Though well-recognized for its home and auto insurance, Allstate also offers comprehensive pet health insurance. It partners with Embrace, an established pet insurance provider with nearly two decades of experience, to offer this coverage.
We at the Home Media reviews team have researched the best pet insurance companies across the United States and compared Allstate’s plans, pricing and customer reviews.
Pros and Cons of Allstate
+ Offers a 10% discount for each additional pet you insure and 5% for military members
+ Reduces your deductible $50 each year you don’t file a claim
+ Includes dental coverage in its standard plan
– Doesn’t cover pets 14 years or older
– Restricts coverage for hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia
Allstate’s Plans and Coverage
Allstate offers one plan covering accidents and illnesses through Embrace. This includes coverage for the following care:
- Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy and homeopathic medicine
- Behavioral therapy
- Cancer and chemotherapy services
- Chronic and recurring conditions, such as allergies, diabetes and hyperthyroidism
- Dental illnesses up to $1,000 per year
- Exam and consultation fees
- Follow-up care, including rehabilitation
- Genetic conditions
- Lab work and diagnostic testing, including X-rays and MRIs
- Prescription medications
- Prosthetic limbs, devices and mobility aids
- Specialist and emergency care
- Surgery, hospitalization and nursing care
- Treatments for diseases and accidents
Note that genetic and breed-specific conditions are covered only if your pet has not shown symptoms related to the condition prior to enrollment.
Allstate also partners with Embrace to offer an optional Wellness Rewards plan you can add to your base policy for preventive care. This covers the following treatments and services for an additional monthly fee:
- Activity monitors
- Anal gland expression
- Cremation or burial
- Fecal and routine blood testing
- Flea, tick and heartworm meds
- Grooming
- Massage
- Medicated shampoos
- Microchipping
- Prescription diet food
- Routine veterinary visits
- Spaying and neutering
- Teeth cleanings
- Training classes
- Vaccinations
Allstate’s Exclusions
Allstate has similar exclusions to other pet insurance providers, including the following:
- Cosmetic and elective procedures, such as tail docking, ear cropping and declawing when not medically necessary
- Elective vitamins, supplements, pet foods and personal care items such as shampoo
- Fees related to pregnancy, breeding or whelping
- Orthodontic or endodontic procedures, such as root canals or crowns
- Preexisting conditions, including genetic and breed-specific conditions
Plan Customizations
You can customize your Allstate policy by adjusting your deductible, annual limit and reimbursement rate. The company offers as many — if not more — customization options than competitors.
Here’s what you can choose from:
- Deductibles: $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000
- Annual limits: $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000
- Reimbursement rates: 70%, 80%, 90%
It may seem like a con that Allstate doesn’t offer an unlimited annual coverage option. However, it’s rare that a pet will require such a high volume of coverage in its lifetime, so unlimited coverage sometimes means paying for coverage you’ll never use. Consider your pet’s breed, chronic conditions, genetic dispositions and what kind of care you want to determine how much insurance is reasonable to pay for.
Allstate’s Wellness Reward add-on reimburses 100% of vet bills for preventive care up to your selected annual limit: $250, $450 or $650.
Allstate’s Premiums
Your monthly premium depends on your pet’s breed, age and location. We recommend getting a quote by entering your and your pet’s details on Allstate’s online quote tool. Below are sample monthly premium quotes we gathered for an Allstate pet insurance policy with an 80% reimbursement rate, $10,000 annual limit and $300 deductible.
Allstate Reviews
We read more than 100 customer reviews from Allstate customers to gauge their satisfaction with the provider. Though the company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), its reviews are largely negative. Common complaints included a lengthy and challenging claims process and trouble canceling policies. Other customers cited positive experiences when reaching out to customer service for help.
We reached out to Allstate about the negative reviews but did not receive a response.
Here are a few Allstate customer reviews from the BBB and Trustpilot:
“They have always handled my account with knowledge and have always been patient with me. They have answered my questions any time that I called them.” —Linda Jordan via Trustpilot
“Allstate is very hard to work with if you have to file a claim. They will do anything they can to get out of covering it.” —Bryan Smith via BBB
“I’ve been called and have received quotes from several companies, and no one has beaten their price.” –Charles Hollis via Trustpilot
*BBB ratings are current as of December 2022.
Allstate vs. Competitors
Here’s how Allstate compares to other top pet insurance providers. See our methodology for rating companies below.
The Bottom Line: Allstate
Satisfied Allstate customers praise its affordable plans and knowledgeable service reps. Those with complaints cite difficulty getting reimbursed for claims and having their policy terms honored.
We suggest getting an online quote from Allstate to see what your plan premium will be according to your preferred customizations, as well as calling to speak with a representative about any questions or concerns to get a feel for the company’s customer service. We recommend requesting quotes from at least three pet insurance companies to compare coverage and pricing.
Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Pet Insurance Companies
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 scored each provider on a 100-point scale based on those elements. We then divided the points earned for each provider’s final score on a 5-point scale.
Here are more details about each factor and how they’re weighted:
- Monthly pricing (25 points): How much each company charges for its pet insurance plans is an important part of a customer’s decision. The best pet insurance companies combine comprehensive coverage and plan options with affordable rates.
- Plans (15 points): The top pet insurance companies offer accident and illness plans, accident-only plans and wellness or preventive care add-ons to give customers the option to choose a plan that’s best for their pet.
- Covered treatments (15 points): With this factor, we scored companies based on the treatments and procedures they cover. Companies with a breadth of included treatments and unique coverages received more points than providers with more standard or general policies.
- Customization options (10 points): Customizing your policy is a valuable way to ensure you only pay for what your pet needs. Providers with more annual-limit, deductible and reimbursement-rate options earned the highest scores.
- Customer care (10 points): We scored companies on their website accessibility and overall usability, customer service availability, mobile apps (if any), money-back guarantees and veterinarian telehealth options, awarding points to the insurers with more customer experience offerings.
- Industry reputation (10 points): To determine each company’s industry reputation, we reviewed up-to-date ratings and accreditation information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and scored companies on their years of experience in the industry and their state availability.
- Waiting periods (10 points): Companies with shorter accident, illness and orthopedic waiting periods between the sign-up and coverage start date scored higher than companies with longer waiting periods.
- Eligible age (5 points): Some companies don’t offer policies for pets that are over a certain age. We deducted points from providers that have age limits for covered pets.
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.
