Best Pet Insurance In New Jersey 2024

Here are the best pet insurance companies in NJ:

• Pets Best – Great For Choices Of Deductible
• Lemonade – Best Price For Kittens And Puppies
• ManyPets – Best For Lowest Out-Of-Pocket Claims Costs
• Nationwide – Best For Unlimited Wellness Coverage
• Embrace – Best For Superior Benefits

Costs for New Jersey pet insurance with $5,000 annual maximum coverage

Company	Monthly pet insurance cost in New Jersey
Lemonade	$22
Pets Best	$30
Figo	$42
TrustedPals	$46
Embrace	$53
Spot	$54
ASPCA	$55

Costs are for a plan with a $5,000 annual coverage maximum ($4,000 for TrustedPals), a $250 deductible ($200 for Embrace) and 90% reimbursement level. Source: PetInsurer.com.

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Costs for New Jersey pet insurance with unlimited annual maximum coverage

Company	Monthly pet insurance cost in New Jersey
Lemonade	$26
ManyPets	$31
Pets Best	$34
Nationwide	$36
Healthy Paws	$45
Figo	$56
TrustedPals	$61
Embrace	$76
Trupanion	$86
Spot	$96

Costs are for a plan with unlimited annual coverage ($30,000 for Embrace and $100,000 for Lemonade), a $250 deductible ($200 for Embrace) and 90% reimbursement level. Source: PetInsurer.com.

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Pet insurers usually offer several types of pet plans including:

Accident and illness coverage

Accident and illness coverage reimburses you for emergencies that result in injury and unexpected illness expenses. This type of plan usually covers:

• Injuries
• Chronic illnesses
• Common and serious injuries
• Hereditary conditions
• Bloodwork
• X-rays
• MRIs
• Surgeries
• Hospitalizations
• Medications

Accident-only plans

Accident-only plans cover the cost of treatment after an emergency. This plan covers the vet costs if your pet slips on ice and injures their leg or punctures their paw while running in the dog park.

Other accidents covered in this plan include skin lacerations, bone fractures and poison ingestion. But remember, if you purchase an accident-only plan, you’re financially responsible for non-accident-related expenses, like treatment for an ear infection.

Wellness coverage

Routine vet care can cost a few hundred dollars annually. However, pet insurers offer wellness and routine care coverage that you can add to your accident and illness plan to ease the financial burden of this expense.

This add-on covers expenses like routine check-ups, vaccinations and flea/tick prevention.

When applying for a pet plan, insurance companies use many factors to determine the price you pay for coverage. Some factors include your pet’s age, gender, breed and location.

Pricing is also determined by the terms and reimbursement level of your policy. Fortunately, many pet insurance companies let you customize your plan by selecting your reimbursement level.

Here are some key terms that will help you shop for pet insurance in New Jersey.

Premium

The premium is the monthly amount you pay to keep your policy active. Policyholders usually pay less for younger pets, so it’s wise to purchase a policy early in your pet’s life. But keep in mind that some insurers raise the cost of coverage as your pet ages.

Deductible

In pet insurance, your deductible is the amount you pay before the insurer begins to cover care. You can usually select your deductible amount and options typically range from $50 to $1,000, depending on the insurer. Selecting a higher deductible lowers your monthly premium cost.

Reimbursement percentage

Even after you pay your deductible, pet insurance companies usually only reimburse a percentage of your vet costs. Pet insurers usually let you select your reimbursement level, with common options including 70%, 80% or 90%. Some companies offer 100% reimbursement.

Annual coverage cap

Some pet insurance companies put an annual cap, or payout limit, on your coverage. You can usually choose your annual coverage cap, with limits typically ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. Selecting a lower coverage cap will usually lower your plan’s cost.

Related: What Does Pet Insurance Cover?

The best way to find a good price on pet insurance is to compare pet insurance quotes among multiple insurers. You can get free quotes by:

• Using a comparison website
• Visiting multiple pet insurance company websites
• Contacting an independent agent by phone, email or in-person

In addition to comparing price and coverage details, it’s wise to explore the other perks or benefits that come with the pet plan. Here are some other benefits worth considering.

Exam fees

When you make a trip to the vet, you usually have to pay a consultation or exam fee for the vet to evaluate your pet’s health. Unfortunately, not all pet insurance companies cover this cost. If that’s important to you, look for companies that include exam fee coverage.

Wellness add-on

Some pet insurance companies, like Pets Best and TrustedPals, offer wellness care as an add-on to your accident and illness coverage. If preventive care coverage is something that you want, find an insurer that gives you the option to add this coverage.

Waiting periods

A waiting period is an amount of time you must wait between the policy purchase date and when the benefits begin. Some waiting periods are a couple of days, while others can last a couple of weeks. The amount of time varies by insurance company.

Some insurance companies apply an extended waiting period for certain conditions, like hip dysplasia. Condition-specific waiting periods vary by insurer but are usually between six and 12 months.

Access to vet helplines

Some plans come with access to vet helplines that are available 24/7. Vet helplines can help you decide how to manage a pet medical concern, like limping or diarrhea.

Multi-pet discounts

If you want to insure more than one pet, you may be eligible for a discount. Some pet insurance companies offer reduced rates when you insure multiple pets. Pet insurers may also offer other ways to save, such as military discounts or employer discounts.

Vet direct pay

Pet insurance policyholders typically pay the total vet bill and then file a claim with their insurer to get reimbursed. Some companies like Trupanion will pay the vet directly through its unique claim processing software. This is a good solution if you don’t want to front the entire vet bill, but check with your vet to make sure they’re set up to take payment from a specific insurer.

Extra perks

Pet insurance companies sometimes offer extra perks. For example, Figo offers a pet cloud app that helps you organize your pet’s medical records and appointment schedules. Another example is Nationwide, which offers special pet medication pricing through its partnership with Walmart pharmacies.

New Jersey has various state and local pet laws that govern animal ownership. For example, all dogs must have a license once they reach the age of seven months. In addition, you must provide proof of rabies vaccination to obtain a valid license unless a licensed veterinarian says the pet can’t be vaccinated due to a medical condition.

There is no state law that mandates New Jersey pet owners must spay and neuter their pets, but they urge owners to do so. New Jersey offers low-cost spay and neutering programs designed to control the pet population. If you receive food stamps, Medicaid or rental assistance, for example, you could neuter or spay your animal for $10.

Beyond state laws, here are some examples of local ordinances.

Newark pet laws

• All dogs must be accompanied by a responsible person and restrained by a leash no more than six feet long when in public places.
• All dog owners must remove and dispose of solid waste immediately while on public property.

Paterson pet laws

• You should not allow your dog to excessively howl, bark or whine and disturb the community’s peace.
• Dogs off the owner’s premises must be restrained by a leash, tether, chain, rope or similar method that’s not more than six feet. The person must also have control of the dog.

Elizabeth pet laws

• No person shall own more than five dogs, cats, or a combination of the two animals.
• You are not permitted to tether or restrain an animal with a choke collar that doesn’t allow them to move freely.
• You cannot use a chain to restrain or tether your animal.

We used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following.

Average plan prices: Up to 40 points. We averaged pet insurance quotes for each insurer for a mixed-breed dog at two ages in New Jersey.

Plan benefits: Up to 60 points. We scored plans based on the following important features: Annual coverage choices, whether the plan can pay a veterinarian directly, access to a 24/7 vet line, availability of routine wellness coverage, whether the plan pays the vet exam fee, pet dental illness coverage, end of life coverage and multi-pet discount.