You invest in the rest of your family’s health, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your pets? Pet insurance plans in Hawaii can help you prepare for expensive vet bills and make sure your pet always gets the right kind of care.
Best Pet Insurance in Hawaii:
- High-Quality Pet Insurance: Spot Pet Insurance
- Best for Building Your Own Plan: Progressive
- Best for Traditional Pet Insurance: Pumpkin Pet Insurance
- Best for Pet Education: PetFirst
Pet Insurance in Hawaii: An Overview
Pet insurance in Hawaii can cover a lot of bills. Check out the statistics.
According to the Humane Society:
- 60% of Oahu households have pets.
- 43% of Oahu households have dogs.
- There are more than 300,000 pets in Oahu.
Amount spent on pet bills annually (U.S. average):
- Dog owners can expect to spend between $200 and $400 per year for routine vet visits.
- Cat owners can expect to spend between $90 and $200 per year for routine vet visits.
- Emergency or specialty visits for pets can cost you an additional $50 to $1,000 per year.
The average annual pet insurance costs in the U.S. with accident and illness coverage is $473 for dogs and $285 for cats.
What Does Pet Insurance Typically Cover?
Like regular health insurance, coverage options vary between Hawaii’s pet insurance plans and providers. Many pet insurance plans might cover some accidents and routine illnesses and others might be used only in the event of emergencies or unexpected visits. It’s important to shop around and compare plans before you decide on the right one for your pet.
You can expect most forms of pet insurance in Hawaii to cover:
- Illnesses. Your pet may come down with any type of illness, ranging from small infections to more serious issues like thyroid problems, allergies, digestive issues or cancer. If your pet isn’t acting normally or seems under the weather, your vet may prescribe antibiotics, bloodwork or recommend testing to figure out what’s going on.
- Accidents. You never know when an accident is going to strike. Your dog might swallow something dangerous or your cat may take a tumble off a tall bookshelf. Accidents can be scary and may even require you to bring your pet to an emergency animal care center. Your pet might end up needing an ultrasound, X-ray, surgery, fluids or other emergency care services.
- Holistic care. If your pet has an accident or experiences an illness, holistic care might be recommended to minimize your pet’s stress and pain. Hydrotherapy, acupuncture and holistic medicines and herbs might be prescribed for your pet. If you’re open to alternative therapies, make sure you find a pet insurance plan that covers these services.
- Hereditary disorders. Many pets are born with hereditary disorders that might not show up until later in life. Common hereditary disorders include diabetes, kidney trouble and hip dysplasia. If you have a pet breed prone to genetic disorders, shop for a pet insurance policy that offers this type of coverage.
- Prescription drugs. Your pet might need prescriptions for treating simple infections to help maintain diabetes or other disorders. Prescription drug coverage will help lower your costs for these important medications.
- Additional issues. Some pets struggle with behavioral issues. Problems like anxiety, stress, excessive licking and even aggression can be diagnosed by your vet and holistic therapies or medications might be recommended.
What Pet Insurance Doesn’t Cover
Pet insurance can help you afford most veterinary services, but it won’t cover everything. Preventive care like routine checkups, vaccinations, flea medication and annual appointments are not always covered by pet insurance policies.
Additional services like paying for a trainer or additional physical therapy, for instance, are often not covered. Preexisting medical conditions (problems that existed before you purchased pet insurance) are also not always covered or may have a waiting period before your insurance benefits kick in.
How Pet Insurance Works
All pet insurance policies in Hawaii require you to pay a monthly premium in order to have access to your benefits. Some might require a waiting period before you can start using your policy.
There are many different types of pet insurance plans, but the most common type works on a claims basis. This means you’re expected to pay 100% of the costs upfront. After you file a claim (an itemized receipt from your visit), you’ll receive a reimbursement for a predetermined amount. This is typically a percentage of your visit.
In most cases, you’ll also have a deductible you have to meet before your insurance benefits start. For instance, let’s say your deductible is $1,000 and hasn’t been met. Your vet bill comes to $1,500. When you enter your claim, your deductible is met and the remaining $500 will be eligible for a reimbursement percentage.
Another type of pet insurance plan, which is less common, is a direct pay plan, which offers an upfront method for discounting or paying your bill, rather than reimbursing you later. You’ll need to make sure your vet accepts your type of vet insurance to get these discounts.
Some plans might also put a cap on how much coverage they’ll pay for each year, so be sure to review your plan’s details ahead of time.
The Best Pet Insurance in Hawaii
There are so many different types of pet insurance policies and a variety of different benefits to consider! It can be hard to find the best pet insurance plan for your pet. We’ve reviewed the top 8 pet insurance companies in Hawaii and grouped them into different categories.
- Prescription food and supplements
1. High-Quality Pet Insurance: Spot Pet Insurance
Spot Pet Insurance is the No. 1 pet insurance provider recommended by Cesar Millan, the leading expert in dog behavior. Some insurance highlights:
- Up to 90% reimbursement on eligible vet bills
- No age cap on coverage
- Plans start as low as $1 a day* — that’s less than a cup of coffee!
You can customize your coverage and can even add special Spot-On coverage. Coverage options include accidents, behavioral issues, dental disease, illnesses, preventive services and even hereditary and congenital conditions.
Spot’s claims service is easy. Just visit your vet (don’t forget to give your pet a treat on the way out!), send Spot the bill and get reimbursed.
Take 30 seconds to fetch your free quote now.
*Rates vary based on plan type, species, breed, age and location
- Bundling with other insurance products
2. Best for Building Your Own Plan: Progressive
Every pet has different needs. You may be more interested in a low deductible or high coverage plan. Progressive lets you build the plan you need by choosing your deductible and reimbursement percentage. You can also opt in and out of the benefits that are most important to you.
Progressive also offers a discount on policies if you have more than 1 enrolled pet.
- Families with multiple pets
3. Best for Traditional Pet Insurance: Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Pumpkin offers traditional pet insurance for dogs and cats. You'll find coverage for a wide range of treatments and optional preventive care coverage. Pumpkin Pet Insurance’s policies always come with a 90% reimbursement rate.
When you get your free quote, Pumpkin will outline any exclusions clearly.
Pumpkin’s customer service team can be reached by:
- Calling 1-866-ARF-MEOW, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST
- Emailing help@pumpkin.care
Pumpkin also plans to add a customer service chat feature soon.
- Immediate Coverage
4. Best for Pet Education: PetFirst
Do you want to learn more about how to keep your pet healthy and happy? You’ll find robust online resources including educational topics, blog articles and a helpful FAQ section on PetFirst’s site. PetFirst also offers flexible plans so you choose the benefits that are most important to you.
Another benefit to PetFirst’s plans is that you won’t have a long waiting period before your benefits kick in. Your service typically starts the day after you buy a policy.
Keep Your Pet Happy and Healthy in Hawaii
Your pet deserves the best — invest in pet insurance to keep your best friend happy and healthy. Shop around for the benefits that are most important to you and be sure to talk to your vet before you commit to a plan.