This pet insurer is a good fit for: Anyone who wants to bundle with Progressive's other insurance products and wants a pet insurance policy that will pay the vet directly.
Anyone who wants to bundle with Progressive's other insurance productsProgressive
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Progressive Pet Insurance Snapshot
Pricing
Progressive states on its site that you can get comprehensive pet health insurance for $1 a day. Progressive has partnered with Pets Best to offer pet insurance. Pet insurance plans for dogs start at $9 per month for the accident-only plan, and start at $36 per month for comprehensive accident and illness coverage. Cat health insurance premiums start at $6 per month for accident-only coverage, and start at $21 for plans with coverage for accidents and illnesses.
The cost of pet insurance depends on many variables, such as the type of pet, breed, sex, age, location, annual coverage limit, and the deductible. A comprehensive accident and illness insurance plan for a small breed dog through Progressive costs $239.76 to $574.56 per year. Insurance for a common house cat through Progressive is estimated to cost $161.16 to $386.28 per year.
Discounts
Progressive offers a 5% discount when you get a BestBenefit pet insurance policy offered by Pets Best through them. You will get another 5% if you insure more than one pet.
Perks
Progressive states that it offers customizable coverages and rates based on your budget. A Progressive Pet Insurance plan gives you access to the Pets Best's 24/7 Pet Helpline. You can talk to veterinary experts who can answer your pet parenting questions. Pets Best allows you to easily submit claims through their Android and iOS apps. One of the biggest perks is that Pets Best offers Vet Direct Pay, where they will pay your vet directly. Most insurers require you to pay out of pocket and will reimburse you for veterinary care costs.
Customer Service
Pets Best does not offer 24/7 customer care or a live chat option. You can submit a claim online in your Customer Account, through the Mobile App, or via fax or email. If you submit a claim online, you can upload a copy of your veterinarian reimbursem*nt release form when you upload your invoice. Once your claim has been processed, they send any eligible reimbursem*nt amount to you or straight to your vet's office.
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Pros
- Vet Direct Pay
- 24/7 Pet Helpline
- Wide range of coverage plans
- No age limit
Cons
- Coverage is only available for cats and dogs
- Exam fee not included
- Two annual limit options
- No 24/7 customer care
Top perks
Vet Direct Pay
Most pet insurance companies reimburse you after you pay the vet bill out of pocket. If you are hit with a very large and unexpected vet bill, you may have to deplete your savings account or max out your credit cards. Vet Direct Pay is an optional claims reimbursem*nt feature that's available with all pet insurance plans. You can have Pets Best pay your vet directly for any claim reimbursem*nt amount. Once your claim has been processed, they will send any eligible reimbursem*nt amount directly to your vet.
24/7 Pet Helpline
Progressive Pet Insurance by Pets Best offers a 24/7 Pet Helpline where you can talk with Veterinary Experts day or night. Veterinary experts are available to help educate and provide advice and decision support to pet owners by phone, live chat, and email, from urgent care to behavioral questions, and any other question you may have. The 24/7 Pet Helpline is included with your policy when you become a Pets Best customer at no extra cost to you. This service has no limits on usage during your policy term, so pet owners always have access to veterinary experts as long as they are a customer.
Wide range of coverage plans
BestBenefit plans offer multiple levels of coverage. It can be customized to meet your pet insurance needs and your budget. Pets Best pet insurance plans for dogs and cats cover accidents, illnesses, surgeries, cancer, and more. It also offers wellness coverage for routine care, along with specialized coverage plans. Your pet can see any licensed veterinarian, and you can easily manage your policy and submit claims from your mobile device. You can choose your deductible, from $50 up to $1,000, to best fit your budget.
No age limit
You can enroll your puppy or dog in an accident-only or accident and illness plan at any age and keep the same level of coverage as they grow older.
What could be improved
Only available for cats and dogs
Only cats and dogs are covered under Progressive Pet Insurance by Pets Best. You will have to find another insurance company if you have a different kind of pet.
Exam fee not included
Almost every vet visit includes an exam fee. Pets Best does not reimburse you unless you add it on to your plan. This means you'll need to pay more if you'd like exam fees covered. Other insurance companies include exam fees as part of their coverage.
Two annual limit options
Plans only have two annual limit options for accident and illness policies: $5,000 or unlimited. This can make it harder to keep your plan affordable while maintaining great coverage over the years.
No 24/7 customer care
Best Pets does not offer 24/7 customer service or live chat. Its operating hours are Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. MST and Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. MST.
Pricing
Pricing for Accident Only plans is $6 per month for cats and $9 per month for dogs.
Average cost for dogs | $239.76 to $574.56 per year |
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Average costs for cats | $161.16 to $386.28 per year |
Deductible Levels | From $50 up to $1,000. |
Reimbursem*nt Rates | 70%, 80%, 90% |
Data source: Progressive.
Alternatives to consider
If you want a pet insurer that offers no deductible and pays the vet directly: Trupanion also pays the veterinarian directly, which means pet owners pay less out of pocket. Trupanion also has flexible deductibles, including a $0 deductible. As opposed to annual deductibles that pet owners have to pay every year with most pet insurers, Trupanion's deductible is a condition-based, lifetime deductible that pet owners pay only once per issue and all its complications.
If you want a pet insurer with a declining deductible and that covers the exam fee: Embrace has a feature called the "Healthy Pet Deductible." For every year a pet owner doesn't receive a claim reimbursem*nt, the deductible is reduced the next year by $50. Many pet insurance companies have waiting periods from 14 to 30 days before coverage kicks in. Waiting periods for Embrace are just two days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses. Many insurers also do not cover the cost of a pet's exam fee, but Embrace covers the exam fee for all covered accidents and illnesses.
Policy options
You can customize your coverage by choosing from three types of insurance plans: routine care, accident-only, and accident and illness.
Accidental injury insurance
Accident-Only plan for dogs
The Accident-Only plan is the most affordable coverage for your dog. This type of pet insurance for dogs can cover vet bills associated with injuries like broken bones, bite wounds, and swallowing foreign objects. It doesn't cover illness. Pricing: $9 per month
Accident-Only plan for cats
This type of cat insurance can cover bills associated with injuries such as bites, wounds, broken bones, and swallowing objects. This plan won't cover illness. Pricing: $6 per month
Accident and illness insurance
BestBenefit plan for dogs
A BestBenefit plan can cover everything an Accident-Only plan does, plus any illness your dog suffers, unless it involves a pre-existing condition. With this plan's comprehensive coverage, you can get reimbursed for emergency care, diagnostic tests, and visits to specialists. Estimated cost: $36 per month
BestBenefit plan for cats
A BestBenefit plan can also cover any ailment your cat suffers except pre-existing conditions. This comprehensive coverage can reimburse you for diagnostic exams, emergency care, and specialist visits. Estimated cost: $21 per month
Routine care insurance
EssentialWellness and BestWellness plans for dogs
Routine care coverage can be added to a BestBenefit plan to cover wellness exams, annual vaccines, dental cleanings, and routine or preventive care with no deductible. Progressive offers two levels of wellness coverage.
EssentialWellness pricing: $16 per month
BestWellness pricing: $26 per month
EssentialWellness and BestWellness plans for cats
Either of these plans can be added to your BestBenefit plan to cover wellness exams, dental cleanings, annual vaccines, and routine or preventive care, with no deductible. There are two levels of wellness coverage options for both kittens and older cats.
EssentialWellness pricing: $16 per month
BestWellness pricing: $26 per month
Discounts
Progressive offers a 5% discount when you get a BestBenefit pet insurance policy offered by Pets Best through them. You will get another 5% if you insure more than one pet. Their site doesn't list any more discounts. Since Progressive and Pets Best are separate, they may offer other discounts.
Application process
You can sign up for Progressive pet insurance online. You first enter your pet's information to get your quote. Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC provides quotes from American Pet Insurance Company on the Progress site. Note that Progressive refers pet owners seeking Progressive® Pet Insurance by Pets Best to Pets Best Insurance Services. Pets Best is not affiliated with Progressive.
What types of pets are eligible for Progressive Pet insurance?
Progressive offers insurance for dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Progressive will cover any cat or dog breed.
Customer service and ratings
Pets Best is the insurance company that provides the coverage and customer service. Pets Best has a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot based on 2,970 reviews. Consumer Affairs gives Pets Best 3.5 out of 5 stars, and U.S. News gives it 3.8 out of 5 stars. The service ratings for Pets Best are wide-ranging. Some customers are pleased with the coverage and service, while others have called out the expensive cost of Progressive's pet insurance.
This pet insurer is a good choice for:
Progressive is best suited for people who:
- Want a pet insurer to pay the vet directly so they don't have to pay out of pocket.
- Want a 24/7 emergency vet hotline to call if there are medical issues.
- Want an unlimited plan with no annual limit
- Want to cater coverage based on budget
But you may want to consider Trupanion if you want your vet to be directly paid by the insurer, but don't want to pay a deductible, or Embrace for a declining deductible and covered exam fees.
Our Insurance Expert
By:David Chang, ChFC®, CLU®
Writer, Consultant
David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® is an award-winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, and consultant. He has over two decades of experience in the wealth management space and has been featured in dozens of news, radio, and podcast programs nationwide. He currently works as Head of IoT for the West Region of a Fortune 200 company. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the California Army National Guard. He is an East-West Graduate Degree Fellow and has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.