5 Best Pet Insurance Companies in Alabama (2021)
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.
We’ve also collected sample quotes for 4-year-old dogs and cats living in Birmingham with a 35243 ZIP code. Each pet’s health journey and price will be different, though, so we recommend getting quotes from at least three of the pet insurance companies on this list to ensure your price is fair.
Alabama’s Top 5 Pet Insurance Providers
Lemonade: Best Overall
Prudent Pet: Most Comprehensive Plan
Healthy Paws: Best Coverage Limit
Embrace: Best Deductibles
Petplan: Best Holistic Coverage
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 C 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.
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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: 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.
Lemonade Sample Monthly Pricing Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Accident and illness plan $21.75 $27.67 $18.17 $13.17 Accident and illness plan with preventative care $37.75 $43.67 $34.17 $16.58 Accident and illness plan with vet visit fees and physical therapy $27.59 $35.08 $22.92 $23.17 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.
Prudent Pet Sample Monthly Pricing Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Accident-Only Plan $16.67 $18.26 $18.26 $10 Essential Plan $37.89 $41.50 $41.50 $22.72 Ultimate Plan $50.11 $54.88 $54.88 $27.09 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
✔ 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.
Healthy Paws Sample Monthly Pricing Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Accident and illness plan $36.06 $43.76 $36.06 $12.09 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 a 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.
Embrace Sample Monthly Pricing Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Accident and Illness Plan $43.02 $74.91 $37.08 $25.29 Accident and Illness Plan with Wellness Rewards Plan $61.77 $93.66 $55.83 $44.04 Petplan
If you’re looking for a pet insurance provider that covers a wide range of covered procedures and treatments, Petplan 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 Petplan’s standard coverage is well-rounded, it did lose points in our review for its lack of preventative care options.
Petplan Pros and Cons
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Petplan:
✔ 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
Petplan Plans and Coverage
Petplan’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, Petplan 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 Petplan policy.
Petplan Sample Monthly Pricing Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Species - Breed Dog - Medium Mixed Dog - Standard Poodle Dog - Maltese Cat - Domestic Medium Hair Accident and illness plan $49.67 $53.55 $40.29 $22.72 How Much Is Pet Insurance in 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.
Frequently Asked Questions Does pet insurance cover birds or exotic pets?
Most pet insurance companies limit their policies to cat and dog insurance, including the highly rated providers on this list. However, Nationwide offers pet insurance for more exotic species like hedgehogs, reptiles, and amphibians.
Is pet insurance worth it in Alabama?
Paying a monthly pet insurance premium can be worthwhile for offsetting financial stress during an emergency. Pet insurance can also provide the peace of mind that comes with knowing your pet is protected during an unexpected illness.
In a survey of 1,000 pet owners, around 40% of respondents told us that they would need to use a credit card to afford emergency vet bills, while another 9% indicated that they weren’t sure how they could afford a veterinary emergency. For pet parents facing unexpected costs, a pet insurance plan can be priceless.
Does pet insurance offer immediate coverage?
No, pet health insurance policies do not offer immediate coverage as a way to prevent insurance fraud. While many providers have 14–15-day waiting periods, Embrace and Lemonade both offer shorter waiting periods.
Our Conclusion
If you’re a pet parent in Alabama looking to secure the best care for your companion, these five 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, Petplan boasts more coverage for dental care and alternative therapies.
We ultimately recommend getting quotes from at least three different pet insurance providers to compare coverage and plan pricing in your area.
Compare Alabama’s Best Pet Insurance Companies Provider Lemonade Prudent Pet Healthy Paws Embrace Petplan Provider Lemonade Prudent Pet Healthy Paws Embrace Petplan Get a quote Lemonade.com PrudentPet.com HealthyPawsPetInsurance.com EmbracePetInsurance.com GoPetplan.com Our score 96 95 93.5 93.5 91.5 Sample premium* $21.75 $37.89 $36.06 $43.02 $49.67 Plans and add-ons 3 5 1 2 1 Waiting period 2 days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses 5 days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses 15 days for accidents and 15 days for illnesses 2 days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses 15 days for all conditions Customer service Email and chat on mobile app Live chat, contact form, and phone with no specified hours Phone, email, and live chat with limited hours Phone, email, and live chat with limited hours Phone, email, and live chat with limited hours BBB rating** C A+ A A+ A+
*Based on sample quotes for a mixed 4-year-old dog in Birmingham, Alabama.
**Based on scores pulled from each company’s BBB profile as of October 20, 2021.
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.
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