Pet insurance provides valuable financial protection by reimbursing 60% to 90% of eligible veterinary costs minus your deductible. Here's a step-by-step approach to choose the right plan for your specific situation.
How to Choose Pet Insurance
Updated: September 26, 2025
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Key Takeaways
Choosing the right pet insurance plan for your situation involves evaluating your coverage options, reviewing policy exclusions and assessing coverage flexibility.
Compare quotes from at least three insurers and look for discount opportunities that can reduce premiums by 5% to 15%.
After choosing a provider, complete your application, schedule any required veterinary exams and use the free look period to review your policy.
The Best Way to Choose Pet Insurance
1. Evaluate Coverage Options
Pet insurance comes in three main types, each offering different levels of coverage and cost. Understanding these options helps you match coverage to your pet's needs and your budget.
Accident-only coverage
This basic coverage handles emergency situations like broken bones, cuts or poisoning. It's the most affordable option but won't cover illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Choose this if you want protection against unexpected injuries without paying for comprehensive health coverage.
Accident and illness coverage
This comprehensive option covers both injuries and medical conditions like allergies, infections and chronic diseases, as long as they develop after enrollment and any waiting periods. It costs more than accident-only policies but covers the majority of veterinary expenses you're likely to face.
Wellness plan
This covers routine care like vaccinations, dental cleanings and annual checkups. It’s often sold as an add-on or rider to your accident and illness coverage. Consider wellness plans if you want help budgeting for preventive care, but remember they have annual limits that may not exceed what you'd pay out-of-pocket.
2. Review Policy Exclusions and Limitations
Pet insurance policies exclude certain conditions and situations, which can affect your coverage when you need it most. Below are the most common exclusions and limitations to watch for when choosing policies.
Pre-existing conditions
Any health issue your pet had before coverage starts or during the waiting periods won't be covered, even if it wasn't officially diagnosed. This includes obvious problems like limping or coughing that you noticed but haven't treated yet.
Bilateral conditions
If your pet develops a condition in one body part (like a torn cranial cruciate ligament in the left knee) before enrollment, many insurers won't cover the same condition if it occurs in the corresponding body part later. This means you could pay out-of-pocket for the right knee injury even with active coverage.
Elective procedures
Cosmetic surgeries and preventive treatments aren't covered unless you have a wellness plan. This includes spaying or neutering, tail docking and declawing. These procedures are considered optional rather than medically necessary.
Breeding-related expenses
Pregnancy, whelping complications, cesarean sections and other breeding costs aren't covered by standard pet insurance. This includes prenatal care, delivery assistance and treatment for puppies or kittens until they're old enough for their own policies.
Age limits
Many insurers won't sell new policies to pets over a certain age, usually 14 years for dogs and 16 for cats. Some companies also reduce coverage or increase premiums as pets age.
Waiting periods
Coverage doesn't start immediately after you buy a pet insurance policy. Most insurers require up to 14 days for accidents and longer for illnesses before claims are eligible. Some conditions like hip dysplasia may have longer waiting periods of six months to a year.
3. Assess Coverage Flexibility
Most pet insurance companies let you customize your policy by adjusting key coverage features to match your budget and needs.
Deductibles
Your deductible is the amount you pay before insurance kicks in, usually ranging from $100 to $1,000 annually. Higher deductibles mean lower monthly premiums but more out-of-pocket costs when you file claims.
Annual limits
This caps how much your insurer will pay per year, with options ranging from $5,000 to unlimited coverage. Plans with higher or unlimited annual limits cost more but provide better financial protection for expensive treatments like cancer care or emergency surgery.
Reimbursement rates
Most insurers let you choose what percentage of covered expenses they'll pay back, often between 60% and 90%. Higher reimbursement rates mean larger claim payouts but higher monthly premiums.
4. Compare Multiple Quotes
Comparing quotes from multiple insurers helps you find the best value since pet insurance costs can vary by hundreds of dollars annually for identical coverage. Some pet insurance companies offer different discount structures like multi-pet, military or employer discounts that can reduce your premiums by 5% to 15%.
Get quotes from at least three companies to see which combination of coverage and pet insurance discounts works best for your situation.
5. Research Company Reviews
Reading company reviews helps you understand how insurers treat customers during stressful situations like filing claims for sick pets. Focus on the following areas when choosing the best pet insurance plan.
Customer service
Look for reviews about how helpful and responsive the company is when you call with questions or need assistance. Pay attention to comments about wait times, agent knowledge and whether representatives genuinely help solve problems.
Claims processing
Check how quickly companies approve and pay claims, since you'll often need to pay the vet upfront and wait for reimbursement. Look for patterns in reviews about denied claims, slow processing or disputes over coverage decisions. Companies with efficient claims processing usually reimburse within one to two weeks of receiving your paperwork.
Financial stability
Research the insurer's financial strength through ratings from AM Best or similar agencies to ensure it can pay claims long-term. A financially unstable company might delay payments, reduce coverage or go out of business when you need them most.
What You Need to Know After You Choose a Policy
After selecting a pet insurance provider, you'll need to complete the application process and set up proper policy management. Here’s what you need to know:
- 1
Application process
Fill out your application honestly and include all known health issues, even minor ones you haven't treated yet. Lying or omitting information can void your policy when you need it most, leaving you without coverage for expensive treatments. Most applications ask for your pet's breed, age and recent veterinary history, so gather this information before starting.
- 2
Veterinary exams
Some insurers require a wellness exam within 30 days of applying, especially for older pets or comprehensive coverage. This exam establishes your pet's baseline health and helps prevent disputes about pre-existing conditions later. Book this appointment quickly after applying since your waiting periods won't start until the exam is complete.
- 3
Free look period
Depending on where you live, some pet insurance companies include a free look period of 10 to 30 days where you can cancel without penalty and get a full refund. Use this time to understand your policy documents and make sure the coverage matches what you expected when you applied. If you find better coverage elsewhere or change your mind, cancel during this window to avoid paying for coverage you don't want.
How to Choose a Pet Insurance Plan: Bottom Line
Choosing the right pet insurance requires careful evaluation of coverage options, exclusions and flexibility features that match your pet's needs. Shopping around pays off, so compare at least three quotes and ask about discounts that can lower your premiums by up to 15%. Once you've selected a provider, complete your application honestly and use the free look period to ensure your policy meets expectations.
How to Choose the Right Pet Insurance: FAQ
Still have questions about how to choose pet insurance? We’ve compiled answers below:
What should I look for when choosing pet insurance?
Look for coverage that matches your pet's specific needs and your budget. Start by choosing between accident-only and accident and illness coverage and review policy exclusions like pre-existing conditions and bilateral conditions that could affect future claims. Also, assess flexibility options including deductibles, annual limits and reimbursement rates, then compare quotes from at least three pet insurance companies.
How do pet insurance deductibles work?
Pet insurance deductibles are the amount you pay before insurance coverage kicks in, ranging from $100 to $1,000 annually. Most policies use annual deductibles, meaning you pay the full amount once per year, then insurance covers the remaining eligible expenses based on your reimbursement rate. Higher deductibles mean lower monthly premiums but more out-of-pocket costs when filing claims.
Is pet insurance worth it?
Pet insurance provides valuable financial protection by reimbursing 60% to 90% of eligible veterinary costs minus your deductible. The value depends on your financial situation, pet's health risks and chosen coverage level. Young, active pets and breeds prone to specific conditions often benefit most from comprehensive accident and illness coverage.
What's not covered by pet insurance?
Pet insurance excludes pre-existing conditions, bilateral conditions, elective procedures and breeding-related expenses. Routine care like vaccinations, dental cleanings and annual checkups requires separate wellness plan coverage.
How to choose pet insurance on a budget?
Compare quotes from at least three insurers since pricing varies for identical coverage. Look for discounts that can reduce premiums by 5% to 15%, including multi-pet, military, employer or automatic payment discounts. Opt for higher deductibles ($500 to $1,000) to reduce monthly premiums, but ensure you can afford the out-of-pocket expense when filing claims.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!
Passionate about economics and insurance, he aims to promote transparency in financial topics and empower others to make confident money decisions.