8 Best Pet Insurance Companies in New Jersey of 2023

Almost half of New Jersey households are pet owners, and most would not be able to cover an unexpected vet bill.

Whether you live in Short Hills, a tony suburb, or Camden, which has a high crime rate, if your dog or cat is gravely ill or has broken bones after a car hits it, treatment or surgery at a vet can add up fast and cost you thousands of dollars.

Pet insurance is a type of insurance designed to protect you from the financial risk of unexpected and expensive veterinary costs.

If your pet experiences an unforeseen injury or illness, a pet policy can keep your dog or cat healthy and safe by helping to pay or offset the cost of medical care.

But how do you narrow down the best pet policies for you? What coverages do you need? And should you get preventive or wellness care?

We’ve done the work for you. We ranked the best pet insurance policies by category to give you an idea of what’s out there, along with a guide on how pet insurance works.

We know that if you're a pet owner in Newark, Trenton or Jersey City, your needs are going to differ from a pet owner on the Jersey Shore or in Princeton, which is why we conducted our research statewide.

Lemonade: Best Pet Insurance for Affordability

Besides their successful products, Lemonade has a well-regarded website and app that you have to use to make a claim or check on your policy. As an AI insurer, and to keep its costs down, there are no working agents to contact, and the insurance plan is entirely digital.

That’s why Lemonade can offer the most affordable pet insurance coverage in New Jersey.

The company has one plan that can meet your budget and which includes covering vet bills related to accidents and illnesses.

In addition, the plan also features emergency care and hospitalization that Lemonade will pay for.

The insurer also offers a premium plan which covers the one plan.

If that wasn’t enough, Lemonade also offers add-ons to your plan to make it more comprehensive. For example, that would include preventive care, which covers vet visits and routine treatments such as a heartworm test.

If you have a dog or cat, you’ll probably pay around $17 per month, with 80% co-insurance, an annual limit of $20,000, and an annual deductible of $250.

Noteworthy Features

• According to Lemonade, most pet claims are reimbursed in minutes.
• The affordable plan covers a wellness exam, a fecal test, three vaccines, a heartworm test, as well as a blood test.
• The more expensive plan covers everything in the affordable plan and adds coverage for flea, tick, and heartworm medications and routine dental cleaning.
• Vet visits are covered and will help pay high exam fees.
• Many useful-add-ons.

Fetch by the Dodo: Best Pet Insurance for Free Coverages

Fetch is one of the largest U.S. pet insurance companies and has some of the most extensive coverage, some of which comes free.

Fetch covers vet bills when your pet gets sick or injured. That’s what all standard policies offer.

But Fetch goes the extra mile by providing coverage that other insurers charge extra for.

These include:

• Sick visits, including exams.
• Injury and disease in every adult tooth, not just the canines.
• Full coverage for periodontal disease (the most common disease that dogs and cats have), oral tumors, trauma, and more.

Other insurers don’t cover medical conditions linked to breeding, but Fetch does.

Noteworthy Features

• Sick and exam fees are covered in full; you should consider that because exams start at around $250 and can go up quickly.
• Every tooth covered.
• Breed-specific issues.
• Alternative and holistic therapies.
• Behavioral conditions.

Odie: Best Pet Insurance for Wellness Visits

Odie Pet Insurance is relatively new to the scene and is gaining popularity due to how you can customize your policy with a few add-ons to ensure your pet gets the best care possible.

One of those add-ons is the wellness plan, which is often issued to policyholders by an insurer at a cost.

Odie’s wellness plan is called Routine Care.

The insurer reimburses you up to your policy’s limit for preventative care like teeth cleanings, vaccinations, and wellness exams.

Routine care covers things like a wellness exam, vaccinations and titers, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, bloodwork, grooming fees, and fecal exams.

Routine care coverage is something you should add to your policy because it makes the accident/illness insurance more comprehensive.

Adding routine care coverage may come at a cost, but it can offset expected costs each year for wellness and preventative-related care.

Many pet owners may opt-out of a wellness visit plan, but if you consider what that plan offers, you’ll see that the coverage is necessary.

The one thing that needs explanation is the wellness exam. It’s a routine examination of a dog that looks healthy rather than sick. A wellness exam if often called a 'check-up' or a 'physical examination'.

Odie's routine care stands out because they add on extras like spay/neuter surgery and microchipping which are often left out by other insurance companies.

Noteworthy Features

• Extra coverage rider reimburses you for emergency exams, office visits, take-home medications, and rehabilitative care like physical therapy.
• Optional benefits include acupuncture and chiropractic care, as well as routine care.
• 5-day online claims processing
• No upper age limits.
• No breed restrictions.

Pet Assure: Best Pet Coverage for Employee Benefits

Pet Assure is an insurance alternative. Customers pay a low monthly fee in exchange for discounted vet services.

This means that Pet Assure is not an insurance plan. Rather, it’s a discount services program.

With Pet Assure, you get a 25% discount on almost all of the services that your vet has to offer as long as the vet participates in the program.

With its wide range of benefits, it features inclusions that most insurers exclude.

In fact, its benefits are very good that they rival a standard policy.

Here are the Pet Assure benefits:

• All types of pets are included.
• No exclusions/every medical procedure is covered.
• No age limitations.
• No medical condition is declined.
• Pets with pre-existing conditions are never denied.
• Can be used an unlimited amount of times.
• No waiting period; you can use coverage as soon as you purchase.

Noteworthy Features

• Filing a claim is not necessary. You give your insurance card to a participating vet and receive your discount immediately.
• Ease of use. The vet simply deducts 25% off the covered portion of the bill.
• No deductibles to meet before you are allowed to use the program.
• You can receive a 15% discount on medications, but only if you enroll in PetcareRX.com before signing up.

Eusoh: Best Alternative to Pet Insurance

Eusoh is not exactly pet insurance, but rather a community-based pet health plan that allows pet owners to join groups and fund each other’s veterinary costs

For those looking for alternatives to pet insurance, Eusoh is your best bet.

Rather than have a monthly premium to cover your pet’s ailments or conditions, Eusoh is more of a community-based group with each member funding another’s healthcare expenses.

The setup is surprisingly easy. Pet owners join a group and combine all their vet funds together to pay for each other’s vet expenses.

Then Eusoh combines all costs from vet expenses and then divides the total cost evenly by the number of members in a group.

In this way, every member is reimbursed the same amount. Even though you may have paid more for pet visits in relation to other members, that same amount is still required for all members.

Keep in mind that you’ll never have to shell out money that’s more than $65 per month. This amount is $17 in fees plus a maximum of $48 in deposits.

The best thing about Eusoh is that there are no monthly premiums and no maximum age restrictions. The latter is important, as some traditional insurers won’t take pets older than 10 or 14.

Noteworthy Features:

• A community-based pet care alternative in which members share the cost of veterinary expenses to keep overall costs for the group down.
• Pricing plans are transparent. All pet owners are charged a monthly subscription fee of $17 and a shared-care contribution no matter the age or breed of their pet.
• Eusoh also accepts vet bills for preventive care.
• Costs can vary each month based on group activity.

Eusoh Pet Care Discounts

• Offer a referral bonus of $40 for every pet you refer to the community.

MetLife (PetFirst): Best Pet Insurance for Discounts

PetFirst, recently acquired by behemoth insurer Met Life, has a lot going for it. All breeds of dogs and cats are covered.

There are no age limits so you can enroll your older pets, although puppies have to be at least 8 weeks old to qualify for coverage.

And since PetFirst is not in a network, you can go to the vet or specialist of your choice after choosing a coverage plan.

However, what stands out is that PetFirst offers discounts to its customers, unlike many pet insurers who either have no discounts or only have just the Multi-Pet policy.

Noteworthy Features

• Offers comprehensive accident and illness plans and a wellness plan option.
• Provides pet insurance for cats and dogs of all ages.
• if you’re looking for a very low deductible, PetFirst may be a great choice. 
• Offers the option to add a routine care rider to your pet insurance plan.
• Holistic care and so-called alternative treatments are covered under dog or cat plans, as long as these treatments are conducted by licensed vets.

Wagmo: Best Pet Insurance for Quick Claim Reimbursement

Wagmo was founded only recently and is not really called a pet insurance company.

Rather, it’s a pet insurance and wellness company that is an alternative to a standard pet insurance policy.

That’s because Wagmo is known for its wellness plans. There are three plans, a basic plan just for annual check-ins, a classic plan known mostly for its coverage, and a deluxe plan for teeth health and grooming, for example.

With three choices, you have more flexibility.

But Wagmo is one of the best pet insurance companies because of its speedy claim reimbursement.

After you submit your claim online, your wellness claim is processed in the fastest way, which is 24 hours.

For accident/illness claims, it only takes 3-5 business days for reimbursement.

That’s a low timeframe as most pet insurers take about 8 to 14 days before you see your refund.

Finally, Wagmo is that rare insurer that offers 100% reimbursement for its wellness pet insurance claims.

Noteworthy Features:

• Wellness plans start at just $20.
• After signing up, you can get reimbursement for services immediately.
• You can choose your own vet.
• Get reimbursements through Venmo, PayPal, or a bank transfer.
• You have a choice of deductible tiers: $500, $750, or $1,000.

Spot: Best Pet Insurance Overall

Spot is best overall because it covers all the basics and more, from customizable deductibles to optional wellness plans.

Here are some of the coverage features:

Option for Unlimited Annual Benefits.

Pet insurers often have caps on annual benefit payouts. An example would be $5,000 per year. But unlike other companies, Spot gives you many options, ranging from $2,500 to unlimited annual benefits.

Because you can pick the benefit amount, you will end up with a policy that you can afford and is based on your pet’s needs.

No Upper Age Limit

Most pet insurers put restrictions based on how old the pet is. So, if your pet is ten to twelve years old or more, they will deny coverage as older pets need more vet care than younger pets.

But with Spot, your pet can get full coverage for accident and illness policies regardless of the pet’s age.

Short Waiting Period

Relatively short waiting period for accidents and illnesses

A waiting period is the time after you enroll before you can access coverage. For accidents and illnesses, it’s just 14 days.

Many comparable insurers have longer wait times. And many offer a six-month waiting period if your pet has knee and ligament conditions.

24/7 Telehealth Helpline
As a policyholder, you have free 24/7 access to a veterinarian helpline.

Sort of like a homeowners insurer’s website, the helpline includes discussions about pet health and pet insurance, as well as any questions you may have about your policy.

Noteworthy Features

• Wellness plan optional
• Spot’s accident and illness plan reimburses you for microchip implantation and behavioral therapy.
• Gold plan covers specific amounts for dental cleanings, vaccines, and heartworm tests.
• The platinum plan covers higher amounts for preventative procedures as well as reimbursement for additional expenses like spaying or neutering.

What is Pet insurance?

Pet insurance resembles human health insurance. It’s a policy that you purchase that pays a portion of a pet’s medical bills and veterinary costs if your pet becomes ill or gets hurt.

It is the only way to save on pet accidents and illnesses, as well as on pet check-ups and routine veterinary visits, and medical treatments if your pet suffers from a health problem.

You save money because the insurer pays the bill. If you go without pet insurance and your pet is suffering from an ailment, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket, which can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Pet parents invest in pet insurance to lessen the costs of a pet visit.

But note that pet insurers cover costs only up to your particular plan limit.

Your pet’s medical bills can quickly add up. For example, a routine vet visit in New Jersey costs over $200 for a dog and $180 for a cat. Factor in that your pet may need surgery, and you are looking at an average bill of around $500 for a dog and over $200 for a cat.

Even if your pet is young and healthy, it may have genetic tendencies or behavioral issues that may require you to visit a vet.

Just like human health insurance, you’ll have to pay a deductible in most cases every time you bring your pet to a vet. Typically, pet insurance, also like human health insurance, is an annual plan which you pay monthly, although you can also pay your premium in full.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

Pet insurance often works as a reimbursement. Rather than pay the vet directly, pet owners pay upfront for each pet visit, and then you make a claim for reimbursement.

After you submit a claim to your pet insurer, the company will review it to make sure all your bills are covered under your plan.

You’ll often get a 70% to 100% reimbursement of covered expenses, but only after your deductible is met.

The deductible is the portion of your vet bill that you are responsible for before your plan’s reimbursement begins.

Also, for the reimbursement, you can use your plan at any vet in New Jersey and don’t have to search for a vet that is “in-network.”

What are the Types of Pet Insurance?

There are two types of pet insurance that you can choose, as well as an optional wellness plan.

Accident-Only Plan

An accident-only plan covers medications and hospitalization

It is the most basic plan as well as the cheapest.

It’s designed to cover emergency care related to accidents and medical treatment for unexpected injuries to your pet.

For example, if your dog gets hit by a car and then has broken bones, or if your cat swallows a toy and needs surgery, this plan will cover you.

But the accident-only plan does not cover any illnesses or breed-specific issues.

And keep in mind that, with this plan, medical expenses such as skin problems, ear infections, and cancer that is not the result of an accident are not covered, and you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket.

Accident and Illness Plan

An accident and illness plan is the most common plan that pet parents purchase because it is the most complete coverage that you can get.

The A/I plan covers everything that the accident-only plan offers.

Illnesses such as cancer, hereditary diseases, and congenital conditions, are covered.

So too are treatments for viral infections, parasites, hip dysplasia, and tooth extraction due to dental diseases.

Also covered is surgery if your dog has cataracts, emergency care or emergency exam fees, hospitalization, prescription medication, unexpected illnesses like broken bones, and tests like blood tests. X-rays and more.

This plan won’t cover preventive care.

The good thing is that you can get reimbursed for almost everything when you combine both the accident-only plan and the A/I plan.

Wellness

Wellness plans are not a substitute for A/I or accident-only coverage. The plan is meant for routine veterinary care.

A wellness plan is an add-on that you purchase on top of your insurance for preventative care for your pet.

Wellness plans vary, but certain coverages, like the following, come standard.

Wellness pays for wellness exams, routine dental care, (such as teeth cleaning), vaccinations and preventative care, and spaying/neutering.

What’s the Difference Between Pet Insurance and a Wellness Plan?

Pet insurance is for unexpected or unforeseen treatments like injuries and illnesses and includes coverage for cancer, injuries, and urinary tract infections.

Meanwhile, wellness plans are for vet costs and routine care that are expected.

Having both A/I and accident-only insurance on top of the wellness plan will make your policy very comprehensive.

As such, you and your pet are financially protected no matter what happens.

What’s Not Covered by Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance, unlike most insurers, has more exclusions than inclusions. Common pet exclusions include:

Pre-existing Conditions

This is an injury or illness that your pet had before your coverage started.

So, if your pet has a medical history, whatever it includes will not be covered by your insurer.

No pet insurance will cover pre-existing conditions.

But that’s not always the case. Some vet clinics cover conditions that are curable after a certain waiting period dictated by your insurer.

And a pet with a pre-existing condition can still be covered by insurance, as long as the vet excludes the specific condition that the pet has.

Experimental Treatment

If your pet was diagnosed and had a treatment that was considered “experimental”, or otherwise not within the standard of care accepted by the board of veterinary medicine of your state, then this is excluded.

Age Exclusion

If your pet is younger than eight weeks, or if your pet is fourteen years old or older, your insurer will not cover your pet.

While age depends on the breed, if you can get your pet insured, it will most likely be costly the older the pet gets.

Grooming

With the exception of a few, most pet insurances don’t cover grooming, such as baths, shampoos, or nail trimmings.

Food, Dietary and Nutritional Supplements

While some insurers cover prescription food and supplements, they won’t normally cover ordinary dietary expenses.

There are a few insurance companies that will cover special dietary foods and supplements so it's important to do your research

Nonstandard/Non-Veterinary Services

If a service is not normally associated with vet services or vet care, it will be excluded.

Examples include waste disposal, food, nutritional supplements, boarding, transportation, grooming, bathing, behavioral training, and experimental care.

Bilateral Condition

Bilateral condition is excluded when your pet has a medical problem that can happen on both sides of its body, including dysplasia, cruciate ligament issues, and cataracts, for example.

Unless your pet is suffering from one side of its body, then in this case it’s excluded.

Preventable Diseases

If you fail to have your pet vaccinated for a preventable disease, treatments will also be excluded.

Preventive diseases are canine influenza, kennel cough, giardia, and parvovirus.

Breed Exclusions

If your pet is predisposed to certain medical conditions—like diabetes or ligament injuries—some breeds of dogs and cats are generally excluded or are included but at a very high cost.

Elective Procedures

Elective procedures are usually excluded.

Elective procedures include anal gland expression and removal, tail docking, ear cropping, nail trimming, feline declawing, and dewclaw removal.

What is a Waiting Period?

A waiting period is the amount of time your pet insurance requires you to wait until your pet is eligible for reimbursement on specific conditions.

Almost all pet insurers have waiting periods during which there is no coverage.

The waiting period is usually 10 to 15 days, but since each insurer offers different things, your waiting period may be shorter or longer.

There is an exception. If your pet is injured in an accident, your insurance will begin immediately, which is around a few days.

Illness coverage waiting periods kick in between 14 or 16 days.

However, if your pet has orthopedic issues, the waiting period is much longer, nearly several months and even up to a year.

If your pet starts to have medical issues that occur during the waiting period, those issues are not covered.

What is a Reimbursement Rate?

The reimbursement rate is the percentage of costs that an insurance company will reimburse.

The reimbursement rate is taken as a percentage. Look out for plans that have a reimbursement rate of 80% to 90% of your total vet bills so you can approach full coverage.

But some insurers have a reimbursement rate that is 100%. This means you will no longer have to pay for coverage.

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost in New Jersey?

There are several factors that comprise the cost of pet insurance in New Jersey.

These include the breed of your pet, your pet’s age, how much coverage you need, and your deductible and reimbursement level. 

That said, a standard accident and illness plan in New Jersey has an average cost of $20–$50 per month for dogs and $10–$30 per month for cats.

New Jersey is one of the states that have the most affordable pet insurance rates, even though the Garden State is considered a metropolitan area that can be harmful to your cat or dog.

For example, your in-door cat may sneak outside your house in Mountain Lakes because someone left your door open. And in the busy streets of Hoboken, your dog may get hit by a car.

How to Choose a Pet Insurance Company

Many pet owners make the mistake that picking the cheapest plan will be enough to cover their pet. But if you do so, this could leave you with limited coverage if you must make a claim in the future.

To find the right insurance plan, you should consider how much vet fees cost in relation to your budget. Consider how many times you can foresee that you will bring your pet to the vet. if you are shrewd, you can set aside money so you are not caught off guard when an unforeseen accident or illness occurs.

To purchase a policy, what you need to know about your pet for it to qualify for pet insurance is its medical history. This is crucial, as your pet may not be covered due to its age, for example.

You should also get quotes from several pet insurance companies to compare and contrast them to get the best deal with enough coverage and a premium that is within your means.

You should also compare quotes when you are considering what a company’s coverage limits are.

Our Methodology

How We Picked the Best Pet Insurance Companies in New Jersey

We did so by emphasizing on discounts, coverages, pricing, and waiting periods.

Discounts

Pet insurance companies often offer few discounts. Compared to renters insurance and homeowners insurance, which offer plenty, the discounts you may be eligible for may just include the multi-pet bundling. But there are insurers out there that offer a good amount of discounts, such as PetFirst. We looked at those insurers that had the most discounts to offset your premium.

Waiting Period

Almost all pet insurers have waiting periods during which there is no coverage. We chose those companies that had the shortest waiting times. We also looked at whether an insurer had an emergency waiting period in case your pet is in an accident. If the turnaround time was 2-5 days before coverage began, then that insurer was put on our list.

Price

We looked at a company that had a high reimbursement rate, roughly

80% to 90% to make a dent. With a high reimbursement rate, visits to vets are paid by your insurer, and the percentage not covered will be negligible to you.

Coverage

There are many exclusions in pet insurance, so we looked at what coverages a policy has to offer. Coverage should be meaningful enough to consider it. The one that stood out is the wellness plan or preventive care, which is never included in a standard policy but which can be purchased as an add-on on top of your policy.