Best pet insurance review and cost comparison

Since 2005, Pets Best has been recognized as one of CNBC Select's top-rated pet insurance companies, offering competitive rates, a customizable accident and illness plan, and no age restrictions.

Routine procedures such as spaying, microchipping, and teeth cleaning can significantly reduce your expenses, and Pet Best offers coverage for these services.

Unlike many competitors, Pet Best offers a direct payment option, allowing you to avoid waiting for reimbursement.

Plans

Pets Best offers two medical plans for pets: an accident-only plan and a plan that covers both accidents and illnesses. However, like many pet insurance companies, Pets Best does not cover pre-existing conditions, preventative procedures, or experimental therapies. Additionally, prescription food and supplements are not covered.

Accident-only plan

This budget-friendly option only covers emergency expenses, including broken bones, swallowed objects, snakebites, and traumatic dental fractures.

Medical issues like parasites, cancer, and cruciate ligament injuries are not covered by accident-only plans.

Accident and illness plan

The Essential, Plus, and Elite tiers of Pets Best accident and illness plans offer varying levels of coverage.

The accident-only plan includes everything in the basic tier.

• Emergency care, hospitalization and surgery
• Veterinary exams (for most plans)
• Chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and arthritis
• Urinary tract infections
• Hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia and glaucoma
• Diagnostic, including bloodwork, MRIs and CAT scans
• Behavioral conditions
• Dental coverage
• Prescription medication
• Prosthetic devices and wheelchairs
• Euthanasia, cremation and burial

ElitePets Best's top-tier plan includes everything on the Plus plan, plus additional services such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and rehabilitation (including hydrotherapy, cold laser, and physical therapy).

EssentialWellness plan

Pets Best's basic wellness plan includes:

• Wellness exams
• Vaccinations
• Microchipping
• Diagnostic panels
• Preventative medications

The monthly cost of the EssentialWellness plan ranges from $14 to $21.75, with a maximum annual benefit of $305.

BestWellness plan

The EssentialWellness plan is included in this higher-tier offering, along with teeth cleaning and spaying/neutering. The BestWellness plan costs between $26 and $32.58 per month and offers a total annual benefit of $535.

Pets Best coverage

Pet insurance from Pets Best is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., but coverage and waiting periods may differ.

Coverage limits

Pets Best offers two options for accident and illness plans: an unlimited plan and a plan with a $5,000 cap. Accident-only plans have a $10,000 annual limit.

Age limits

Pets Best allows enrollment of animals at least seven weeks old, with no upper age limit, making it a suitable option for senior pets.

Reimbursement

With accident-only plans, you can receive a 90% reimbursement rate, while accident and illness plans offer the option of 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement.

Deductibles

For accident and illness plans, options include a flat $250 annual deductible.

• $50 deductible
• $100 deductible
• $200 deductible
• $250 deductible
• $500 deductible
• $1,000 deductible

There is no deductible for wellness coverage.

Waiting periods

Pets Best accident and illness coverage is not immediately available, as waiting periods can vary by state but are typically:

• Accident coverage: 3 days
• Illness coverage: 14 days
• Cruciate ligament conditions: 30 days
• Wellness plans: Policy effective date (typically the day after enrollment)

Find pet insurance that meets your budget

Pricing

While some insurers offer lower rates, they may have age restrictions or lack comprehensive coverage.

Competitive accident-only coverage for pets is offered by Pets Best, despite not being available from all insurers.

Accident-only

Pet Best premiums are the same for all ages and breeds.

• Cat: $6 per month
• Dog: $9 per month

According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association's 2023 report, the monthly average for pet insurance in the U.S. is $9.68 for cats and $17.01 for dogs.

Accident and illness

The cost of accident and illness insurance for pets varies based on factors such as deductible, coverage, reimbursement limits, location, breed, weight, and age. CNBC Select obtained quotes for a 1-year-old domestic shorthair cat and a 1-year-old, 55-pound mixed-breed male dog, both residing in Denver. We chose a $500 deductible, 90% reimbursement, and $5,000 annual coverage limit. The resulting price quotes were:

• Cat: $19.73 a month
• Dog: $30.30 per month

Pets Best's average monthly rate for accident and illness policies for dogs and cats is between $36 and $58, which is lower than the 2023 national average of $56 for dogs and $32 for cats.

Wellness plans

Pets Best offers two optional wellness plans in addition to its medical policies. Both plans cover routine procedures such as exams and vaccinations, but the BestWellness plan includes additional services like spaying/neutering and teeth cleaning.

• EssentialWellness: $14 to $21.75 per month
• BestWellness: $26 to $32.58 per month

Processing fee

If you don't pay annually, Pets Best charges a $2 processing fee per payment, except for residents of Alaska, Maryland, and New Hampshire, whose fee is waived.

Discounts

Those who enroll multiple pets or are active-duty service members or veterans receive a 5% discount from Pets Best.

Direct payment option

Pets Best offers a unique service where they can pay your veterinarian's office directly for any reimbursement amount, eliminating the need for policyholders to pay out of pocket first and then submit a claim. However, arrangements must be made ahead of time, and your vet must sign a release form. Additionally, policyholders will still need to pay any deductible or co-pay.

Customer service

You can obtain a quote for pet insurance on the Pets Best website in approximately one minute, and you can personalize the coverage, deductible, and reimbursement levels. The Pets Best app enables policyholders to submit claims and manage their pets' health records online.

Enrolled Pets Best customers can access a 24/7 pet helpline for advice and answers via phone, live chat, and email, in addition to customer service available by calling 877-738-7237 Monday to Friday, from 6 am to 7 pm MT, and Saturday from 6 am to 2 pm MT.

Customer satisfaction

Since 2005, Pets Best has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating.

How does Pets Best compare?

How does Pets Best compare to CNBC Select's top-rated pet insurance providers?

Pets Best vs Spot

Both Pets Best and Spot are leading competitors in the pet insurance industry, offering unlimited coverage and no age restrictions. They also cover prescription medications, behavioral treatments, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic care.

Spot offers a healthier discount for multiple pets, with a 10% discount compared to Pets Best's 5%. Additionally, Spot covers prescription food and supplements, which Pets Best does not.

The cost of a dog from Spot is $67 per month, which is $8 more than Pets Best's quote, while the cost of a cat from Spot is $30 per month, which is $3 less than Pets Best's quote.

Spot's accident-only plan has a waiting period of 14 days, while Pets Best's waiting period is just three days.

Pets Best vs Healthy Paws

In fact, Healthy Paws doesn't set any per-incident, annual or lifetime caps on coverage.

The quotes we received from Healthy Paws were lower: $46 per month for a dog and $21 for a cat, or about $13 and $12 less than the Pets Best rate.

While Healthy Paws offers accident-only and wellness plans, it does not cover exam fees and will not issue policies to pets over 14 years old. Additionally, all pets under 6 years old must undergo a complete clinical exam.

With Healthy Paws, deductibles for pet insurance can range from $100 to $500, while Pets Best offers deductibles ranging from $50 to $1,000.

Pets Best versus Lemonade

Lemonade offers pet insurance at a lower cost compared to Pets Best. For our dog, Lemonade quoted $26 a month, while Pets Best quoted $59. Similarly, Lemonade's rate for a 1-year-old cat was $25 a month, cheaper than Pets Best's $33. Both companies allow customization, including adjusting deductibles and reimbursement amount and adding wellness coverage. Lemonade also offers a 10% discount if you bundle your pet policy with renters, homeowners or auto insurance. However, Lemonade only sells pet insurance in 37 states and doesn't offer an accident-only policy or unlimited coverage option.

Is Pets Best right for you?

Pets Best offers customizable plans at competitive rates, which many owners would consider a game changer since they wouldn't have to get reimbursed for vet bills.

It's also a great option for owners of senior pets since there's no age limit.

How do I get Pets Best pet insurance?

In order to register with Pets Best pet insurance, you must perform these steps.

• Obtain a quote for your pet in under a minute by providing basic information online.
• Choose your coverage, deductible, and reimbursement limits based on the level of care your pet may require and the amount you can afford to pay out-of-pocket.
• You can view Pets Best's sample policies by state to determine what is and isn't included in your region.
• Purchase a Pets Best policy online and determine if you are eligible for any discounts.
• To avoid the $2 processing fee, you can set up an annual payment method.

Bottom line

Pets Best is highly rated for its competitive pricing, customizable insurance policies, and adaptable routine care plans.

Pets Best's 24-hour pet helpline is ideal for owners who value the ease and safety of on-call veterinary assistance.

Why trust CNBC Select?

Our goal at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each pet insurance review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of pet insurance products. At CNBC Select, we take pride in our journalistic standards and ethics, and we ensure that our content is free from any commercial influence or external third-party input. While we do earn a commission from our affiliate partners on many offers and links, our editorial team remains independent and uninfluenced by any commercial considerations.