As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, Jason Metz has worked on a multitude of complex and multifaceted claims. The insurance industry can be seemingly opaque, and Jason enjoys breaking down confusing terms and products to help others make well-informed decisions.
Jason Metz
As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, Jason Metz has worked on a multitude of complex and multifaceted claims. The insurance industry can be seemingly opaque, and Jason enjoys breaking down confusing terms and products to help others make well-informed decisions.
Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine editor covering consumer technology, a foreign correspondent for Time and various newswires and local newspaper reporter.
Fact Checked
Michelle Megna
Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine editor covering consumer technology, a foreign correspondent for Time and various newswires and local newspaper reporter.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Pet insurance can help you pay for major unexpected vet bills for problems such as cancer, broken bones, torn ligaments and ingested foreign objects. It can also help pay for more common problems, like ear infections and allergies.
We evaluated nine plans to help you find the best pet insurance in Utah.
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Best Pet Insurance in Utah 2024
Summary: Utah Pet Insurance Ratings
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Reimbursement choices | Deductible choices | LEARN MORE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embrace |  |
5.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| ManyPets |  |
5.0 | |
70% or 80% | $500 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Lemonade |  |
4.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Pets Best |  |
4.0 | |
70%, 80%, 90% | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Figo |  |
3.5 |  |
70%, 80%, 90%, 100% | $100, $250, $500, $750 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Fetch |  |
3.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $300, $500, $700 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Trupanion |  |
3.0 | |
50% to 100% | No deductible | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Healthy Paws |  |
1.0 |  |
50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% | $50, $100, $250, $500, $750, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| MetLife |  |
1.0 | |
70%, 80%, 90% | $50, $100, $250, $500 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website |
Reimbursement and deductible choices may vary by state.
Utah Pet Insurance Cost Comparison
The average cost for pet insurance in Utah is $34 per month, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of pet insurance costs in the state. That’s for a plan with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement level.
| Company | Monthly cost in Utah for unlimited annual coverage |
|---|---|
|
Lemonade
|
$20
|
|
ManyPets
|
$24
|
|
Pets Best
|
$30
|
|
Fetch
|
$31
|
|
Healthy Paws
|
$31
|
|
Figo
|
$33
|
|
Trupanion
|
$38
|
|
Embrace
|
$39
|
|
MetLife
|
$58
|
Costs are for a plan with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement level. Source: Petinsurer.com
Types of Pet Insurance Plans
When you’re shopping for pet insurance, you’ll typically come across three types of plans: Accident and illness, accident-only and wellness plans. Some pet insurance companies offer all three plans, while other pet insurance companies might only offer an accident and illness plan.
The types of problems covered by pet insurance depends on the plan you buy. Here’s a closer look at all three. If you want comprehensive coverage, an accident and illness plan with an optional wellness plan will cover the most problems.
Accident and Illness Plans
The most common type of pet insurance plan is an accident and illness plan. It covers the widest range of problems, such as:
- Accidents, like lacerations from dog bites and broken bones.
- Congenital conditions, like heart disease.
- Hereditary conditions, like hip dysplasia and blood disorders.
- Holistic and alternative procedures, like acupuncture and chiropractic.
- Illnesses, like diabetes and ear infections.
- Prescription medications.
- Surgeries and hospitalizations.
- Testing and diagnostics, like blood tests, CT scans and X-Rays.
Accident and illness plans typically don’t cover problems such as:
- Breeding, pregnancy or whelping.
- Cosmetic procedures, like tail docking and ear cropping.
- Experimental treatment, such as investigational or treatment not within the standard care accepted by Utah’s veterinary medical board.
- Grooming.
- Non-veterinary expenses, such as waste disposal services or a dog license.
- Pre-existing conditions, but some plans cover pre-existing conditions that are considered curable if your pet remains free of symptoms for a period of time.
- Regular food, dietary and nutritional supplements.
- Routine wellness care, such as flea, tick and heartworm prevention, vaccinations and wellness exams.
Accident-Only Plans
As you may have guessed, an accident-only plan covers accident-related veterinary expenses, like broken bones or a torn cruciate ligament. It does not cover illness-related veterinary expenses such as a urinary tract infection or cancer treatment.
Since accident-only plans cover fewer problems, it’s a cheaper option. It might be a good choice if you only want coverage for accident-related emergencies.
Wellness and Routine Care Plans
The best wellness plans for routine care cover a fair amount of health-related expenses that you can recoup in annual savings. Wellness plans generally aren’t sold as standalone plans and can only be added to accident and illness plans.
Wellness plans can cover expenses such as:
- Dental cleanings
- Deworming
- Fecal and blood parasite exams
- Grooming costs, including nail trimming
- Heartworm, tick and flea prevention
- Microchip implantation
- Neutering and spaying
- Routine wellness exams
- Vaccinations
How Pet Insurance Works
Pet insurance is similar to a health insurance policy that covers your pet’s vet expenses. But one major difference is pet insurance is typically reimbursement-based. That means you’ll pay your vet bills up front and submit a claim for reimbursement. Your insurer will reimburse you for problems covered by your policy.
The amount you get reimbursed by pet insurance will depend on your annual limit, deductible and reimbursement level. There’s also a “waiting period” you need to be aware of before your coverage kicks in.
To get a better idea of how pet insurance works, here’s a closer look at what these terms mean.
Waiting Period
All pet insurance companies have a waiting period—the specific amount of time before your coverage kicks in. There are three common types of waiting periods:
- Accident waiting period (typically one to 14 days)
- Illness waiting period (typically 14 days)
- Extended waiting period (typically six to 12 months, but not all insurers have this waiting period)
The length of each waiting period will depend on the pet insurance company. For example, Embrace pet insurance has a two-day accident waiting period, which is one of the shortest accident waiting periods you’ll find. But Embrace also has a six-month extended waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions. Not all insurers have an extended waiting period for orthopedic conditions.
You may be able to find pet insurance with no waiting period. For example, ManyPets does not have an extended waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions and the company will reduce the accident and illness waiting period to 24 hours if you switch over from another pet insurance company.
Maximum Annual Limit
The cap your insurer will reimburse you in a policy year is the annual coverage limit. Common annual limits are $5,000, $10,000 and unlimited coverage.
Choosing a lower annual limit will result in cheaper pet insurance costs, but you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any vet expenses that exceed your annual limit.
Deductible
The deductible is the amount of money you’ll pay out of pocket before your pet insurance kicks in. Common deductible choices can range from $100, $250, $500 and $1,000.
Choosing a higher deductible will result in cheaper pet insurance since your insurer will pay out less if you file a pet insurance claim.
Reimbursement Percentage
The amount your insurer reimburses you for problems covered by your policy is the reimbursement percentage. Common reimbursement percentages are 70%, 80% and 90%.
A lower reimbursement percentage will result in cheaper pet insurance premiums because your insurer will pay less if you file a pet insurance claim.
How to Find the Best Pet Insurance in Utah
While annual limits, deductibles, reimbursement levels and waiting periods vary by pet insurance company, so do coverage benefits like access to a 24/7 vet telehealth line or the option to buy a wellness plan. Here are some things to consider to help you find the best pet insurance in Utah:
- 24/7 vet healthlines: Your vet is most likely not open at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Having access to a 24/7 vet healthline could save you a trip to the emergency room. But not all insurers offer this benefit, so if it’s important to you, make sure you choose a pet insurance company that includes it.
- Plans that will pay your vet directly: You’ll typically pay up front for your vet’s bills and then submit a claim to your insurer. But insurers like Pets Best and Trupanion can pay your vet directly, meaning you won’t have to wait for reimbursement.
- Plans with a multipet discount: Some insurers offer multipet discounts of 5% or 10% for pet owners who insure more than one dog or cat.
- Insurers that offer an optional wellness: Many pet insurance companies offer wellness plans at an additional cost to help pay for expenses like vaccinations, wellness exams and flea, heartworm and tick prevention.
- Plans with a range of deductible and reimbursement choices. One way to get cheap pet insurance without sacrificing coverage is to choose a plan that allows you to have a low reimbursement percentage and high deductible amount.
- Get quotes from multiple insurers: Once you’ve decided on your coverage selections and benefits, make sure you compare pet insurance quotes from multiple companies. Not all insurers price their policies the same, so don’t skip this crucial step.
Pet Laws in Utah
Local municipalities in Utah will often have their own pet-related regulations. Here’s a sampling of pet laws in Utah cities.
Salt Lake City Pet Laws
Salt Lake City does not limit how many cats or dogs you can own as long as your pets are properly cared for. All dogs and cats are required to be licensed each year to a person age 18 or older. You are required to license your dog or cat within 30 days of owning them or within 30 days after they reach 4 months of age. If you are fostering a dog or cat and an adoption is pending, the time period to license your pet will be expanded to 90 days.
You are required to attach a license tag to your dog or cat’s collar or harness when your pet is outside of your property. If your pet has a microchip and you have registered the microchip information with the office of animal services, your pet is exempt from the requirement to wear a license tag.
Dogs and cats must be vaccinated for rabies within 30 days after they reach 4 months of age or being moved into the city. You are required to keep your dog or cat current on their rabies vaccinations.
If a person or animal is bitten by an animal species that commonly carry rabies (such as a bat or raccoon), you are required to immediately report the incident to the Office of Animal Services or to the Salt Lake Valley Health Department. If you own a pet that bites a person or you are bitten by an animal, you are required to report the bite within 24 hours of the bite, no matter if the biting animal is an animal that commonly carries rabies.
Any pet that has rabies or is suspected of having rabies must be reported and the owner is required to secure the animal in a confined space. You must turn over the animal to the office of animal services upon demand for quarantine and observation.
West Valley City Pet Laws
You may not have more than two dogs and two cats per household.
You are required to license all dogs and cats age 4 months or older annually. Listed owners must be age 18 or older. To obtain a license, you must provide a copy of your pet’s most recent rabies vaccination verification. If your pet is spayed or neutered, you’ll need to provide a copy of the sterilization certificate.
West Jordan Pet Laws
You may have up to four adult dogs and up to four adult cats in your household.
You are required to license all dogs and cats age 4 months or older annually to a person age 18 or older. If you newly acquired a dog or cat, they must be licensed within 30 days of when you took possession or 30 days after the dog or cat reaches the age of 4 months. You must renew your license on or before Jan. 1. Disability service dogs are exempt from licensing fees.
You are required to attach the license tag to the collar or harness of your dogs and cats. If you remove the tag from your dog and are found to be in violation of this law on three or more separate occasions during any 12 month period, an animal control officer could seek to revoke your dog license and impound your dog.
If your pet bites or attacks a person or another animal two or more times in a 12 month period, your pet may be impounded by the Division of Animal Control without a court order and held at your expense pending a court action.
Methodology
We used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following.
Average plan prices: Up to 40% of score. We averaged pet insurance quotes for each insurer for a mixed-breed dog at two ages in Utah.
Plan benefits: Up to 60% of score. 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.
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