As a pet parent living and working in the First State, you worry about your pet like any other member of your family. You want to protect them from illnesses and injuries and, when they’re sick or injured, get them the veterinary care they need. The best way to do that is to have a good pet insurance policy in place that will cover your pet’s veterinary care and pay the vet bills with no delays.
The Delaware pet insurance plan reviews below are a great place to start if you want to get your pet insured with a top pet insurance company. They’re updated for this year and have our picks for the best overall and best value pet insurance plans and eight more worth your consideration.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2022
Comparing 10 Delaware Pet Insurance Plans
1. Spot Pet Insurance – Best Overall
With Spot Pet Insurance, our best overall pet policy in Delaware for 2022, customizing your pet’s insurance policy is hassle-free. From deductibles to specialized plans and more, you can create a custom policy for your pet that meets their needs at any stage of their life.
Spot also gets high marks for customer service, giving their customers various methods of contact to make claims processing easier. However, Spot Pet Insurance does not allow you to pay your veterinarian directly.
2. Trupanion Pet Insurance – Best Value
With most pet insurance companies, you’re forced to wait 14 days before you can make a claim for any accidents your pet might have. Trupanion Pet Insurance cuts that waiting time down to 5 days, which is one of the shortest in the pet insurance industry. Trupanion is a good choice if your pet is older because they don’t increase your premiums as it ages.
Plus, if you need to save money on your pet’s insurance policy, Trupanion offers several deductible plans for specific illnesses, a feature few companies provide. One minor disadvantage of Trupanion is that they don’t cover vet exam fees. Also, even though accidents are covered after 5 days, your pet won’t be covered for illness for 30 days after its policy starts. Still, Trupanion Pet Insurance is our choice for the best value in Delaware for 2022.
3. MetLife Pet Insurance
MetLife Pet Insurance is one of the most well-known in the industry, thanks to its years-long name recognition (and affiliation with Snoopy). Aside from recognition, MetLife has many excellent features for pet owners, including coverage from day one of your pet’s policy effective date. That includes accident coverage, which is as good as it gets for this feature.
Another stellar component of MetLife is that, for every year you don’t make an insurance claim on your pet, your deductible is lowered by 10%. One small drawback in Delaware is that MetLife won’t pay your vet directly on any claims, and they tend to take more time to reimburse you than other companies. They do, however, cover holistic treatments, which many customers appreciate. While not the best pet insurance company in Delaware, MetLife easily earns the third spot.
4. Figo Pet Insurance
If coverage for your feline friends is what you need, Figo is a great choice. Yes, they cover dogs, but their coverage for cats is stellar. You can, for example, visit any licensed vet in Delaware with a Figo policy. The company also offers a variety of optional coverage plans, including exam fees, end-of-life coverage, and wellness fees. Like most pet insurance companies, Figo also allows you to choose your deductible level.
In short, Figo’s coverage for cats is excellent, and their coverage for dogs isn’t bad either. Like most pet insurance companies, Figo doesn’t cover other pets. The company also doesn’t cover puppies and kittens under 8 weeks old, but that’s not usually a big problem for most pet owners. They provide 100% reimbursement, although the premiums for this feature are higher.
5. Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Pumpkin Pet Insurance is an excellent choice if your pet is older, and they have no age limits for starting care or getting coverage. The company offers a valuable online portal for customers and, surprisingly, 90% reimbursement on their policies. That 90% reimbursement level does come with a drawback, though; Pumpkin has higher prices than most of its competitors in the pet insurance industry.
Still, Pumpkin provides coverage for kittens and puppies, which most companies don’t offer. Lastly, you can choose from three annual maximum limits and three deductibles to lower your monthly premiums. Although it’s a relatively new company (they started in 2020), Pumpkin Pet Insurance has an A- rating with the BBB, which is quite good. The bad news is that they don’t have a mobile app and have no customer service on the weekend.
6. ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA Pet Insurance is well-known thanks to the name recognition they have. You should note that the insurance company and the organization that saves animals share the name but don’t work together. Unlike most pet insurance companies, with ASPCA, there’s no need to visit your veterinarian before enrolling your pet in a policy.
Another excellent feature is that the company offers a 10% multi-pet discount if you have more than one pet. ASPCA’s 14-day waiting period is a slight drawback, as is the fact that their annual maximum limit is $10,000, which is relatively low. ASPCA does, however, cover the office fees when you see your vet for an accident or illness, and they cover the cost of chipping your pet. The company also has a helpful, 24/7 pet health hotline.
7. Wagmo Pet Insurance
One interesting factor about Wagmo Pet Insurance is that the company started with wellness coverage before offering pet insurance. Another is that Wagmo was founded and is led today by women, a first in the industry. As you might imagine, their wellness plans are excellent and cover many things your pet will likely need, including exam fees, diagnostic tests, dental care, and vaccinations.
Their wellness plans don’t have a waiting period, although there is one for their standard insurance coverage. Wagmo has accident and illness coverage, but one drawback is its $ 100,000 lifetime coverage limit, which is lower than other companies. Also, neither their wellness nor standard insurance plans cover holistic or alternative care, which is interesting considering they started as a wellness company. However, they have a fast and easy claims procedure and no age limit for coverage.
8. Embrace Pet Insurance
One of the best features of Embrace Pet Insurance is that the company covers your pet after 2 days, which is very fast. Their illness waiting period isn’t great, but it matches most other companies at 14 days. Embrace offers an excellent mobile app for making easy and fast claims. They also have a 10% multi-pet discount, and for every year you don’t make a claim, your deductible is lowered by $50.
Embrace offers non-insurance-based wellness plans rather than preventive care coverage. Like most, the company only covers cats and dogs. Also, they provide an accident-only and accident + illness plan, which can lower your costs substantially. One significant drawback is that Embrace only covers joint issues like hip dysplasia after 6 months.
9. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
One aspect of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance that many of its customers genuinely like is that the company gives generously to several charities. As for insurance, Healthy Paws covers alternative therapies under their standard plan, which should give you a good idea of their dedication to pet health.
Healthy Paws also pays your vet directly, which can be very helpful for your finances. They don’t have any annual coverage limits, but they also don’t cover exam fees for accidents and illnesses, which is a significant drawback. Another drawback is that, as your pet ages, its deductible and reimbursement levels can drop, which is never good news. Like some providers, Healthy Paws has a “bilateral exclusion” clause. For example, if your pet has hip dysplasia in its left hip and, after starting coverage, it also occurs in the right hip, it won’t be covered.
10. Progressive Pet Insurance
Progressive insurance has been around for over 80 years and today offers pet insurance that’s regarded as one of the better plans in the industry. You can get coverage starting at $1.00 per day, and Progressive will pay your vet directly in most cases. They also offer multi-pet discounts, discounts for online enrollment, and, as your pet ages, your premiums won’t increase on some pans.
You can even get a policy starting at just $6.00 a month, which is ridiculously inexpensive. A few minor drawbacks include that Progressive’s website has very little useful information and their annual limit options are limited. However, Progressive offers several independent plans, including wellness, accident only, and accident + illness. Overall, their pet insurance plans are good to very good, and their customer service is said to be excellent.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Compare Pet Insurance Plans in Delaware
What to Look for When Purchasing Pet Insurance
If you’re unsure which options, limits, and other factors are most important when choosing pet insurance, the information below will help.
Policy Coverage
One of the best methods of comparing pet insurance plans is to compare the standard policy from each company you’re considering. The standard policy is what most pet parents choose, and it’s also the easiest to understand in most cases. Knowing what the standard policy covers, you can tell if, for example, you’ll be covered for wellness care, how long the waiting period(s) is, what isn’t covered (very important to know), and, of course, the price.
Once you’ve compared the standard policy between several pet insurance companies, you can add other items like wellness plans or consider accident-only policies.
Customer Service & Reputation
It’s often difficult to choose a pet insurance company based on price and options alone because you don’t know if the company will take care of your pet well, pay your claims quickly, and make their claims process easy and fair. However, by reading online reviews, looking at the ranking on customer-forward websites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and searching on review websites like Trustpilot, you can get a much better idea of what other pet parents are saying about a company.
Claim Repayment
Having a pet insurance policy on your beloved pet is one thing, but getting reimbursed by the company that backs that policy is another. Some pet insurance companies take pride in repaying you quickly, even offering to pay your vet directly. Others take their sweet time and offer little in the way of customer service beyond the typical toll-free number. A pet insurance company that pays your claims quickly is the obvious choice, and it’s one vital criterion when choosing your new pet insurance plan.
Price of Policy
We mentioned earlier that one of the best ways to compare pet insurance plans is to compare the standard policy, which also holds true when comparing prices. You should also compare wellness plan prices, accident-only prices, accident & illness policy prices, and any other plans and addendums that interest you.
Plan Customization
The last criterion we use to choose the top pet insurance plans in Delaware is the one that, in most cases, can help you save the most money. Most pet insurance companies allow you to customize several items, including deductibles and annual limits. Lifetime limits are also customizable with most pet insurance companies, plus several other items like no increasing deductibles when your pet gets older and lifetime maximum limits.
The more customizable a pet insurance plan, the better, as it allows you to create a plan that fits your pet like a glove. However, if your pet is young and healthy, you might not need any customizing but can purchase the company’s standard policy instead. It depends on you and your pet.
FAQ
What Can I Expect to Pay Monthly for Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance plans vary on the deductibles, options, and other items you choose. That said, the average monthly cost for pet insurance for a healthy pet with few health issues is between $30 and $55 per month.
What Is Meant by a “Waiting Period?”
Waiting periods are used by most pet insurance companies to prevent fraud. They range from 0 days to 6 months in length and cover various conditions. For example, when there’s a waiting period of 14 days, your pet won’t be covered until its policy has been in effect for 14 days.
Do All Pet Insurance Companies Let You Visit Any Veterinarian?
While not all do, most pet insurance companies will allow you to visit a licensed vet in the continental US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Which Deductible Amount Is the Best?
Customers must pay their deductibles before their pet insurance company covers a claim. The higher the deductible, the lower your monthly insurance premium will cost, and vice versa. What’s best? That depends on your budget, your needs, and your pet. The highest deductible is usually a good choice if your pet is healthy and young.
What Is Meant by the Term “Annual Limits?”
An annual limit is the maximum amount of money a pet insurance company will reimburse you for your pet’s veterinary care in any calendar year. If you have a $10,000 annual limit, your insurance company won’t reimburse you any further once your pet’s vet bills exceed that. Most companies give you several annual limit choices, but you should note that higher limits will increase your monthly premiums.
Do All Pet Insurance Companies Pay the Veterinarian Directly?
Not all companies pay your vet directly, unfortunately. Direct vet payment certainly makes it easier for you, as you won’t need to spend as much out-of-pocket when you visit your vet with your pet.
What Users Say
Below we have a few reviews from real customers about several of the Delaware pet insurance companies on today’s list.
Spot Pet Insurance has 990 reviews on Trustpilot, and they have a score of 4.3 stars, which is very good. Debra Jerscheid rated Spot 5 stars and said, “I am very pleased with Spot pet insurance. The claims process was very easy, and my reimbursement came the next week when I submitted the claim online.
Another customer gave Spot 3 stars, saying, “Was asked to review 6 days in and haven’t used it yet. I don’t enjoy the “waiting period,” especially if I have paid for it already.” Spot, to their credit, replied with a toll-free number for PP to get more help.
Trupanion has a massive 4,395 reviews and a 4.3 rating overall. Nancy Stakun left a 5-star review and said, “Trupanion is excellent! I will never have a pet without this insurance!” However, Christa Miller was less enthusiastic, leaving 1 star and saying, “You have to fight everything just to get your coverage.” Trupanion responded to Christa with a promise that their team would call to help her.
MetLife Pet Insurance only has eight reviews on Trustpilot and a 2.8 rating, which isn’t great. David M gave MetLife 5 stars and said that “MetLife Pet has been helpful and responsive to our questions and claims. I tell everyone to consider getting this insurance for their pets.”
Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
The question of which pet insurance company is best for you will be answered differently by every pet parent. Some will want a company that provides the lowest overall prices, while others may want a pet insurance company that provides the best coverage regardless of the cost. Most pet parents will fall somewhere in between.
We recommend comparing policies until you find a pet insurance company that combines a fair price on your pet’s plan with the coverage they need most.
Final Thoughts
In Delaware or anywhere else in the United States, having a good pet insurance policy on your precious pet can be a godsend if they get hurt or sick. Delaware’s best pet insurance plans will cover your pet under most health-related circumstances, provide responsive customer service, and reimburse your claims quickly. Our choice for best overall in 2022 is Spot Pet Insurance for its custom plans. Our pick for the best value in 2022, Trupanion, offers excellent coverage at a fair price. The other eight pet insurance companies on today’s list are all excellent, so be sure to consider them and compare their prices and plans.
Featured Image Credit: Rawpixel.com, Shutterstock
