Trupanion at a Glance
Trupanion offers one accident and illness plan with several add-on packages available. A unique feature of Trupanion is that claims may be paid while you and your pet are still at the vet’s office. There is no need to pay the bill and submit it for reimbursem*nt afterward. You can also pay part of the bill and the insurance pays the balance to the vet.
- Annual cap: Unlimited
- Deductible options: Set per condition, anywhere from $0 to $1,000 (in $5 increments). If your deductible was met with one health condition, you will never have to meet another deductible for that particular health issue.
- Reimbursem*nt levels: 90%
- Waiting periods: Five days for accidents and 30 days for illnesses
- Wellness coverage: Not available
Pets Best at a Glance
Pets Best stands out for not having upper age limit restrictions for older pets and for offering an unlimited coverage option. It also does not require an exam to enroll your pet. The company offers three levels of accident and illness coverage: Essential, Plus and Elite.
- Annual cap: $5,000 or unlimited
- Deductible options: $50, $100, $200, $250, $500 and $1,000
- Reimbursem*nt levels: 70%, 80% and 90%
- Waiting periods: Three days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses. There is no extended waiting period for hip dysplasia.
- Wellness coverage: two add-on options: EssentialWellness and BestWellness
Coverage Comparison Chart
The cost of pet insurance depends on several factors, such as type of animal, breed, age and type of coverage. While both of these companies offered options and excellent coverage, Pets Best coverage costs a lot less than Trupanion in the sample quotes our team gathered.
Trupanion may cost more in monthly premiums, but they may be able to pay your vet directly, which means that you can avoid paying a large sum up-front before you’re reimbursed.
Here are sample quotes we obtained from both companies using the same variables for pets in Raleigh, N.C.
Policy one: Four-year-old female German Shepherd
Both companies have a mix of positive and negative reviews. While some customers praised both of these companies for fast claims processes and friendly customer service, others complained of poor service or high prices.
Here are is a sample of feedback from Trupanion customers:
“I’ve had Trupanion since my dog was a pup. Now she’s 5 1/2 years old and is about to have her second knee replacement. Trupanion is amazing! They get back to you RIGHT AWAY. And before you know it, your reimbursem*nt is direct-deposited into your account. I tell everyone to get this insurance, as it has paid for itself 10X over!!” —Kris T. on Trustpilot
“I have had Trupanion for 8 years for 3 of my animals and, thankfully, have never had to file a claim. I will say their customer service seems responsive but I’m extremely unhappy with the constant rate increases over the past few years. My rates have gone up 25 percent in the past two years with no history of claims. I believe this comes from an increase in veterinary fees.” —L.Y. on Trustpilot
Here are some reviews from Pets Best customers:
“Pet’s Best has been wonderful for us, always lets us know what’s going on with claims, and always prompt with payments. I highly recommend them for any pet! and based on your needs they have a policy to suit you! very professional and friendly.” —Beverly K. via BBB
“Paid almost $1,400 over 3 years for Pet’s Best insurance and wellness coverage… dog is a Morkie, only 4 years old. I submitted many claims that were denied (lots of stupid excuses) and ended up only being reimbursed around $400.” —Jason Howe via TrustPilot
Trupanion offers a higher reimbursem*nt rate and more deductible amounts. Their claim process is more popular than Pets Best, but Pets Best covers exams and wellness while Trupanion does not. While both companies are popular with pet owners, Pets Best gets a nod here for the coverage they provide and the overall cost of policies. Today, pet owners want insurance that’s the most affordable.
To learn more:
- Review of Trupanion pet insurance
- Review of Pets Best pet insurance
We review each pet insurance company based on factors most important to pet parents like you. Our process includes in-depth industry research into each provider, such as comparing coverage options, gathering quotes online to determine pricing and reading reviews to assess customer service. To better inform our reviews, we’ve surveyed 3,000 dog and cat owners nationwide to determine the most important elements of pet insurance coverage. We’ve also bought pet insurance plans for 10 of our team’s pets to test the customer experience of various providers for ourselves.
We then score each provider on a 100-point scale and calculate an overall rating out of five stars. Here are more details about the factors we consider when reviewing pet insurance providers:
- Costs and Discounts (22.5%): To assess pricing, we collected sample quotes for 10 mixed-breed and purebred dogs and cats, ranging from 3 months to 8 years old. Our team collected a total of 17,330 quotes directly from 22 provider’s websites, requesting at least two quotes for all 50 U.S. states from every insurer and pet profile. Providers earn the most points in this category for offering affordable coverage and more than four discount options to customers.
- Coverage (22.5%): The best pet insurance companies offer a range of plans, customization options and more so pet owners can choose the right coverage. Companies offering a wide variety of coverage options earn full points in this category. We also look at waiting periods and award the most points if companies offer policies with shorter waiting periods than its competitors.
- Covered Treatments (17.5%): According to our survey of pet owners, coverage is one of the most important factors when shopping for pet insurance. Companies with a breadth of included treatments and unique coverages as standard within their policies receive more points in this category than those with less options.
- Customer Experience (17.5%): Respondents to our survey also valued customer service when comparing pet insurance providers. We score each company based on its website accessibility and overall usability, customer service, mobile apps, money-back guarantees and veterinarian telehealth options. The insurers with the most customer experience offerings receive the most points.
- Industry Standing (10%): We review up-to-date ratings and accreditation information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot, and score companies based on customer reviews and years of industry experience.
- Availability (10%): Some companies do not offer policies for pets over a certain age. For this category, we deduct points from providers that have age limits for older pets. We also consider state availability, international coverage and if a company extends coverage options to breeds considered dangerous.
We use our rating system to compare each company we review and determine the best pet insurance companies in the industry. To learn more, read our full pet insurance methodology to see how we review and score providers.
