Things to Consider Before Choosing Pet Insurance in Alaska
- The type of coverage you need: Some pet insurance plans only cover accidental injuries, while others also cover illnesses. You will need to decide what type of coverage is right for you and your pet.
- The cost of the plan: Pet insurance can be expensive, so it is important to find a plan that fits your budget.
- The deductible and reimbursement rate: The deductible is the amount of money you will have to pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in. The reimbursement rate is the percentage of the vet bill that your insurance will cover.
- The waiting period: Some pet insurance companies have a waiting period before they will cover certain conditions. This is usually around 14 days.
- The policy limits: The policy limits are the maximum amount of money your insurance will pay out for a single claim or over the lifetime of your pet.
Introduction
Apart from being the winter wonderland of many, Alaska is the ultimate pet-friendly bliss.
Yet, although the resort-like Alaskan nature can recharge your pet’s energy, it’s still wildlife. The Alaskan flora feeds on a convenient climate, but the many rare herbs and plants pose a threat.
Plants with poisonous acids like the Skunk Cabbage can unsettle the gastrointestinal system or worse – which is why monitoring your pet’s well-being is vital.
So, if you live in Alaska or are planning to move there, we recommend you arm yourself with the best pet health insurance. The following mini-reviews give a clear overview of the top pet insurance in Alaska to match everyone’s needs.
Spot Pet Insurance
Spot Pet Insurance is one of the more familiar pet insurance Alaska policies, recognized by reputable magazines like Rolling Stone, Forbes, Business Insider, and Money.
It has earned a spot among the best pet insurance Alaska offers because it provides the most convenient pricing systems, which we’ll check out shortly.
Pros:
- Paperless online claims;
- Direct vet payments are an option;
- Available preventative care.
Cons:
- Costly premium plans;
- Lengthy waiting period for accidents;
- Customer support only from Monday to Friday.
Plans & Coverage
When it comes to plans and coverage, Spot offers two membership types. The Accidents-Only plan covers the nitty-gritty, while the Accidents and pet Illnesses plan covers accidents plus several prevalent conditions your pet may develop during its lifetime.
You may also equip yourself with the Optional Preventative Care coverage for a few extra bucks on top of your selected plan.
The following list depicts which illnesses and conditions Spot covers:
- Accidents: fractures, predator bites, indigestion, extraction of foreign objects, bites;
- Illnesses: vomit, nausea, coughs, fevers, colds, etc.;
- Hereditary & Congenital Conditions: any illness inherited from the parents doesn’t count as a pre-existing condition;
- Chronic Illnesses: asthma, kidney or liver disease, diabetes;
- Cancer: Spot ensures all the follow-ups coming after your pet gets diagnosed with cancer;
- Alternative Therapies: acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, rehabilitative therapy, hydrotherapy, low-level laser therapy;
- Behavioral Therapy: anxiety, excessive licking, ruining of the home or furniture, fur pulling, aggression, and other compulsive behaviors.
With Spot’s top pet insurance Alaska policy, you can tailor your premium according to your financials by selecting your deductible, annual benefits limit, and reimbursement rate. The Accidents-Only plan by itself costs $17. Choosing more extensive coverage will bump up this cost.
Figo
Figo Pet Insurance is not only helping pet parents reduce unnecessary costs with convenient pricing plans but also aims to bring justice to animals that lack a quality of life.
In terms of coverage plans, Figo offers three-tier coverage plans that include everything any pet parent fears of happening to their furry friend. And we all know that’s a long list!
Pros:
- 24/7 customer support;
- No vet networks;
- Positive user testimonials.
Cons:
- Complaints regarding the ultimate plan;
- Age limits for senior pets;
- Difficult site navigation.
Plans & Coverage
Figo Pet Insurance sells three plans: Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate.
Each of these plans is the same in terms of coverage but differs in the annual limits. Therefore, the Essential plan caps at $5,000, the Preferred plan at $10,000, and the Ultimate plan has no set limit.
The insurance provides coverage for the following:
- Accidents & Illnesses: coverage in case of an illness or injury;
- Hereditary and congenital conditions: disease or condition inherited by the parents;
- Hospitalization: all necessary tests, lab works, examinations, or other follow-ups of a covered illness as per the arranged plan;
- Chronic conditions: heart diseases, kidney illnesses, asthma, advanced treatments like CyberKnife, and radiosurgery.
Moreover, with Figo Pet, you can get the Wellness Plan, which may be just what your puppy or kitty needs.
Ultimately, Figo isn’t a costly pet insurance company. You can set a deductible from $100 to $1,500 and adjust the reimbursement from 70% to 100%.
Trupanion
We included Trupanion in our best pet insurance Alaska list because it covers all the possible pet illnesses and conditions that may concern any Alaskan furry member’s parent. Apart from the convenient coverage plan, Trupanion employs a cost-effective pricing system to complete its mission of aiding pet parents.
Pros:
- Per-condition deductibles;
- Optional additional care for rehabilitative treatments;
- Pet owner assistance if your pet attacks or damages someone else’s property.
Cons:
- No wellness plan coverage;
- No discounts for the next pet.
Plans & Coverage
Trupanion is on a mission to help both pets and pet parents navigate the Alaskan climate with peace of mind.
Here’s what Trupanion covers:
- Hereditary Issues – diabetes, elbow and hip dysplasia, upper respiratory infections, or thyroid disease;
- Unidentified Illnesses – the flu, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, weight gain;
- Congenital Conditions – heart conditions, nervous system disorders, cataracts, or liver issues;
- Cancer – scans, tests, blood works;
- Follow-ups – any follow-ups to the covered conditions, including surgeries.
Price-wise, Trupanion is well-known for its convenient plans and customizable pricing systems. Trupanion’s best feature is the lifetime per-condition deductible. Once you meet the deductible the first time, you only have to pay it again if they diagnose your pet with a new covered ailment. There are no payout limits with this pet insurance.
The reimbursement rate and annual benefits are also customizable. Therefore, the complete package costs around $62 per month for a mature dog and $18 for a cat.
Embrace
Embrace is a brand on the pet insurance Alaska market with years of experience and a well-established reputation within the community. Embrace doesn’t tie you to a specific vet clinic, which puts it among the go-to insurance policies for Alaskan pet owners.
Pros:
- Fast claim processing;
- Reasonable pet insurance waiting period for accidents;
- Diminishing deductibles or a deductible that reduces by $50 if you don’t make a claim the entire year.
Cons:
- Annual caps of $650 on wellness care program;
- Deductibles barely reach $0;
- Hidden fees.
Plans and Coverage
If you opt for Embrace, they’ll cover the following:
- Accidents and illnesses: any injury, accident, poisoning, or predator attack ;
- Random sickness: fever, cold, nausea, diarrhea, heat strokes;
- Chronic Illnesses: cardiac diseases, kidney failures, asthma, cancer;
- Specialty care: elbow or hip dysplasia;
- Preventable conditions: Lyme disease, parasites, parvo;
- Dental Accidents and Illnesses: dental illnesses and accidents up to $1,000;
- Follow-ups: any treatment following a covered illness or injury under your plan, including surgery, medication, examinations, and scans;
- Breed-specific & Genetic conditions: hereditary illnesses that aren’t pet pre-existing conditions;
- Behavioral Therapy: separation anxiety therapy.
Embrace presents the second most affordable pet insurance policy. The pricing system is one of the most flexible regarding reimbursement and deductibles. Another thing that separates Embrace from other pet insurance companies is their decreasing deductible.
If a user doesn’t file a pet insurance claim for a year, the deductible reduces automatically by $50. You can save extra by selecting a higher reimbursement rate, and with the Direct Vet Pay option, they’ll cover you in a minute.
Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws is one of the fundamental animal rights pioneers. They started as a non-profit organization supporting pet parents on a budget.
Healthy Paws Insurance recently partnered with Aon Corporation and opened a new pet insurance policy branch to expand its mission of raising awareness about pets and animals in general.
Pros:
- 30-day money-back guarantee;
- Covers both alternative and chiropractic therapies;
- More than a decade of experience.
Cons:
- Doesn’t cover vet examination fees;
- Long waiting period for hip dysplasia;
- Wellness and preventative care aren’t covered.
Plans & Coverage
There’s a single coverage plan at Healthy Paws, but well-structured with all pets’ needs kept in mind:
- Accidents & Illnesses: broken bones, poisoning, snake bites, predator attacks;
- Hereditary & Congenital Conditions: hip and elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease, cherry eye, tests, scans, and X-rays;
- Chronic Conditions: diabetes, obesity, arthritis, upper chronic respiratory diseases, lower urinary tract diseases, kidney failures, glaucoma, hypothyroidism, allergies, herpes;
- Alternative care: chiropractic, hydrotherapy, laser therapy, massage, acupuncture, veterinary herbal therapy, homeotherapy;
- Cancer: chemotherapy, lab tests, surgery, diagnostics, med prescriptions, alternative therapy, radiation therapy, diagnostics, rehabilitation;
- Emergency & Specialty Care: neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, internal medicine, critical care, oncologists for cancer treatments.
Healthy Paws doesn’t boast a fixed pricing system, but it allows you to customize it according to your pet’s species, breed, and age.
The costs for an average mature dog are $40 per month and $12 for an adult cat.
It’s excellent that Healthy Paws doesn’t cap the annual limits, so you don’t have to worry about how you’ll take care of your dog when they reach old age. You can also bump up reimbursement to 90%.
ASPCA
Our Alaskan pet insurance list would be hollow without mentioning the benefits of the ASPCA policy. ASPCA is one of the most reputable insurance policies with outstanding coverage and pricing plans, as displayed shortly.
ASPCA has the United States Fire Insurance Company as their underwriter, scoring an A-rating from AM Best.
Pros:
- 30-day money-back guarantee;
- Various discounts for future ASPCA pets;
- Covers some pre-existing conditions.
Cons:
- Extended waiting period for accidents;
- Unchangeable plans for a year;
- Complaints about the reimbursement.
Plans & Coverage
ASPCA separates two types of insurance plans: Accidents-Only and Complete Coverage.
The Accidents-Only plan covers any injury, wound, bite, poisoning, and illness your pet gets via an accident.
And with Complete Coverage, ASPCA has your back in case of:
- Undefined illnesses: belly problems, ear, eye, and skin infections, urinary tract infections, hypothyroidism;
- Hereditary & Congenital Conditions: IVDD, eye issues, hip or elbow dysplasia, cardiac illnesses;
- Chronic Illnesses: diabetes, cancer, asthma;
- Scanning & Tests: ultrasounds, bloodwork, lab work, MRIs, and other tests and lab examinations;
- Therapy types: rehabilitation and chiropractic treatment;
- Preventive behavioral interventions: destructive chewing, pacing, licking, fur pulling, separation;
- Med prescriptions;
- Microchip implants.
You can always add the pet wellness plan on top of the complete coverage. If you’re a new pet parent, the wellness plan will help you get all the needed vaccinations and follow the recommended diet for pets under two.
ASPCA is also super convenient in terms of pricing. The annual benefit limits begin with $3,000, then $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, and $10,000, respectively.
As for deductibles, pet parents can choose between $100, $250, and $500. Lastly, they can set their reimbursement rate at 70%, 80%, or 90%.
FAQ: Pet Insurance in Alaska
How Much Is Pet Insurance in Alaska?
Alaska pet insurance costs vary from one insurer to another. Most pricing systems are customizable, meaning you pay according to your pet’s age, needs, and location.
According to the average customizable plan, each pet parent faces $30 to $40 monthly in costs for mature dogs and around $10 to $20 for adult cats.
Embrace and ASPCA come on top as some of the most affordable pet insurance policies and the best pet insurance for cats in AK.
