Pets Best Insurance Reviews: How It Stacks Up (2024)
Pets Best is one of the best pet insurance companies available, allowing you to dial in the exact coverage you want for an affordable and competitive price.
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Written byLindsay VanSomeren
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8 years in insurance and personal finance writing
Former data scientist for U.S. Geological Survey
Lindsay is a freelance personal finance writer currently pursuing her Series 65 license. She enjoys helping readers learn money management skills that improve their lives.
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Updated June 5, 2024
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Table of contents
Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC, is a licensed insurance agency that only sells pet insurance policies from two different companies: American Pet Insurance Company and Independence American Insurance Company. Veterinarian Dr. Jack Stephens founded the company in 2004, and he also launched the first pet insurance company (Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.) back in 1982.
True to its name, Pets Best offers affordable and excellent coverage options, making it one of the top pet insurance companies in North America, according to the majority of customer reviews.
Whether you have a new puppy or senior pets, here’s what you need to know about comparing pet insurance quotes and making the best decisions with Pets Best coverage.
Quick Facts
Limited accident-only coverage is available for a set price of $6 per month for cats and $9 per month for dogs ($7 for cats and $10 for dogs in Washington state).
Pets Best offers six ways to customize your pet’s accident and illness coverage, plus two choices for optional wellness coverage.
The company’s Plus plan is the most popular and costs around $33 per month for a dog and $22 per month for a cat, but costs vary depending on many factors.
Pets Best: Our verdict
Pets Best pet insurance offers highly customizable plans for a price that’s competitive with the U.S. average rate, as well as ultra-affordable accident-only coverage for pet owners on a budget.[1] Filing claims is easy with its mobile app, and while there are some snags to watch out for (notably, records requests), the company pays out quickly, according to customer reviews.
It’s an especially good choice if you own a specific breed of dog or cat that’s prone to certain genetic conditions, since the company doesn’t have breed-specific limitations or exclusions. While many pet insurance companies, like Figo, have a six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions that plague many purebred pets, Pets Best only limits this waiting period to certain knee issues.
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4.8/5 (3,806+ reviews)
Pets Best insurance pros and cons
Like any insurance company, Pets Best has some advantages and disadvantages you’ll want to consider before purchasing a policy.
Pros
Quick and easy claims payouts
No breed or upper age restrictions
May be able to pay your vet directly
Cons
Longer six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament issues
Doesn’t determine pre-existing conditions until you file a claim
May deny claims if you can’t provide your pet’s entire medical history
Pets Best plans and coverages
Pets Best offers three different plans, with several ways to customize your coverage within each option. All policies come with three-day waiting periods for injuries. If you want more protection for your pet, you’ll also have to wait two weeks for illness coverage to start. You’ll have a waiting period of six months for cruciate ligament problems, which can be a concern for the knees of certain large-breed dogs.[2]
Here are some more important details for each of these pet insurance plans.
Accident-Only plan
Pets Best offers pet insurance with very basic accident coverage for all pets at one single monthly premium price: $6 for cats and $9 for dogs ($1 more in Washington state). This plan doesn’t cover any fees for exams or office visits or any medications your vet prescribes for you to give at home.
The company also doesn’t offer different levels of accident-only plans; this plan only comes with a $10,000 annual limit, 90% reimbursement toward costs, and a $250 deductible.
Accident and Illness plan
Policies offering accident and illness coverage are the most common type of pet insurance that pet owners buy, and Pets Best offers several ways to customize your policy. To start, you’ll choose what types of services you want covered:
Essential: Covers treatment for unintentional accidents and new illnesses
Plus: Adds coverage for exam fees
Elite: Adds coverage for exam fees and rehab costs
Next, you’ll choose how much your out-of-pocket expenses will be versus what your insurance policy will pay:
Annual limit: $5,000 or unlimited
Annual deductible: $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000
Reimbursement level: 70%, 80%, 90%
Wellness plans
If you opt for an Accident and Illness policy, you can upgrade to the highest level of coverage by adding on one of two wellness plans. This can be a good option to help you budget for routine vet care for your pet, which other plans don’t cover. These plans offer a set dollar amount toward most of the regular recommended well-being care for your pets.
EssentialWellness: Up to $305 toward certain routine vet costs
BestWellness: Up to $535 toward certain routine vet costs, including spaying/neutering and teeth cleaning
It may be worth checking with your vet to see how much they charge for various procedures first so you can see how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket for routine vet care.
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Read More: Best Pet Wellness Plans for Routine Care
What Pets Best doesn’t cover
It’s best to read a sample policy before buying coverage, but Pets Best plans generally don’t cover the following:
Elective procedures, such as tail docking or declawing
Herbal medications, experimental treatments, supplements, vitamins, or special diets
Non-veterinary charges, such as waste disposal fees and taxes
Parasite testing and treatment (except deworming, if you purchased a wellness plan)
Keep in Mind
Note that pre-existing conditions that can be cured, such as broken bones, are eligible for coverage again once healed. But incurable conditions, such as hip dysplasia, aren’t eligible for coverage once a pet is diagnosed — even if it’s currently under control with treatment.[3]
How much does Pets Best insurance cost?
The average cost of Pets Best plans varies widely depending on a number of factors, such as what state you live in, your pet’s age and breed, and which coverage options you select.[4] As with other pet insurers, you’ll see a price increase for older pets over time, even if you stay on the same policy.
Cost of Pets Best dog insurance
Insurify pulled sample quotes for a 2-year-old medium-sized, mixed-breed male dog living in Hartford, Connecticut. Pets Best would charge a premium of $33.08 per month for its Accident and Illness plan with no annual limit, a $500 annual deductible, and an 80% reimbursement rate.
Cost of Pets Best cat insurance
Insurify also gathered a pet insurance quote for a 2-year-old female American shorthair cat in Hartford, Connecticut. Pets Best’s rate for this cat is $21.61 per month with the same type of pet insurance policy outlined above.
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4.8/5 (3,806+ reviews)
How customers feel about Pets Best
Pets Best isn’t the first pet insurance company, but it’s also been around for a fair number of years. Plenty of information is available online from pet owners about how good the company is to work with. Here’s a quick summary of ratings from various third-party websites:
Yelp: 1.7 out of 5 stars, based on 655 reviews
Google: 4 out of 5 stars, based on 4,194 reviews
Trustpilot: 4 out of 5 stars, based on 4,565 reviews
Better Business Bureau (BBB): 2.75 out of 5 stars, based on 318 reviews
As with any insurer, Pets Best has plenty of positive and negative customer reviews from happy pet parents and people who didn’t fully understand their coverage. Many of the reviews mention how quickly and easily claims were processed:
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A common hangup in the pet insurance reviews appears to be long processing times if the insurer requests your pet’s medical records in response to a claim. According to the terms of your contract, anytime you submit a claim, the company can request your pet’s entire history of medical records, which can understandably slow or stall the claims process.
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The bottom line: Is Pets Best pet insurance worth it?
Dr. Stephens founded Pets Best in response to one of his customers’ brushes with a pet owner’s worst nightmare: being unable to afford veterinary treatment for a beloved family member who otherwise would live many happy years. True to that story, Pets Best offers one of the best pet insurance products you can buy to ensure your furry friend’s lifelong health.
But it bears repeating that it’s important to read and understand your policy’s declarations page so you know exactly how your policy works. Most negative customer reviews stem from coverage misunderstandings.
Pets Best insurance FAQs
Current and prospective Pets Best customers may find this additional information about the company helpful.
Does Pets Best pay claims?
Yes. Pets Best will pay out within two to seven days after approving a valid claim. You can pay the bill yourself and then file for reimbursement or — if your vet agrees and signs a release form — have your insurer pay the veterinarian directly for any covered costs.
Does Pets Best require an exam?
No. Your pet doesn’t need to undergo an exam in order to enroll in a plan. But Pets Best asks about 10% of customers to send in a pet’s complete medical records in order to process certain claims.
How do you cancel Pets Best insurance?
You’ll need to reach out to Pets Best customer support directly to request cancellation of service. Your policy cancellation date will be effective starting the day that the company receives your written notification.
How do you contact Pets Best customer service?
You can reach out to the Pets Best customer support team by phone at 1 (877) 738-7237. It’s open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time, and on Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mountain time.
Sources
- North American Pet Health Insurance Association. "Average Premiums."
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons. "Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease."
- Pets Best. "Does Pet Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?."
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "Pet Insurance."
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Lindsay VanSomeren
Lindsay VanSomeren is a freelance personal finance writer living in Suquamish, WA. Her work has appeared with FICO, Credit Karma, The Balance, and more. She enjoys helping people learn how to manage their money better so they can live the life they want.
7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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