Pet insurance can save you from high vet costs due to an accident or illness. While preventative vet costs are pretty easy to budget, as no one knows when their pet might get sick. Therefore, pet insurance is highly recommended unless you have thousands of dollars to cover emergency vet costs.
With that said, there aren’t as many options in Alaska. Not all pet insurance plans are made equal, so it is vital to choose the best option. While this may change a bit from person to person (depending on what you’re looking for), some companies are objectively better than others.
Below, we’ll discuss some of Alaska’s best pet insurance companies.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Pumpkin
Comprehensive coverage
90% reimbursement rate
10% discount for each additional pet
Click to Get Quote
Best Value
Embrace
Many ways to save
Comprehensive standard policy
Many policy options
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Figo
Up to 100% reimbursement coverage
Comprehensive coverage
No maximum age for coverage
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Pets Best
Options for customization
Direct vet payment
Short waiting periods
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MetLife
Very adjustable policies
Several ways to save
Range of coverage provided
Click to Get Quote
Comparing 8 Pet Insurance Plans for Alaska
- Pumpkin – Best Overall Compare Pumpkin PlansThere are a few reasons why we love pumpkin insurance. Firstly, it offers only one plan and a few add-ons. However, the base plan covers practically everything you need. Unlike other plans, you won’t have to add a bunch of different add-ons to make the plan somewhat complete. The plan is already comprehensive, so there isn’t a need for add-ons (and you don’t have to sit there wondering what add-ons you need.)
Furthermore, there is a wellness option that provides some preventative care. Therefore, if you’re interested in preventative care, this plan can help you out, too. There is a 90% reimbursement rate for all plans so you won’t pay much at the vet’s office once you meet the deductible.
While this plan is more expensive than most, it offers more comprehensive coverage. Therefore, you’re getting what you pay for.
Comprehensive coverage
90% reimbursement rate
10% discount for each additional pet
Short waiting periods for some illnesses
- Comprehensive coverage
- 90% reimbursement rate
- 10% discount for each additional pet
- Short waiting periods for some illnesses
Long waiting period for accidents
- Long waiting period for accidents
- Embrace – Best Value Compare Embrace PlansEmbrace offers many discounts and ways to save—all while still being a quality plan. Therefore, you may be able to save quite a bit of money with this plan. For instance, active military members and veterans get a 5% discount. You can also get your deductible dropped by $50 every year you don’t have a claim. In the end, this can lead to hundreds of dollars in savings.
Furthermore, this company also offers many different customization options for your plan. You can adjust the deductible and coverage limits to lower or raise your premiums. The base plan also includes a range of coverage. For instance, you can get chiropractic care, acupuncture, and other alternative therapies covered at no extra cost.
While this plan does have waiting periods, you can reduce this waiting period by getting a vet exam.
Many ways to save
Comprehensive standard policy
Many policy options
Can reduce waiting periods
- Many ways to save
- Comprehensive standard policy
- Many policy options
- Can reduce waiting periods
Changing coverage resets pre-existing conditions
- Changing coverage resets pre-existing conditions
- Figo Compare Figo PlansFigo is well-known for its great pet insurance app. You can use this app to pay all your bills and submit claims. It’s very straightforward and easy to use, making it great for those that don’t want to interact with real people.
This company also allows you to chat with a veterinarian for free, meet other pet parents close to you, and store all your pet’s medical records. It’s a fully functioning pet health app, besides being pet insurance.
Figo offers three different plans, each with a separate reimbursement option. They are all comprehensive and don’t change much in what they cover. Just the reimbursement options change. Their coverage even includes dental care and hereditary conditions, plus you can add wellness coverage for an additional fee.
Offers coverage for some “cured” preexisting conditions
Up to 100% reimbursement coverage
Comprehensive coverage
No maximum age for coverage
- Offers coverage for some “cured” preexisting conditions
- Up to 100% reimbursement coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- No maximum age for coverage
Diagnostic exams aren’t covered in the base plan
- Diagnostic exams aren’t covered in the base plan
- Pets Best Compare Pets Best PlansPets Best offers many different ways to customize your coverage. For instance, there are three different tiers of accident and illness plans, including several wellness plans and an accident-only plan. In this way, there are tons of different options to choose from. Therefore, we recommend this plan, particularly for those that want to customize their own plan—and have the time to do it.
However, on the other side of the coin, so many choices can also lead to overwhelm and indecision. Unless you know exactly what sort of aspects you want in your plan, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options.
Furthermore, some of the cheaper plans don’t cover vet exams or certain therapy options. Therefore, if you go with the cheaper option initially, you may pay a lot more down the road.
We love that this plan will pay your vet directly in some circumstances. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about paying out of pocket if you have larger expenses. While this plan does have waiting periods, they are relatively short.
Options for customization
Direct vet payment
Short waiting periods
- Options for customization
- Direct vet payment
- Short waiting periods
Options can be overwhelming
Cheaper plans don’t cover vet exams or certain therapies
- Options can be overwhelming
- Cheaper plans don’t cover vet exams or certain therapies
- MetLife Compare MetLife PlansMetLife has gotten more and more popular over the years. They offer many different discounts, allowing many people to save on their coverage options. For instance, they offer discounts for military members, healthcare workers, first responders, and staff at animal care offices. Depending on your employer’s insurance plan, you may also have a discounted policy.
We also love that this company offers a wide variety of coverage in the base plan. For instance, your pet is covered for prescription foods, hereditary conditions, and dental options.
MetLife plans are completely adjustable, allowing you to change the reimbursement, coverage limits, and deductible. You can also add wellness coverage. None of their plans have lifetime limits, so you don’t have to worry about running out of coverage.
The main reason this company is further down on our list is that their claims process is a bit more complicated. You’ll have to download and print out a form and send it back via text, email, or the online portal.
Very adjustable policies
Several ways to save
Range of coverage provided
- Very adjustable policies
- Several ways to save
- Range of coverage provided
Complicated claims process
- Complicated claims process
- Prudent Pet Compare Prudent Pet PlansThis pet insurance company offers several different coverage options. There are both comprehensive plans and accident-only plans, for instance. The accident-only plan may be a good option if you’re looking for something cheaper. However, the coverage range is much more limited.
Furthermore, there are several accident-and-illness plans to choose from. The essential plan only covers basic treatment options, such as hospitalizations, diagnostic tests, and prescription medications. The unlimited plan includes other benefits, such as loss due to theft, mortality benefits, and boarding fees if you become sick.
You can also get wellness coverage for an extra fee. This covers vaccinations, dental cleanings, and wellness exams.
One of the main drawbacks of this plan is that there isn’t an option to pay the vet directly. Plus, all the different options can get a bit overwhelming.
Many plans available
Optional wellness plan
Short waiting period for accidents
- Many plans available
- Optional wellness plan
- Short waiting period for accidents
All the different options can be overwhelming
- All the different options can be overwhelming
- Fetch by Dodo Compare Fetch PlansOnce called Petplan, this insurance company has been around for a while. However, they have changed their name recently. While this plan isn’t bad by any means, it does have more limited coverage than other options. Therefore, be sure you know what you’re getting before you sign up for a policy.
Luckily, the plan does cover vet exam fees. You can also cover your advertising fees if your pet is stolen or lost. Boarding and kennel fees are covered as well. Therefore, there are many things covered that aren’t necessarily covered by other plans.
This plan covers any wellness options, and there aren’t any add-ons to include it. Therefore, this isn’t your plan if you’re looking for wellness coverage.
Vet exam fees covered
Includes boarding and kennel fees
Covers advertising fees
- Vet exam fees covered
- Includes boarding and kennel fees
- Covers advertising fees
No wellness coverage
Longer waiting periods than average
- No wellness coverage
- Longer waiting periods than average
- Hartville Compare Hartville PlansWhile this plan is headquartered in Ohio, it offers Alaska coverage. The policy covers accidents and illnesses, which is just about every condition covered. Behavioral conditions and hereditary conditions are covered, for instance. This plan even covers more advanced treatments, like chemotherapy and acupuncture.
This company also offers two different preventative care options. The basic package covers simple procedures, like dental care and vaccinations. The prime plan includes extra maximums for these conditions and extra preventative care like neutering and spaying.
We like that this company does include several options, including a range of deductibles, reimbursement options, and coverage limits.
Many plan options
Some preventative care optional plans
Pre-existing conditions are sometimes covered
- Many plan options
- Some preventative care optional plans
- Pre-existing conditions are sometimes covered
Higher-than-average prices
High-rate increases with age
- Higher-than-average prices
- High-rate increases with age
Buyer’s Guide: Comparing Pet Insurance Plans in Alaska
What to Look for in Pet Insurance
Not all pet insurance is the same. However, it can be challenging to determine the differences between certain plans, especially if they hide behind a bunch of legal language. Luckily, you need to know just a few basic concepts before you can review insurance like a pro:
Policy Coverage
What a plan covers is vital. Despite all the plans on this list being pet-oriented, they have major coverage differences. For instance, not all cover veterinary exams. Every time you take your dog to the vet, you’ll need to have an examination. While most base plans don’t cover exams for preventative care, some do cover exam costs for accidents and illnesses. However, not all plans cover this expense, so be sure to check.
Several other costs aren’t always covered by plans. For instance, behavioral treatment isn’t always covered. Many plans also leave out coverage for acupuncture and other alternative therapies.
Some of these exclusions aren’t obviously listed, either. Therefore, it’s important to consider the exclusions before purchasing a plan. Many plans put the benefits they do cover very clearly on their page. However, what they don’t cover is a bit more hidden in most cases.
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer service is a vital part of pet insurance. While many companies now have apps where you submit claims, you’ll likely have to deal with customer service eventually. An insurance company isn’t very useful if they don’t answer your phone calls. Therefore, we highly recommend researching the customer service department before committing to a plan.
However, testing a company’s customer service department can be challenging without actually buying a plan. In many cases, you’ll need to rely on reviews like ours to help you determine if a customer service department is suitable or not. After all, the best way to determine if a customer service department is good is to read customer reviews.
Reputation is also important. While reputation doesn’t always directly follow the company’s quality, in many cases, it can hint at whether or not they are a quality company. For this reason, doing plenty of research and checking review sites at all is important.
Claim Repayment
Of course, the whole point of insurance is for your claims to be paid. Often, this is done in several different ways. Most of the time, the companies reimburse you after you pay your vet bills. Therefore, you’d pay your vet upfront and then get money from your insurance company later. In this case, you’ll have to wait for the money to be returned to you.
If you’re waiting for repayment, then the timeline is very important. You don’t want to be waiting for repayment for months. Instead, choosing a company that repays in only a couple of weeks is much better. These do exist, but many others take a while to repay.
In other cases, the company may pay the vet directly. In this situation, you won’t have to have the money set aside to pay the vet in advance. This can be extremely useful for those without a large amount of money set aside. However, this is a rarer way for insurance companies to pay.
Furthermore, most of these companies only allow you to go to certain vets. The vet must usually have software that allows the company to pay them directly or otherwise know how to repay them by filing the claim online. Not all vets fall into this category, which may restrict which ones you can take your pet to.
Price of Policy
How much you pay for the policy each is essential. It doesn’t matter how good a policy is. If it is outside your price range, it won’t be very helpful for you. The monthly price you pay for a policy is called a premium. However, there are several other ways you may pay for a policy in the long run.
- Deductible: How much you must pay before the insurance policy kicks in is the deductible. Often, these are a few hundred dollars, but they can be up to a thousand. You’ll pay this any time you go to the vet, so be sure it is low enough to be within your budget. Raising your deductible often makes your premium go down. However, if you can’t afford your deductible, then the plan won’t be very helpful.
- Reimbursement: Most plans won’t pay 100% of your vet costs after your deductible is met. Usually, the rate varies from 70% to 90%. However, some have 100% reimbursement available (these are usually very expensive). Be sure you can afford your reimbursement rate. Don’t necessarily choose the lowest option because it lowers the premium.
- Maximum Payout: Many plans also have maximum amounts they will pay. Sometimes, this amount is unlimited. However, most of the time, it will be a few thousand dollars. After this max is met, the company won’t pay anymore. Therefore, be sure not to choose a maximum that is too low. Otherwise, you may end up paying larger bills. These amounts can either be lifetime or yearly.
Plan Customization
Plan customization can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, having many customization options allows you to choose the perfect option for you. Being able to pick the deductible, reimbursement, maximum, and from a range of add-ons can help you make your policy yours.
On the other hand, having too many options can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out if your choices are good or not. In these cases, simply having a good policy without as many customization options is better.
If you already have an idea of what choices you want to make, choose a plan you can customize. However, if you’re looking for a plan that works, maybe don’t choose one with so many options.
How much does most pet insurance cost?
Pet insurance varies a lot in cost. Some are as cheap as a few dollars, while others may cost closer to $100. It is hard to say how much your particular plan will cost. Your pet, location, plan choices, and other factors affect the price.
We do highly recommend getting many quotes. Some companies take more factors into account than others. For instance, some change the price greatly with your pet’s age, while others hardly consider age. Therefore, how much you pay will vary from company to company.
What the Users Say
Many customers loved their pet insurance policy. It is one of those things that you don’t need until you really need it. Therefore, many customers thanked their past selves for the idea of getting pet insurance. You may not like the idea of paying an extra cost every month. However, it may save you thousands of dollars later.
Most negative reviews involved poor repayment, claims being denied, or a misunderstanding of what the plan included. Therefore, be sure you read the complete plan to ensure you understand what it includes. Waiting periods are one of the more confusing portions of a plan, so be sure you understand them before purchasing one.
The other negative aspects can be offset by reading reviews of the company before you purchase a plan.
What Pet Insurance Provider is Best for You?
We highly recommend Pumpkin to most people in Alaska. This company has simple plan options that aren’t overwhelming while still working for most people. Plus, they have an average cost, so you don’t have to worry about overpaying. Furthermore, they also offer a comprehensive plan.
If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, Embrace is a good option. While they aren’t necessarily cheaper overall, they do offer many different discounts. Therefore, they can be cheaper for many people.
Hopefully, you found a suitable plan on this page. We recommend getting multiple cost estimates before making a final choice, though.
Featured Image Credit: Ermolaeva Olga 84, Shutterstock
