Pets Best vs Spot Pet Insurance
When you compare Pets Best vs Spot, the biggest change is how the vet gets paid. Pets Best can pay the clinic directly, while Spot has you pay first and processes claims in 48 hours or less.
Plan terms for Pets Best and Spot
| Term |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Pets covered | Dogs and Cats | Dogs and Cats |
| Plan types | Accident and illness, Accident only, Wellness add-on | Accident and illness, Accident only, Wellness add-on |
| Underwriter | American Pet Insurance Company, Independence Pet Insurance Company, Independence American Insurance Company, or MS Transverse Insurance Company. | Independence American Insurance Company, or United States Fire Insurance Company (which underwriter is used varies by plan). |
| Plans offered through | Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC | Spot Pet Insurance Services, LLC (produces the plans) |
| Deductible options | $100 to $1,000 | $100 to $1,000 (five choices) |
| Reimbursement options | 70%, 80%, or 90% | 70% to 90% |
| Yearly limit choices | $5,000 or unlimited | $2,500 or unlimited |
| Wait before accident cover | 3 days | 14 days |
| Illness waiting period | 14 days | 14 days |
| Youngest age to enroll | 7 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Oldest age to enroll | No upper age limit | No upper age limit |
| Exam fee cover | Covered | Covered |
| Pre-existing conditions | No coverage. | No coverage. Any illness, injury, or symptom that appears before you enroll or during the waiting period is pre-existing. |
| Cured pre-existing conditions | Certain conditions, including broken bones, bruises, and kennel cough, can qualify once they have healed or been cured for 12 to 18 months. | After 180 days with no symptoms and no treatment, curable conditions can become eligible; knee and ligament conditions are excluded. |
| Hereditary and congenital conditions | Covered | Covered |
| Dental illness | Limited | Covered |
| Behavioral conditions | Limited | Covered |
| Alternative therapy | Add-on | Covered |
| Wellness add-on | Covered | Covered |
| Multi-pet discount | 5% | 10% on all pets after the first |
| Pays the vet directly | Covered | No |
| Claim payment speed | not published | 48 hours or less |
| Claims app | Pets Best mobile app (Android and iOS); online Customer Account also available | You can submit a claim online. There is also a Spot mobile app (App Store listed). |
| Where it is sold | All 50 states and Washington, D.C. | Plans offered in all 50 states |
| Free-look period | 30 days, full refund if no claims paid | In Maine, Louisiana, and Washington, buyers get a money back guarantee covering 15 days when no claims are filed; New York doesn't offer it. |
Source pages: Frequently Asked Questions, What Are Waiting Periods | Pets Best, Pet Insurance FAQs: Common Questions Answered | Spot Pet Insurance
If you'd like the clinic paid directly by the insurer and want a shorter wait before accident coverage starts, Pets Best fits.
Spot fits owners who want dental illness coverage, plus help with behavior issues and alternative therapy, all built in with no extra riders to buy.
Pets Best vs Spot at a glance
Each company covers dogs and cats in all 50 states, and Pets Best also covers Washington, D.C. Both offer accident-illness plans, accident-only plans, and wellness add-on plans. Choose how much your policy reimburses and set its annual limit. That limit tells you the highest amount it will pay toward vet bills in 1 year. Both include exam fees and hereditary conditions. In addition, Spot's base plan covers dental illness, behavioral care, and alternative therapy. Dental illness and behavioral issues get limited coverage from Pets Best, and alternative therapy is sold as an add-on.
Prices and deductibles
In a published Pets Best price example, dog coverage costs $37.68 each month and cat coverage costs $23.23 each month. The example averages quotes in 50 states and Washington, D.C. for dogs and cats aged 1 or 6 years. The dogs are neutered medium mixed-breeds, and the cats are neutered domestic shorthairs. Essential accident-and-illness is the plan used. It pairs a $500 deductible with 90% reimbursement, and limits of $10,000 or unlimited. There are no published price examples for Spot, because your rate depends on which coverage you pick.
The deductible is what you pay out of pocket before your plan starts paying. At Pets Best, deductibles run from $100 to $1,000. At Spot, the same $100 to $1,000 range comes in 5 choices. Reimbursement is the part of a covered bill the insurer pays you back once you have paid your deductible. With Pets Best, you can choose 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement. Annual limits come as $5,000 or unlimited. At Spot, reimbursement runs from 70% to 90%. Annual limits start at $2,500 and go up to unlimited.
How waiting periods and age limits work
The waiting period is how long you wait after signing up before coverage can start paying for care. Pets Best applies a 3-day waiting period to accidents, 14 days to illnesses, and 6 months to orthopedic and cruciate ligament conditions. Spot applies a 14-day waiting period to accidents, illnesses, and orthopedic conditions.
Conditions that appear before enrollment or during the waiting period count as pre-existing, and neither company covers them. After a pet has been cured for 12 to 18 months, Pets Best can cover curable conditions such as broken bones, bruises, and kennel cough. After 180 days with no symptoms and no treatment, Spot may cover curable conditions (knee and ligament conditions are excluded).
Pets Best lets you sign up a pet from 7 weeks old, and no upper age limit applies At Spot, you can enroll pets starting at 8 weeks old, and there is no upper age limit either.
Which plan fits your pet
Your decision depends on how you pay the vet, the number of pets you insure, and the extras you want.
- Paying the vet and filing claims: Pets Best can pay the vet directly. Claims go through the Android and iOS app or an online account. With Spot, you pay the vet first, then submit your claim online or through the App Store app.
- Insuring multiple pets: Spot offers a 10% multi-pet discount for every pet after the first, while Pets Best offers 5%.
- Canceling a new policy: Pets Best offers a 30-day full refund as long as no claims were paid. Spot provides a 15-day money-back guarantee if you file no claims in Maine, Louisiana, and Washington, but not in New York.
- Common exclusions: breeding, grooming, prescription food, and routine care are excluded by both companies unless you buy a wellness plan.
- Underwriters and administrators: administration comes from Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC. American Pet, Independence American, Independence Pet, or MS Transverse Insurance Company underwrite the plans. The plans are produced by Spot Pet Insurance Services, LLC. Their underwriting comes from United States Fire Insurance Company or Independence American Insurance Company.
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