Best Pet Insurance in Iowa (2022 Guide) – MarketWatch

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In this article: Top Pet Insurance Companies | Types of Pet Insurance | How To Choose | Conclusion | FAQs | Methodology
Whether you and your pup are strolling through Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines or hiking at McCloud Run Park in Cedar Rapids, an accident or illness could strike your pet at any time. A pet insurance policy ensures you can get your pet necessary treatment without worrying about a hefty vet bill.
We at the Home Media reviews team have tirelessly researched and compared the best pet insurance companies based on available coverage, price, customer services, customizations and more. Below, we rounded up the best pet insurance providers in Iowa for you and your furry friend.
 
 
Here are our top providers for pet insurance in Iowa:
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Lemonade tops our list as the provider with the most affordable plan. The provider offers one accident-and-illness policy that covers vet costs related to illnesses and injuries, including diagnostic tests, hospitalization, surgery, emergency care and prescription medications. It does not cover elective procedures, behavioral treatments, spay or neuter surgery, cosmetic procedures or preexisting conditions, including those that show up before the end of the waiting period (two days for accidents and 14 days for illnesses).
Lemonade offers multiple add-ons to its base policy. The preventive care package is available at two levels, each covering wellness exams, up to three annual vaccines, a blood test, heartworm screening, and fecal or internal parasite tests. The more comprehensive of the two options adds flea and tick prevention and routine dental cleaning. Add-on packages are also available for dental illness, physical therapy, end-of-life services and vet visits for illness or injury diagnosis. 
Average premium price: To give you an idea of Lemonade’s pricing, we obtained average monthly premiums for 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with various reimbursement rates, annual deductibles and coverage limits.

Get a quote: Get a free pet insurance quote today by using Lemonade’s online tool.
To learn more: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Spot offers both an accident-only and accident-and-illness plan. The accident-only plan covers your pet’s injuries, broken bones, swallowed objects and toxic ingestions, and the accident-and-illness plan also covers treatments for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, infections, hip dysplasia, heart disease and more.
Spot is our pick for the provider with the most customizable plans. Pet owners can choose from seven coverage limits, five deductibles and three reimbursement levels. Spot also covers exam fees and microchipping, which other providers do not usually include in their standard plans. In addition, Spot offers a preventive care add-on available at two levels, reimbursing up to $250 or $450 for routine care services, such as rabies vaccinations, dental cleanings and wellness exams.
Average premium price: Below are average monthly premiums from Spot based on 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with different reimbursement rates, deductibles and coverage limits:
Get a quote: Get a free, customized quote for your pet by visiting Spot’s website.
To learn more: Spot Pet Insurance Review
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Trupanion provides pet parents with one accident-and-illness plan covering treatments such as diagnostic testing, hospitalization, surgery, prescription medications and prosthetic devices related to a covered pet’s sickness or injury.
Trupanion reimburses 90% of all vet bills and has no annual payout cap. You can also choose your own deductible between $0 and $1,000, which is applied per incident rather than annually. A per-incident deductible means that instead of paying a deductible every year, you’ll only pay a new deductible when your vet diagnoses your pet with a new condition. For example, if your pet has diabetes and needs ongoing medication, you will only pay a deductible for that condition once.
Three add-ons are available for an additional monthly fee. The Recovery and Complementary Care package (RACC) covers alternative therapies, such as hydrotherapy, chiropractic care, rehabilitative therapy and behavior modification. For incidents outside the vet’s office, the Pet Owners Assistance package covers missing-pet advertising and reward costs, boarding fees if you are hospitalized, and third-party property damage your pet causes. Finally, the Breeding Rider covers illnesses and injuries related to breeding, labor and delivery.
Average premium price: We pulled sample quotes from Trupanion based on 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with varying deductibles:
Get a quote: Get a free Trupanion insurance quote for your faithful companion.
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Fetch by The Dodo offers one accident-and-illness policy that covers standard disease and injury treatments, such as surgery, diagnostics and hospitalization. Fetch also uniquely covers sick-visit exam fees, behavioral therapy, alternative therapies, and dental trauma and injury in its base plan.
When purchasing a policy, pet owners can adjust their monthly premiums by choosing from Fetch’s multiple annual coverage limit, deductible and reimbursement rate options. Fetch does not offer wellness or preventive care add-ons.
Average premium price: During our quote analysis, we found that Fetch’s premiums for older pets are higher than its competitors’, which is something to keep in mind if you are looking for coverage for a senior pet. Below are monthly premium averages from Fetch based on 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with different reimbursement rates, annual deductibles and coverage limits:
Get a quote: Check out Fetch’s free quote tool to “fetch” a free pet insurance quote.
To learn more: Fetch by the Dodo Pet Insurance Review
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Embrace has one accident-and-illness plan covering veterinary care related to both illnesses and injuries. Embrace also covers treatment for cancer, dental illness, breed-specific conditions, orthopedic conditions, chronic conditions and more. 
Like all pet health insurance providers, Embrace does not cover preexisting conditions. However, Embrace will make an exception if it is a curable preexisting condition. For example, if a vet diagnosed your pet with a skin condition prior to enrollment, but it remains symptom- and treatment-free for one year, Embrace will cover the condition in the future.
Embrace offers a Wellness Reward plan at three reimbursement levels: $250, $450 or $650. It covers routine care procedures, such as wellness exams, vaccinations, flea, tick and heartworm prevention, grooming, microchipping and more.
Average premium price: Below are monthly premium averages from Embrace based on quotes for 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with varying deductibles, reimbursement levels and coverage limits:
Note: Pets aged 15 years and older are only eligible for enrollment in Embrace’s accident-only policy. 
Get a quote: Get a free insurance quote by filling out Embrace’s online form.
To learn more: Embrace Pet Insurance Review
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: Healthy Paws offers one standard accident-and-illness policy. It covers treatments and services for unexpected injuries or diseases, plus congenital, chronic and hereditary conditions. Additionally, Healthy Paws will cover holistic treatments — including chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture and hydrotherapy — in its standard plan.
Healthy Paws offers two reimbursement levels of 70% or 80% and two deductible options of $250 or $500. If you are enrolling a pet that is aged six years or older, your deductible options increase and reimbursement rates decrease. There is no routine or wellness add-on with Healthy Paws.
Average premium price: Here are examples of monthly rates from Healthy Paws based on sample quotes for 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, using different reimbursement rates and deductible options:
Get a quote: Enter your pet’s information into Healthy Paws’ online form and get a free quote.
To learn more: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review
 
 
Highlights:
Coverage: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance provides pet owners with an Accident-Only Coverage plan and a Complete Coverage plan. The accident-only plan only covers unexpected injuries such as bite wounds, toxic ingestions, broken bones and torn ligaments. ASPCA’s Complete Coverage plan is comparable to an accident-and-illness plan and extends coverage to major and minor illnesses, such as cancer, arthritis and digestive problems; hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions; behavioral issues; alternative therapies; emergency care; microchipping and more.
Neither plan covers preexisting conditions, preventive care, cosmetic procedures or breeding expenses. Pet owners can purchase the Basic or Prime preventive care add-on, which covers up to $250 or $450 annually in services such as dental cleanings, routine wellness exams and vaccines.
Average premium price: We used ASPCA’s online quote tool to compile average pet insurance premiums based on 4-year-old, mixed-breed dogs and cats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with varying deductibles and reimbursement levels:
Get a quote: Visit ASPCA’s website to get a pet insurance quote today.
To learn more: ASPCA Pet Insurance Review
 
 
A pet insurance policy can help when your pet becomes ill or injured. Before enrolling, decide which factors are most important to you — whether it’s price, coverage options or wellness care. For budget-friendly, comprehensive coverage, consider a policy with Lemonade. Spot or ASPCA are good options to explore if you are looking for accident-only coverage.
As each Iowa pet insurance provider has notable features, we recommend researching and retrieving quotes from at least three companies to see which company offers the best price and coverage for your pet.
Here is a quick comparison of the top pet insurance providers in Iowa based on average cost, waiting periods and discounts:
Provider
Get a Quote
Our Score (Out of 100)
Monthly Cost*
Waiting Periods
Multi-pet Discount
Mobile App
Lemonade
Visit Lemonade
90.5
$17.75
2 days for accidents; 14 days for illnesses
10%
✔
Spot
Visit Spot
89
$40.81
14 days for all conditions
10%
✔
Trupanion
Visit Trupanion
78.5
$77.53
5 days for accidents; 30 days for illnesses
None
✔
Fetch
Visit Fetch
89.5
$41.52
15 days for all conditions
None
✔
Embrace
Visit Embrace
90.5
$33.69
2 days for accidents; 14 days for illnesses
10%
✔
Healthy Paws
Visit Healthy Paws
84
$44.80
15 days for accidents and illnesses
None
✔
ASPCA
Visit ASPCA
90
$40.81
14 days for accidents and illnesses
10%
✔
*Each provider’s monthly cost is based on accident-and-illness policy quotes we obtained for a 4-year-old, medium-size, mixed-breed dog in Cedar Rapid, Iowa.
 
 
Providers offer two main coverage types: accident-and-illness and accident-only. Pet insurance providers may also offer add-ons for wellness or preventive care coverage. Here are a few more details about each type of plan:
Three components affect your monthly plan premium: annual coverage limit, reimbursement rate and deductible. 
The annual coverage limit is the total amount your insurance provider will pay out for claims in one year. The higher the limit you choose, the higher your monthly premium will be.
The reimbursement rate is the percentage your provider will cover for each claim. For example, if you have an 80% reimbursement rate and submit a $100 vet bill, your provider will reimburse you $80.
Finally, the deductible is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket before your provider will begin reimbursing you. Most often, deductibles are annual, but they can also be per-condition or per-incident.
 
 
Before choosing a pet insurance provider for your furry family member, keep in mind the following factors: 
 
 
The primary benefit of a pet insurance policy is the peace of mind it brings to pet owners that they can afford necessary treatment. “When it comes to a life-or-death situation, the last thing we want to do is weigh the financial pros and cons, questioning if we’ve saved enough money to keep our beloved pet alive,” said dog trainer Megan Mars, one of our pet experts and the owner of K9ofmine.com. “Pet insurance ensures you never have to make that tough call.” Additionally, when considering the possible out-of-pocket costs for the most common pet conditions, those prices far outweigh annual pet insurance costs.
Yes, you can enroll your pet in a pet insurance policy even if it is already sick. However, because pet insurance providers do not cover preexisting conditions, they will not cover any veterinary costs related to your pet’s current illness. Still, your pet will be covered for any future illnesses or injuries.
Monthly pet insurance premiums can run anywhere from $15 to more than $100 per month. Providers factor your location and your pet’s breed and age into your monthly rate. On average, pet owners can expect to pay between $30 and $50 a month for dog insurance and between $15 and $30 a month for cat insurance.
 
 
Our review of pet insurance companies is based on in-depth industry research that includes reading hundreds of customer reviews, simulating the quote and purchasing process, speaking to representatives on the phone to assess the customer service experience and surveying 1,000 dog and cat owners nationwide to determine the most important elements of pet insurance coverage. We have scored each provider on a 100-point scale based on those elements.
Here are more details about each factor and how they’re weighted:
We use our rating system to compare and contrast each company against key factors to help us determine the best pet insurance companies in the industry. Additionally, we keep our research up to date and revisit our reviews on a regular basis.
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