Lemonade Pet Insurance Review 2024

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Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
The insurance advice, products, and links below are intended for and only available in the states where Rover Pet Insurance Services, LLC is licensed as an insurance producer.
Insurance advice, products, and links contained in this article are currently intended for and only available in the states where Rover Pet Insurance Services, LLC is currently licensed as an insurance producer. As we expand our licensing to other states we will update our websites and links. If you are located in a state in which we are not currently licensed, but would like to learn more about pet insurance products available in your state, you may contact a licensed insurance agent or broker in your state. The information provided below is offered for educational and informational purposes only. If you have questions regarding particular plans, you should reach out to your insurance company for more information.

Lemonade Pet Insurance offers an impressive degree of customizability that’s well-suited to pet parents who value flexibility. It offers broad coverage across its plans and add-ons, and it excels at fast claims and reimbursement processing to get pet parents their money back quickly.

That said, pet parents looking for one simplified, comprehensive insurance plan may want to look elsewhere, as many of Lemonade’s perks are only available via add-ons. It’s also not an option for truly senior pets, since an age limit prohibits pets 14 years or older (and sometimes younger than that, depending on the breed) from enrolling.

Lemonade Pet Insurance Review: Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Fast reimbursement times	Not available everywhere
No waiting period for accidents	Pets older than 14 years can’t enroll
Connect with a vet service through Chewy	Many standard perks are hidden in add-ons
Easy claims process

Who is Lemonade Pet Insurance best for?

One of Lemonade Pet Insurance’s key strengths is its customizability—it offers one standard plan with many add-on coverage options that allow pet parents to pick and choose what they’d like to prioritize when it comes to their pet’s health.

Lemonade is also one of the best options for tech-savvy pet parents who like operating and communicating through Lemonade’s website and app, as filing claims via Lemonade’s app is the most convenient way policyholders can perform these actions. An AI chatbot speeds up the claims and reimbursement process, often to within a couple of days.

Which pet owners may want to look elsewhere?

While the breadth of Lemonade’s coverage is impressive, many of its offerings are only available through add-ons, which cost extra. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll pay more with Lemonade than a provider who offers a similar package in one comprehensive plan, but it’s worth comparing quotes to make sure the perks you add aren’t costing you more than you need to pay. It can also complicate the experience of buying a policy if you’re not confident about what you’ll need.

Note too that Lemonade doesn’t allow pets 14 years of age or older to enroll, and some breeds may face even younger enrollment cutoffs.

Lemonade Pet Insurance: A Brief Overview

Deductible Options	$100, $250, $500
Reimbursement Options	70%, 80%, 90%
Annual Limit	$5000 to $100,000
TrustPilot Rating	4.3/5
Founded	2015
Phone Number	844-733-8666
Waiting Periods	14 days for illnesses, 30 days for orthopedic conditions (depending on where you live, your waiting periods could be shorter), 0 days for accidents and injuries
Sample Policy	https://icebox.lemonade.com/tokens/lftkn-uphfnkp88b5cwkbhvdou
Headquarters	New York, NY
App	Yes
Telehealth	Yes, through a Chewy.com partnership
Claim Reimbursement Timeline	Often within a few days
State Availability	37 states and Washington, D.C.

Coverage Available: One Standard Plan, Multiple Add-Ons

Lemonade offers one standard accident and illness plan that covers treatment for eligible illnesses and accidents, including but not limited to:

Diagnostics, like bloodwork, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds
Hospitalizations and surgeries
Medication
Accidents like broken bones, poisonings, sprains, etc.
Illnesses like vomiting, diarrhea, infections, cancer, heart disease
Hip dysplasia, hernias, blood disorders
Allergies, arthritis, eye disorders

What isn’t covered under Lemonade Pet Insurance?

Lemonade doesn’t cover any of the following under its plans or add-ons:

Pre-existing bilateral conditions (ones that affect both sides of the body)
- Example: If your pet has a pre-existing condition, such as cataracts in one eye, it won’t be covered if they develop it in the other eye after your waiting period is over
Experimental treatments
Elective surgeries

Lemonade add-ons for extended coverage

Lemonade works a little differently than other pet insurance providers with the types of coverage it offers. Like most providers, it does have a standard accident and illness plan, but it comes with fewer bells and whistles in exchange for having different add-ons for extended coverage. With other pet insurance providers, some of these benefits are typically included in their standard plan, but Lemonade offers each as a separate extended coverage add-on:

Vet visit fees for eligible accidents and illnesses
Physical therapy treatments (including acupuncture or chiropractic care) for eligible accidents and illnesses
Dental illness like gingivitis and procedures like tooth extractions and root canals
Treatments for behavioral conditions
End-of-life and remembrance, including vet-recommended euthanasia (even related to pre-existing conditions), cremation, and commemorative items

Each add-on for extended coverage comes with its own annual limit, but your deductible and reimbursement level will apply, except for the end-of-life and remembrance add-on.

Lemonade’s wellness add-ons come in three packages

Lemonade also offers three different preventative care packages—also known as wellness add-ons. While wellness add-ons vary slightly depending on the provider, they typically take care of items that you can plan for, like annual exams, preventative care, spaying/neutering, dental cleanings, and vaccinations. With these packages, you pay a flat annual fee and receive reimbursement up to a certain dollar amount for each treatment.

Lemonade’s first tier of preventative care can help cover:

An annual wellness exam
A fecal or internal parasite test
Blood test once a year
One heartworm or FeLV/FIV test
Up to three vaccines or boosters, such as rabies or Bordetella

The Preventative+ Care package for adults includes all of the above along with the costs for medication for fleas, ticks, or heartworm, plus an annual dental cleaning.

Lemonade also has a separate puppy and kitten preventative care add-on for pets under 2 years old that’s similar to the above packages. It can help cover:

Two wellness exams
Two fecal or internal parasite tests
Annual bloodwork
Up to six vaccines or boosters
Flea, tick, or heartworm medication
Spaying or neutering
Microchipping
One heartworm or FeLV/FIV test

Does Lemonade Pet Insurance cover spaying and neutering?

Like most pet insurance plans, Lemonade’s standard pet insurance plan doesn’t cover spaying or neutering. However, Lemonade’s preventative package for puppies and kittens reimburses pet parents for spaying or neutering up to its cap of $120.

Customizations: Deductibles, Reimbursement, and Coverage Limits

Lemonade’s Pet Insurance program doesn’t offer a lot of deductible options, but it has a higher coverage limit than some other providers.

Deductible options:

$100
$250
$500

Reimbursement amounts:

Coverage limits:

$5000
$10,000
$20,000
$50,000
$100,000

Pre-Existing and Hereditary Conditions

Like virtually all pet insurance providers, Lemonade doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions—any condition that first shows symptoms before your coverage starts or during the initial waiting period.

A condition may be covered if it becomes a “curable” pre-existing condition, one that shows no symptoms and requires no treatment for an extended period of time. Typically, pet insurance providers require between 6 and 18 months to pass before an eligible condition will be considered “cured.”

At 12 months, Lemonade’s curable condition requirements are middle-of-the-road. As with other providers, knee/ligament conditions, or chronic issues like cancer, allergies, or asthma, cannot be considered curable.

Coverage may also include chronic conditions, as long as they’re not pre-existing ones.

Waiting Periods

Lemonade has a few different waiting periods: 0 days for accidents/injuries, 14 days for illnesses, and 30 days for orthopedic conditions.* Lemonade’s injuries waiting period is great and shorter than most providers, while its illness waiting period is pretty standard.

Thirty days is a short waiting period for orthopedic conditions, which are especially common in large-breed dogs. Many providers have lengthy windows—like 6 to 18 months—and pet parents with breeds prone to orthopedic conditions may want to consider this benefit carefully.

*Depending on where you live, your waiting periods could be shorter

Examination Coverage

Lemonade is one of the few pet insurance providers that does not cover any exam fees in its standard plan, even for accidents and illnesses. Coverage for these fees are an added cost under their add-on options. Annual wellness exams are also a separate additional cost under Lemonade’s preventative plans.

Age Limits and Breed Restrictions

Lemonade doesn’t insure any dogs or cats under 2 months old, and it has a maximum enrollment age of 14 years. For some higher-risk pet breeds, that number may be lower.

Dental Coverage

Lemonade’s standard accident and illness plan does not cover any dental treatments except those related to an accident. Instead, a pet parent will have to purchase a separate dental add-on, which covers treatments related to illnesses such as:

Crowns
Dental surgeries
Root canals
Extractions

This particular add-on has a $1000 annual limit and doesn’t include routine dental cleanings. For cleaning coverage, a pet parent would have to buy the Preventative+ wellness add-on, which reimburses you up to $150 per year for routine cleanings.

Coverage for Holistic and Behavioral Therapies

Lemonade’s standard package doesn’t include holistic or behavioral therapy. Under its physical therapy add-on, a few holistic treatments are available—such as acupuncture and chiropractic care—but this is not a comprehensive holistic add-on and doesn’t include things like CBD oil or massage. Pet parents interested in alternative medicines may want to look elsewhere.

Lemonade offers coverage for behavioral conditions under an add-on as well. This extended coverage can help cover costs of vet-recommended treatments related to eligible behavioral conditions. Treatments might include medication, specialized training, or therapy sessions to tackle issues such as:

Excessive barking
Aggression
Destructive behaviors
Separation anxiety

This add-on has its own separate $1000 annual limit but is subject to your policy’s deductible and co-insurance.

Customer Experience

Choosing a pet insurance provider with solid customer service is important for many pet parents, especially since navigating insurance can be confusing.

Here’s a high-level overview of Lemonade’s customer service.

How to get in touch

Lemonade users can get in touch with the provider via their chatbot feature on their website or app. They can also send an email to help@lemonade.com or call 844-733-8666.

How to submit a claim

Lemonade’s only option for submitting a claim is through their mobile app. To file a claim, pet parents will need a copy of the vet invoice and medical records/notes from the vet visit.

When you submit a claim, Lemonade’s AI assistant, AI Jim, will help you verify your information and the details of the incident and treatment. After you add any details, Lemonade asks you to explain what happened in a short video or voice recording that will be kept confidential. This helps them review your claim.

How to receive your reimbursement

After you submit your claim, Lemonade will prompt you to enter your bank account information so you can be paid. Lemonade uses AI to help the claims process move quickly, so many reimbursements will actually be sent out right away.

How to cancel a policy

It’s easiest to cancel a policy through the app, though customers with questions can email or call the customer service number. Policyholders will receive a prorated refund for any period they’ve paid for.

Connect with a vet

While Lemonade doesn’t offer their own built-in vet chat, pet parents can chat with veterinary professionals through Lemonade’s partnership with Chewy.com. Although medications can’t be prescribed and illnesses can’t be diagnosed through this service, pet parents may rest a little easier knowing they can talk through any part of their pet’s health, including whether or not to seek emergency care. This service is available daily from 6 a.m. to midnight ET.

Lemonade rankings and reviews

Lemonade has been given a 4.3/5 on TrustPilot; however, this rating is from customers across all of Lemonade’s book of business, including home, auto, car, term life, and pet insurance. It’s been given a B rating by Better Business Bureau with an average of 2.2/5 customer rating. Many happy pet parents praised the super quick and easy claims process, with many receiving their reimbursement in two days or less. Others expressed frustration that the AI responses were too vague and that it was hard to get in touch with a real person.

Discounts

Lemonade has a few discounts it offers to eligible pet parents. A discount on your plan is available if you bundle it with another Lemonade policy for home, car, or renters insurance.

Lemonade also offers a multi-pet discount, as well as a discount if you pay your premium annually rather than monthly. Note that these discounts only apply to their base accident and illness policy, as well as their vet visit and physical therapy add-ons. The discounts will not be applied to any of the other extended coverage or wellness add-ons.

Lemonade Giveback

When you sign up for a policy with Lemonade, you’ll be given the option to choose a nonprofit that’s important to you. Lemonade sets aside a certain amount of money each year to pay claims, and what’s left over from unclaimed premiums is donated to the charitable causes that Lemonade policyholders choose. For context, Lemonade claims that over $2 million was donated in 2023 to more than 50 nonprofit organizations.

How We Reviewed

When reviewing pet insurance coverage, Rover takes many factors important to pet parents into consideration, including breadth of coverage, customizability, waiting period convenience, customer service experience, and more. We take a close look at customer satisfaction scores on TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau, while acknowledging that each pet parent has their own experience that may not apply to every consumer.

The above information is provided in cooperation with Lemonade. If you have specific questions about their policies, please reach out to Lemonade (see how to get in touch).

This article was prepared with information available as of November 16, 2023, and may not reflect more current changes.

Review: Lemonade Pet Insurance Prioritizes Customizability