Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023: In the event that your companion is injured or becomes ill, a pet insurance policy can prevent costly veterinary bills. A variety of accidents and ailments can be covered by policies. Many insurers also offer optional wellness coverage to assist in meeting your pet’s long-term health care requirements.
Pet owners in Florida have numerous options when it comes to finding an affordable policy that meets the needs of their furry companions.
What is the best Florida pet insurance?
Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023: Based on our research of the top pet insurance companies in Florida for 2023, Spot Pet Insurance ranked first. Lemonade is ranked second, while Trupanion and Embrace are tied for third. Pets Best and Healthy Paws are tied for fifth place on our list.
Along with the majority of pet insurers, Spot only covers canines and cats. Those with exotic pets, such as birds and reptiles, may wish to investigate the policies offered by the seventh-ranked company in our ranking, Nationwide, which provides coverage for avian and exotic pets. The No. 8-ranked ASPCA Pet Insurance insures horses.
Spot Pet Insurance offers policies that cover both accidents and diseases, as well as policies that cover only accidents. Accident-and-illness policies cover examination fees, treatments for a variety of illnesses, and certain dental procedures, such as tooth extractions, necessitated by an accident.
The accident-only plan covers surgery or hospital stays related to accidents, as well as physician visits due to the ingestion of foreign objects or toxins. In addition, it covers injuries, lacerations, bites, and fractures.
Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023: Spot consumers have the option of selecting plans with no annual coverage limits. There are also policies with predetermined coverage limits between $2,500 and $10,000.
Preventive care is not covered by the company’s baseline plans, but there are add-ons available. The Gold Preventive Care package reimburses $250 annually for wellness coverage, while the Platinum Preventive Care package reimburses $450 annually.
After taking their pets to a licensed veterinarian, clinic, or specialist, Spot policyholders can register a claim online to be reimbursed by the insurer. The claims procedure can be completed on the organization’s website.
Learn more in our ranking of the Best Pet Insurance Companies of 2023.
Is there a waiting period associated with Spot’s pet insurance?
There is a 14-day waiting period before coverage begins with Spot. Conditions that arise during a required waiting period are deemed preexisting and are not covered.
What is not covered by Spot’s pet insurance?
Spot plans exclude coverage for preexisting conditions. Conditions that occur during the policy’s waiting period and daycare/boarding are also excluded. Basic plans do not include preventive care, but two levels of wellness coverage are available as add-ons.
Our Ranking of the Best Pet Insurance Companies in Florida
- Spot
- Lemonade
- Trupanion
- Embrace
- Pets Best
- Healthy Paws
- Nationwide
- ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
- Figo
- Fetch by the Dodo
How Much Does Florida Pet Insurance Cost?
Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023: Many factors, including your pet’s age, location, and the quantity of coverage you purchase, determine the cost of pet insurance. The pricing examples throughout this article were derived from a sample policy.
The premiums for insuring a small mixed-breed dog and a domestic shorthair cat residing in Jacksonville, Florida were calculated using the sample policy. We used the policy — with a $250 deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate — to calculate premiums for the two pets, aged 2 and 6, with a $250 deductible. Our sample policy resulted in higher premiums for older dogs.
A 2-year-old dog would cost an average of $14.03 per month to insure with a $5,000 annual coverage limit and $19.95 per month with no annual limit. For a 6-year-old dog, the sample rates are $19.66 per month for $5,000 in coverage and $29.97 per month for unlimited coverage.
A policy for a two-year-old domestic shorthair cat would cost $11.23 per month and have a $5,000 maximum value. The monthly premium for a policy with no annual limit would be $15.97. The monthly premiums for a $5,000-limit plan and an unlimited-limit plan would be $15.74 and $22.39, respectively, for a 6-year-old cat.
Your rates will vary based on a variety of factors, including those listed above. Remember that comparison shopping is the best way to discover the right insurance plan for your pet.
Expense contrast
We examined the insurance rates for canines and cats in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas, including Jacksonville. Jacksonville, Florida had some of the most affordable rates among the cities we evaluated.
The cheapest rate we found for this companion was $14.03 per month for a policy to insure a small, 2-year-old, mixed-breed dog in Jacksonville with a $5,000 limit. Minneapolis had the second-lowest sample rate, at $14.57 per month.
In Seattle, a $5,000-limit policy for the same dog would cost $37.85 per month at the maximum rate in our study. New York City, which had the second-highest sample premium in our ranking, was also relatively pricey. A policy with the same level of coverage would cost $34.11 per month for the same companion.
Insurance costs for cats are less than those for canines. Insuring a two-year-old domestic shorthair cat in Jacksonville with a $5,000 limit costs $11.23 per month. This is the lowest sample rate of the twenty cities we analyzed. Indianapolis had the second-lowest monthly sample rate: $11.49.
What is the most expensive? New York City, where the same level of coverage would cost $30.52 per month for the same animal. The next highest rate was in Seattle, where the same plan would cost an average of $24.92 per month to cover the same companion.
The deductible on our sample policy is $250, and the reimbursement rate is 90%.
The cost of dog pet insurance
To insure a small, 2-year-old mixed-breed dog in Jacksonville for $5,000, we discovered a sample rate of $14.03 per month. The monthly cost to insure the same creature with unlimited coverage is $19.95.
Insurance for senior pets is more costly. A 6-year-old dog in Jacksonville costs $19.66 per month for a policy with a $5,000 limit and a $5,000 maximum benefit. A plan with no annual coverage limit for the same companion costs an average of $27.97 per month.
Dog insurance in metropolitan areas of the United States
We used a sample policy with a $250 deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate to determine the average monthly premiums for dog insurance in 20 of the largest cities in the United States.
The rates we discovered for insuring a small, 2-year-old mixed-breed dog varied greatly by region.
In Jacksonville, Florida, we discovered the most affordable premium: $14.03 per month, on average, for a policy with a $5,000 annual coverage limit. In Minneapolis, the next-lowest sample rate for the same companion at the same level of coverage was $14.57.
The sample rate for insuring the same companion was highest in Seattle, where our sample policy was applied. A policy with a $5,000 limit would cost an average of $37.85 per month. This is only marginally more expensive than the second-most expensive monthly average rate we discovered, which was in New York City. In New York, the cost to insure a small, 2-year-old mixed-breed dog with a $5,000 liability limit is $34.11 per month.
Top communities in Florida for dog ownership
Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023: Two Florida cities made our list of the Top 50 U.S. Cities to Own a Dog, with one ranking near the top. In our ranking, Tampa ranked second and Jacksonville ranked 46th.
The top city in the United States for dog owners, according to our ranking? This honor belongs to Portland, Oregon. New York City ranked third, San Francisco ranked fourth, and Seattle ranked fifth.
The ranking considered weather, the availability of dog-related services such as pet-sitting and dog-walking, the number of dog parks in a city, and the accessibility of veterinarians. It also assigned walkability scores to the rated cities, which measured the proportion of duties that can be completed on foot rather than by car.
Due in part to the city’s abundance of dog facilities, Tampa performed well in the ranking. It was negatively affected by the average number of days with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and its walkability score.
The cost of cat pet insurance
Top Pet Insurance in Florida in 2023:Our sample policy found that a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat in Jacksonville, Florida would cost $11.23 per month for $5,000 in coverage. On average, a no-limit policy would cost $15.97 per month to insure the same animal.
Insurance policies for senior pets are more expensive. A plan with a $5,000 annual limit for a 6-year-old cat in Jacksonville has an average monthly premium of $15.74, while a plan with no annual limit costs $22.39 per month for the same companion.
Cat insurance in metropolitan areas of the United States
In Jacksonville, Florida, a $5,000 limit policy would cost an average of $11.23 per month for a two-year-old domestic shorthair cat. $11.49 per month was the second-cheapest rate among the 20 cities included in our study.
New York City produced the highest sample rate for a $5,000 cat insurance policy. Our sample policy there would average $30.52 per month in premiums. Additionally, Seattle has high sample rates for insuring the same companion at the same coverage level. The monthly average premium is $24.92 per month.
Our sample policy includes a $250 deductible and a 90 percent reimbursement rate.
Statutes governing Pets in Florida
Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, mandates that owners keep their pets on a tether in public or on private property. Also necessary: Four-month-old or older dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies. These animals must be registered as well.
With a few exceptions, Jacksonville prohibits animals from being at large or unrestrained. Exceptions include canines performing law enforcement work and dogs in off-leash areas such as dog parks under the supervision of their owners. Dogs, cats, and ferrets older than four months must be vaccinated against rabies in the city.
Our Comprehensive Methodology for Comparing Local Pet Insurance
This section describes our comprehensive approach to researching and analyzing pet insurance in order to assist consumers.
1. We researched the companies and products that are most important to consumers.
U.S. News analyzed and compared a variety of publicly accessible data, including internet search data, to determine which pet insurance companies and agencies are the most popular among Americans. We identified 24 companies and agencies that stand out in terms of search volume and consumer research, as well as across the various rating sources. After conducting a comprehensive analysis, we were able to reduce the initial list to the 10 Best Pet Insurance Companies overall. After identifying the companies and organizations, we conducted extensive research on their features to develop a general outline of what consumers should know to make informed purchasing decisions.
Monthly costs are for a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog, a 6-year-old mixed-breed dog, a 2-year-old domestic shorthair, and a 6-year-old domestic shorthair, with a $250 annual deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate, respectively.
2. Based on an analysis of third-party reviews, we constructed objective 360 Overall Ratings.
The 360 Reviews team at U.S. News utilized an objective methodology that incorporates professional and consumer reviews.
Our scoring methodology is based on a synthesis of evaluations and reviews published by reputable professional and consumer review sources. The ratings do not reflect the opinions or experiences of U.S. News employees. To determine the ratings:
a) We compiled two categories of ratings and reviews from third parties:
- Professional Evaluations and Evaluations. Numerous independent pet insurance evaluators have published their assessments of pet insurance providers and their respective policies. Several of these third-party assessments are deemed credible and well-researched by our team. However, professional evaluators frequently make contradictory recommendations. Instead of relying on a single source, U.S. News considers and analyzes these opinions and recommendations collectively using an objective, consensus-based methodology.
- Consumer Evaluations and Evaluations. Additionally, U.S. News evaluated published consumer evaluations and reviews of pet insurance providers and agencies. Our scoring model included sources with a sufficient number of quality consumer ratings and evaluations.
Please note that not all professional and consumer rating sources satisfied our objectivity requirements. Therefore, we excluded some sources from our model.
b) We standardized the inputs in order to create a standardized scale.
- The data from third-party review sources were gathered in a variety of formats, including ratings, recommendations, and praise. Before incorporating each third-party data point into our scoring formula, we had to standardize it so that it could be precisely compared to data points from other review sources. To convert these systems to a comparable scale, we used the scoring methodology described below.
- The 360 scoring procedure began by converting each third-party rating to a standard 0 to 5-point scale. To equalize the distribution of scores within each source’s scale, we calculated the standard deviation (or Z-Score) of each company and agency’s score relative to the source’s mean score. Using the Z-Score, we then created a standardized U.S. News score as described below:
- Obtaining the Z-score: The Z-Score represents a data point’s relationship to the data set’s mean measurement. When the data point is below the mean, the Z-Score is negative and when it is above the mean, it is positive; a Z-Score of 0 indicates that it is equal to the mean. To compute the Z-score for each third-party rating of a company or agency, we calculated the mean rating for all companies and agencies evaluated by that third-party source. The Z-score was then calculated by subtracting the mean from the company’s rating and dividing it by the standard deviation.
- Calculating the T-Score: Using a T-Score calculation, we multiplied the Z-Score by 10 to transform it to a 0-100 scale. To assure that the mean was the same across all data points, we created an adjusted T-Score by adding our desired scoring mean (between 0 and 10) to the T-Score.
- Calculating the common-scale rating, we divided the 100-point adjusted T-Score by 20 to convert the third-party rating to a standard 0-5 point scale.
(c) The 360 Overall Score was computed using a weighted-average model.
- We assigned “source weights” to each source used in the consensus scoring model based on our evaluation of the source’s credibility and consumer recognition, as well as the extent to which its published review process indicates that it is both exhaustive and editorially independent. The source weights are designated using a scale from 1 to 5. Any source with a weight less than one was excluded from the model of consensus scoring.
- The converted third-party data points were then combined using a weighted average formula based on source weight. This formula determined the average rating for each product, which we refer to as the 360 Overall Rating.
