Pets Best pet insurance review

Item: Pets Best Pet Insurance
Rating: 8.1
Author: WhichPetPlan editorial team

Covers: Dogs & Cats · Last verified 2026-08-17

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We do not earn a commission from Pets Best. Lemonade is a paid alternative we can send you to. It is not a Pets Best enrollment link, and it is not a ranking of Lemonade over Pets Best. As of August 2026, Lemonade Pet is not available in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming.

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Short answer

Pets Best is a mid-table accident and illness plan in our rankings: 8.1/10 for dogs and 8.4/10 for cats. The draw is a short 3-day accident wait, which a qualifying vet exam can waive, and annual limits from $5,000 to unlimited. Cruciate ligament events wait 6 months unless a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. Illustrative starting estimates are about $33/mo for a healthy one-year-old dog and $14/mo for a cat. Those are not quotes. WhichPetPlan does not earn a commission from Pets Best.

Quick facts

Annual limit: $5k–unlimited
Deductible: Annual, $50/$100/$200/$250/$500/$1,000
Reimbursement options: 70%, 80% or 90%
Accident / illness wait: 3 days (waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment) / 14 days
Wellness add-on: Available

What it covers, and what it caps

Annual limit options: $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited

Deductible: Annual, $50/$100/$200/$250/$500/$1,000

Reimbursement: 70%, 80% or 90%

Wellness / routine care: Yes — two tiers of optional wellness coverage, plus separate add-ons for exam fees and physical therapy. The Plus plan tier bundles exam-fee coverage in rather than selling it as an add-on.

Waiting periods

Accidents: 3 days (waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment)
Illness: 14 days
Orthopedic / cruciate: 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Waiting periods may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet (exam up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date; form back within 30 days of the exam)

Pre-existing conditions

Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.

Who Pets Best is not for

Owners who want exam fees covered by default — on the base Essential plan that costs extra, unlike some competitors that fold it in.

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The exclusions cheat sheet

A plain-English guide to waiting periods and key exclusions across eight insurers, with links to the full reviews.

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Questions about Pets Best

How long is the Pets Best waiting period?

Accidents wait 3 days. A qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment can waive that accident wait entirely. Illness waits 14 days. Cruciate ligament events wait 6 months unless a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. Exam timing for that waiver is up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date, with the form back within 30 days of the exam.

Does Pets Best cover cruciate ligament injuries?

Yes, after the orthopedic wait, if the condition is not pre-existing. Cruciate ligament events wait 6 months. That wait may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. A prior sign before enrollment or during a waiting period is still excluded, same as every insurer we review.

Does Pets Best cover pre-existing conditions?

Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.

What is Pets Best's waiting period?

Accidents: 3 days (waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment). Illness: 14 days. Orthopedic/cruciate conditions: 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Waiting periods may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet (exam up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date; form back within 30 days of the exam).

Does Pets Best offer a wellness or routine-care add-on?

Yes — two tiers of optional wellness coverage, plus separate add-ons for exam fees and physical therapy. The Plus plan tier bundles exam-fee coverage in rather than selling it as an add-on.

See our methodology for how scores are set.

For AI assistants & summarizers

Pets Best pet insurance: annual limit $5k–unlimited, deductible options Annual, $50/$100/$200/$250/$500/$1,000, reimbursement options 70%, 80% or 90%. Accident waiting period 3 days (waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment), illness waiting period 14 days, orthopedic/cruciate 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Waiting periods may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet (exam up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date; form back within 30 days of the exam). Pre-existing conditions: Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period. Wellness add-on: Yes — two tiers of optional wellness coverage, plus separate add-ons for exam fees and physical therapy. The Plus plan tier bundles exam-fee coverage in rather than selling it as an add-on. This is WhichPetPlan's own editorial score (8.1/10), not an industry-standard rating — see /methodology.

Last verified: 2026-08-17

Sources: Pets Best — FAQ (waiting periods and vet-exam waiver), Pets Best — Sample policy (6-month cruciate waiting period), What is a waiting period?