Protect Your Pet

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How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?

The average pet insurance cost is $640 per year for dogs and $387 for cats for the most common type of policy. However, plans can vary significantly from one company to another. Compare the options below and apply today.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Based in Cleveland, Embrace offers popular and comprehensive pet insurance for cats and dogs. In fact, big-name insurers Allstate, Geico and USAA use Embrace as a third-party pet insurance provider. So if you're an Allstate customer trying to buy a policy for your dog, for instance, Allstate will provide you with a quote from Embrace. Embrace pet insurance plans are also easy to customize and cover a wide variety of conditions and treatments, such as alternative therapies and dental illnesses.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You name it, and ASPCA pet insurance probably covers it — including dental illnesses, behavioral issues, alternative treatments, prescription food and even microchipping. Unlike some other pet insurers, it also includes coverage for accident or illness exam fees. If you want less coverage and a lower rate, you can opt for an accident-only policy. If you want even more coverage, you can add a preventive care plan to pay for services like dental cleaning, heartworm tests and vaccinations. The company offers pet insurance not only for dogs and cats but also for horses.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Founded in 1868, MetLife is a well-established insurer that offers solid coverage for pets. It puts no age restrictions on pet enrollment, has a 24/7 vet chat service for policyholders and offers more potential discounts than most other pet insurers. It’s also got relatively short waiting periods before your coverage starts.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you find it overwhelming to have too many choices, the simplicity of Healthy Paws pet insurance might appeal to you. The company offers a single plan that covers accidents and illnesses with no annual or lifetime limit. You can customize the amount you pay your vet upfront and how much the company will reimburse you, but otherwise, you’ll get a decent plan without having to make too many decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Like human health insurance, pet insurance covers the cost of medical care. Pet insurance is designed to cover unexpected costs, so it may not pay for routine care or conditions your pet had before you bought the policy.

There are three main types of pet insurance plans:

Accident and illness: The most common type of pet insurance, these plans cover treatment for illnesses and accidental injuries.

Accident-only: These plans tend to be more affordable. They’ll pay if your pet swallows a toy or is hit by a car, but not for any illnesses such as diabetes or arthritis.

Wellness or preventive care: This type of coverage is usually an add-on to one of the policies above. It’ll pay for well visits, vaccines and other routine care.

The average cost of an accident and illness policy in the U.S. is $640 per year for dogs and $387 for cats, according to 2022 data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. That translates to about $53 a month for dogs and $32 a month for cats.

For an accident-only policy, the average cost is $201 per year for dogs (about $17 per month) and $122 per year for cats (about $10 per month).