Advice on Which Pet Insurance Is Best

Pet insurance is akin to health insurance for humans, offering preventive and emergency care for dogs and cats covered by monthly premiums. The coverage spectrum for pet insurance policies varies widely based on the plan, extending from basic accidental coverage to premium services that deal with diet and exercise. Without proper guidance, a pet owner can be overwhelmed by the pages of details offered by pet insurers such as the ASPCA, Pets Best and Embrace. While the temptation is to choose pet insurance based on monthly premiums, pet owners should look at optional services and higher tiers before making these important decisions.

The average pet owner should think about monthly cost and a pet's risk level before choosing pet insurance. Pet insurance plans may cite monthly premiums ranging as low as $5, but the accompanying benefits may not help sick animals. In many cases, pet owners with outdoor dogs and cats should shoot for the middle tier of pet insurance to balance premiums with deductibles while getting routine care benefits. Homeowners who keep their dogs and cats inside can opt for basic plans because their pets will not encounter as many health threats as their outdoor counterparts.

First-time pet owners may think that their dogs and cats will live to their life expectancies with little more than basic veterinary care. Dogs can live up to 15 years, depending on their breed, while cats have been known to pass their 20th birthdays when healthy. Pet insurance is significant because it gives policyholders access to the latest vaccinations, surgical methods and pet health knowledge at reasonable rates. If a pet is injured or falls ill, an insured pet owner can take care of the animal and ensure that a full life is possible. Since dogs and cats are often considered to be part of the family, pet insurance is seen as a corollary to health, life and dental insurance because it protects a valuable member of the household.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offers five pet insurance plans for concerned owners in the United States. The basic plan, called the Safety Plan, has accident coverage limits of $2,500 per incident and $8,000 per year for just $7.50 per month. The three middle-level plans add on layers to the Safety Plan, including the Primary Plan, which covers illnesses as well as accidents, and the Premier Plan, which covers everything in the Primary Plan plus pet wellness. The top-level plan offered by the ASPCA is the Sterling Plan. The Sterling Plan provides long-term care benefits for sick dogs and cats for $68 per month for cats and $77 per month for dogs.

Pets Best Insurance promotes a trio of pet coverage plans that start from $19 per month. The Pets Basic, Pets First and Pets Premier plans pay 80 percent of the veterinary costs after the deductible, which varies from plan to plan. Pets Best Insurance sets a maximum per-incident limit at $14,000, a considerably higher amount than competing providers. Pet owners who want to add preventive care to their Pets Best plans can purchase Best Wellness coverage, which covers checkups and vaccinations up to $500 each year.

Embrace Pet Insurance prides itself on customizable plans for dog and cat owners. Embrace's plans range from $4.29 per month for basic cat coverage to $30.67 per month for advanced dog coverage. The wide range in monthly premiums comes from a policyholder's ability to choose annual limits, deductibles and co-pays. Embrace offers $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 annual coverage limits to meet the needs of different pet owners. An Embrace policy can be adapted further with deductibles ranging from $100 to $500 and co-pays from 10 to 35 percent to generate a monthly premium that is affordable for pet owners.