We rate insurers on price, coverage terms, claims experience, and exclusions — then connect the data back to each breed's documented health risks so you can match coverage to actual need.
| Insurer | Rating | Best for | Annual limit | Reimbursement | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Paws | 4.5/5 | Owners who want simple, no-cap catastrophic coverage and are willing to pay exam fees and routine care out of pocket. | Unlimited only | 70%, 80%, or 90% (varies by pet age and state) | $100 – $1,000 annual | Get quote |
| Lemonade Pet | 4.4/5 | Budget-conscious owners of young, healthy dogs who value fast digital claims. | $5,000 – $100,000 | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $100 – $750 annual | Get quote |
| Embrace Pet Insurance | 4.4/5 | Owners who stay claim-free and want their deductible to shrink over time, plus flexible routine-care budgeting. | $5,000 – $30,000 | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $200 – $1,000 annual, diminishing by $50 each claim-free year | Get quote |
| Fetch Pet Insurance | 4.3/5 | Owners who want exam fees and dental illness covered without paying for add-ons. | $5,000, $15,000, or Unlimited | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $250 – $700 annual | Get quote |
| Spot Pet Insurance | 4.2/5 | Owners of older pets or breeds prone to orthopedic issues who want no extended orthopedic waiting period. | $2,500 – Unlimited | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $100 – $1,000 annual | Get quote |
| ASPCA Pet Health Insurance | 4.2/5 | Owners who want exam fees and behavioral coverage included with no orthopedic waiting period, at mid-range prices. | $3,000 – $10,000 (Unlimited available in some states) | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $100 – $500 annual | Get quote |
| Pets Best | 4.2/5 | Cost-sensitive owners who want a low deductible, cheap accident-only option, or direct payment to the vet. | $5,000 or Unlimited | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $50 – $1,000 annual | Get quote |
| Trupanion | 4.1/5 | Owners who fear large surprise bills and want the vet paid directly, especially for breeds prone to chronic conditions. | Unlimited | 90% only | $0 – $1,000 per-condition lifetime deductible | Get quote |
| Figo Pet Insurance | 4.1/5 | Tech-friendly owners who want next-day accident coverage and the option of 100% reimbursement. | $5,000, $10,000, or Unlimited | 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% | $100 – $1,500 annual | Get quote |
| MetLife Pet Insurance | 3.9/5 | Multi-pet households that want one family policy with a shared deductible and immediate accident coverage. | $500 – $25,000 | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $0 – $2,500 annual (shared across pets on a family plan) | Get quote |
| Nationwide Pet Insurance | 3.8/5 | Owners of birds or exotic pets, and loyalists who want wellness bundled with medical coverage from an established brand. | Varies by plan — benefit-schedule allowances (Major Medical) up to $10,000+ annual limits (Whole Pet) | Varies by plan — 50% to 90% on Whole Pet plans | From $250 annual (Whole Pet) | Get quote |
Pet insurance is reimbursement-based: you pay the veterinarian directly, file a claim, and the insurer pays back a set percentage of covered costs after your deductible. The four numbers that define any policy are the monthly premium, the annual deductible, thereimbursement rate (typically 70–90%), and the annual limit.
Two structural rules matter more than any marketing copy. First, waiting periods delay when coverage starts — accidents commonly 2–15 days, illnesses around 14 days, and orthopedic conditions up to 6 months. Second, pre-existing conditions are excluded permanently, so the cheapest time to insure a dog is always before its first diagnosis — seewhen to buy pet insurance for the timing math. If you are starting from a puppy rather than an adult dog, the same logic applies from day one — seepet insurance for puppies.
Want the real industry numbers? Seewhat pet insurance costs in the US — NAPHIA's national averages, the state-level premium index, and an explanation of why no one can quote you a breed-level price. The full set of sourced industry figures, from market size to the largest claims paid, lives inpet insurance statistics. To see how your dog's breed risk profile feeds into underwriting, use thepremium factors tool.
4.5
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90% (varies by pet age and state)
Best for: Owners who want simple, no-cap catastrophic coverage and are willing to pay exam fees and routine care out of pocket.
4.4
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Budget-conscious owners of young, healthy dogs who value fast digital claims.
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Owners who stay claim-free and want their deductible to shrink over time, plus flexible routine-care budgeting.
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Owners who want exam fees and dental illness covered without paying for add-ons.
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Owners of older pets or breeds prone to orthopedic issues who want no extended orthopedic waiting period.
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Owners who want exam fees and behavioral coverage included with no orthopedic waiting period, at mid-range prices.
4.2
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Cost-sensitive owners who want a low deductible, cheap accident-only option, or direct payment to the vet.
4.1
reimbursement90% only
Best for: Owners who fear large surprise bills and want the vet paid directly, especially for breeds prone to chronic conditions.
reimbursement70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%
Best for: Tech-friendly owners who want next-day accident coverage and the option of 100% reimbursement.
reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%
Best for: Multi-pet households that want one family policy with a shared deductible and immediate accident coverage.
reimbursementVaries by plan — 50% to 90% on Whole Pet plans
Best for: Owners of birds or exotic pets, and loyalists who want wellness bundled with medical coverage from an established brand.
For most owners, yes — the math favours insurance once a single emergency occurs. A cruciate ligament repair is a four-figure bill, and the national average premium for a dog on accident-and-illness cover is $836 a year (NAPHIA, 2025). Insurance converts unpredictable five-figure risks into a fixed annual cost.
Pre-existing conditions are excluded by virtually every insurer, which is why enrolling while your dog is young matters. Most base plans also exclude routine wellness care, breeding costs, and cosmetic procedures unless you add a wellness rider.
You pay the vet, then the insurer reimburses a percentage (typically 70–90%) of the covered amount after your annual deductible is met. A $500 deductible with 80% reimbursement on a $4,000 claim returns $2,800.
Insurers price on expected claims. Brachycephalic breeds like French Bulldogs carry documented higher rates of airway, spinal and skin claims, so they sit at the expensive end of the market. What no source publishes is the size of that gap in dollars — we do not quote a per-breed price, and our breed profiles show the documented condition list and severity instead.