Pets Best Pet Insurance Review (2023)

Pets Best pet insurance offers affordable policies to pet owners across the country and is one of the best pet insurance providers for those who just need minimal coverage for accidents and illness emergencies.

In this in-depth review of Pets Best, we discuss the company’s coverage plans, pricing, and customer reviews and compare it to other top-rated pet insurance companies.

Pets Best scored well in our ratings, primarily standing out for the following unique highlights:

• Exceptionally competitive pricing
• Low deductible option of $50
• Great choice for pet parents who want to pay less out of pocket during a claim

With availability in all 50 states, and scoring high in all reviewed areas, the This Old House Reviews team would recommend getting a pet insurance quote from Pets Best.

In 2005, practicing veterinarian Dr. Jack Stephens founded Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC with his business partner, Greg McDonald, in Boise, Idaho.

A few years later, Dr. Stephens co-founded the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), solidifying Pets Best as a company dedicated to pets’ health and making it part of the foundation for the growing industry of pet insurance.

After expanding across the country and into other parts of the world, Pets Best celebrated paying out $100 million in claims to policyholders in 2015.

Since its founding, the company has become an established leader in the pet insurance industry, always pushing for its ultimate goal to end economic euthanasia for domestic animals by providing affordable insurance to pet owners.

Pets Best sells one plan: the BestBenefit plan.

You can choose from three coverage and pricing options for this plan. Each level of the BestBenefit plan includes coverage for accidents and illnesses. Here are the three coverage options for the BestBenefit plan and what they each include:

• Essential: This coverage includes only basic coverage for accidents, illnesses, cancer, hereditary conditions, emergency care, surgeries, and prescribed medication.
• Plus: This includes everything in the Essential option, plus exam fees associated with the diagnosis of your pet for an eligible disease or injury.
• Elite: This covers everything in the Essential and Plus options, with the addition of rehabilitation, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. This option is the most comprehensive, and it’s typically only $1–$2 more per month than the Plus option.

Coverage Exclusions

Like all pet insurance companies, Pets Best policies don’t include coverage for pre-existing conditions, which the company defines on its website as “any illness or injury that begins before your policy is effective, or during your waiting period.” However, curable conditions such as broken legs or kennel cough are not considered pre-existing conditions since they can heal and require no further treatment.

Here are a few other specific exclusions from Pets Best plans:

• Elective procedures, such as declawing and ear cropping
• Preventative procedures without a wellness plan add-on
• Parasites without a wellness plan add-on
• Non-veterinary expenses, such as waste disposal or transportation
• Special diets
• Vitamins and supplements
• Any service not performed under the supervision of a licensed vet
• Herbal therapies or medications

At-a-glance pricing for pet insurance from Pets Best:

*All sample quotes are for four-year-old pets located in Raleigh, North Carolina

Discounts

Like many other pet insurance providers, Pets Best offers a 5% multi-pet discount for pet parents who insure two or more pets with its policies. Active military members can also receive access to an extra 5% off on their policy.

You can also review 5% off for purchasing a renters insurance policy from Toggle.

Note: This military discount isn’t available in Hawaii, Alaska, or Tennessee. The Toggle discount applies to the BestBenefit plan and is not available in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, or Tennessee.

Fortunately, Pets Best operates in all states across the country. Compare the cost of pet insurance providers in your state.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusett
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Although Pets Best has an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it has a high number of negative reviews and complaints. Customer reviews commonly reference poor customer service, a slow claims process, denied claims, and increasing prices.

Here are two examples of customer reviews from the company’s BBB profile:

Rebecca T. said:

“I’ve always had a positive experience with Pets Best. The customer service has always been quick and pleasant and I’m happy with my coverage.”

J. Vasquez said:

“If I could select zero stars I would. All they are good at is collecting their payment on time every month, but when it comes to claims they always have an excuse for not reimbursing anything. They will use anything as an excuse to not reimburse you. Initially, I thought that their excuses were valid, but then I started to suspect that it was just a scam. Now I have confirmed my suspicion after reading all of the reviews on this site.”

*BBB information accurate as of February 2023

Quickly compare Pets Best with other top-rated pet insurance providers:

Pets Best pet insurance may be right for you if you’re looking for basic, affordable policies. However, since the wellness option costs an additional $16–$26 per month for coverage on routine and preventive care, you may want to consider other pet insurance providers for comprehensive coverage.

During our review of the top pet insurance providers, we found Lemonade and HealthyPaws to offer comprehensive plans that include a wellness option at a more affordable price.

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.