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Compare Pet Insurance

Pet insurance can help cover the unexpected medical expenses that sometimes come with owning a pet.

NerdWallet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Spot

Covers what others don’t: prescription food, microchips, and behavioral therapy
Offers preventative treatment and screenings plans
No upper age limit for coverage of older pets
10% multi-pet discount

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on Spot's website

ASPCA

Generous coverage options, including wellness and accident-only plans
Shorter waiting periods than most insurers
10% discount for veterinarians and multiple pets
In addition to cats and dogs, horse plans are also available

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on ASPCA's website

Pets Best

Coverage for prosthetic devices and wheelchairs
Wide range of deductibles
Covers pets as young as seven weeks with no upper age limit
Direct payments to vets available upon request

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on Pets Best's website

Lemonade

Easy claims submission process through the app
Quick claims payout, with about 50% paid immediately
5-10% discounts available for some customers
Donates a portion of profits to pet charities

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on Lemonade's website

What is pet insurance?

Like human health insurance, pet insurance covers the cost of medical care. Pet insurance is designed to cover unexpected costs, so it may not pay for routine care or conditions your pet had before you bought the policy.

What type of pet insurance should I get?

There are three main types of pet insurance plans:

Accident and illness: The most common type of pet insurance, these plans cover treatment for illnesses and accidental injuries.

Accident-only: These plans tend to be more affordable. They’ll pay if your pet swallows a toy or is hit by a car, but not for any illnesses such as diabetes or arthritis.

Wellness or preventive care: This type of coverage is usually an add-on to one of the policies above. It’ll pay for well visits, vaccines and other routine care.

How much does pet insurance cost?

The average cost of an accident and illness policy in the U.S. is $640 per year for dogs and $387 for cats, according to 2022 data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. That translates to about $53 a month for dogs and $32 a month for cats.

For an accident-only policy, the average cost is $201 per year for dogs (about $17 per month) and $122 per year for cats (about $10 per month).