Best Pet Insurance in Massachusetts (MA) in 2023

Whether you live near the Cape Cod coast or farther west in the Bay State, your pets are always at risk for unexpected accidents and illnesses. Because of this, it’s important to protect your four-legged companion with a pet insurance policy.

To save pet owners time in their search, the This Old House Reviews team researched the best pet insurance companies in Massachusetts and ranked the providers on factors such as policy coverage, plan options, customer service, and company reputation.

• Lemonade: Best Overall
• Spot: Most Customizable Plans
• Embrace: Best Deductibles
• Healthy Paws: Best Coverage Limit
• ASPCA Pet Health Insurance: Best for New Pet Owners
• Fetch by The Dodo: Best Holistic Coverage
• Prudent Pet: Most Comprehensive Plan

Lemonade: Best Overall

Lemonade is our top pick for pet insurance in Massachusetts, scoring a 96 out of 100 in our thorough review process. Lemonade stands out most for its affordable and flexible coverage, ease of obtaining quotes online, and streamlined claims filing process via the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) based app and website It also has a commendable charitable giveback program, which donates unused premiums to charities each year.

Pros and Cons of Lemonade Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Lemonade:

✔ Offers up to$100,000 in annual benefits, higher than many providers
✔ Has a two-day waiting period for accidents, shorter than most competitors
✔ Provides a 10% discount when you bundle pet insurance with another Lemonade insurance policy such as home or car insurance

✘ Excludes behavioral conditions from coverage, which some providers include

Lemonade Plans and Coverage

Lemonade offers one accident and illness plan that covers treatments, diagnostic tests, procedures, and other expenses related to issues such as injuries, broken bones, cancer, general illness, and hereditary conditions. It excludes elective procedures, behavioral conditions, and pre-existing conditions.

Lemonade also offers an add-on for routine vet visits, physical therapy, and preventative care at two different coverage levels. The more affordable option covers a wellness exam, three vaccines, a fecal test, diagnostic tests, and blood work, while the more expensive add-on extends coverage to dental cleanings and flea, tick, or heartworm medication.

Learn More: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Spot: Most Customizable Plans

Spot is a great pet insurance company in Massachusetts for pet owners looking for flexible premiums. Customers can choose between six annual limits, five deductibles, and three reimbursement rates to help decrease their monthly premium. For the cheapest pet insurance coverage options, combine the lowest annual limit and reimbursement rate with the highest annual deductible. For this customizability, Spot earned a 91 out of 100 and lost points for its limited customer service hours and limited preventative care coverage.

Pros and Cons of Spot Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Spot:

✔ Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
✔ Doesn’t limit coverage for older pets
✔ Covers microchip implantation

✘ Doesn’t cover dogs or cats under eight weeks old
✘ Has a 14-day waiting period for accidents

Spot Plans and Coverage

Spot offers a cheap Accident-Only Plan that covers injuries, swallowed objects, or toxic ingestions. It also offers an Accident and Illness Plan for more complete coverage, including protection for illnesses, dental diseases, behavioral issues, hip dysplasia, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory infections. Neither plan covers pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, or breeding costs.

Spot also offers two add-ons: the Gold Preventative Care Plan and the Platinum Preventative Care Plan. These can be added during checkout for a flat rate of $9.95 or $24.95 per month. The Gold Preventative Care Plan covers seven items, such as wellness exams and fecal tests, for a total annual benefit of $250, while the Platinum Preventative Care Plan extends coverage to 12 items for $450 of coverage per year.

Learn More: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Embrace: Best Deductibles

Tied with Healthy Paws, Embrace scored a 93.5 out of 100 and impressed us with its five deductible options and Healthy Pet Deductible benefit, which credits each pet parent with $50 toward their policy’s deductible each year they don’t file a claim. We recommend this company to anyone looking for lower coverage prices and routine pet care, but Embrace’s policies might not be for Massachusetts pet owners looking for higher coverage limits, since the company’s coverage options max out at $30,000.

Pros and Cons of Embrace Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Embrace:

✔ Has a two-day waiting period for accidents
✔ Includes coverage for exam fees
✔ Offers a free medical history review

✘ Has limited customer service availability
✘ Its wellness add-on is more expensive than competitors’ wellness add-ons

Embrace Plans and Coverage

Embrace’s Accident and Illness Plan covers exam fees, genetic conditions, medications, dental trauma, congenital conditions, allergy testing, physical therapy, acupuncture, cancer treatments, emergency care, specialists, and other vet bills or costs related to accidents and illnesses. It doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions and requires an examination by a licensed vet 12 months prior to the effective policy start date or during the 14-day illness waiting period.

Embrace also offers an optional Wellness Rewards for Routine Care add-on and provides $250, $450, or $650 per year for preventive and routine care, such as microchipping, annual vet visits, teeth cleaning, prescription diet foods, and spay or neuter surgery.

Learn More: Embrace Pet Insurance Review

Healthy Paws: Best Coverage Limit

For the best unlimited coverage limit, we recommend Healthy Paws, which scored a 93.5 out of 100 for its overall coverage, cost, and customer service. Unlike other pet insurance companies, Healthy Paws’ plan comes with no annual, lifetime, or per-incident coverage limits, so pet owners don’t have to worry about maxing out their coverage during a covered event. If you want more plan customizability, consider another provider since Healthy Paws offers only two annual deductible choices and reimbursement rates.

Pros and Cons of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Healthy Paws:

✔ Has a fast claims process
✔ Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
✔ Provides multiple ways to contact customer service

✘ Has a 15-day waiting period for both accidents and illnesses
✘ Offers only two deductible options

Healthy Paws Plans and Coverage

Healthy Paws offers only one plan for accidents and illnesses and covers hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, chronic conditions, cancer, and injuries, as well as necessary procedures or vet visits, including diagnostic treatments, X-rays, ultrasounds, surgery, hospitalization, medications, emergency care, specialty care, and alternative treatments.

This plan doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions that arise before the policy’s effective start date or during the 15-day waiting period. It also doesn’t cover spay or neuter procedures, exam fees, vet visit fees, or any preventative care.

Learn More: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance: Best for New Pet Owners

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance scored an 89 out of 100 in our review of the top pet insurance providers. It features a local vet finder tool on its website and mobile app, a breadth of articles and resources about various animal breeds and their common health conditions, and a useful pet insurance comparison tool.

Pros and Cons of ASPCA Pet Health Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of ASPCA Pet Health:

✔ Doesn’t require records from your pet’s recent medical exams for coverage
✔ Covers microchipping and exam fees in standard policies
✔ Offers an accident-only plan for low-cost coverage on emergencies related to accidents

✘ Has a 14-day waiting period for accidents, which is longer than some competitors
✘ Limits annual coverage cap options at $10,000

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Plans and Coverage

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers the Accident-Only Plan for pet parents who want affordable coverage for injuries and emergencies related to accidents like broken bones and bite wounds. Its Complete Coverage Plan covers those emergencies plus treatments and procedures related to illnesses, such as cancer, hereditary conditions, hip dysplasia, congenital conditions, hypothyroidism, and more. It doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions that arise before the end of the 14-day waiting period.

For preventative care options, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers the Basic Plan for a flat rate of $9.95 per month for $250 of annual coverage on your pet’s routine care, including a wellness exam, fecal test, and two vaccines. The Prime Plan costs $24.95 per month for $450 of the same covered items plus spay and neutering, flea prevention, a blood test, and a few more items.

Learn More: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Review

Fetch by The Dodo: Best Holistic Coverage

Fetch scored a 91.5 out of 100, performing well in our review for its impressive holistic coverage included in each policy. It covers therapies and treatments that may be recommended by your pet’s vet to treat a related condition. These holistic therapies, including acupuncture, chiropractic care, hydrotherapy, homeotherapy, and stem cell therapy, are often excluded or limited by other providers.

Pros and Cons of Fetch Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Fetch:

✔ Covers behavioral therapies up to $1,000 per year
✔ Pays for advertising and reward money related to your lost dog or cat
✔ Offers an unlimited annual coverage limit option

✘ Requires pets to get annual checkup exams to be eligible for coverage
✘ Doesn’t offer preventative or wellness care plan options

Fetch Plans and Coverage

Fetch has one accident and illness plan that covers broken bones, dental injuries, general illnesses, chronic conditions, and hereditary conditions. It reimburses policyholders for treatments, procedures, and vet visits, including behavioral therapies, diagnostic tests, cancer treatments, specialist treatments, rehabilitation, and prescription medications.

It also covers boarding fees when you’re hospitalized for more than four days, advertising and reward fees related to a lost pet, and vacation cancellation fees related to your pet’s covered condition. It doesn’t cover any of your pet’s pre-existing conditions that arise before or during the 15-day waiting period for accidents and illnesses, nor does it cover any preventative care costs.

Learn More: Fetch Pet Insurance Review

Prudent Pet: Most Comprehensive Plan

Receiving a 95 out of 100, Prudent Pet is our top choice for comprehensive pet insurance in Massachusetts. We were especially impressed with the company’s Ultimate Plan, which comes with an unlimited coverage cap and extra coverage not typically offered by other companies for items such as lost pet advertising, boarding fees, and vacation cancellation fees.

Pros and Cons of Prudent Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Prudent Pet:

✔ Includes a 24/7 vet chat with each plan
✔ Offers cheaper wellness add-ons compared with other providers
✔ Has a 30-day money-back guarantee

✘ Premiums for the Ultimate Plan are higher than average
✘ Doesn’t have a mobile app

Prudent Pet Plans and Coverage

Prudent Pet offers three pet insurance plans and two add-ons to give pet owners more coverage options. The Accident-Only Plan covers $10,000 per year for procedures or vet visits related to accidents or injuries, such as bite wounds, swallowed objects, and broken bones. The Essential Plan covers $10,000 per year for those accidents in addition to illnesses such as cancer, birth defects, digestive illnesses, hip dysplasia, and hereditary conditions.

The Ultimate Plan covers unlimited vet bills for the accidents and illnesses in the Essential Plan, plus coverage for lost pet advertising, boarding fees, pet replacement during a theft or loss, mortality expenses, and vacation cancellations. None of these plans cover pre-existing conditions that arise before or during your policy enrollment or waiting periods.

Additionally, Prudent Pet offers a wellness coverage add-on that can be an extra $7.95, $13.95, or $19.95 per month depending on how many preventative benefits and coverage limits you need. For even more coverage, Prudent Pet sells an add-on for veterinary exam and consultation fees.

Learn More: Prudent Pet Insurance Reviews

Based on the sample quotes we received during our research, the average cost for pet insurance in Massachusetts with standard accident and illness coverage is around $30–$60 per month for dogs and $15–$30 per month for cats. However, these prices can vary based on several factors that go into each premium.

Here are some factors that may increase or decrease your quoted monthly premiums:

• Age: Older pets typically cost more to insure than younger pets since they’re more prone to experiencing medical issues. Insuring your pet at an early age can help keep premiums low when renewing the policy terms year after year.
• Breed: Some dog or cat breeds that are more prone to illnesses can be much more expensive to insure than other breeds. For example, golden retrievers are more expensive to insure than Yorkshire terriers or mixed breeds.
• Location: Your ZIP code can affect the pricing of your pet insurance premium. We always recommend getting a few quotes from providers in your area to compare prices based on your exact location within the state.
• Customization: Many companies offer flexible customization options so that you only pay for what you need. You can lower your premium by selecting lower annual coverage limits, lower reimbursement rates, and higher deductibles. However, this can cost you more money in the long run through higher out-of-pocket costs during a claim.
• Discounts: Many providers, such as Pumpkin and Embrace, offer a discount for each additional pet you add to your policy. If you need coverage for multiple pets, we recommend considering those providers.

We recommend getting quotes from a few different providers, as that’s the best way to get accurate pricing based on your pet’s specific details and location.

Pet insurance policies can keep your dog or cat protected from unexpected accidents or illnesses by helping you pay for any treatments or procedures they might need. If you’re looking for this peace of mind, there are plenty of pet insurance companies in Massachusetts to protect your pet.

Whether you lean towards Lemonade for its competitive rates, Spot for its customizable coverage, or another of our top picks, we recommend getting quotes from a few different providers to compare pricing and find a plan that’s right for you and your pet.

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.