Pets Best pet insurance has been rated 5 out of 5 stars in a recent evaluation by Yahoo Finance, which assessed the best pet insurance companies. The company's Elite policy received the top score, while its Plus and Essential policies also achieved high ratings of 4.7 and 4.6 stars respectively.
Yahoo Finance's evaluation highlighted Pets Best's combination of competitive average costs and extensive coverage as key factors in its ranking. The company offers three main policy options: Elite, Plus, and Essential.
The Pets Best Elite plan includes several notable features. An unlimited annual coverage option is available, and policyholders can choose a deductible as low as $50. The plan covers alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic care, and includes behavioral therapy medication and consultations. Reimbursement can be made directly to a CareCredit card, and the company offers the ability to pay veterinarians directly.
However, the Elite plan does not cover supplements or prescription food. It also excludes chronic conditions including hip dysplasia, diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, and Cushing's disease.
Pets Best policies provide several basic coverage choices. Policyholders can select annual maximum limits of $5,000 or unlimited coverage. Deductible options include $50, $100, $200, $250, and $500. Reimbursement choices are available at 70%, 80%, or 90%.
Waiting periods vary by coverage type. For accident coverage, the waiting period is 3 days in most states. Illness coverage requires a 14-day waiting period in most states. A special waiting period of 6 months applies to cruciate ligament issues.
Age restrictions for purchasing new policies are minimal. The minimum pet age is 7 weeks, while there is no maximum age limit.
The Elite accident and illness policy covers a wide range of conditions. Coverage includes veterinary exam fees, hereditary and congenital conditions such as cherry eye and Wobbler syndrome, cancer, diagnostics including X-rays and ultrasounds, dental accidents and illnesses, behavioral therapy consultations and prescription medicines, alternative therapies, prescription drugs, and euthanasia.
Pets Best also offers an accident-only plan covering problems like broken bones, swallowed foreign bodies, and injuries from vehicle collisions. Additionally, the company provides two wellness plan tiers: EssentialWellness and BestWellness.
The EssentialWellness plan offers benefits up to $305 per year for $14 to $21.75 per month. The BestWellness plan provides benefits up to $535 per year for $26 to $32.58 per month. Both plans reimburse for routine care including annual wellness exams, vaccinations, teeth cleaning, spaying and neutering, rabies vaccinations, flea/tick prevention, heartworm prevention, deworming, titer vaccine tests, heartworm tests or FELV screens, blood/fecal/parasite exams, urinalysis or ERD, and microchipping.
Pets Best does not cover pre-existing conditions, which it defines as any condition for which a veterinarian provided medical advice, the pet received treatment, or the pet displayed symptoms prior to the policy effective date or during any waiting period.
Policyholders who purchase Pets Best insurance gain access to a 24/7 pet helpline with veterinary experts. There are no usage limits for this service, which can address questions about things pets have eaten, training tips, and other issues.
Several expenses are not covered by Pets Best policies. These include prescriptions not in the company's formulary, breeding, boarding and transportation, pre-existing bilateral conditions, elective and cosmetic procedures, experimental medications and therapies, claims for healthy pets with no clinical symptoms, complications from uncovered tests and treatments, anal gland expression, injuries from intentional acts, conditions due to racing, and cremation or burial.
Coverage adjustments during the policy term have specific rules. Increases in coverage can only be made at annual renewal, such as moving from 70% to 80% coinsurance. However, increasing the annual limit requires canceling the policy and purchasing a new one, which resets waiting periods and pre-existing condition exclusions. Decreases in coverage can be made at any time.
Cost comparisons show Pets Best policies are competitive, particularly for unlimited coverage. Policies with $5,000 annual limits have below-average costs in Yahoo Finance's evaluation. All three unlimited coverage plans also have below-average premiums.
The company offers a 5% multi-pet discount per pet when insuring more than one cat or dog.
Claims processing involves specific procedures. To file a claim, policyholders must submit a completed claim form and copies of all paid invoices. Pets Best may require complete medical records. Claims can be submitted electronically through the customer account online. Setting up a default reimbursement selection can speed up payments, which can go directly to a bank account or CareCredit card. Denied claims can be appealed.
Policyholders have 180 days from the vet visit to submit claims. Payments typically take five to seven days for direct bank deposits and three to five days for CareCredit card reimbursements. Paper checks take longer.
Pets Best's mobile app receives high user ratings. The App Store rates it 4.6 out of 5 stars, while Google Play gives it the same rating. The app allows access to coverage information, claim submission and viewing, payment reminders, and the 24/7 telehealth line.
Pets Best pet insurance is available in all 50 states. Claims can be made with veterinarians in the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories or military installations in foreign countries. No pet medical exam is required to purchase a policy.
Customer service contact options include phone at 1-877-738-7237 from Monday to Friday (6 a.m. to 7 p.m. MT) and Saturday (6 a.m. to 2 p.m. MT), fax at 1-866-777-1434, and mail to Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC, 965 Keller Rd., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714.
Cancellation policies include a 30-day free look period with full refund if no claims were paid. Policies can be canceled at any time by written notification via mail, fax, or email. Mid-term cancellations receive pro-rata refunds.
Yahoo Finance's methodology involved researching 28 pet insurance plans. Scoring weighted coverage types at 40%, average cost at 30%, unlimited coverage option at 10%, direct payments to veterinarians at 5%, no special waiting periods for special conditions at 5%, routine wellness plan at 5%, and multi-pet discount at 5%.