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Fact Checked
The unexpected can happen at any time, no matter the age or breed of your pet. And in the beautiful state of Washington, injuries or illnesses can come from all sorts of places like severe weather conditions, wild critters or even pesky bugs in your backyard.
Unfortunately, like most things in Washington, vet bills are expensive. But buying the best pet insurance can help take the sting out of vet bills.
Here are the best pet insurance companies in Washington:
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Reimbursement Choices | Deductible Choices | View More | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets Best |  |
5.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Lemonade |  |
4.5 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| ManyPets |  |
4.5 | |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Nationwide(Whole Pet with Wellness) |  |
4.5 |  |
50% or 70% | $250 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| TrustedPals |  |
4.5 | |
70%, 80%, 90%, 100% | $0, $100, $250, $500, $750 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Embrace |  |
4.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Prudent Pet |  |
4.0 | |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Figo |  |
3.5 |  |
70%, 80%, 90%, 100% | Varies by pet age | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| ASPCA |  |
3.0 |  |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500 | Compare Plans | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Spot |  |
3.0 | |
70%, 80%, 90% | $100, $250, $500, $750, $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Healthy Paws |  |
2.0 | |
Varies by pet’s age and type | Varies by pet’s age and type | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website | |
| Trupanion |  |
2.0 |  |
90% | $0 to $1,000 | Compare Plans | Via PetInsurer.com's Secure Website |
| Company | Monthly cost in Washington |
|---|---|
|
Lemonade
|
$27
|
|
TrustedPals
|
$29
|
|
Pets Best
|
$32
|
|
Figo
|
$38
|
|
Embrace
|
$43
|
|
ASPCA
|
$53
|
|
Spot
|
$53
|
| Company | Monthly cost in Washington |
|---|---|
|
Nationwide
|
$30
|
|
Lemonade
|
$31
|
|
ManyPets
|
$33
|
|
TrustedPals
|
$34
|
|
Pets Best
|
$37
|
|
Prudent Pet
|
$45
|
|
Embrace
|
$61
|
|
Figo
|
$70
|
|
Trupanion
|
$96
|
|
Spot
|
$107
|
Many pet insurance companies give pet owners several policy options to choose from, including:
Suppose your pet fractures its fibula while on a hike, or your pet is diagnosed with diabetes. Accident and illness plans will cover both health-related issues. Other health-related expenses covered under this plan usually include:
This type of plan only covers accident-related vet expenses. Whether your pet fights with a dog in the neighborhood and suffers a few skin lacerations or your cat jumps from the railing and sprains its leg, accident-only plans will cover the cost of nursing them back to health. Other accident-related vet expenses covered in this plan include:
In addition to visiting the vet when the unforeseen occurs, you usually make a trip to ensure your pet stays as healthy as possible. Many pet insurance companies offer wellness and routine care coverage as an add-on to your accident and illness plan to assist with preventive care costs. Some costs covered include:
Pet insurance companies use two factors to price policies: pet-based and policy-based factors. Pet-based cost factors usually include your pet’s age, gender, breed and location. Older animals typically cost more to cover since the chance of injury and illness increases as pets age.
Policy-based factors include:
Once you receive a vet bill, you must pay your deductible, which is the out-of-pocket amount, before your insurer starts covering the costs. Deductible options can range between $50 and $1,000. When you select a more considerable deductible amount, you can usually lower your monthly payment. However, you will have to pay a more significant amount upfront.
After your deductible is met, insurance companies reimburse you for a certain percentage of your vet bills, which is your reimbursement level. Standard reimbursement levels range from 50% to 90%. But some pet insurance companies like Figo offer 100% reimbursement. Selecting a lower reimbursement percentage will usually reduce your monthly premium payment.
Many insurance companies apply a coverage limit to the vet expenses they will pay annually. For example, TrustedPals has three coverage limit options; $4,000, $8,000 and unlimited. Choosing a lower coverage limit will usually reduce your monthly payment.
Related: What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
Gathering and comparing pet insurance quotes is the best way to find suitable coverage for you and your pet. You can usually collect free quotes from insurer’s websites, comparison sites or directly from your current insurance provider. While it’s easy to focus on the cost and coverage type, exploring the additional benefits that come with each plan is helpful.
Here are some benefits worth checking out.
When you buy a pet plan, you may assume your coverage begins right away. That’s not the case. All pet insurance companies make you wait a certain amount of time before your benefits begin. Waiting periods vary by insurance company. For example, some companies apply a 2-day waiting period for accidents, while others apply a 14-day waiting period for accidents.
Also, look for extended waiting periods for cruciate ligament conditions or hip dysplasia.
Veterinarians usually charge a fee when they see your pet to determine what’s wrong with them. This fee may cost upward of $100 or more, and some pet insurance companies won’t cover it. Look for pet policies that include this fee as part of the coverage.
You may want to search for companies that offer extra bells and whistles, such as 24/7 vet helplines to answer all your questions about your pet’s health. As another example, Figo offers the pet cloud app that helps pet owners keep track of their pet’s medical records and appointment schedules.
To help pet owners cut costs, insurers often offer pet insurance discounts, such as military discounts, annual payment discounts and multi-pet discounts for insuring more than one pet.
Not every pet insurance company offers wellness care coverage. If preventive care is an essential factor when buying a pet plan, look for insurers that offer this type of coverage.
Before submitting a pet insurance claim, you must pay the entire bill upfront. However, some pet insurance companies like Trupanion will pay the vet directly if the vet has Trupanion’s unique processing software. If you’re concerned about the financial burden of paying vet bills first, you should look for companies that offer vet direct pay.
Washington has state-level statutes in place that govern pet ownership. For example, all dogs, cats and ferrets must have the USDA-licensed rabies vaccine and continue revaccination.
In addition to state-level regulations, local municipalities also set forth pet laws. Here are some examples of local ordinances regarding pets in Washington.
Property owners are prohibited from owning more than three small animals (dogs or cats) unless the property exceeds 20,000 square feet. In addition, pet owners must restrain their dog with a leash that’s eight feet or less while inside the Seattle city limits or off the premises of the owner.
All dogs and cats age four months or older must get vaccinated against rabies. Dogs and cats are licensed for 12 months and may include a 12-month renewal period. Seattle also offers a six-month provisional cat or dog license.
Pet owners must license dogs and cats within 30 days of ownership or when the pet reaches six months old. In addition, cats are prohibited from running at large if they are not spayed or neutered.
Dogs must be under control and cats that aren’t spayed or neutered aren’t allowed to go at large. Dog owners also shouldn’t allow their pets to disturb others, including snarling, barking or growling at people.
City residents may not keep more than three dogs (age five months or older) on their property at once. In addition, all dogs must be on a leash if they are on public property. The only exception is when they are in a designated dog park.
All dogs and cats that live within the city limits must have a license once they reach the age of six months old.
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 Washington.
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.
