Pets Best pet insurance review 2023
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 3:06 p.m. UTC June 23, 2023
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Pets Best
Pros
- Direct vet payments. Most pet insurance companies work solely by reimbursement, but Pets Best offers direct veterinary payments. This is an optional claims reimbursement feature and may depend on the type of pet insurance plan you have.
- No upper age limit. Although some companies will only insure pets under a certain age, Pets Best has no upper age limit.
- Broad range of deductibles. With Pets Best, you can choose a deductible between $50 and $1,000, helping you adjust your premiums based on what you can afford.
Cons
- Not all pets are eligible for full coverage. Certain health issues, such as Cushing’s Disease, may make your pet ineligible for accident and illness coverage. Instead, your pet will only qualify for accident coverage.
- Processing fees. Opting for monthly payments will cause Pets Best to add processing fees to your charges.
- Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. Instead of the two-week waiting period many other companies require, Pets Best requires a six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions.
Why trust our insurance experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of insurance products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 2,295 rates reviewed.
- 360 coverage details evaluated.
- 5 levels of fact-checking.
Pets Best overview
Founded in 2005 by veterinarian Dr. Jack Stephens, Pets Best had insured half a million pets by January 2022 and paid out $500 million in pet insurance policy claims as of July 2022, according to its website. The company was acquired by financial services company Synchrony in March 2019.
Pets Best has a highly-rated mobile app where you can manage your policy. Its website makes customizing your policy terms and coverage levels fast and easy. This pet insurance company also offers a direct vet pay option for those who can’t pay upfront and access to a 24/7 emergency vet hotline.
In our analysis of the best pet insurance companies, Pets Best gets our top rating of 5 stars.
Pets Best pet insurance plans
Pets Best offers an accident-only plan as well as a more comprehensive accident and illness plan that covers everything from cancer to hereditary conditions and prescription medication. It also offers wellness plans as an optional add-on to your accident and illness plan.
Accident-only plan
Pets Best’s accident-only plan option is more affordable than its accident and illness plan. Pets Best says this pared-down policy covers “medical problems directly attributable to accidental injury” and nothing more.
Here are examples of what would be covered by the accident-only plan:
- Bite (animal, insect, snake).
- Bone fracture.
- Foreign body ingestion.
- Hit by car or moving vehicle.
- Laceration, cut or abrasion.
- Poisoning.
- Torn nail.
- Trauma.
- Wound.
With an accident-only plan, you’ll have the following coverage.
- Annual coverage limit: $10,000.
- Reimbursement percentage: 90%.
- Deductible: $250.
Accident and illness plan
Pets Best’s accident and illness plan is available at three levels — Essential, Plus or Elite.
Elite, the most expensive option, covers accident and illness exam fees, whereas the Essential plan doesn’t. It also provides rehabilitative, acupuncture and chiropractic coverage, where the Plus plan stops short.
All levels of the accident and illness plan cover:
- Accidents.
- Cancer, cancer treatments.
- Emergency care.
- Hereditary, congenital conditions.
- Hospitalization and surgeries.
- Illnesses.
- Lab tests.
- Medication injections.
- MRI, CAT and X-ray.
- Outpatient care.
- Prescribed medications.
- Specialist care.
- Surgeries.
- Chronic conditions.
- Behavioral issues.
- Periodontal disease.
- Euthanasia.
- Prosthetics and wheelchairs.
When you buy an accident and illness plan, you’ll typically be able to choose from these options.
- Annual coverage limit: $5,000 or unlimited.
- Reimbursement percentage: 70%, 80% or 90%.
- Deductible: $50, $100, $200, $250, $500 or $1,000.
Pets Best waiting period
As with all pet insurers, there is a delay between when you enroll your pet and when the pet insurance benefits begin. Pets Best beats out many competitors with a three-day waiting period for accidents. It also has a 14-day waiting period for illness or hip dysplasia and six months for cruciate ligament injuries.
What doesn’t Pets Best cover?
Pets Best won’t cover pre-existing conditions, unless your dog or cat has been symptom-free of curable conditions — like vomiting, diarrhea or ear infections — for a year and a half.
Here are additional exclusions listed in Pets Best’s sample policy:
- Alternative and holistic treatments.
- Anal gland expression.
- Bedding, housing, crates, cages, ramps, bowls, feeding, exercise, pet foods, supplements, grooming, nail trims, toys, clothes, leashes, collars, biohazardous waste fees and treats.
- Bilateral pre-existing conditions.
- Boarding and transport expenses.
- Breeding and conditions related to pregnancy.
- Chronic conditions.
- Conditions related to racing, including track or sled racing.
- Cremation and burial.
- Experimental therapies and medications.
- Intervertebral disc conditions.
- Preventive care.
- Training and treatment of behavioral conditions (besides consultations and prescribed medication).
Wellness plan add-on
If your dog or cat is a regular at the vet, perhaps for preventive measures like vaccinations, you might consider adding a wellness plan to your Pets Best policy.
Routine care
Pets Best offers two wellness plans — BestWellness and EssentialWellness — to cover basics like spaying and neutering, microchipping, bloodwork and heartworm testing.
The EssentialWellness plan costs $16 per month and the BestWellness plan costs $26 per month. Rates in Washington are $14 and $30 monthly, respectively.
Pets Best wellness plan benefits
Pets Best pets insurance cost
Your pet’s age and breed will be the main factors in your pet insurance cost. To show you what Pets Best pet insurance costs could be, we compared rates for nine dog breeds at three different ages.
Pets Best average pet insurance cost by breed and age
Pets Best discounts
Pets Bet allows you to discount your quoted premium by 5% if you insure multiple pets. There is also up to 10% savings available for veterinarians, their staff and clients.
How Pets Best compares to other insurance companies
Comparing the cost, coverage and plan details of the best cheap pet insurance companies can help you get the best possible deal for your pet insurance needs.
Compare the best pet insurance companies of 2023
Learn more: How to compare pet insurance quotes.
Pets Best customer service
Pets Best takes customer phone calls Monday through Friday, with limited hours on Saturday. Its bot chat function online could also be helpful if you have general questions about your policy.
Pets Best also has a 24-7 helpline available by phone, live chat or email. The service is run by veterinary experts (not veterinarians, per se) who can help with questions about your pet’s behavior.
Also, if you need to file a claim against your Pets Best policy, you can do so through email, mobile app, fax or mail. The company’s Vet Direct Pay feature could also be useful, particularly for bigger bills. Have your veterinarian fill out the pay release form and Pets Best will pay the vet directly. You’re only responsible for your portion of the bill, rather than paying in full up front and waiting for reimbursement.
Methodology
To find the best pet insurance, we analyzed 18 pet insurance companies using data provided by PetInsurer.com.
Each pet insurance company was eligible for up to 100 points, based on its performance in the following key categories:
Cost: 50 points. We calculated average rates for accident and illness pet insurance plans for dogs with unlimited annual reimbursement (or the highest level offered by that pet insurance company), a $500 deductible and a 90% reimbursement percentage. Average rates were based on quotes for 10 dog breeds, three age groups and multiple ZIP codes. The lower the average rate, the higher the number of points
Annual coverage limits: 10 points. Pet insurance companies that offer an annual reimbursement level of $100,000, or unlimited annual coverage scored in this category.
24/7 vet line: 10 points. Insurance companies that offer access to a 24/7 vet line earned points. Being able to call for medical advice might save you money on vet visits.
Routine wellness plan: 10 points. Pet insurance companies that offer an optional wellness plan add-on scored points. Wells plans can reimburse you for preventative care for your pet.
Pays vet exam fees: 10 points. If a pet insurance plan includes pet exam fees, the insurer received 10 points. If this is offered as a coverage add on, the insurer received 5 points.
Behavioral therapy: 5 points. If a pet insurance company covers behavior therapy in its pet insurance plans, it scored points.
Euthanasia or end of life expenses included: 5 points. If euthanasia or other end of life expenses are covered in pet insurance plans, a pet insurance company scored in this category.
Why some pet insurance companies didn’t make the cut
Of the 18 pet insurance companies we evaluated, nine made our rating of the best pet insurance companies. Companies with higher-than-average rates for accident and illness pet insurance plans, or those with less coverage for comparable cost, did not make the cut.
Yes, you can get an online quote from Pets Best. You’ll need to provide your name and ZIP code, plus your pet’s name, age, breed and gender.
The Pets Best quote tool will also ask if your pet has been seen or diagnosed for any health conditions.
Once you enter the information, you can choose your coverage options and complete the application to get your pet insured.
Learn more: How to compare pet insurance quotes.
No, like other pet insurance companies, Pets Best does not cover pre-existing conditions.
A pre-existing condition is anything your pet shows signs for, even if they haven’t been diagnosed by a veterinarian.
If your pet is seen for a curable pre-existing condition, such as a broken bone, sprain, upper respiratory infection or dental fracture, Pets Best will cover them after the condition is healed or cured.
Pets Best does have an annual coverage limit, which is either $5,000 or unlimited.
If you choose the $5,000 coverage limit, your premium will be lower, but your coverage will be capped at $5,000 per year.
With the unlimited coverage limit, there is no cap on the amount Pets Best will cover for your pet’s health care costs each year.
Learn more: How much does a dog cost per year?
According to Pets Best, you can expect reimbursement in as little as two days (for direct deposit) or five to seven days (paper check).
Pets Best will hold your claim until all medical records are provided, so be certain to provide all relevant documentation with your claim to expedite the process.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
