Best Pet Insurance in Alabama (AL)

At last, Auburn and Crimson Tide fans can agree on something: They want the best pet insurance for their fluffy friends. When facing unexpected costs from illnesses, emergencies, or other unforeseen events, pet insurance can prevent pet owners from paying for exorbitant veterinary expenses.

After surveying pet owners, reading hundreds of third-party customer reviews, and comparing pet insurance plans, pricing, and reputation among top providers, the This Old House Reviews Team has compiled our top five recommendations for pet insurance in Alabama.

Compare Other Pet Companies

• Lemonade: Best Overall
• Spot: Most Customizable Plans
• Embrace: Best Deductibles
• Fetch: Best Holistic Coverage
• Healthy Paws: Best Coverage Limit
• Prudent Pet: Most Comprehensive Plan
• Figo: Best Extra Coverage Add-On

Lemonade

Lemonade is our top pet insurance provider pick for its affordable rates, customizable coverage, and variety of add-on options.

Some highlights include:

• Our score: 96
• Provides discounts such as 10% off for bundling with a Lemonade home insurance policy and 5% off for paying annually
• Offers a short two-day waiting period for accidents
• Options range up to $100,000 for annual coverage caps

While Lemonade does have a lower than average rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), most of the disgruntled reviews come from people who have purchased a Lemonade homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy. The complaint rate from pet insurance policyholders is much lower.

Lemonade Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Lemonade:

✔ Offers add-ons for preventative care, vet fees, and physical therapy to give your pet customized coverage
✔ Has a charitable giveback program that allows you to donate up to 40% of your unclaimed money to a charity of your choosing at the end of each year
✔ Provides a fast direct deposit system for claim reimbursement

✘ Your pet will need a recent veterinary exam to enroll in coverage
✘ Isn’t available in 15 states*

*Not Available in: Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming

Lemonade Plans and Coverage

Lemonade pet insurance policies cover a wide range of conditions and treatments, such as outpatient veterinary care, hospitalizations, blood tests, prescription medications, sprains, vomiting, diarrhea, and infections. The wellness add-on provides supplementary coverage for routine care such as fecal tests, blood tests, and one wellness exam per year.

Other add-on options include choices like physical therapy, which includes acupuncture and chiropractic care, and vet exam fee coverage to help with appointment costs.

Like most other pet insurance companies, Lemonade does not cover pre-existing conditions. Coverage exclusions also include anal gland expression, elective or cosmetic procedures, breeding, and dental care unless medically necessary due to an injury.

Get a Quote: Lemonade Pet Insurance Quotes

Learn More: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Spot

Spot stands out among all the pet insurance companies we reviewed for its customizable coverage options that can help pet owners find the exact coverage they need for their budget.

Some highlights include the following:

• Our score: 91
• Provides seven annual limits between $2,500 and unlimited
• Offers an accident-only plan for less expensive coverage for just injuries and accidents
• Provides a 10% discount for each additional pet when you purchase more than one policy

Spot Pros and Cons

✔ Doesn’t have any upper age limits for coverage
✔ Includes vet visit and exam fees coverage in standard plans
✔ Covers microchip implantation without needing to add preventative care coverage

✘ Comes with a 14-day waiting period for accidents, which is longer than many other providers
✘ Has only two years of experience, which is less than many competitors

Spot Plans and Coverage

If you’re looking for a wide range of coverage options to help you choose the exact amount of coverage you need that fits your budget, we recommend Spot’s accident-only or accident and illness plans. The accident-only plan is for coverage on just injuries, toxic ingestions, and other emergency accidents. The accident and illness plan extends that coverage for conditions and illnesses, such as digestive illnesses, dental illnesses, chronic conditions, and cancer.

You can add coverage for the routine care your pet may need to stay healthy through Spot’s Gold and Platinum preventative care options. The Gold plan comes with $250 per year of combined per-treatment coverage, and the Platinum plan increases those limits to a total of $450 per year.

Get a Quote: Spot Pet Insurance Quote

Learn More: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Embrace

Embrace is our top recommendation for people looking for multiple deductible options. It offers five deductibles and a credit for healthy pets in Alabama.

Some highlights include:

• Our score: 93.5
• Offers a free medical history review on enrollment
• Covers exam fees as part of its accident and illness plan
• Provides a wide variety of customizable pricing options, with deductibles at $200, $300, $500, $750, and $1,000

Embrace’s preventative add-on covers a wide range of routine care, but its prices are at the higher end of the range compared to its competitors, costing it a few points in our review.

Embrace Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Embrace:

✔ Offers customers a 24/7 line to chat with veterinarians
✔ Has a user-friendly mobile app for easy policy access
✔ Donates $2 to animal charities for every policy purchased

✘ Doesn’t have an option for unlimited coverage
✘ Pricing can be higher than competitor policies

Embrace Plans and Coverage

Embrace offers an accident and illness plan that covers the cost of incidents like broken bones, dental trauma, prescription drugs, and surgeries as well as health problems such as allergies and cancer and procedures like biopsies, lab tests, MRIs, and acupuncture.

Embrace also offers an optional Wellness Rewards plan that covers a suite of routine and preventative care options, including prescription diet food, vaccinations, training classes, and fecal tests. You can choose your wellness plan cap to be reimbursed for up to $250, $450, or $650 each year.

Get a Quote: Embrace Pet Insurance Quote

Learn More: Embrace Pet Insurance Review

Fetch Pet Insurance

If you’re looking for a pet insurance provider that covers a wide range of covered procedures and treatments, Fetch includes more holistic and behavioral treatments, such as acupuncture and aggression therapy, in its standard plan than competitors.

Some highlights include:

• Our score: 91.5
• Offers treatments excluded by most competitors, such as stem cell therapy and homeopathic therapies
• Covers dental benefits, not just dental trauma from accidents
• Reimburses for boarding fees if the pet parent is hospitalized for more than four days

While Fetch’s standard coverage is well-rounded, it did lose points in our review for its lack of preventative care options.

Fetch Pet Insurance Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Fetch:

✔ Virtual vet visits are covered up to $1,000
✔ Offers reimbursement for lost-pet advertising and reward money
✔ Has an option for unlimited coverage

✘ Requires a veterinary exam for enrollment, either within the past six months or within the first 30 days of coverage
✘ Has a lengthy 15-day waiting period for injuries and illnesses

Fetch Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage

Fetch’s policy options include a $5,000, $15,000, or unlimited coverage cap, and they cover laboratory and diagnostic testing, cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy, prescription medications and nutraceuticals, alternative therapies, and vacation cancellation fees due to a sick pet.

As with other pet insurance providers, Fetch doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions and cosmetic procedures. Preventive and routine care costs for vaccinations, teeth cleanings, and spaying or neutering are also not part of a Fetch policy.

Learn More: Fetch Pet Insurance Review

Healthy Paws

Our favorite for high coverage caps, Healthy Paws can help pet parents avoid out-of-pocket costs for pets with high medical bills.

Some highlights include:

• Our score: 93.5
• Doesn’t have annual, lifetime, or per-month caps for coverage
• Has a 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provides an online chat for fast support

Healthy Paws may not be the best choice for parents of older pets due to its lack of customization options for older cats and dogs.

Healthy Paws Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Healthy Paws:

✔ Each quote that is filled out provides a donation to medical care for homeless pets
✔ If Healthy Paws deems your quote unusually high, its unique comparison tool will display other policies with more affordable prices
✔ Most claims are processed within two days of filing

✘ If your pet is more than 6 years old, there’s no option to customize reimbursement rates or deductibles
✘ Has a lengthy 12-month waiting period for hip dysplasia treatment

Healthy Paws Plans and Coverage

Healthy Paws offers one streamlined plan for accident and illness coverage, which covers expenses such as specialty care, surgery, X-rays, prescription medications, ultrasounds, and chronic conditions.

This plan does not cover preventative or routine care costs such as spaying, neutering, routine vaccinations, or exam fees. Additionally, pets older than 6 years old have locked-in reimbursement rates at 50% or 70% and have deductible options of either $750 or $1,000. No add-ons are available for purchase through Healthy Paws.

Get a Quote: Healthy Paws Quote

Learn More: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

Prudent Pet

When it comes to a plan that offers robust coverage, Prudent Pet is our choice for its Ultimate Plan’s comprehensive benefits that extend to behavioral treatments, advertising for lost pets, boarding fees, and vacation cancellation fees due to a sick pet.

Some highlights include:

• Our score: 95
• The Ultimate plan offers unique benefits that protect against non-medical emergencies, such as a pet loss or theft and boarding fees
• Offers a multi-pet discount of 10%
• Provides three add-on coverage levels for preventative care

Due to Prudent Pet’s scope of coverage, it can be more expensive than other providers on this list, which may not make it the best choice for pet parents looking to save on monthly bills.

Prudent Pet Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Prudent Pet:

✔ Offers customers 24/7 chat access to a licensed veterinarian
✔ The Ultimate Plan has an unlimited coverage cap on how much Prudent Pet will pay each year, which can prevent out-of-pocket costs for pet owners whose animals require expensive treatments
✔ Doesn’t require your pet to have a recent exam for coverage

✘ Coverage caps end at $10,000 for the Accident-Only and Essential Plans
✘ Digestive illness and cancer are not covered under the Accident-Only Plan

Prudent Pet Plans and Coverage

Prudent Pet’s Accident-Only and Essential Plans offer up to $10,000 of coverage. The Accident-Only Plan covers bite wounds, broken bones, alternative therapies prescribed by a veterinarian, emergencies, and hospitalizations, while the Essential Plan extends coverage to health issues like cancer treatments, hip dysplasia, and urinary infections.

The Ultimate Plan covers everything in the Essential Plan and includes advertising for lost pets, mortality benefits, and up to $1,000 for behavioral treatments. Add-ons include veterinary exam fee coverage and three price points of wellness coverage for routine care such as vaccines, microchipping, and deworming.

Prudent Pet policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, pregnancy-related health issues, or cosmetic procedures.

Get a Quote: Prudent Pet Insurance Quote

Learn More: Prudent Pet Insurance Review

Figo

For some of the most comprehensive coverage on the market, you can purchase a policy from Figo with its Extra Care Pack add-on that covers a few circumstantial costs, such as third-party property damage caused by your pet or vacation cancellation fees when it’s sick.

Some highlights include the following:

• Our score: 93
• Provides unlimited annual coverage
• Has a 24/7 live vet chat for instant answers to your pet health questions
• Includes access to the Figo Cloud Pet, which connects you to other pet owners and pet-friendly locations near you

Figo Pros and Cons

✔ Has a 100% reimbursement rate option, unlike most competitors
✔ Often has cheaper prices for older pets than many competitors
✔ Comes with a one-day waiting period for injuries

✘ Doesn’t cover behavioral treatments
✘ Requires annual vet checkups and dental exams to remain eligible for coverage

Figo Plans and Coverage

Figo’s standard policy comes with coverage for accidents and illnesses, including injuries, chronic conditions, cancer, and hip dysplasia. It pays for required treatments such as surgeries, specialty care, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, emergency care, and prescription medications.

Figo also offers vet visit and exam fees coverage that can be added to your policy. You can add some coverage for your pet’s routine care treatments, such as vaccinations and annual checkups with two preventative care coverage options.

The Extra Care Pack comes with coverage for vacation cancellation fees, third-party property damage, lost-pet advertising and reward money, emergency boarding fees if you have to be hospitalized, replacement costs if your pet’s lost or stolen, and burial or cremation costs.

Get a Quote: Figo Pet Insurance Quote

Learn More: Figo Pet Insurance Review

We ultimately recommend getting quotes from at least three different pet insurance providers to compare coverage and plan pricing in your area.

*Based on sample quotes for a mixed 4-year-old dog in Birmingham, Alabama.

Pet insurance quotes are customized based on the information you provide to a pet insurance company, so your quote may be different from the samples we’ve provided. On average, we have found that pet insurance ranges between $17 and $95 per month for dogs and $10 and $44 per month for cats.

The premiums for pet insurance are determined by multiple factors, such as:

• Species: Across all states and providers, pet insurance for dogs is typically more expensive than pet insurance for cats. This is because dogs tend to experience more chronic health conditions, most notably hip dysplasia.
• Age: As pets age, they can develop more medical problems that require regular care. Because of this, pet insurance tends to become more expensive, which is why it’s advisable to obtain a policy while your pet is still young to reduce your plan costs.
• Discounts: Certain providers will offer discounts to pet owners. For example, Lemonade offers a 10% discount when pet insurance is bundled with its home insurance policy, and it offers a 5% discount for people who have multiple pets. Prudent Pet and Embrace both offer multi-pet discounts, as well.
• Breed: Some dog breeds are more prone to costly and genetic conditions. Larger dogs like Saint Bernards and German shepherds have a higher risk of developing hip or elbow dysplasia.
• Customization: It’s often possible to customize your plan if you’re looking for cheap pet insurance. Choosing higher deductibles and lower reimbursement rates are both good ways to lower your premiums. For example, choosing a 90% reimbursement percentage and a $200 annual deductible for a 4-year-old mixed breed dog with Embrace would yield a monthly premium of $42.64. However, lowering your reimbursement rate to 80% and raising your deductible to $500 could reduce your monthly premium to only $28.42.

If you’re a pet parent in Alabama looking to secure the best care for your companion, these seven pet insurance providers can help protect your pet. Lemonade offers the best overall coverage at affordable rates, while Prudent Pet can provide unlimited coverage caps and around-the-clock support from a veterinarian. Additionally, Fetch boasts more coverage for dental care and alternative therapies.

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Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews Team is dedicated to thorough, in-depth reviews of each product or service that we detail in our content. Determined to build trust with our readers through transparency, accuracy, and accountability, we’ve built a detailed rating system to score pet insurance brands. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

• Coverage (25)
• Plan options (20)
• Monthly cost (20)
• Company reputation (15)
• Customer service (10)
• Species eligibility (10)

Our researchers keep all data in each company’s score up to date, making any changes to our content when necessary to provide our readers with the most accurate information on relevant metrics, such as plan options, customer service, reputation, and monthly cost.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.