Pets Best Pet Insurance Overview

Launched in 2005, Pets Best is an Idaho-based pet insurance company that offers accident, illness, and wellness coverage to cats and dogs located anywhere in the United States. Since the day it started operating, the company paid nearly $200 million in claims and is highly recommended by pet care professionals across the country.

Founded by veterinarian and the pet insurance industry’s “father,” Dr. Jack Stephens, the company is built on a legacy of innovation. Not only does Pets Best offer comprehensive and flexible coverage options, but it also provides high-quality customer service and ensures a seamless claims process.

As the first pet insurance provider to introduce a completely digital claims procedure (from submittals to tracking and reimbursements), the company is constantly working towards making its platform as user friendly as possible.

With its team mostly comprised of pet owners and animal lovers – many of whom have backgrounds in veterinary care and animal rescue – Pets Best is driven by a mission to put an end to economic euthanasia of pets. The affordable pet insurer helps pet parents prepare for unexpected veterinary bills by providing comprehensive policies affordable by all budget ranges.

In the last decade and a half, Pets Best pet health insurance became one of the industry’s most popular and successful companies. Best known for its unlimited accident-illness plans, routine care add-ons, user-friendly online and mobile platforms, a round-the-clock pet helpline, and competitively priced premiums, Pets Best is a good choice for almost any pet owner.

How does Pets Best Compare to other pet insurance companies?

Coverage

Pets Best’s policies do a great job of covering almost everything you could need for your four-legged family member. The company not only offers coverage for standard care related to common illnesses and injuries, but it also covers more advanced procedures when a pet needs to be hospitalized or treated for a hereditary condition.

In addition to medical insurances for cats and dogs, Pets Best lets its customers include wellness and routine care with any accident-illness plan. This way, you can rest assured that your pet’s regular vet visits, spaying/neutering, and dental cleaning will also be covered by the policy.

Accident-illness plans offered by Pets Best insurance are very well-rounded. Vet exam fees and treatments are covered for almost any serious or minor injury and disease.

Additionally, the carrier provides coverage for hospitalization and surgeries, cancer treatments, hereditary and congenital conditions, acupuncture, rehabilitative and chiropractic treatments, specialist care, emergency care, outpatient care, lab tests diagnostic testing including MRI, CT scans, and X-rays, injections, and prescription medications.

Pets Best health insurance also offers accident-only plans. Designed for pet owners on a budget, this package covers vet bills for medical problems that occur as a result of an accidental injury such as a bone fracture, poisoning, snake or insect bite, torn nail, foreign body ingestion, laceration, or abrasion.

Finally, the carrier offers wellness plans that cover routine veterinary care including wellness exams, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, teeth cleaning, blood, fecal, and parasite exams, heartworm tests, deworming, and microchipping. Note that each category of care comes with specified coverage limits.

Although it’s considered one of the best pet insurance companies out there, Pets Best still has a few policy exclusions. Keep in mind that pre-existing conditions, elective and preventive procedures, treatment of parasites, non-veterinary expenses such as food, supplements, vitamins, and special diets, and experimental therapies and medications aren’t covered.

Is Your Pet Eligible?

Pets Best’s eligibility requirements are straightforward. The carrier offers pet medical insurance to dogs and cats of all breeds that are located in the United States. The pets need to be at least seven weeks old to enroll; there are no upper age limits. Unfortunately, Pets Best does not offer coverage options for iguanas, parrots, tortoises, and other exotic pets.

Keep in mind that while almost any domestic cat or dog will be eligible for coverage from this provider, Pets Best’s pet insurance cost may vary depending on your furry companion’s age, breed, and the state you live in.

Policy Plans

Pet health insurance policies offered by Pets Best are quite comprehensive and somewhat customizable. Cats and dogs of all breeds are eligible for accident-illness, accident-only, and wellness coverage.

As far as accident-illness coverage goes, there are three plans to choose from: Essential, Plus, and Elite. The least expensive of the three, the Essential package, still covers a broad range of the aforementioned medical expenses. The only exceptions include accident and illness exam fees, acupuncture, rehabilitative care, and chiropractic treatments. These can be added to your pet’s policy if you decide to upgrade to the Plus or Elite option.

As one of the best pet insurance providers, Pets Best also offers accident-only policies. With this type of coverage you won’t be reimbursed for any illness or wellness-related medical expenses, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your pet will get adequate care if it gets injured in an accident.

Given that treatments for broken bones, wounds, lacerations, bites, and foreign body ingestions can be very expensive, accident-only coverage is a great solution if you want to protect your wallet from unexpected veterinary expenses and can’t afford a more comprehensive coverage option.

When it comes to routine care policies, PetsBest.com offers two options: the EssentialWellness and the BestWellness package. Both wellness care policy options cover exactly the same range of routine care treatment. The only difference between these two pet insurance plans lies in annual reimbursement limits per treatment type.

In addition to choosing a certain coverage type, you can also customize your furry companion’s policy by adjusting coverage levels. Pets Best lets you opt for an annual benefit limit, reimbursement rate, and annual deductible that you can comfortably afford.

Policy Details

Here’s an overview of the key features you should be aware of before applying for Pets Best dog insurance or cat insurance:

• Policies are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company.
• Domestic cats and dogs (irrespective of breed) that are at least seven weeks old can get coverage; there are no upper age limits.
• Vet exams are not required for enrollment.
• Reimbursement rates range between 70% and 90%.
• Annual deductibles range between $50 and $1,000.
• Accident and illness-related claims have no per-incident limits.
• Total annual benefits can either be unlimited or capped at $5,000.
• Pet owners can use the multi-pet and military discounts to lower their premiums. You can also save on premiums by making annual payments.
• The waiting period begins on day one of your policy effective date; there’s a 14-day waiting period for illness coverage, a three-day period for accident coverage, and a six-month period for cruciate ligament conditions. Wellness policies have no waiting periods.
• Claims can be submitted via the carrier’s website or mobile app. Alternatively, you can use email, snail mail, or fax. Pets Best claims are usually reimbursed in five to seven business days.
• If an insured pet’s owner changes, the policy will remain in place unless the new owner gets in touch with the company within 30 days to cancel the service.
• Vet Direct Pay: Available with all Pets Best insurance plans, this optional reimbursement feature simplifies the claims process by paying your vet directly within five days of the treatment.
• Pets Best’s pet insurance is accepted at any licensed veterinary office (including emergency and specialty clinics) located in the United States and Canada.

Pricing & Discounts

Considering that the cost of Pets Best cat insurance starts at $16.52 and the minimum price for dog insurance is $30.06, we can easily say that this carrier has some of the market’s most affordable options. The company provides a nice variety of annual deductible options ($50, $100, $200, $250, $500, and $1,000) and a standard range of reimbursement rates (70%, 80%, and 90%).

To further adjust the overall cost of your policy, you can also choose a $5,000 annual reimbursement limit or choose the unlimited option.

Note that the Pets Best insurance cost is unique to your pet and will also depend on your furry companion’s breed, age, location, and health condition.

Another great thing about this insurance carrier is that it offers two discount types that you can use to lower your premiums. If you purchase coverage for more than one pet, you’ll get a 5% multi-pet discount. Also, veterans and active military members are eligible for an additional 5% discount.

Based on PetsBest reviews, it’s the easy-to-understand pricing scheme that customers value most. Accident-only policies come with a flat $9 monthly rate, while wellness coverage options can either cost you $16/month (EssentialWellness) or $26/month (BestWellness). As far as pricing for accident-illness policies goes, here are a few sample quotes:

• For a one-year-old male German Shepherd located in New York (ZIP code 10001), the Essential accident-illness plan would cost 40.25/month if you opt for a $5,000 annual limit, a $500 annual deductible, and a reimbursement rate of 90%.
• For a five-year-old female Labrador Retriever located in California (ZIP code 90001), the Plus accident-illness plan would cost $80.84/month with the 5% military discount, a $250 deductible, a 70% reimbursement rate, and a $5,000 annual benefits limit.
• For a female Bengal cat that’s two years old and located in Illinois (ZIP code 60290), the Elite accident-illness plan would cost $28.15/month if you chose a $100 annual deductible, a reimbursement rate of 80%, and no annual limits.

Customer Service

Options to get in touch with Pets Best customer support team include phone, text, and live chat. Should you have any coverage-related questions or issues, customer service will be there to assist you Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. MST and between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. MST on Saturdays. For pet health-related questions, however, a special vet-staffed helpline is available around the clock.

Claims Procedure

The seamless claims process is one of the features that places Pets Best among the best pet insurance companies. The quickest way to submit a claim, check your status, or make changes is by logging into your personal Pets Best account on the company’s website or mobile app (available for iOS and Android).

If digital filing isn’t something that you’re comfortable with, you can also submit your claim via fax, email, or snail mail. Either way, you’ll be required to provide your pet’s name, an itemized invoice, and proof of payment.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, given its customizable policy plans and affordability, it’s hard not to like the coverage offered by Pets Best. Founded by a veterinarian and staffed by professionals with backgrounds in veterinary medicine and animal rescue missions, the company is dedicated to creating cost-efficient ways to provide the right amount of coverage for almost any pet owner.

By combining great value with convenient online services that let you submit claims digitally and even have your vet reimbursed directly, Pets Best is firmly established as an industry leader.