The Best Pet Insurance in Pennsylvania (2024)
Pennsylvania, otherwise known as the Keystone State due to its crucial role in creating the foundations of the United States of America, has many stunning historical sights, beautiful railroads, and, of course, Amish Country. If you’re an adventurous pet parent, Pennsylvania is a fantastic place to take your pet on adventures. However, we caution you to ensure that you have a pet insurance plan in place if your pet injures itself while you’re out. Life is unpredictable, and you never know when your furry family member could become sick or have an accident, which is why pet insurance is great for peace of mind.
The 5 Best Pennsylvania Pet Insurance Companies
- Spot: Best overall
- Lemonade: Most affordable
- ASPCA: Most experienced
- Embrace: Best for deductibles
- Healthy Paws: Best for chronic conditions
Compare Pet Insurance Companies in Pennsylvania
The Best Pet Insurance Companies in Pennsylvania Reviewed
How Does Pet Insurance Work in Pennsylvania?
Pet insurance is a pet health insurance plan that reimburses you for out-of-pocket pet veterinary bills covered by your pet insurance policy. Depending on the policy you choose, this can include accidents, illnesses, and even routine veterinary care. Then, you can take your pet to any licensed vet, animal hospital, or vet clinic.
Once your pet is treated, you’ll pay the vet bill there and submit the invoice to your pet insurance provider. After the claim is approved, your provider will reimburse you based on your pet insurance policy terms. Pet insurance can give a pet owner peace of mind knowing that their pet will have access to excellent veterinary care if it develops an illness or has an accident. Ultimately, pet insurance should be treated as a backup plan in case your pet has unexpected health problems and needs vet care.
How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance in Pennsylvania for You
Pet insurance is a personal choice that requires you to narrow down what is truly important for you and your pet in a pet insurance plan. Before choosing a plan or provider, think about the following factors, starting with the type of pet insurance plan you want for your pet:
- Accident-only coverage: Accident-only coverage will provide your pet with coverage for accidents, like swallowed foreign objects, poisoning, animal bites, broken bones, and burns. It won’t cover wellness care or illness-related expenses.
- Accident and illness coverage: Accident and illness coverage is more comprehensive and will cover everything accident-only coverage will and illnesses, such as infections, hip dysplasia, diabetes, hereditary conditions, and more. It won’t cover routine veterinary care costs.
- Wellness or preventive coverage: Wellness or preventive care coverage is usually an add-on to another pet insurance plan. It’ll typically help with the costs of routine veterinary care, such as deworming, vaccinations, dental cleanings, checkups, and more.
Once you’ve chosen a plan type, consider which providers and plans have the other features that matter most to you, such as coverage, communication preferences, and more. Here are some factors to consider:
- Does the provider offer any type of discount?
- Are dental illnesses or cleanings covered?
- Does the plan have an annual or lifetime benefits cap?
- Can you easily get a free pet insurance quote from the provider?
- Will the plan provide your pet with coverage for alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or physical therapy?
- What breed is your dog or cat? Is this breed more prone to specific conditions or illnesses? Does the pet insurance plan offer coverage for these breed-specific conditions?
- Does the pet insurance provider have overall positive reviews from customers and reports from consumer report websites?
- What are the plan’s exclusions?
- Will the plan cover your pet for prescription pet food or prescription medications?
Once you’ve reviewed these factors, we urge you to enroll your pet in a pet insurance plan as soon as possible to avoid your pet developing pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions are never covered by insurance, so the earlier you sign your pet up, the better.
How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost in Pennsylvania?
Pet insurance premiums can range based on many factors, including where you live, your pet’s breed, age, and more. The type of plan, annual deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual limit you choose will also impact the cost of your monthly premium. If you decide to add a wellness plan, this will add another expense to your monthly premium.
Accident and illness plans will typically cost between $40 per month for dogs and $22 per month for cats. On average, wellness plans will cost an additional $10 to $25 per month to your monthly premium. However, you can save money by shopping around, choosing an accident-only plan, finding a provider with discounts you qualify for, and only choosing a plan with the amount of coverage you really need.
Provider | Sample Monthly Cost For Dogs | Sample Monthly Cost For Cats | Sample Monthly Wellness Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Spot | $40.00 | $22.00 | $9.95 (gold), $24.95 (platinum) |
Lemonade | $37.00 | $15.00 | $10 to $34/month for cats, $15 to $40/month for dogs |
Embrace | $35.00 | $18.00 | $35.00 |
Healthy Paws | $39 | $12 | Not offered |
ASPCA | $49 | $29 | $9.95 (basic), $24.95 (prime) |
Our Final Thoughts on the Top Pet Insurance Providers in Pennsylvania
Pet insurance is a financial safety net that helps with the unexpected costs of pet healthcare. Veterinary care costs, especially emergency care, can be costly. Unfortunately, we never know when our pet can have an accident or develop an illness or chronic condition, so having a backup plan can give us peace of mind knowing that our pet will always have access to veterinary care.
We at Quartz hope this guide helps you narrow down your options when it comes to picking pet insurance in Pennsylvania. Regardless of which plan or provider you choose, know that you’re making a valuable investment in your pet’s future health and your financial security.
Information for Pet Owners in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a rich history in America, and it’s also a very pet-friendly state. In Pennsylvania, you can easily find pet-friendly establishments and beautiful pet-friendly outdoor areas. However, it’s important that you’re also aware of Pennsylvania pet laws and pet resources before you embark on your adventure.
Pennsylvania Pet Laws
Here are some Pennsylvania pet laws you must know:
- Dogs and cats that are at least three months old must have a rabies vaccination.
- All dogs that are three months old or older must be licensed.
- Puppies can’t be sold until they’re at least eight weeks old.
- Dogs must remain on leashes unless they’re on their own property.
- Dogs can’t be tethered or chained for more than nine hours a day or more than 30 minutes in 90 degrees or under 32-degree weather.
- It’s illegal to abandon an animal.
- Animal abuse must be reported to the police.
Fun Things to Do With Your Pet in PA
There are many things to do with your pet in the beautiful Keystone State.
Here are a few notable things to do:
- Lloyd Park in Downingtown: This beautiful fenced-in park has a stream, playground, and volleyball court.
- Battlefield Bed & Breakfast in Gettysburg: This pre-civil war farmhouse has free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly accommodations, and a complimentary breakfast.
- Four Dogs Tavern in West Chester: This pet-friendly restaurant has a full menu of American food and a full bar with outside seating for you and your pet.
- Presque Isle State Park: This park is located on a peninsula on Lake Erie. It’s a beautiful park with over 3,000 acres of beaches, woodlands, and swamps. Dogs are welcome as long as they remain on a six-foot leash.
Pennsylvania Pet Resources
Here are some Pennsylvania pet resources for pet owners who need help providing for their pets:
- Sam’s Hope: Sam’s Hope offers temporary pet food assistance to pet parents in need. It assists those in Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks counties.
- Animal House Project: The Animal House Project’s mission is to provide donated pet food and pet care services to those in need. It especially looks to help seniors and veterans.
- ACCT Philly: This organization offers a pet food pantry and referrals for wellness checks and low-cost spay/neuter services.
- Humane Society of Harrisburg Area: This humane organization provides a pet food pantry, microchipping, wellness clinic checkups, and low-cost spay/neuter assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Insurance in Pennsylvania
Do pet insurance policies have waiting periods?
Yes, pet insurance policies more than always have waiting periods. between your initial enrollment period and when coverage officially begins for the plan. Across most providers, the standard is around 14 days for accidents and illnesses, but some others, including Lemonade and Embrace, can shorten your waiting period to as low as two days for accidents.
Does pet insurance cover all veterinary expenses?
No, pet insurance won’t cover all expenses you build up at the vet’s office. However, insurance will typically cover accidents and illnesses that aren’t pre-existing. Some policies will even offer wellness and preventative care add-ons that add additional benefits to your policy, like wellness exams and vaccines.
Is buying pet insurance worth it in Pennsylvania?
For most pet owners, pet insurance is absolutely worth it. We never know when our pet could have an unexpected accident or develop an illness, so having a backup plan in place to help pay for your pet’s vet bills is beneficial for most pet parents. Vet bills can quickly add up to hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, which many pet parents don’t have readily available.
Having pet insurance protects you financially and gives you peace of mind that you won’t have to say no to recommended treatments to benefit your pet’s health and happiness.
Our Methodology
Here at Quartz, our research team looks to examine all pet insurance policies and comes up with reviews based on:
- Coverage
- Plan options
- Cost
- Reputation
- Customer service
- Species available
- Wellness benefits
We’ve created a 5-star rating system to score pet insurance brands based on a 100-point scale. To develop a list of the best pet insurance plans, we looked into plans, rating coverage, claims handling, reimbursements, deductibles, and limitations.
Each factor is weighted differently based on the following factors:
- Monthly Pricing (25 points): How each pet insurance company charges for their plans is a crucial part of the decision-making process of the customer. Affordable rates and comprehensive coverage are the defining characteristics of providing the best pet insurance.
- Coverage (20 points): We scored companies based on the treatments and procedures they cover. Providers offering broader coverage and more unique treatments received more points. Pet insurance policies are not offered by all companies for older pets. Providers who have an age limit on the pets they cover were deducted points.
- Plans (15 points): Pet insurance providers offer accident-and-illness plans, accident-only plans, wellness add-ons, and pet preventive care add-ons, so customers can choose the right plan for their pets. We also factored in costs to achieve the most comprehensible review for your pet’s needs.
- Customization Options (10 points): You can ensure your pet only gets what they need by customizing your policy. A higher score was earned by providers who offered a greater range of annual limits, deductibles, and reimbursement rates.
- Customer Service (10 points): We scored companies based on their website accessibility and usability, mobile apps, and grating points to companies with the most customer experience options.
- Industry Reputation (10 points): We assessed each company’s industry reputation by reviewing up-to-date BBB ratings and accreditation information, as well as their years of experience in the industry.
- Waiting Periods (10 points): Companies with shorter accident and illness waiting periods scored higher than companies with longer waiting periods.
Our team revisits each company’s information at the end of every month to make updates and ensure the information is as accurate as possible.