November 2, 2024
The Best Pet Insurance Companies in California (2023 Review)

Wagmo: Most Wellness Plan Options

To learn more: Wagmo Pet Insurance Review

 


 

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Pet Insurance Companies in California

Our review of pet insurance companies is based on in-depth industry research that includes reading hundreds of customer reviews, scoping quote and purchasing processes by secret shopping, 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 this final score by 20 to calculate an overall star rating out of 5.0 stars.

Here are more details about each factor and how it’s weighted:

  • Monthly pricing (25 points): 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): 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): 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): We reviewed up-to-date ratings and accreditation information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and scored companies on their years of industry experience and 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. To learn more, read our full pet insurance methodology for reviewing and scoring providers.

 


 

Jessica Wimmer is a veteran writer and content producer with experience in the home, pet insurance and tech industries. She’s a Pushcart Prize nominee and Write Well Award winner who has been published in ​​Deep South magazine, The Dead Mule Journal of Southern Literature and the Deep Water Literary Journal. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English and had a previous life as an English teacher.

Amanda Lutz has been working as an editor, writer and content strategist for almost a decade. In that time, she has contributed to over 15 highly regarded publications covering home services and wellness, focusing on insurance products, lawn care and pest control. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys riding her Vespa around East Nashville, remodeling her 1960s home and songwriting at her grandmother’s piano.