When it comes to insuring your pet’s health, there are dozens of companies that you can choose from, all with their own range of services and coverages.
PetsBest is one of the oldest pet insurance companies that we’ve reviewed, and they have made a name for themselves due to the level of customization you get with each policy.
The owner, Jack Stephens, is a big reason that PetsBest has lasted as long as they have, and have achieved a high level of success. He started the company with a desire to increase the quality of care that your pets receive, while also making sure that all of the policies available are easy to afford.
With Jack Stephens at the helm, PetsBest Health Insurance Company has maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and provides insurance underwriting through the Independence American Insurance Company.
Contents
PetsBest Features
- Routine Care Coverage: When it comes to keeping your pet healthy, routine visits are the best way to ensure a long life. PetsBest will cover your routine wellness visits, and help you pay for the bills.
- Coverage For Dogs & Cats: Both dogs and cats are covered through PetsBest basic plans.
- Personal Customer Service: PetsBest believes in taking care of their customers, and that’s done through a variety of different options, from email and 1-800 numbers to a live chat directly on their website’s homepage.
- Provides Unique Coverage: Not all pets are cut from the same cloth, which is why PetsBest believes not all policies should offer the same coverages across the board. With PetsBest, you can customize the plan that you choose, to ensure you’re only paying for the type of insurance your pet needs — and that you can afford.
PROS
- Variety Of Plans Available: Through PetsBest, the plan that you choose is based on the type of coverage you need, and your monthly budget — making it incredibly affordable to give your pet the proper levels of insurance.
- Different Reimbursement Plans Available: Whether you visit the vet a lot or a little, there are different reimbursement levels available, from 70% on the low end, to covering up to 100% of your vet bills on the upper end of policies. You get to choose the reimbursement level on your policy.
- Variety Of Deductibles Available: PetsBest also offers different levels of deductibles, to ensure you’re only coming out of pocket what you can afford. The deductibles range from $0 out of pocket, to $50, $100, $200, $500, and up to $1.000 on the high end.
- Offers A Wellness Plan: Keeping your pet healthy requires regular visits to the vet. PetsBest covers things like vaccines, spaying and neutering, dental checkups, and more.
- Fast Claim Payout: A lot of companies require you to submit medical records every time you need to file a claim, while less than 10% of claims actually require medical records. Submitting records takes time and slows down the payout process. Through PetsBest, claims that don’t require medical records can be paid up to 5 days faster.
- Claim Preapproval Available: If you know that you’re going to be visiting the vet, you can call PetsBest and have your claim approved before your visit. This allows you to make a quick decision on the level of treatment your pet receives while you’re at the vet, instead of waiting around on an insurance company to get back to you.
- Hereditary And Congenital Conditions Covered: Instead of denying claims for hereditary or congenital conditions, PetsBest will cover your pet.Chiropractic & Acupuncture Covered: Some alternative therapies, such as chiropractic and acupuncture services are covered through PetsBest.
- Great Customer Support: PetsBest has received a high rating from existing customers for the level of customer support they offer, and how easy it is to file a claim.
CONS
- Waiting Period For Illness Coverage: You’ll be required to wait for a certain period of time before you’re able to receive coverage for new illnesses. Some cases may be required to wait up to 12 months before you’re able to receive coverage.
- Changed Insurance Carriers Multiple Times: Because PetsBest has been around for so long, they have changed the actual carriers they use multiple times. This means that rates for new policies have fluctuated over the years.
- No Coverage For Pre-Existing Conditions: If your pet has pre-existing conditions, you may be denied coverage.
- No Coverage For Preventable Conditions: Wellness checks are required to keep your pet’s health in good standing, and if you fail to take the proper precautions to keep your pet healthy, your claims may be denied.
- No Coverage For Holistic Or Homeopathic Theraphy: A large number of alternative therapies are not covered through PetsBest.
- No Parasite Coverage: Fleas, ticks, and related illnesses are not covered through PetsBest.This falls in line with the “preventable conditions” and will require you to take proper precautionary steps to ensure your pet doesn’t come down with any illnesses associated with parasites, such as fleas, ticks, and worms.
- Dental Diseases Not Covered: If your pet develops periodontal disease or gingivitis, you will not be able to file a claim for reimbursement on any treatments related to the illnesses. Again, this falls under the “preventable conditions” clause, and should be taken care of before your pet has a chance to develop the conditions.
- Routine Care Coverage Not Standard: While routine coverage is necessary to keep your pet healthy, yearly visits to your vet are not standard coverage through PetsBest. You will have to purchase an additional rider to receive the coverage.
To Wrap It All Up…
PetsBest is a great insurance company, with a high amount of positive customer reviews based on the speed they pay out claims, and how easy it is to get in touch with someone. They’ve been around since 2005, and have had plenty of time to iron out the kinks in their operation.
The level of customization that’s available through PetsBest is second to none, meaning that you can choose the perfect level of coverage, your deductible, and how much you’re going to be reimbursed each time you have to put in a claim.
Pet Insurance Comparison Chart
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Ranking |
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Coverage |
4.5 |
4 |
3.5 |
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2 |
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Customer Service |
4.5 |
5 |
4.5 |
3 |
3.5 |
3 |
2.5 |
2 |
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Claim Payments |
5 |
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4.5 |
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4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
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Price |
4 |
4.5 |
4 |
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2.5 |
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4 |
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Score |
4.5 |
4.38 |
4.13 |
4.0 |
3.13 |
3.0 |
2.88 |
2.5 |
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