
They’re ranked with the highest on the left, to the lowest on the right.
Scroll from left to right on your mobile phones.
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Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th |
Coverage | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 |
Customer Service | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 |
Claim Payments | 5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Price | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 5 | 4 |
Score | 4.5 | 4.38 | 4.13 | 4.0 | 3.13 | 3.0 | 2.88 | 2.5 |
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REVIEW |
3-Year-Old German Shepherd
The criteria used to receive this quote were as follows:
3-year-old male German Shepherd born on 1/1/2013, neutered, without a microchip, and no pre-existing conditions.
Review | Website | Deductible | Reimbursement | Limit Amounts | Limit Terms | Reputation | Customer Service | Monthly Rate | |
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| $100 | 80% | $5,000 | Annual | Good | Good | $38.44 | ||
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| $250 | 80% | $5,000 | Per Incident | Poor | Good | $40.42 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | $10,000 | Annual | Good | Excellent | $49.95 | ||
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| $250 | 80% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Good | Excellent | $50.28 | ||
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| $250 | 80% - 85% | Unlimited | Annual | Poor | Poor | $32.54 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Good | Excellent | $34.61 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | $5,000 | Per Incident | Excellent | Good | $30.41 | ||
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| $200 | 90% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Excellent | Good | $63.52 |
6-Year-Old German Shepherd
The criteria used to receive this quote were as follows:
6-year-old female German Shepherd, born on 1/1/2010, spayed, without a microchip or pre-existing conditions.
Review | Website | Deductible | Reimbursement | Limit Amounts | Limit Terms | Reputation | Customer Service | Monthly Rate | |
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| $100 | 80% | $5,000 | Annual | Good | Good | $65.43 | ||
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| $250 | 80% | $5,000 | Per Incident | Poor | Good | $73.29 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | $10,000 | Annual | Good | Excellent | $40.93 | ||
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| $250 | 80% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Good | Excellent | $39.70 | ||
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| $250 | 80% - 85% | Unlimited | Annual | Poor | Poor | $66.12 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Good | Excellent | $93.39 | ||
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| $200 | 80% | $5,000 | Per Incident | Excellent | Good | $64.29 | ||
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| $200 | 90% | Unlimited | Lifetime | Excellent | Good | $36.16 |
Do You Have Experience With These Companies?
Do you already have a policy through one of the companies featured here? Or do you have past experience with them?
If you do, compare it to the information we’ve provided, and then leave a comment below letting us know how it stacks up against your situation!
