Pets Best

About Pets Best

After the traumatic euthanasia of a beloved dog named Buffy, veterinarian Dr. Jack Stephens launched the first pet insurance company in North America in 1981. He wanted to make health-related expenses more affordable so that pet owners could make medical decisions for their pets based on needs instead of cost. In 2005, Dr. Jack Stephens partnered with Greg McDonald (Pets Best CEO) to launch what we now know as Pets Best.

Pets Best is underwritten by the American Pet Insurance Co. (APIC) and was acquired by Synchrony in 2019. Synchrony’s CareCredit offers wellness, healthcare and personal care credit products.

What Does Pets Best Pet Insurance Cover?

The BestBenefit Plan is the most robust plan that Pets Best offers. This plan covers a wide range of expenses related to accidents and injuries. Although Pets Best offers different levels of the accident and illness plan to fit every pet owner’s budget, you can typically expect a plan to cover:

• Accidents such as foreign object ingestion, car accidents and broken bones
• Illnesses such as ear infections, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Hereditary and congenital conditions such as cherry eye, hip and elbow dysplasia, glaucoma and epilepsy
• Emergency care
• Hospitalizations and surgeries
• Diagnostics such as bloodwork, MRIs and CAT scans
• Prescription medications
• Chronic conditions
• Dental issues such as periodontal disease
• Prosthetic devices and wheelchairs
• Physical rehabilitation
• Exam fees
• Acupuncture and chiropractic treatments

Pets Best also offers an accident-only plan that strictly covers expenses related to emergencies such as snake bites, broken bones and accidental swallowing. Accident-only plans are good options for pet owners with a smaller budget or for pet owners who have older pets who may not qualify for an accident and illness plan.

Pets Best Pet Insurance Routine Care Coverage

Preventive care is another cost that pet owners must also account for when caring for their four-legged companion. To help offset some of the preventive care costs, Pets Best offers routine care and pet wellness coverage. You can choose between two options: the EssentialWellness plan and the BestWellness plan.

Both plans reimburse you for expenses such as:

• Vaccines
• Wellness exams
• Microchip
• Deworming
• Rabies
• Bloodwork
• Heartworm medications

Keep in mind, both plans only pay up to a certain amount on all treatments, medications and procedures. For example, the EssentialWellness Plan reimburses you up to $50 per year for bloodwork, while the BestWellness plan has a $70 reimbursement limit. Also, the BestWellness plan reimburses for spay or neutering and teeth cleaning, while the EssentialWellness plan doesn’t.

What Pets Best Pet Insurance Doesn’t Cover

While Pets Best pet insurance covers a broad range of health-related expenses, there are some expenses it won’t. Some examples of exclusions include:

• Elective and preventative procedures like nail trimming, dew claw removal, ear cropping or tail docking
• Pre-existing conditions that begins before your coverage kicks in
• Expenses not related directly to the medical care of your pet, such as bathing and grooming, food, vitamins, supplements, waste disposal fees or any service not done under the supervision of a veterinarian
• Holistic, herbal and experimental therapies and medications
• Vitamins, special food, or supplements

Pets Best Waiting Periods for Coverage

Generally, after you buy a pet insurance policy, you must wait a specified period of time before your coverage kicks in. This amount of time is known as the waiting period.

Pets Best has three different waiting periods:

• Three-day accident waiting period
• 14-day illness waiting period
• Six-month cruciate ligament issue waiting period

The three-day accident waiting period is better than some other insurance companies that have 14- or 15-day accident waiting periods like Spot or ASPCA Pet Insurance. However, the 14-day illness waiting period is usually an industry standard.

While Pets Best has a six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament issues, not every insurer has an extended waiting period. So, if cruciate ligament events are a common issue with your pet’s breed, you may want to consider a pet insurance plan that does not have extended waiting periods for this condition.

Pets Best Pet Insurance Coverage Levels

Maximum annual limit options

Most pet insurance companies limit the amount they will reimburse you for claims in a given year. Pets Best has two coverage limit options: $5,000 or unlimited coverage.

Deductible options

Before you get reimbursed for any health-related expense, you must pay the policy deductible toward vet costs. Pets Best offers several deductible options, including:

• $50
• $100
• $200
• $250
• $500
• $1,000

Reimbursement options

In addition to payout limits, most pet insurance policies come with reimbursement levels. A reimbursement level is the percentage of expenses the insurer will pay out after the deductible is met. Pets Best gives you three options:

• 70%
• 80%
• 90%