How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?
When shopping for the best price for pet insurance it is important to know how cat and dog health insurance costs are determined. Premiums for pet health insurance are based primarily on your dog or cat’s age, breed, location, and your plan’s annual limit, deductible, and reimbursement level.
Pet insurance costs can potentially change based on the age when you first sign up. Pets Best strives to be as transparent as possible to our customers in sharing how premiums are calculated and to help you choose a plan that is best suited to your pet’s needs for his or her lifetime.
Pets Best offers a wide variety of coverage choices so pet owners can select a plan that is perfect for their pets and their budget. Get a customized quote to see pet insurance pricing for your pet!
What is the Average Cost of Pet Insurance?
While the basis of dog insurance and cat insurance plans are the same, there are differences in the plan costs due to the inherent differences between these species. There are specific conditions that occur in dogs, like kennel cough, that are priced into these plans. Similarly, a condition like Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), is only found in cats.
Pets Best designs its comprehensive accident and illness pet insurance plans to protect your dogs or cats from the unexpected, but these plans can vary in cost based on your pet’s age, breed, and where you live. Accident only plans cover accidental injury to either your dog or cat and provide a baseline of coverage when looking to help protect your pet from things like foxtails, broken nails, broken bones, and even snake bites.”
Average Dog Insurance Cost
Comprehensive Accident & Illness Coverage
$36-$58/month*
Fixed rate Accident Only plans are available for $9/month**
* Based on Pets Best Sales Data 10/2022 - 9/2023
** $10/mo. for dogs in WA.
** $10/mo. for dogs in WA.
Average Cat Insurance Cost
Comprehensive Accident & Illness Coverage
$22-$34/month*
Fixed rate Accident Only plans are available for $6/month**
* Based on Pets Best Sales Data 10/2022 - 9/2023
** $7/mo. for cats in WA.
** $7/mo. for cats in WA.
Understanding the cost of your premiums
When purchasing insurance coverage for your dog or cat, it’s important to understand how your plan is priced when you initially purchase and what to expect at your annual renewal as your pet ages. Pet health insurance costs are not based on your claims filing history but on a collective assessment of risk across all claims.
While the number of claims you submit will not impact the price of your insurance premium over time, the following factors will affect price:
- Your dog or cat’s ageYounger pets are typically less prone to illnesses than older pets.
- Your dog or cat’s breed Your pet’s breed and full-grown size can also affect the price of your pet insurance plan. Purebred animals with a higher likelihood of illnesses and breed specific conditions are typically more expensive to insure than their mixed breed counterparts. Similarly, large breed dogs tend to have shorter lifespans than small dogs, making the risk of illnesses and injuries possible over a shorter time. Your price for a pet insurance plan is adjusted based on your pet’s breed and size as an adult because of these differences.
- Your locationVeterinary costs can vary depending on where you live. For instance, treatments at a veterinary hospital in urban areas like Los Angeles can be more expensive than treatments in a more rural area. Pets Best plans are designed to consider these location differences by reimbursing customers on the percentage of their vet bill. Veterinary costs in your area are then used to help determine your pet insurance plan price.
- Your plan’s annual limit, annual deductible, and reimbursement levelPets Best has flexible choices regarding our accident and illness coverage. Choosing a higher deductible, lower annual limit, or a lower reimbursement rate can lower your premiums, and choosing a lower deductible, higher annual limit, or a higher reimbursement rate can increase your premium cost.
What are other causes of premiums increasing?
Periodically, pet insurance costs can also increase based on the overall cost of veterinary care as new technologies are utilized by veterinarians to treat dogs and cats. Because cat and dog insurance prices are based on the risk associated with a pet needing a medical procedure, new and advanced treatment options can cause premiums to rise over time.
Q:
Will submitting a claim increase my pet insurance premiums?
A:
No, we do not increase your pet premium based on your personal claims filing history.
How Pet Insurance Costs Change As Pets Age
As your pets get older, the inherent health risks your pet faces also increase. Pets age about 7 times faster than humans, so health issues can present themselves much quicker in pets than they do in humans. While it's difficult to approximate the price changes you may see over time, you are likely to see changes in your premium at each renewal period based on the increased risk of pets needing more medical care as they age. However, plans from Pets Best allow for greater flexibility than other pet insurance companies to choose an annual limit, deductible, and reimbursement percentage to fit your budget.
Get In Touch With A Pets Best Pet Insurance Expert
Pets Best understands the need for offering comprehensive and affordable pet insurance plans that protect your pet in the case of accidents and illnesses, and help you budget for routine veterinary expenses as well. Call a Pets Best insurance expert today at 866-440-2020.