Pets Best Pet Insurance Review: Pros, Cons and Coverage

Written by Katie Melynn Wood
Published: May 15, 2022
© Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock.com

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Pet Insurance is the answer to expensive vet bills, unexpected emergencies, and unpredictable costs that many pet owners want to fine. With options for emergency care, illness treatment, and routine wellness visits, there is a pet insurance option that will work for you.

We’ve reviewed some of the top pet insurance providers to find out which one is the best. Find out what we loved about Pets Best Pet Insurance and what situations it works best for. Coverage is available for dogs and cats, with multiple deductible and monthly premium plans.

Pets Best Pet Insurance

Pros:

  • Multiple deductibles and premium plans
  • Pay vet directly
  • Accident and illness coverage
  • Additional coverage for routine care

Cons:

  • Wellness care costs extra
  • Top-tier plans are considerably more expensive

Pets Best Pet Insurance is a great choice for pet owners who want customizable plan options. You can choose a lower deductible plan or a lower monthly premium plan. This helps pet owners work out the coverage and costs that work best for their budget and situation.

Plans cover dogs and cats. Pets Best offers discounts for multiple pets and military members. Routine care and visits are only covered with the add-on of a wellness plan. This costs extra on top of the monthly premiums. Many pet owners still opt for this additional plan to make their wellness care and visit costs more predictable.

This provider pays the vet directly for care. This is different than many other pet insurance providers who reimburse costs after the claims process. If you don’t want to cover the costs of care, even in the short term, Pets Best is one of the best plans you can find.

Pets Best pet insurance
Pets Best Pet Insurance will cover all accidents that your pet has.

Plans Available from Pets Best Pet Insurance

There are three main plans available from Pets Best Pet Insurance: Essential, Plus, and Elite.

Essential Plans

For the most budget-friendly option, consider the Essential plan. These plans cover things that commonly impact your pet’s health. These include accidents, illness, cancer, hereditary conditions, emergency care, surgery, and prescription medications.

The annual limits are unlimited on all Pets Best insurance plans, even the most budget-friendly. This is a great perk that isn’t available from other pet insurance providers. As costs accumulate, especially for ongoing care like cancer or diabetes, you don’t need to worry about hitting your annual maximums. Care continues no matter the cost.

Plus Plans

If you want some additional care and coverage, consider the Plus plan. Often just a few dollars more each month as part of the premiums, this is the most popular coverage plan from Pets Best Pet Insurance. It works for accident and illness coverage, just like the Essential plan.

Accident and illness exam fees are also covered. If your pet gets hurt or sick, this plan will cover any costs associated with finding out what is wrong and developing a treatment plan. This can be a great way to make sure that no matter what happens, you never need to worry about the cost of treatment.

Elite Plans

For the most comprehensive care, go with the Elite plan. It works for accidents, illness, testing, and treatment. Some alternative care is also covered. This includes rehab care, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. If having the most treatment options available is important to you, this is the plan for you.

Costs are reasonable for this plan, especially considering the comprehensive level of care. It is usually only a few dollars more per month than the Plus plan.

Wellness Plans

There are also two Wellness plans that you can choose from to add to your coverage. The Essential Wellness plan covers common items such as annual checkups, flea/tick prevention, heartworm prevention, and other items. The Best Wellness plan also includes the costs of spaying/neutering your pet and has higher annual limits for many routine items.

What Does Pets Best Pet Insurance Cover?

The most common illnesses and injuries are covered under all Pets Best Pet Insurance plans. These include accident care for injuries and emergencies. Whether your pet has broken bones or has ingested something poisonous, you don’t need to worry about paying for their vet bills. Hunting accidents and injuries that occur while in the line of duty (for service animals) are also covered.

Emergency care and surgery are covered. You must get care from a licensed veterinarian. Many 24-hour emergency vets are familiar with working with pet insurance providers. The next time your dog swallows something harmful, you don’t need to worry about the cost of getting them treated.

For sick dogs and cats, vet bills can get expensive very quickly. Many of these conditions are covered under all Pets Best Pet Insurance plans. These include diabetes, cancer, arthritis, allergies, cruciate ligament injuries, skin and ear infections, urinary tract infections, and epilepsy.

Hereditary and Congenital Conditions

Unlike many other pet insurance providers, Pets Best covers some hereditary and congenital conditions. These include hip dysplasia. Sometimes, other pet insurance providers exclude this condition. It can’t be a pre-existing condition, however, to be covered.

Dental Care

In order for dental care of pets older than 3 years old to be covered, your pet must have had a dental cleaning within 13 months of the plan’s start. For pets 2 years old or younger, this requirement is waived.

Limits of Coverage

Depending on your plan, some things may or may not be covered. Exams, testing, and alternative treatments are only part of the Plus and Elite plans. Routine and preventative care, including vaccinations, work as part of the Wellness plan add-ons.

Because the type of plan that you choose impacts your coverage, make sure that you review it before deciding.

Pre-existing conditions are also not covered. If your pet has already been diagnosed with an illness or injury, you will continue to pay for that care. Fortunately, when your policy renews, any issues already being treated and covered continue to be covered through the duration of treatment.

Pets Best pet insurance

With Pets Best Pet Insurance there is no problem with taking your dog to the vet, as the cost is covered.

What Is Pets Best Pet Insurance?

Pets Best began in 1981. Founded by career vet Dr. Jack Stephens, the company’s mission is to make all accident and illness care affordable for pet owners. Many pet owners euthanize their pets after accidents or illness because of the prohibitive costs of ongoing care. Pet insurance helps address this issue.

Pets Best plans work in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This means that you can get care for your pet, even while traveling. Care must be provided by a licensed veterinarian. With multiple plans available, it is one of the best and most customizable options on the market.

With the option to pay the vet directly, Pets Best is great to keep costs down for pet owners. Many pet owners can’t cover the cost of tests and treatment. Even if they will be reimbursed later, costly treatments still need to be paid for in the short term. Pets Best works directly with vets and billing.

How Much Does Pets Best Pet Insurance Cost?

Your pet’s age, breed, and location impact the overall cost of pet insurance. This applies to Pets Best plans. When selecting your plan, options exist for Essential, Plus, and Elite care. Wellness plans cost additional monthly premiums.

For an 8-year-old cat in Maryland, plans cost:

  • Essential Plan: $24.16/month
  • Plus Plan: $28.19/month
  • Elite Plan: $29.50/month

To keep costs down, consider changing your annual caps, annual deductible, or reimbursement level.

  • Annual limit: Unlimited or $5,000. A higher annual limit increases the monthly premium.
  • Annual deductible: $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1000. A lower annual deductible increases the monthly premium.
  • Reimbursement level: 70%, 80%, or 90%. A higher reimbursement level increases the monthly premium.

Pet owners love that they can customize their coverage and costs.

Pets Best pet insurance
Pets Best Pet Insurance is affordable, even for retired people.

Pets Best Insurance versus Competitor Insurance Coverage

Shop around and compare Pets Best Pet Insurance to other top providers for pet parents.

Pets Best vs. Spot Pet Insurance

These two providers have a lot in common. Both offer customizable coverage that works with your budget. Both allow policyholders to choose their annual limits, deductible, and reimbursement rate. Pets Best offers different plan levels. Spot Pet Insurance has Accident-Only or Accident and Illness coverage. Both have Wellness plans for an additional monthly cost.

Pets Best pays the vet directly. Spot Pet Insurance reimburses covered care and treatment. For pet owners who don’t want to foot the bill themselves and get reimbursed later, Pets Best is the better option.

Pets Best vs. Lemonade

Lemonade has some of the most affordable care and great customer service. They do cover up to 90% of your vet bill, the highest tier option available from Pets Best. However, their plans aren’t as customizable. So as long as you like what they offer, they are a great option. For customizable plans, go with Pets Best.

The customer service from Lemonade gets top marks and is worth mentioning. No one likes to deal with unresponsive insurance companies during emergencies. Lemonade processes claims quickly. You can even provide all of the paperwork and information right from your mobile device.

Pets Best vs. ManyPets Pet Insurance

ManyPets covers up to 100% of your vet bill, something that few insurance providers do. Their premiums tend to be a bit higher than other providers because of this. However, considering that they do cover so much, it can result in less out-of-pocket costs overall. Pets Best offers more customizable coverage. If you don’t expect to have a lot of health or injury issues, their lower monthly premium options may cost less. Just keep in mind that you can’t always predict what may happen with accidents and illness.

Next Up: Ultimate Guide To Pet Insurance: What It Covers

About the Author

Katie is a freelance writer and teaching artist specializing in home, lifestyle, and family topics. Her work has appeared in At Ease Magazine, PEOPLE, and The Spruce, among others. When she is not writing, Katie teaches creative writing with the Apex Arts Magnet Program in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. You can follow Katie @katiemelynnwriter.

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