Pets Best Review

Wednesday, January 15th

2025 Pet Insurance Company Reviews

Pets Best

• Accident and Illness coverage starting at $36 to $58/month for dogs and $22 to $34/month for cats
• $82.55 to $92.09 per month for our example dog
• Three tiers of coverage with varying levels of protection
• No upper age limit for pets (7 weeks minimum)
• Flexible coverage options with annual payout limits up to unlimited
• Deductibles ranging from $50 to $1,000
• Reimbursement rates of 70%, 80%, or 90%
• Accepted at any licensed veterinary office in the US and Canada
• Optional wellness plans available
• Vet Direct Pay feature for large bills
• Premiums do not increase due to claims

Pets Best, founded in 2005 by Dr. Jack Stephens, the "father" of pet insurance in North America, has been providing coverage for cats and dogs for the better part of two decades. Pets Best covers cats and dogs of any age over 7 weeks old, with no upper age limit. They offer flexible coverage options, including annual payout limits of $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited; deductibles ranging from $50 to $1,000; and reimbursement rates of 70%, 80%, or 90%. Pets Best's insurance is accepted at any licensed veterinary office in the US and Canada, including specialty and emergency clinics. The company's policies are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company.

Accident and Illness coverage starting at $22/$36 per month

Pets Best says, on average, their Accident and Illness pet insurance costs $36 to $58/month for dogs and $22 to $34/month for cats. When you complete the quote process, you will see three tiers with varying levels of coverage, plus additional wellness add-on options. Our example quote (an 8-year-old mixed-breed large dog in Illinois) yielded a range of $82.55 to $92.09. The lowest tier includes accidents, illnesses, cancer, hereditary conditions, emergency care, surgeries, and prescription medications. The middle tier expands on this to cover exam fees related to accidents and illnesses. The highest tier covers all of these plus acupuncture, chiropractic, and rehabilitative therapies. None of the tiers cover pre-existing conditions or preventative care items (such as vaccinations or deworming).

Check your eligibility before purchasing Illness plan

Pets Best doesn't require an examination of your pet to enroll them, but you will need to provide the insurer with medical records upon filing a claim. You should also know that if your pet has ever been diagnosed with or displayed symptoms of Addison's disease, Cushing's disease, diabetes, cancer, feline leukemia, or feline immunodeficiency virus, they won't be eligible for the Illness plan - just Accident-Only.

Wellness plans available

Pets Best offers two add-on wellness plans: EssentialWellness and BestWellness. The EssentialWellness plan costs $14 to $21.75 per month and provides up to $305 in annual benefits, while the BestWellness plan costs $26 to $32.58 per month with up to $535 in annual benefits. Both plans cover routine care items such as wellness exams, vaccinations, and preventative medications. The BestWellness plan offers higher coverage limits and includes spay/neuter/teeth cleaning, which is not covered in the EssentialWellness plan. However, these plans have set annual limits for each type of care, and any unused funds are lost at the end of the year.

Accident-only plan doesn't cover cruciate events

If you're on a tight budget but still want protection for your pet, you might consider Pets Best's Accident-Only plans. These plans offer you coverage for unexpected incidents like snake bites, broken legs, or swallowing foreign objects. However, this plan won't cover any cruciate events (like a torn ligament while playing fetch). Accident Only coverage is pretty affordable: you'll pay just $6 per month for cats and $9 per month for dogs, regardless of their age or breed.

Waiting periods for all coverage types

Pets Best claims to have "some of the shortest waiting periods in the industry”, but to find out specifics, you'll have to get a quote or visit the relevant question on their FAQ page to find a dropdown menu and select the state you live in. In Illinois (the state we used for all of our sample quotes) accidents had a 3-day waiting period, illnesses 14 days, and cruciate ligament conditions were 6 months (with no mention of an exam to get this waived like some pet insurance companies offer). Routine care can be used on the policy effective date.

They don't say how long it takes to review your claim

Pets Best allows you to submit your claim via their app, online portal, email, fax, or paper mail. You'll need your paid invoice and proof of payment, like a credit card receipt. Oddly, they don't offer an estimate of the length of time it will take for them to process your claim. Customer reports vary, but you can likely expect reimbursement within the month.

Vet Direct Pay for large bills

Pets Best offers a feature called Vet Direct Pay that can make paying for expensive, unexpected vet bills easier. With this option, the company can send your claim reimbursement directly to your vet's office instead of to you. This means you won't have to pay the full bill upfront and wait for reimbursement. To use Vet Direct Pay, you'll need to send in a signed form with your claim. Once your claim is processed, Pets Best will pay your vet directly for the covered amount. Remember, you'll still need to pay your deductible, co-insurance, and any non-covered items to your vet yourself.

Premiums increase over time, but not because of claims

Pets Best, like most pet insurance companies, may increase premiums periodically. These increases are typically due to rising veterinary costs, advancements in medical technology, and the overall risk associated with insuring pets as they age. However, Pets Best emphasizes that they do not raise individual premiums based on claim history. This means that filing a claim for your pet's treatment won't directly cause your premium to go up, but you may still see increases over time due to industry-wide factors and your pet's advancing age.

Reputation seems stable

Pets Best holds a 3.8 "Great" rating average on Trustpilot from 5,000 reviews and an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau. While there are several reports of long hold times when calling customer service, anecdotally the company seems to receive fewer angry reviews about premium increases compared to other insurers. The ratio of complaints about denied claims is typical for the industry. We also didn't find any information about lawsuits against the company.

Not your best bet

Pets Best offers some appealing features for pet owners looking for insurance. They have low-cost plans, with accident-only starting under $10 a month for young pets, and they can pay your vet directly instead of making you wait for reimbursement. However, there are some downsides to consider. Their wellness coverage has limits on specific items, and unused funds don't roll over. They don't cover common pet issues like fleas or heartworms, even if your pet is on preventative medicine. Pets with certain pre-existing conditions can only get accident coverage, not illness coverage. Their dental coverage is limited, and their 5% multi-pet discount is lower than some competitors. We think you have better options than Pets Best.