Pet Insurance in California: Compare the Best Pet Insurance Companies and Most Affordable Quotes

The best pet insurance in California could save you thousands of dollars if your pet needs veterinary care. Plus, it can provide peace of mind that your pets will be covered in an emergency. Some plans even cover preventative care to ensure your pets are in good health.

We gathered data from pet insurance companies in California that serve the state’s top cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and more. This analysis helped us determine the cost of pet insurance in California as well as additional perks and benefits to help you find the best coverage to meet your furry friend’s needs.

MoneyGeek analyzed thousands of quotes in California, including reviewing policy and coverage details to determine the best pet insurance companies in California. The best pet insurance companies were determined based on affordability and product offerings. Pet insurance costs can vary depending on the breed, age, and medical history of your pets. As a result, it’s a good idea to compare quotes from multiple providers in order to ensure you’re getting the best policy for your budget and needs.

Pet insurance in California varies depending on your location, your coverage levels and your pet’s age and breed. The average cost to insure a dog in California is $30.82 per month for a $5,000 coverage limit, $54.12 per month for a $10,000 coverage limit, and $71.39 per month for an unlimited coverage limit. Cats are typically less expensive to insure, costing $16.54 per month for a $5,000 coverage limit, $27.41 for a $10,000 coverage limit, and $42.35 per month for unlimited coverage on average.

Aside from the coverage limit, how old your pet is, how high your deductible is and whether or not you choose any extra features or treatments also impact the cost. Since every insurer weighs these factors differently, it’s a good idea to get a few personalized quotes before deciding on a policy.

MoneyGeek wants to help pet owners in California understand the typical options most companies in California offer in their pet insurance policies. These include:

• Annual reimbursement limits: Ranges from $3k to Unlimited
• Deductible: $250 to $500, but some companies have higher or lower options
• Bill Reimbursement percentage: 70-90%

Some pet owners in California will be looking for cheaper policies with lower coverage amounts so they can either manage their monthly expenses or because they don’t feel like they need as much insurance coverage. However, other pet owners in California will be looking for policies with high coverage limits to ensure their pet has enough coverage. Policies with higher coverage limits typically are more expensive, and the average pet owner may not need “unlimited” protection. That said, these policies offer maximum protection for your furry family member. MoneyGeek generally recommends the average coverage amount below for pet insurance shoppers in California.

If you’re trying to keep your costs low, consider a plan with a low annual maximum, high deductible and low reimbursement percentage. In the below table, we’ve compared California pet insurance policies with a $5,000 coverage limit, $500 deductible, and 80% reimbursement.

In addition to individual factors like your pet’s age and breed, where you live can also influence how much pet insurance costs. This is because treatment costs may be more expensive in your location. For example, many cities in California have a higher-than-average cost of living, which means higher veterinary medical costs and higher policy costs as a result. Some cities may also have more accident risks for your pets due to weather, traffic or other hazards. This can also raise your premiums. The type and level of coverage you choose can also impact your monthly pet insurance payments.

The cost of pet insurance is determined by a variety of factors, including what kind of pet you have, your pet’s age, what coverage you choose, where you live and more. Most policies allow you to customize your coverage limits to create a policy that works for you and your pet.

MoneyGeek believes that data helps us make better financial decisions. For pet insurance, our data team spent countless hours gathering thousands of pet insurance quotes across the 13 largest providers to ensure you find the most affordable policy to meet your pet’s needs.

To determine the best pet insurance companies in California, MoneyGeek built a detailed rating system by analyzing each company’s product offerings and costs. For the MoneyGeek rating score, we weighted affordability by coverage level at 50% of the total score and weighted our 24 qualitative research policy option data points at 50%.

To determine the cheapest pet insurance companies in California and to determine our affordability scores for our best rankings, MoneyGeek gathered quotes by company across many zip codes in California for four pet types with the following coverage levels:

• Low Coverage: $5,000 Coverage, $500 Deductible, 80% reimbursement
• Average Coverage: $10,000 Coverage, $250 Deductible, 80% reimbursement
• High Coverage: Unlimited Coverage, $250 Deductible, 90% reimbursement