Best Pet Insurance for New York

Are you looking for the best pet insurance to cover your dog or cat in the Empire State? We’ve put together a list of our top five pet insurance providers for New York residents based on important factors like low costs, broad coverage, and customer care.

What is Pet Insurance?

Like human insurance, pet insurance comes to the rescue when your pet pal needs emergency medical care. Usually working on a reimbursement basis, your insurance provider will pay up to 90% of your veterinary bills after meeting your deductible.

With lots of providers to choose from in New York state, you have the freedom to choose a monthly premium and reimbursement percentage that works for your budget.

Types of Pet Insurance Coverage in New York

Pet insurance companies cover veterinary expenses ranging from full coverage to extreme accidents only. Here are the three basic types of pet insurance coverage you can choose from:

• Accident-Only: This is the cheapest type of pet insurance coverage, including emergency treatment for accidents and injuries. These include bites, broken bones, or accidental ingestion but will not cover illnesses or preventative care.

• Comprehensive: Also sometimes called Accident and Illness coverage, this type will give you the most bang for your buck. It covers injuries and illnesses, including chronic illness, infections, diagnostic testing, surgeries, and hereditary issues. Depending on the provider, it may also cover wellness care.

• Wellness: Most insurers offer a wellness or preventative care rider that you can purchase in addition to your plan. This may include annual checkups, dental care, preventive medications, vaccines, and end-of-life care.

Factors that Affect Your Premium

Whether you live in the heart of the Big Apple or deep in the Adirondacks, there are several factors that will affect pet insurance rates everywhere.

• Species: Dogs are more expensive to insure than cats, large dogs being more costly than small ones. You can find a low insurance rate on common exotic pets like hamsters and parrots, but the more rare the pet, the more costly it will be to insure.

• Breed: Rejoice, New York City’s favorite dog, the Cockapoo, is one of the cheapest breeds to insure! But it’s not the same across the board. Certain purebred breeds of dogs and cats are more expensive to insure due to common hereditary conditions.

• Age: Puppies and kittens are the least expensive to insure. As age goes up, your rate will increase exponentially since older animals are more likely to require veterinary care.

• Location: National pet insurance rates are the highest in New York City. The cost of living is higher, so vet costs correlate. However, rates may be lower in rural parts of the state like Woodstock.

• Amount of medical coverage: Monthly costs can differ significantly between an accident-only plan and one that covers everything from cancer treatment to nail trimming. The amount of coverage you get should depend on the amount you’re willing to spend each month.

• Deductible: Plans with higher deductibles will have lower monthly premiums because you will be spending more out of pocket before filing a claim.

• Amount of monetary coverage: Like a deductible, you get to choose the annual monetary cap, co-pay, and percentage of a claim that your insurance covers. The higher these are, the higher your monthly cost will be.

The Best Pet Insurance Providers for New York

From designer dogs to mixed-breed mutts, these top-rated pet insurance providers excel in selection, affordability, and reputation when it comes to covering your precious pet.

Spot

• Affordable flat rate accident-only plan regardless of breed or age
• VetConnect 24/7 helpline
• Six coverage limit options up to unlimited
• Covers behavioral issues

Lemonade

• Most customizable plans
• Affordable plans start as low as $10/month
• Extended coverage option
• Fast claims process and vet chat in the mobile app

Healthy Paws

• Affordable unlimited coverage
• No annual, lifetime, or per-incident caps
• Speedy claims process
• Top customer-rated provider

Prudent Pet

• Unlimited annual coverage caps
• Extra coverage offered for things like boarding fees, behavioral issues, and lost pet advertising
• 24/7 live vet chat for all plans
• Super-fast AI-powered claims process

Pumpkin

• Best comprehensive coverage
• No breed or upper age restrictions
• 90% reimbursement rate
• Preventative Care option reimburses 100% of annual wellness exams and vaccines

How To Keep Your Premium Down

Looking to get your monthly cost as low as possible? Here are some tricks for paying the least while still giving your pet the coverage he needs.

• Pick a pup: Or a kitten. Either way, young animals cost less to insure than old ones. So if you’re on the hunt for a companion, choose younger for the lowest premium.

• Do your research: If you’re in the market for a new pet, do some online research to figure out what breeds and species cost the least to insure. You can also get low-cost insurance for many avian and exotic pets through leading providers, though some species will cost more.

• Adjust your plan: If you have a healthy kitty who lives in the lap of luxury on Park Avenue, chances are she’s not a high-risk pet, so you can confidently lower your amount of coverage. Most providers allow you to customize your coverage, deductible, copay, and more so that your cost meets your budget and your pet’s needs.

• Take advantage of discounts: Many providers offer a 10% discount if you insure multiple pets. Leading companies like Liberty Mutual and Lemonade offer discounts if you bundle with your auto or home policy.

• Schedule checkups: Practicing yearly preventative care will keep your pet healthy, which will keep your insurance rate low. Make sure to get wellness and dental exams annually, spay/neuter, vaccinate, and keep up on medications to prevent future emergencies.

Final Thoughts

Whether you like strolling through Central Park or camping in the Finger Lakes, there are many ways to have fun with your furry family members in NYS. Give yourself some peace of mind knowing that you’re financially covered if an emergency arises. We’ve found the best pet insurance providers; now, it only takes you a New York minute to sign up.