Pet insurance is extremely important because it can help you take care of vet bills that can accrue as your pet gets older or faces health problems. However, with so many different providers, knowing which is best can be difficult. If you live in South Dakota and are looking for help, you’ve come to the right place. Here are several of the most popular pet insurance companies so you can make an informed purchase.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Trupanion
Comprehensive coverage
100% reimbursement rate
Customizable deductions
Click to Get Quote
Best Value
USAA Pet Insurance
Inexpensive
Multiple plans
Multi-pet discount
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Spot Pet Insurance
Covers cats and dogs
No upper age limit on coverage
Choose any vet
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Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Multi-pet discount
Unlimited annual coverage
Multiple deductible choices
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Fetch Pet Insurance
Customers can use any vet
Multiple coverage options
Dental coverage
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Comparing 10 Pet Insurance Plans for South Dakota
- Trupanion — Best Overall
Compare Trupanion PlansTrupanion is our pick as the best pet insurance provider in South Dakota, offering comprehensive insurance plans with up to 100% reimbursement on all procedures. You can also choose your deductible and pay up to $1,000 out of pocket to keep costs low. The company pays the vet directly, which saves you steps when it comes time to pay for a procedure.
The primary downside to Trupanion is that it’s expensive compared to some other plans on this list, and it sets an upper age limit of 14 years for obtaining insurance.
Compare Trupanion Plans
Trupanion is our pick as the best pet insurance provider in South Dakota, offering comprehensive insurance plans with up to 100% reimbursement on all procedures. You can also choose your deductible and pay up to $1,000 out of pocket to keep costs low. The company pays the vet directly, which saves you steps when it comes time to pay for a procedure.
Pros
Comprehensive coverage
100% reimbursement rate
Customizable deductions
Pays vet directly
Cons
Age limits
Expensive
- USAA Pet Insurance — Best Value
Compare USAA PlansUSAA Pet Insurance is our pick as the best South Dakota pet insurance plan for the money. It provides an accident plan and a premium that covers emergency care, prescription drugs, and more. Rates are extremely reasonable, and several discounts are available to people in the military, people with more than one pet, and already existing customers, all of which can help bring down costs. The plan provides a reasonable $30,000 annual limit and a refund rate of up to 90%. If you don’t file a claim the previous year, the deductible will go down from $100 to $50.
The main disadvantage to USAA Pet Insurance is that pets over 14 can only get accident-only insurance.
Comprehensive coverage
100% reimbursement rate
Customizable deductions
Pays vet directly
- Comprehensive coverage
- 100% reimbursement rate
- Customizable deductions
- Pays vet directly
Age limits
Expensive
- Age limits
- Expensive
Compare USAA Plans
USAA Pet Insurance is our pick as the best South Dakota pet insurance plan for the money. It provides an accident plan and a premium that covers emergency care, prescription drugs, and more. Rates are extremely reasonable, and several discounts are available to people in the military, people with more than one pet, and already existing customers, all of which can help bring down costs. The plan provides a reasonable $30,000 annual limit and a refund rate of up to 90%. If you don’t file a claim the previous year, the deductible will go down from $100 to $50.
Pros
Inexpensive
Multiple plans
Multi-pet discount
$30,000 annual coverage
Cons
Limited options for pets over 14 years
- Spot Pet Insurance
Compare Spot PlansSpot pet insurance is a fantastic provider, offering pet owners a versatile plan that covers cats and dogs. The plan enables you to choose whatever vet you want and will even cover pets out of state. Choose an annual limit of $5,000–unlimited, with a reimbursement rate of 70%-90. You can even select between multiple deductibles.
The primary downside to Spot is that it is more expensive than many other plans on this list, and you can only amend the plan at renewal time.
Inexpensive
Multiple plans
Multi-pet discount
$30,000 annual coverage
- Inexpensive
- Multiple plans
- Multi-pet discount
- $30,000 annual coverage
Limited options for pets over 14 years
- Limited options for pets over 14 years
Compare Spot Plans
Spot pet insurance is a fantastic provider, offering pet owners a versatile plan that covers cats and dogs. The plan enables you to choose whatever vet you want and will even cover pets out of state. Choose an annual limit of $5,000–unlimited, with a reimbursement rate of 70%-90. You can even select between multiple deductibles.
Pros
Covers cats and dogs
No upper age limit on coverage
Choose any vet
Versatile coverage plans
Cons
Expensive
Can only make changes at renewal time
- Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Compare Pumpkin PlansPumpkin Pet Insurance is a provider available in all 50 states, including South Dakota, offering several plans to help you get the coverage that you need. Select from $7,000 to unlimited coverage for cats and $10,000 to unlimited for dogs. Multiple selections for your deductible enable you to go as low as $100 or as high as $500.
The biggest problem with Pumpkin is that it doesn’t provide a 24/7 hotline that can help you with problems after hours.
Covers cats and dogs
No upper age limit on coverage
Choose any vet
Versatile coverage plans
- Covers cats and dogs
- No upper age limit on coverage
- Choose any vet
- Versatile coverage plans
Expensive
Can only make changes at renewal time
- Expensive
- Can only make changes at renewal time
Compare Pumpkin Plans
Pumpkin Pet Insurance is a provider available in all 50 states, including South Dakota, offering several plans to help you get the coverage that you need. Select from $7,000 to unlimited coverage for cats and $10,000 to unlimited for dogs. Multiple selections for your deductible enable you to go as low as $100 or as high as $500.
Pros
Multi-pet discount
Unlimited annual coverage
Multiple deductible choices
Cons
No 24/7 hotline
- Fetch Pet Insurance
Compare Fetch PlansFetch Pet Insurance is a great option with many benefits. It offers several discounts for things like rescuing pets from a shelter, medical service pets, and AARP members, among others, and multiple coverage options are available. You can select an annual limit from $5,000 to $15,000, with a deductible that ranges from $50 to $1,000, so you can get a plan suited to your budget. You can use any vet in the United States and Canada, and it even covers dental issues.
The downside to Fetch is that there is no unlimited option, and $15,000 might not be high enough for certain health problems.
Multi-pet discount
Unlimited annual coverage
Multiple deductible choices
- Multi-pet discount
- Unlimited annual coverage
- Multiple deductible choices
No 24/7 hotline
- No 24/7 hotline
Compare Fetch Plans
Fetch Pet Insurance is a great option with many benefits. It offers several discounts for things like rescuing pets from a shelter, medical service pets, and AARP members, among others, and multiple coverage options are available. You can select an annual limit from $5,000 to $15,000, with a deductible that ranges from $50 to $1,000, so you can get a plan suited to your budget. You can use any vet in the United States and Canada, and it even covers dental issues.
Pros
Customers can use any vet
Multiple coverage options
Dental coverage
Multiple discounts
Cons
No unlimited plan
- MetLife Insurance
Compare MetLife PlansMetLife Insurance is popular across America and provides insurance to pets in all 50 states. It provides multiple coverage options, and you can select an annual limit of up to $10,000 with a deductible as low as $50. Select a reimbursement rate of 65% to 100%, and there are no restrictions to obtaining insurance.
The downside with MetLife is that many people have problems with customer service when making claims, there is no unlimited coverage option, and $10,000 might be low for certain problems.
Customers can use any vet
Multiple coverage options
Dental coverage
Multiple discounts
- Customers can use any vet
- Multiple coverage options
- Dental coverage
- Multiple discounts
No unlimited plan
- No unlimited plan
Compare MetLife Plans
MetLife Insurance is popular across America and provides insurance to pets in all 50 states. It provides multiple coverage options, and you can select an annual limit of up to $10,000 with a deductible as low as $50. Select a reimbursement rate of 65% to 100%, and there are no restrictions to obtaining insurance.
Pros
Customers can use any vet
Multiple coverage options
No restrictions
Cons
Customer service
No unlimited coverage
- Progressive Pet Insurance
Compare Progressive PlansProgressive pet insurance is a great plan that offers coverage for cats and dogs in all 50 states. There is no age limit to apply, and you can select from multiple coverage options. Select an annual limit from $5,000 to unlimited and a deductible between $50 and $1,000, with a reimbursement rate from 70% to 90%. There is no age limit to obtaining coverage, and you can choose any vet.
The biggest downside to Progressive insurance is the long wait times to receive coverage on certain issues.
Customers can use any vet
Multiple coverage options
No restrictions
- Customers can use any vet
- Multiple coverage options
- No restrictions
Customer service
No unlimited coverage
- Customer service
- No unlimited coverage
Compare Progressive Plans
Progressive pet insurance is a great plan that offers coverage for cats and dogs in all 50 states. There is no age limit to apply, and you can select from multiple coverage options. Select an annual limit from $5,000 to unlimited and a deductible between $50 and $1,000, with a reimbursement rate from 70% to 90%. There is no age limit to obtaining coverage, and you can choose any vet.
Pros
Many coverage options
Select any vet
No age limit
Cons
Long wait times
- Hartville Pet Insurance
Compare Hartville PlansHartville Pet Insurance is available all across the United States and offers several options in terms of coverage for your cat or dog. Choose an annual coverage from $5,000 to unlimited, and the deductible ranges from $100 to $500, with a reimbursement rate from 70% to 90%. There is no upper age limit to obtaining insurance, and it pays your vet directly so you can focus on your pet’s health instead of writing checks.
The only downside to Hartville pet insurance is that it can be expensive compared to some other options.
Many coverage options
Select any vet
No age limit
- Many coverage options
- Select any vet
- No age limit
Long wait times
- Long wait times
Compare Hartville Plans
Hartville Pet Insurance is available all across the United States and offers several options in terms of coverage for your cat or dog. Choose an annual coverage from $5,000 to unlimited, and the deductible ranges from $100 to $500, with a reimbursement rate from 70% to 90%. There is no upper age limit to obtaining insurance, and it pays your vet directly so you can focus on your pet’s health instead of writing checks.
Pros
Unlimited plans
No upper age limit
Pays vet directly
Cons
Expensive
- AKC Pet Insurance
Compare AKC PlansAKC Pet Insurance is one of the oldest insurance policies aimed at pets in America, so it has extensive experience providing great coverage. You can choose from several different plans to get something that works for your pet while remaining affordable. You can even get a top-tier plan that gives you full control over your annual limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate, and there’s a discount for signing up multiple pets.
The downside to AKC is that there is a long waiting period for certain issues, and it doesn’t cover all diseases, like HIV in cats and Cushing’s disease in dogs.
Unlimited plans
No upper age limit
Pays vet directly
- Unlimited plans
- No upper age limit
- Pays vet directly
Expensive
- Expensive
Compare AKC Plans
AKC Pet Insurance is one of the oldest insurance policies aimed at pets in America, so it has extensive experience providing great coverage. You can choose from several different plans to get something that works for your pet while remaining affordable. You can even get a top-tier plan that gives you full control over your annual limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate, and there’s a discount for signing up multiple pets.
Pros
Multiple coverage plans
Discount for additional pets
Free trial period
Cons
Waiting period
Certain health issues aren’t covered
- Geico Pet Insurance
Compare Geico PlansGeico is one of the most popular providers on this list, and you can receive insurance in all 50 states, including South Dakota. The plans are affordable, and there are several options, so you can get the healthcare coverage that you need. Choose the accident-only plan, and customize your annual coverage limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate. Upgrade to the accident-and-illness plan for help covering medications, and the wellness plan will help provide preventative care. Many plans also offer dental coverage, which is a big problem for cats and dogs.
The biggest problem concerning Geico pet insurance is that you will need to pay for your expenses out of pocket and then wait up to 14 days to receive your reimbursement check.
Multiple coverage plans
Discount for additional pets
Free trial period
- Multiple coverage plans
- Discount for additional pets
- Free trial period
Waiting period
Certain health issues aren’t covered
- Waiting period
- Certain health issues aren’t covered
Compare Geico Plans
Geico is one of the most popular providers on this list, and you can receive insurance in all 50 states, including South Dakota. The plans are affordable, and there are several options, so you can get the healthcare coverage that you need. Choose the accident-only plan, and customize your annual coverage limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate. Upgrade to the accident-and-illness plan for help covering medications, and the wellness plan will help provide preventative care. Many plans also offer dental coverage, which is a big problem for cats and dogs.
Pros
Affordable
Several plans
Dental coverage
Multi-pet discount
Cons
Long reimbursement times
Affordable
Several plans
Dental coverage
Multi-pet discount
- Affordable
- Several plans
- Dental coverage
- Multi-pet discount
Long reimbursement times
- Long reimbursement times
Buyer’s Guide: Comparing Pet Insurance Plans in South Dakota
What to Look For in Pet Insurance in South Dakota
When choosing insurance companies to put on this list, we looked for options that enable you to customize the plan to suit your needs. Adjusting your annual limits, deductible, and reimbursement rate can help keep the insurance affordable without risking your pet’s health. We also recommend looking through each plan that you are considering in order to learn about what it covers and more importantly, what it doesn’t cover, while considering the type of pet that you have and the conditions that they might face as they age.
Policy Coverage
When you’re choosing your pet insurance, policy coverage is a crucial aspect. Most policies will cover accidents, illnesses that occur after sign-ups, and even medication, but few will cover older animals, preexisting illnesses, dental problems, and spaying or neutering, so you will need to read over the policies and choose carefully.
Customer Service & Reputation
In many cases, you will need to talk with a customer service representative to file a claim with your provider, so read the company’s reviews to ensure that they have a friendly customer service department. Another option is to choose a provider that enables you to make claims and pay your premiums using an online website or app.
Claim Repayment
Claim repayment is an important issue when selecting an insurance provider for your pets. Most companies will have you pay the vet out of pocket and reimburse you for the money later. Some providers will send the check in a few days, while others can make you wait for months, so always read the policy and the reviews to see how long it will take. When possible, choose a provider that pays the vet directly so you can focus all your energy on your pet.
Price of Policy
The actual cost of your policy can vary significantly depending on the level of coverage that you choose. A high annual limit with a 90% or 100% reimbursement rate and a low deductible will likely be more expensive than a plan with a $10,000 annual limit, a 70% reimbursement rate, and a $1,000 deductible. However, you will need to pay more out of pocket each time a problem occurs.
Plan Customization
Customizing your plan is essential to receive the coverage that you need at an affordable rate. An accident-only policy is inexpensive but won’t cover your pet if they get a serious illness, while all-inclusive plans will have a high monthly premium. With customization, you only pay for what you need.
Does pet insurance cover purebreds?
Yes. As long as your pet insurance provider covers cats and dogs, it won’t matter whether they are purebred or a mutt comprised of several breeds. Cost and care will be the same.
How does pet insurance work?
In most cases, pet owners will research several providers until they find one that provides the coverage that they need. The pet owner will then pay an annual, quarterly, or monthly premium to keep the policy active. If there is a health issue and your pet needs to see a vet, you will usually get it treated and pay for it, then file a claim to the insurance provider and wait for your reimbursement check. If your provider pays the vet directly, you will only need to take your pet for treatment and file the claim.
What types of pets do insurance providers cover?
Beyond cats and dogs, a surprising number of companies will cover birds and reptiles, with some covering other animals, like rabbits. If you are looking for insurance for an animal besides a cat or a dog, we recommend reading over your policy carefully to see if it’s possible.
What the Users Say
Here’s what other people thought about when obtaining pet insurance for their pets:
- Most people are happier and feel more at ease after they purchase pet insurance.
- Many people mention that their pets lived longer due to pet insurance.
- Some people are surprised to learn that they often need to pay the vet bill out of pocket and then receive a reimbursement check later.
- Several people have had problems dealing with customer service and filing a claim.
- Several people complain that pet insurance can be expensive.
Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
The type of coverage that is best for you will depend on your needs and your budget. The more comprehensive the coverage and the older your pet, the higher the premiums. You can help lower them by increasing your deductible or reducing your yearly limit or refund percentage, but you will still need to pay more out-of-pocket if a problem occurs, which might prevent your pet from getting the care that they need.
Conclusion
When choosing your next pet insurance in South Dakota, we recommend our pick as the best overall, as Trupanion insurance offers comprehensive coverage and a 100% reimbursement rate. It even pays your vet directly so you can focus your attention on your pet. Another great option is our pick as the best value. USAA Pet Insurance is inexpensive, has a high annual coverage limit, and even provides a multi-pet discount to help keep costs down for large families. Other great options include Spot, Pumpkin, and Fetch.
Featured Image Credit: Manuel Meza, Unsplash
