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Pet insurance is a hot topic among pet parents these days—but you might be surprised by the huge differences between what your friends, neighbors, and favorite influencers tell you they’re paying for it. Why are everybody’s rates different? And what can you expect to pay?
The truth is that pet insurance costs can vary wildly from pet to pet depending on a few key factors. Your pet’s breed, their age, and your geographic location can produce rates ranging from $120 to $1,200 or more per year. We’ve provided information to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay, how pet insurance companies calculate your rates, and what you can do to bring your premiums down.
How Much Will You Pay for Pet Insurance?
Your pet insurance premiums—the amount you pay your insurance company every month—can be anything from $10 per month to $100 and up. How much you pay will depend on your pet’s circumstances, your provider, and the customizations you make to your plan.
You can get a quick ballpark number by entering your zip code and your pet’s basic info and comparing quotes from a range of popular providers.
That’s a good starting point, but it’s not the whole picture. Before you buy a policy, you’ll likely consider add-ons, choose your deductible and reimbursement rates, and select the best policy for your particular needs and goals—all things that can bump your rate up or down from those initial figures.
You’ll also want to take into account that your rates could go up over time, both as your pet ages and as the cost of veterinary care rises.
Coming in over budget? Read on for how rates are calculated and what can help bring your premiums down.
How Are Pet Insurance Rates Calculated?
Some of the factors that determine how much your pet insurance premiums will cost include:
- Your pet’s age
- Your pet’s species and breed
- Your location
- The provider, plan, and add-ons you choose
- The customizations you make to your deductible, limits, and reimbursement rate
Older pets usually cost more to insure than young ones
Because they’re typically more vulnerable to health problems, senior pets are in general more expensive to insure than puppies and kittens. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), providers may charge two to four times as much for a senior pet as a young one.
Most pets’ premiums will increase as they get older, though how quickly that happens can depend on breed and size. Because bigger dog breeds see the effects of age more quickly, premiums might go up faster for a Bernese Mountain Dog than a Chihuahua.
Not sure of your pet’s age? Typically, an insurance provider will go with your vet’s best guess (per your pet’s medical record) and work from there.
Dogs tend to be pricier than cats, and big dogs are the priciest of all
Different dog breeds have different health risks. As a result, breed plays a big role in determining your premiums. Small and mixed-breed dogs generally cost less to insure than bigger dogs and pure breeds.
How much does breed matter? The NAIC estimates that dog breeds in the most expensive categories will see premiums 50% to 75% higher than the cheapest pups.
The average cat typically has lower premiums than the average dog. And less variation between cat breeds usually means less variation between insurance premiums—though the most at-risk kitties can still expect to pay more than their fellows.
Pet insurance often costs more in areas where the cost of veterinary care is higher
The cost of veterinary care varies from state to state and county to county, and pet insurance premiums often follow suit. That means identical pets living in different locations—even neighboring zip codes—could see different premiums.
The highest costs typically go to cities, which can have double the premiums of the most budget-friendly rural areas.
The rising cost of veterinary care in your area is one reason you might see your premiums going up over time.
To give you an idea of the variation across breeds and locations, we collected quotes with monthly rates for a four-year-old dog of the following breeds in urban areas of Washington, Texas, and Virginia across a range of popular insurance providers. Then we averaged the results:
Seattle, WA | Austin, TX | Richmond, VA | |
Labrador Retriever | $68 | $48 | $56 |
Golden Retrievers | $67 | $49 | $57 |
German Shepherd | $71 | $48 | $54 |
Goldendoodle | $50 | $38 | $44 |
Chihuahua | $37 | $29 | $32 |
Siberian Husky | $57 | $40 | $46 |
Yorkshire Terrier | $44 | $33 | $38 |
American Pit Bull Terrier | $72 | $45 | $51 |
Australian Shepherd | $46 | $35 | $41 |
Mixed Breed (20-70 lbs) | $49 | $39 | $43 |
Some plans and providers cost more than others
There are different kinds of pet insurance plans out there—and the one you choose will have a significant impact on your premiums. While individual plans may differ, usually:
- Accident-only plans cover treatment for eligible injuries resulting from accidents, which might include things like broken bones, cuts and scrapes, and ingestion of foreign objects (Prudent Pet’s accident-only plan is a good example).
- Accident and illness plans cover the above plus eligible illnesses and diseases, which could range from minor things like ear infections to major things like cancer.
- Add-ons are additional kinds of coverage that you can purchase on top of your basic policy; these might include anything from a standard wellness add-on for preventive healthcare to more unusual auxiliary policies like partial reimbursement for vacations missed due to a sick pet, or coverage for alternative therapies like pet hydrotherapy and acupuncture. Lemonade‘s pet insurance plans, for example, offer pet parents the opportunity to customize with a lot of add-ons.
In general, more comprehensive plans will cost more than less comprehensive ones. Accident-only plans tend to be the cheapest, since they offer the least coverage, while accident-and-illness plans are more expensive, and accident-and-illness plans with add-ons are usually the most expensive of all.
Accident only | Accident and illness | |
Average monthly premiums for dogs* | $19.93 | $48.66 |
Average monthly premiums for cats* | $10.85 | $28.57 |
*This data is based on the North American Pet Health Insurance Association’s estimates of average pet insurance premiums across the United States in 2021.
You’ll also see variation in cost between pet insurance providers. Some companies are more expensive than others, though exactly how much more expensive can vary from state to state and breed to breed.
Some providers like Spot pack a lot of coverage into a more expensive accident and illness plan, while other companies like Lemonade will offer a cheaper, more basic accident and illness plan and let pet parents rely on add-ons to customize.
For more on the different kinds of pet insurance plans, see “What Does Pet Insurance Cover, and How Does It Work?”
Your choice of deductible, limits, and reimbursement rate will affect your premiums
When you purchase your policy, a lot of providers will let you select from a range of deductibles, limits, and reimbursement rates.
For example, you might be offered a choice of:
- A $300, $500, or $1,000 deductible
- A maximum annual limit of $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited coverage
- A reimbursement rate of 70%, 80%, or 90%
Each one of those choices has an impact on your premiums. A lower deductible—the amount you have to pay before your insurance kicks in—will typically make your premiums go up.
A higher annual limit—the maximum amount of money your insurance could pay out each year—will usually make your premiums higher.
And a higher reimbursement rate—the percentage of eligible vet expenses that your provider will pay—will likely make your premiums go up too.
How Do You Lower Your Pet Insurance Premiums?
When it comes to pet insurance premiums, there are some things that are out of your control. For example, there’s probably not a lot you can do about where you live, your pet’s breed, or their age. But if the quotes you’re getting just aren’t in your price range, you’re not necessarily out of luck. Consider the following:
- Choosing a plan with less coverage or fewer add-ons
- Prioritizing providers that offer discounts
- Raising your deductible
- Lowering your annual or lifetime limit
- Lowering your reimbursement rate
- Switching your payment schedule from monthly to annual
Consider tinkering with the preferences you input when comparing quotes to see the difference customizations can make.
Opt for less coverage, either in your plan or your add-ons
Not all pet parents need a plan with all the bells and whistles. One provider might offer better coverage than another in exchange for higher premiums—but do you really need everything they’re offering?
For example, you might decide you can get by without coverage for behavioral and alternative therapies, or that you’re willing to put up with paying exam fees if it’ll save you $10 per month. Maybe a 24/7 vet hotline isn’t a huge priority, or you can skip the extra dental coverage.
You can also consider forgoing add-ons that will hike your rates, like wellness packages.
Or you can choose a different kind of policy with less coverage. Perhaps you’d prefer a more affordable accident-only plan that might help defray the cost of a sock-eating pup while you handle illnesses out of pocket.
Ultimately, what kind of coverage you need depends on your situation, including what your goals are, both for your finances and for your pet. For example, what kind of coverage would you need to always be able to say yes to life-saving treatment? How much are you willing to pay monthly in order to avoid the shock of a big unexpected vet bill?
Check out “Is Pet Insurance Worth It?” for more on how to do the math to get what you need.
Prioritize providers that offer discounts
A lot of pet insurance providers offer discounts. Keep your eyes open for the below, some of which we’ve noted in our roundup of the best pet insurance companies.
- Multi-pet discounts—some insurers will offer 5% or 10% discounts when you purchase a policy for more than one pet
- Policy term discounts—some providers reward longer-term policies with lower premiums
- Bundles—multi-line insurance providers, like Lemonade, will often offer reduced premiums to pet parents who hold other kinds of insurance policies with them, like car or home insurance
- Military or AARP discounts
- Service or therapy dog discounts
Raise your deductible
One relatively easy way to reduce your premiums is to raise your deductible—the amount of money you’ll need to pay out of pocket on eligible vet bills before your insurance company starts reimbursing you.
A lot of pet parents get pet insurance because they’re concerned there’s a limit to what they could afford to pay to help their sick pet, and they don’t want to have to make a choice between their pet’s life and their financial safety. If that’s you, you might think of your deductible as the amount you could pay in an emergency.
Could you comfortably pay more than your current deductible? If yes, then you might consider choosing a higher deductible to lower your monthly premiums.
Lower your annual or lifetime limit
Your annual limit is the most your pet insurance company could pay out in a given year, and a lifetime limit is the most they might pay out for your pet ever. Lowering either limit will typically reduce your monthly premiums.
The tricky part of figuring out what kind of annual limit you need is estimating the most your pet could cost you in vet expenses in a year. There’s no way to know for sure, which is why some pet parents opt for the highest limit available. One report found these ballpark figures:
- Cancer treatment—$8,000+
- Cruciate ligament repair—$1,000 to $3,000 per knee
- Foreign object in stomach—$3,000+
- Cat urinary tract infection/blockage—$1,000+
- Broken bone—$2,250+
You could choose an annual limit on the low side if you feel confident you could cover anything beyond it (plus your deductible and copays).
The same math applies to your lifetime limit, though the stakes are higher. Once you hit your lifetime limit, your pet won’t be covered at all, and you’ll have to find a new insurance provider if you want pet insurance—with coverage for all your pet’s pre-existing conditions now unavailable.
Lower your reimbursement rate
Your reimbursement rate is the percentage of eligible vet bills that your pet insurance company pays once your deductible is met. Common reimbursement rates are 70%, 80%, and 90%, though some pet insurance companies offer 100% reimbursement (which means you have no copay at all).
A lower reimbursement rate usually means lower premiums, and it can be one of the most effective places to make cuts that reduce your monthly expenses.
Think of the most expensive vet bill you think you could encounter—what percentage of it could you pay? If you’d be comfortable footing more of the bill, consider lowering your reimbursement rate.
Switch your payment schedule from monthly to annual
Some insurance providers offer the option to pay your premiums annually instead of monthly, and there’s often a discount associated with the annual rate.
Unlike a cell service provider, where you might reasonably want to hang onto your flexibility to switch or cancel your plan, pet insurance usually functions best when you plan to have the same provider for a long time (more on that below).
Unless you’re concerned about the impact of a lump-sum payment, a policy with a longer term or an annual rate can be a savvy way to save money.
Should I Switch Providers To Get Better Rates?
You already have pet insurance, but you realize that there’s another provider offering a much better deal. Should you make the switch?
Switching pet insurance companies in the middle of your pet’s life has risks. That’s because virtually no pet insurance company will cover treatment for pre-existing conditions—the medical conditions your pet already has at the time you buy your policy.
When you buy a new policy with a new provider, all the health conditions your pet developed while on your old policy may no longer be covered.
You’ll also be subject to a new set of waiting periods, which typically last a few days for accidents, a few weeks for illnesses, and months to years for things like cruciate ligament repair and hip dysplasia.
Of course, there may be reasons pet parents decide to switch. For example, if your pet is still young and has a relatively clean medical record, and ligament and hip issues are rare in their breed, it might make sense to switch. But if you would lose significant coverage as a result of pre-existing conditions or face risky waiting periods, it may be better in the long run to stay where you are.
How Much Should I Pay for Pet Insurance?
The huge range of premiums out there can make it hard to know what’s a reasonable amount to pay for pet insurance. The bottom line? Every pet is different, and so is every pet parent. People get pet insurance for different reasons, and the nature of your goals can change the math around what’s “a good deal” in a dramatic way.
Need help figuring out what’s right for you? Check out “Is Pet Insurance Worth It?” and “How To Choose a Pet Insurance Plan” for help thinking through the pros and cons, or visit “The Best Pet Insurance Companies” to see what popular providers have to offer.
Further Reading
- The Best Pet Insurance: A Pet Parent’s Guide
- Is Pet Insurance Worth It? How To Know If It’s a Good Deal for Your Pet
- What Does Pet Insurance Cover, and How Does It Work? A Beginner’s Guide
- How To Choose the Right Insurance for Your Pet
- How Does a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Pet Insurance Coverage?
- The Best Pet Insurance Wellness Plans: How Preventive Care Add-Ons Work
- What To Know About Waiting Periods and Pet Insurance
- What Are Pet Insurance Deductibles, and How Do You Pick One?
- When Should You Get Pet Insurance?
- Savings Account Versus Pet Insurance: Which Is Better?
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.