Best Pet Insurance in Massachusetts (MA)

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Contributor, Benzinga
July 3, 2023

How financially prepared are you to cover your pet’s medical bills? Could you pay out-of-pocket costs for a sudden surgery or a broken leg if you need to? As a pet parent, you may not take the necessary steps to be prepared for this type of situation. 

Pet insurance in Massachusetts can cost just a handful of dollars each year. You’ll pay a small portion of the charges and the insurance company pays the remaining amount. Here’s what you need to know.

Best Pet Insurance in Massachusetts:

The Best Pet Insurance in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, you can expect to pay a monthly premium of $24 to $85 for pet insurance plans. Here are our top picks for pet insurance companies in Massachusetts. Get quotes and choose from the options below. 

1. Lemonade Pet

Lemonade is an insurtech providing modern, transparent, digitized access to a wide variety of insurance products, including pet insurance.

Lemonade is a great option for pet insurance due to its high customizability in plan offerings as well as high annual caps on reimbursement limits. While you can only insure cats and dogs at this point, Lemonade allows pet owners to pick and choose which features and coverage options they'd like from their policy. This means you'll get everything you need for your pet -- without overpaying for things you don't need.

Save by purchasing home insurance from Lemonade and bundling your pet insurance with this policy. Also, Lemonade donates unused funds from deductibles and payments to non-profits, so you know your money is getting put to good use no matter what.

2. Pumpkin

Pumpkin offers traditional pet insurance as well as optional preventive care coverage at an additional cost. While Pumpkin does offer a wide range of coverage options, you’ll notice some limits to be aware of. All Pumpkin Pet Insurance plans have an annual coverage limit and all of its policies come with a high reimbursement rate.

There’s no upper age limit, and you can bundle for a multiple pet discount.

Pumpkin has online claims submissions or you can request a hardcopy form to be mailed. Every claim is reviewed by Pumpkin, and you’ll be notified if your claim can be covered. You’ll be reimbursed for covered services after you’ve met your pet’s annual deductible.

 

3. Spot

Spot Pet Insurance is known for its plans that start from as low as $1 a day. Spot Pet Insurance offers a seamless claims process and up to 95% reimbursement for eligible vet bills. All coverage plans are customizable and coverage options include:

  • Preventive services
  • Preexisting hereditary/congenital conditions
  • Behavioral issues
  • Dental diseases
  • Accidents

4. Petplan (Now Fetch by Dodo)

Petplan is a comprehensive pet insurance plan provider that offers a range of coverages for dogs and cats. Though pre-existing conditions aren’t covered, Petplan includes coverages for treatments and services that many insurance companies exclude — for example, acupuncture, cancer treatments and emergency dental services. 

If you’re searching for a more inclusive policy that covers things like boarding, holistic treatments, dental care and more, Petplan can be an excellent option. If you’re looking for instant coverage, coverage for pre existing conditions or coverage for a pet that isn’t a dog or cat, you should look elsewhere for your insurance. 

5. Embrace

Embrace is known for its personalized policies, with an A+ rating from BBB. The plans offer flexible deductible options (ranging from $100 up to $1,000 on an annual basis) and yearly payouts. In addition to its comprehensive coverage plans, Embrace offers supplemental wellness options for routine care that include vaccinations, check-ups, grooming and training.

The company provides an additional $650 benefit within its standard plans for dental care. Its insurance plans cover preventive veterinary visits, illnesses, accidents and exam fees. You can file claims hassle-free through email, fax or electronically. More than half of policyholders have received 90% of their filed claims. 

The average premium you’ll pay for dogs in Massachusetts is $34 and cats are $16.

Pet Insurance in Massachusetts: An Overview

How many pets can you find in the Bay State? Here’s a quick overview:

  • Number of households with pets: 50.4%
  • Amount spent on pet bills annually: Approximately $1,000 to $1,500 per year
  • Average cost of pet insurance annually: Monthly premium of $50.45 for dogs and $10.56 for cats

How much you’ll pay for pet insurance in Massachusetts depend on several factors:

  • Age of your pet
  • Your deductible limit
  • The type of coverage that you want:
    • Accident-only plans cover only emergency expenses. 
    • Accident and illness plans cover both regular illnesses and emergency expenses.
    • Wellness plans cover dental care, preventive tests and services like tick and flea medications. Wellness plans also cover searching for lost pets, post-surgery rehabilitation care and more.
  • Preexisting health conditions are excluded in most coverage plans.

What Does Pet Insurance Typically Cover?

What are your preferences for pet insurance? Check reviews of each company’s customer service. Let's go through the points mentioned below to get an overview of the covered and excluded health conditions:

  • Covered incidents. Most pet insurance policies reimburse medical expenses for illnesses, accidents or emergencies. Accidents resulting in broken bones, bite wounds, torn ligaments, hospitalizations, prescriptions, cancer treatments and X-rays are generally covered. Go through the conditions in detail to decide on a coverage type and whether your pet needs to go through a health exam to qualify for a specific policy. 
  • Preexisting conditions. Congenital/hereditary or certain medical conditions are considered to be a preexisting condition. If the condition is curable, controlled or stable, you may experience a waiting period (like 6 months or a year) for coverage to start. For conditions that are incurable, terminal or chronic, like cancer or diabetes, the insurer may choose to exclude it completely or cover it on a limited basis.
  • Renewable and wellness benefits. Insurance companies also offer wellness add-on benefits, such as dietary consultations, behavioral and alternative therapy, dental care, training and grooming sessions, tick, flea and heartworm medication, as well as cremation and burial services.
  • Exclusions. Preexisting conditions are generally excluded from coverage benefits. Most insurers offer a list of other excluded conditions as well. The treatments to be covered also depends on the pet breed. Not all insurance companies provide wellness care or add-on preventive benefits. Some companies, such as Embrace, will give coverage to curable preexisting health conditions but not to incurable ones. 
  • Reimbursement level. Certain insurance companies will reimburse you 100% of your pet’s medical bills after you have reached the deductible limit. Others may have a 70/30 or 80/20 reimbursement structure. Know ahead of time the exact amount you’ll be liable for.

3 Reasons to Buy Pet Insurance in MA

Accidents and illnesses are the most common causes behind the rising veterinary costs for pet owners in Massachusetts. The value of getting coverage from the best pet insurance for Massachusetts companies becomes more apparent when you take a look at these reasons for getting pet insurance in the Bay State:

  1. Treatment is expensive. You may pay the following for out-of-pocket costs: Cardiac issues average $1,000 to $20,000-plus, broken bones: $200 to $5,000 and disc disease: $3,000 to $9,000. If your pet dog suffers from an autoimmune disease, you can pay up to $20,000 for treatments. 
  2. You pay more for the type of pet you have. Cat costs differ from dogs, so vet costs may be more expensive if you have a golden retriever compared to a Siamese cat. That may help you decide whether to opt for insurance.
  3. You’ll get peace of mind. You’ll know you and your pets can weather any financial storm because you can afford to pay for treatment. 

Get the Best Pet Insurance in Massachusetts

Getting pet insurance could definitely provide relief if you’re stressed about not having funds to cover your pet’s medical bills. However, before you decide to purchase a policy, understand in detail what is and isn’t covered. Find time to understand reimbursement levels, policy limits and any supplementary fees you’ll need to pay for using your plan. Make the most fitting choices based on his or her health conditions and your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

Why should you buy pet insurance?

A

The best reasons for purchasing pet insurance include the high cost of treatment and peace of mind.

Q

What are the best pet insurance carriers in Massachusetts?

A

Some excellent companies include Pumpkin Pet Insurance, Petplan and Spot Pet Insurance.

Melinda Sineriz

About Melinda Sineriz

Melinda specializes in writing about mortgages. student loans, personal loans, insurance, managing credit and debt, and credit cards.