Pet Insurance Reimbursement Rates: 70% vs 80% vs 90% Compared

How Reimbursement Rates Actually Work

The reimbursement rate is the percentage of your pet's eligible veterinary costs that the insurer pays after you have met your deductible. Pick 80% and an $800 deductible on a $2,000 covered bill works like this: you pay the first $800 out of pocket, leaving $1,200 of covered cost, of which the insurer reimburses 80% ($960) and you keep 20% ($240). Your total out-of-pocket on that claim: $1,040. At 90% the insurer returns $1,080; at 70%, $840. The rate changes who eats the tail risk on every claim for the life of the policy.

Two boundaries matter. First, the rate applies only to covered costs — exclusions like pre-existing conditions never reach the reimbursement math. Second, it applies up to your annual limit; once claims exhaust a $5,000 cap, nothing further is paid regardless of your rate. And note the mechanics vary slightly by insurer on whether the deductible comes out before or after the percentage is applied, so read your sample policy — but either way, a higher rate means more money back per claim.

Who Offers What

Six of the eight insurers we review offer all three standard tiers. Healthy Paws, Lemonade, Embrace, Spot, Pets Best, and Fetch each list 70%, 80%, or 90%. Two exceptions define the edges of the market. Trupanion fixes its reimbursement at 90%, so you cannot lower that rate to change its premium. Request a current quote to see what the policy costs for your pet. Figo goes the other direction, offering 70%, 80%, 90%, and a 100% tier — the only insurer here with full reimbursement — though 100% is only available paired with a $500 or $750 deductible and not with its unlimited-annual-limit plan.

That Figo restriction is instructive: unlimited payout plus maximum reimbursement is the combination insurers price hardest against. If you want both, expect to give something up elsewhere.

70 vs. 80 vs. 90: Which Should You Pick?

Frame it as insurance-on-insurance. The monthly premium difference between a 70% and 90% policy varies by pet, location, and plan. Compare current quotes against the claim-time difference: on a four-figure emergency bill, 90% versus 70% is hundreds of dollars back in your pocket on that single event. If a large unexpected bill would strain your budget, the higher rate functions as protection on top of protection, and the extra premium buys down your worst-case share.

If instead you have cash reserves and mainly want catastrophic coverage, 70% with a higher deductible may lower the premium; check current quotes to see how much. Many owners land pragmatically in the middle at 80% — meaningful cost sharing without the full 90% premium. There is no universally right answer; the right answer is whichever share of a big bill you could absorb without changing treatment decisions. Be honest about that number before choosing.

Honest Verdict

For most owners comparing plans, pick 80% unless the premium quotes for 70% and 90% at your chosen carrier push you clearly one way. The catch to name: a high reimbursement rate feels generous until you meet the annual limit or hit an exclusion — the rate only multiplies what the policy covers, not what you hoped it would cover. Check limits and exclusions first, then optimize the rate. And if maximum payback genuinely matters to you, Figo's 100% tier exists but is fenced off from its unlimited-limit plan; Trupanion fixes reimbursement at 90%. Check current quotes for the cost of either design.

Reimbursement FAQ

Related

• Annual Limits Explained →
• How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost? →
• Figo Pet Insurance Review →