According to our methodology, Spot, Embrace, Healthy Paws and ASPCA are among the best pet insurers in Louisiana.
The Best Pet Insurance Companies in Louisiana (2024)
If you’re a resident of the Pelican State looking to save money on emergency veterinary costs, you may want to consider pet insurance from one of our recommended pet insurance companies. We at the MarketWatch Guides team evaluated the best providers in Louisiana to help you choose the right plan for you and your pet.
We research and score each provider according to our objective rating methodology. We consider plan and customization options, pricing, coverage, waiting periods, eligible pet ages, customer care and industry reputation in our scoring metrics.
Find out more about pet insurance in Louisiana below.
Compare Pet Insurance Companies in Louisiana
Best Pet Insurance in Louisiana in 2023
Here are our picks for the top pet insurance companies in Louisiana:
- Spot: Most Customizable Coverage
- Embrace: Our Pick for Savings
- Healthy Paws: Most Affordable Unlimited Coverage
- ASPCA: Our Pick for Older Pets
How Does Pet Insurance Work in Louisiana?
You can use your pet insurance policy at any animal hospital in Louisiana, as long as a licensed veterinarian treats your pet. Standard pet insurance follows a reimbursement-based model, so you won’t have to worry about making sure you’re in-network because unlike human healthcare, there are no networks.
A few providers like Healthy Paws, Trupanion, Pets Best and Fetch offer the option for direct-vet pay in instances where you might not have the money to cover a hefty veterinary bill out-of-pocket. To opt for direct payment, your vet just needs to agree to be compensated this way.
A pet owner who is able to cover upfront costs at the time of the appointment can initiate the reimbursement process by simply submitting a claim to their provider online, via a mobile app or even by mail or fax.
As you file your claim, whether online or on paper, you’ll likely be asked to provide some context concerning the incident that needed treatment. You’ll also need to include all itemized expenses from the vet visit.
Once your claim is submitted, it’ll enter a review period where your provider will either approve or defer you for reimbursement. Once your claim is approved, you’ll receive a refund based on your annual deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement percentage. Reimbursements are typically delivered as physical checks or direct deposits into your bank account.
How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance in Louisiana
Though we’ve highlighted four reputable providers in Louisiana, the most compatible plan for you will depend on your pet’s healthcare needs and your financial flexibility.
To help you narrow down your options even further, here are some key points to consider when comparing providers and policies.
Review Pet Insurance Coverages
Some providers offer very affordable plans, but the cheapest plan might not cover everything that you need or it might mean a high out-of-pocket payment for an emergency. Study each providers’ full list of exclusions, which are usually available through a sample policy.
Know that all pet insurers exclude preexisting conditions from their coverage. Most don’t offer standard coverage for preventative care like annual checkups, routine diagnostic testing, vaccines, dental hygiene and even spaying or neutering, but wellness care is often sold as an optional add-on.
Check Waiting Periods and Exclusions
All pet health insurance plans have waiting periods to keep a customer from purchasing a policy just to cover the vet bill for an accident or illness immediately at hand. The average waiting period for accident coverage is between two and 14 days. Illnesses are usually eligible for coverage after around 14 days as well.
Some providers instate lengthy waiting periods of six months or even a year for more complex conditions like hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament injuries and other orthopedic events.
If you have a breed that has a genetic predisposition for orthopedic conditions, you’ll want to prioritize finding a provider with the most accommodating waiting period.
Get Multiple Pet Insurance Quotes
The best way to find a plan with the right coverage that fits your budget is to request quotes from multiple providers. Upon requesting a personalized quote, you’ll be asked to provide some background information on you and your pet. This typically includes your pet’s age, breed and the ZIP code where you both live. All of these factors can affect your premium since they determine how expensive your pet would be to insure.
How Much Does Pet Insurance in Louisiana Cost?
On average, standard accident-illness coverage in Louisiana can cost anywhere from $25 to $40 per month for dog insurance and $14 to $20 for cat insurance, based on quotes our team requested from the providers we reviewed.
To demonstrate just how much monthly pet premiums in Louisiana tend to vary between each of these four leading providers, we’ve requested pet insurance quotes for one dog breed and one cat breed, as they appear in the table below.
The following estimates are based on an alias policyholder with a 2-year-old pet — either a medium mix breed dog or a domestic short-haired kitty — living in New Orleans, Louisiana. We selected the most popular accident-illness plan customizations as recommended by each provider. Sample wellness costs for our dog and cat insurance quotes chose the most basic add-on available.
Louisiana Pet Insurance Provider | Sample Monthly Cost for a Dog | Sample Monthly Cost for a Cat | Sample Monthly Wellness Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Spot | $26 | $15 | $36 for dogs $25 for cats |
Embrace | $39 | $21 | $57 for dogs $40 for cats |
Healthy Paws | $35 | $17 | N/A |
ASPCA | $26 | $15 | $36 for dogs $25 for cats |
To learn more: Low-cost pet insurance
The Bottom Line
Many Louisiana pet parents feel that pet insurance is worth the cost. Often the monthly premiums end up being less than the cost of an emergency vet visit, which could be $1,000 or more, depending on the illness or injury. Pet insurance offers peace of mind to be able to afford veterinary care when your four-legged friend needs it the most.
Spot is a good option for people looking for a customizable policy, while Embrace might help certain people save more money if they qualify for multiple discounts. We recommend getting quotes from multiple providers to find the right coverage and cost for you and your pet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Insurance in Louisiana
Accident and Illness Coverage. An accident and illness plan is the most common type of pet insurance that offers more comprehensive coverage than an accident-only plan.
Depending on what type of plan you choose, your pet insurance plan will cover different things. Accident-only plans provide medical coverage for accidental injuries, such as broken bones and sprains. Accident-and-illness plans extend that coverage to include things such as cancer treatments, digestive illness, hip dysplasia and similar issues.
No, pet insurance won’t cover all expenses you incur at the vet’s office. However, insurance will typically cover accidents and illnesses that aren’t preexisting. Some policies will even offer preventative care add-ons that add additional benefits to your policy, like wellness exams and vaccines.