Best Pet Insurance In Pennsylvania Of 2024

Here are the best pet insurance companies in Pennsylvania:

• Pets Best – Great For Choices Of Deductible
• Lemonade – Best Price For Kittens And Puppies
• ManyPets – Best For Lowest Out-Of-Pocket Claims Costs
• Embrace – Best For Superior Benefits
• Figo – Great For Short Waiting Period For Accident Coverage

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

Company	Monthly cost in Pennsylvania
Lemonade	$19
Pets Best	$24
Figo	$29
TrustedPals	$36
ASPCA	$42
Spot	$42
Embrace	$43
Petplan	$44

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 Pennsylvania pet insurance with unlimited annual maximum coverage

Company	Monthly cost in Pennsylvania
Lemonade	$21
ManyPets	$25
Pets Best	$28
Figo	$38
Healthy Paws	$48
Prudent Pet	$50
Nationwide	$52
TrustedPals	$53
Embrace	$62
Trupanion	$72
Spot	$82
Petplan	$85

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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Because every pet has unique needs, pet insurance companies usually offer several different policies to cater to them. Here are some standard policies insurers offer:

Accident and illness plans

This type of plan covers accident and illness-related vet expenses. This plan will cover costs if your feline has urinary tract disease or your new puppy ingests his chewing bone. Other things covered in this plan include:

• Accidents and injuries like sprains or broken bones
• Common illnesses like urinary tract infections or vomiting
• Chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis
• Dental illnesses like gingivitis
• Surgeries
• Hospitalizations
• Diagnostics like bloodwork, X-rays or MRIs
• Prescription medication

Accident and illness plans are usually more expensive than accident-only plans since they provide more comprehensive coverage.

Accident-only plans

This type of plan exclusively covers vet costs related to accidents. Let’s say your Shepherd mix sprains his ankle while chasing a rabbit around the yard. In this case, accident-only plans will cover the cost of treating their injury. Other things covered in this plan include:

• Ingesting a foreign object like a toy or other toxins
• Torn cruciate ligament
• Lacerations
• Broken or fractured bones

Accident-only plans are usually suitable for folks who have a tight budget or older pets that may have pre-existing conditions.

Related: Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions

Wellness and routine care coverage

Annual wellness care (such as vaccines, checkup and heartworm prevention) costs about $410 for dogs and $300 for cats, according to the ASPCA. To ease this financial burden, some pet insurers offer wellness and routine care coverage, which reimburses you for expenses, such as:

• Vaccines
• Flea and tick prevention
• Heartworm treatment
• Routine checkups

You can usually add this type of coverage to your accident and illness plan for an extra charge.

Related: What does pet insurance cover?

Several components make up pet insurance plans. Some insurance companies let you customize your plan based on your pet’s needs and budget. Depending on the insurance company, you can select the premium, deductible, reimbursement level and coverage limits. Here’s a breakdown of how each component works.

Premium

A premium payment is the amount you pay each month to keep your policy active. Pet insurance companies calculate your premium cost by looking at several different factors, such as:

• Pet’s age and gender
• Pet’s breed
• Coverage terms, such as reimbursement levels and deductibles

Deductible

Like your health insurance plan, you must pay a certain amount, known as your deductible, before your pet insurance company will reimburse you for vet-related costs. You can usually select deductibles ranging from $50 to $1,000.

Reimbursement level

The percentage of vet costs covered by the insurance company is the reimbursement level. You can typically select percentages ranging from 50% to 100%. Let’s say your vet bill ends up totaling $1,000 and your reimbursement percentage is 90%, you’re responsible for 10% ($100) of the bill, assuming your deductible has already been met.

Coverage limit

Pet insurance plans often have annual coverage caps on the amount they will reimburse you, such as $5,000 or $10,000 per year. You can often buy higher annual limits and some companies offer unlimited coverage.

The best way to find a fair price on pet insurance is to compare pet insurance quotes among multiple insurers. In addition to reviewing coverage options and costs, you’ll also want to check out the different perks offered by insurers. Here are a few to consider.

Find a pet insurer that offers 24/7 vet lines

When you hear your puppy vomiting on the carpet at 2 a.m., you may not know whether to rush them to the vet or wait it out. Some pet insurance companies offer a 24/7 vet telehealth line to help you make an informed decision.

Look for plans that will pay the vet directly

Before submitting a pet insurance claim, you usually have to pay the entire bill upfront. To ease some of this financial burden, some pet insurance companies, like Trupanion, offer direct vet pay.

Identify plans with a multi-pet discount

If you need to insure more than one animal, look for companies that offer multi-pet discounts. In addition, pet insurance companies may provide other discounts, such as military discounts, annual pay discounts or employee discounts.

Choose a pet plan with optional routine wellness

Maintaining your pet’s health can be expensive. Adding on wellness and routine care coverage can help reduce the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket for preventative care. For example, Pets Best offers two different routine care add-ons that range between $16 and $26 per month.

Exam fees

Every time you take a trip to the vet, you must pay an exam fee for the vet to evaluate your pet’s health. While some insurance companies cover this cost, others don’t. Check the policy to see if exam fees are a part of your plan. Otherwise, you’ll end up fronting the bill.

Waiting periods

When you buy a pet insurance plan, you have to wait a certain amount of time before expenses are covered under your plan. Waiting periods vary by insurer. For example, Embrace has a two-day waiting period for accidents, while Nationwide has a 14-day accident waiting period.

Some pet insurance companies also have extended waiting periods for particular conditions, like hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament issues. If your pet is susceptible to these issues, you may want to select a pet insurer that doesn’t have extended waiting periods.

Pennsylvania has established laws and regulations regarding owning a pet. After your canine reaches three months of age, you must purchase a license and provide proof of rabies vaccination for your furry companion. Cats are also required to have a current rabies vaccination.

If you shelter, transport, sell or kennel 26 or more dogs in one year, you must have a kennel license. If you do sell dogs, state law forbids you to sell any puppy under eight weeks of age.

Additionally, all sellers must abide by the “Puppy Lemon Law,” ensuring that the puppy is healthy. If a licensed vet discovers the puppy has an illness or defect after the purchase, the buyer has the right to receive a full refund or a replacement pup.

In addition to state regulations, local municipalities have guidelines and laws. Here are a few examples.

Pittsburgh pet laws

• Cats aren’t required to have a license. However, if you let them roam in nature, you must put a tag or collar on them with your personal information, such as name, phone number and address.
• Pittsburgh residents aren’t permitted to own non-domestic animals, such as purebred wolves.
• Unless you foster animals or engage in placement work, you may not own more than five pets.
• When walking your dog outside, you must have your dog on a leash/chain six feet long or shorter. If you have a female dog (or cat), they must stay inside when they are “in heat” (able to breed).
• Pittsburgh prohibits any dog or cat from defecating in public spaces, such as on school grounds or parks.
• Dogs and cats are forbidden from habitual noise-making, such as barking or howling that disrupts the safety or comfort of the public.

Allentown pet laws

• All pets are permitted from running loose and must be leashed at all times.
• You must pick up pet droppings immediately when walking around public spaces and daily if it’s on your property.
• You are also forbidden from allowing their pets to bark, howl or cry excessively. Measures must be taken to prevent annoying noises.
• You must provide clean and adequate shelter for all pets, whether indoors or outdoors.

Erie pet laws

• Animals placed in a shelter or other nonprofit organization must be spayed or neutered if they are age six months older, as long as it is deemed appropriate by a veterinarian.
• All animals must be restrained by either a leash, inside a vehicle or by their owner’s commands.
• If a leash restrains the animal, it must be six feet or shorter in length.

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 Pennsylvania.

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 multipet discount.