Pets Best
Pets Best's stated plan terms, checked October 22, 2026. Facts only: no rating, ranking, or price.
- Accident and illness
- Accident only
- Routine care add-on
- Dogs
- Cats
- Accident-only plan available
- 3 day accident wait
- 6 month cruciate wait
- Waiting period waiver exam window
- Wellness add-on available
- No upper age limit stated
- Vet Direct Pay available
- Exam fee cover included on most plans and removable
The stated facts
| Company and underwriter, as the company states it | Pets Best. Its sample policy booklet says policies are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company; check the declarations page for the insurer named on your own policy. |
|---|---|
| Species covered | Dogs, Cats |
| Plan types offered | Accident and illness plans; Accident only plan; EssentialWellness and BestWellness routine care add-ons |
| Accident waiting period, as stated | 3 days after the policy effective date for injuries, in the Pets Best sample policy booklet (form APIC-PBI0001-ILL, dated 12/2015). The FAQ says waiting periods vary by state and appear on each policy's declarations page. |
| Illness waiting period, as stated | 14 days after the effective date for illnesses, in the same sample booklet. Once served, the FAQ says waiting periods are waived on continuous, uninterrupted renewals. |
| Orthopedic, cruciate, and other special waiting periods | 6 months after the effective date for cruciate ligament events and related conditions, per the 2015 sample booklet. The FAQ offers a waiver route: a vet exam from 3 days before to 7 days after the effective date, with the form returned within 30 days of the exam. |
| Eligibility, as the company states it | Dogs and cats from 7 weeks old, with no upper age limit, per the FAQ. Pets with one of several severe chronic conditions may be offered an Accident Only plan instead, to which wellness can still be added. |
| Deductible, reimbursement, and limit options, as stated | Accident and illness plans with a chosen deductible, co-insurance, and annual limit shown on the declarations page and chosen at quote. Exam fees, acupuncture and chiropractic, and some other items are optional coverages that the plans page says can be removed to lower the premium. |
| Wellness or preventive option | Routine care add-ons named EssentialWellness and BestWellness, which the routine care page says pay up to set limits each year with no deductible, totaling $305 and $535 in annual benefits. The page lists a $50 wellness exam on both. |
| Pre-existing condition rule, as stated | The sample booklet deems chronic conditions, bilateral conditions with any prior instance on either side, and intervertebral disc conditions with any prior disc problem (degenerative or traumatic) to be pre-existing. Read the version for your state before enrolling. |
How Pets Best handles cruciates and discs
The sample booklet on the Pets Best site is a 2015 form, so treat it as a guide to structure rather than final wording. In it, cruciate ligament events and related conditions wait 6 months after the effective date, while other injuries wait 3 days and illnesses 14.
The same booklet lists three groups that are deemed pre-existing if anything was present before the policy or the wait: chronic conditions; bilateral conditions, if the pet had any instance of that condition on either side; and intervertebral disc conditions, if the pet had any earlier disc problem from degeneration or trauma. For a Dachshund with even one old note of back pain, that last line could exclude every later disc. Ask Pets Best how the current form for your state words it.
A narrow exam window to waive the waits
The FAQ gives a way to waive waiting periods: download the Pets Best form, have the vet examine the pet from 3 days before to 7 days after the effective date, and return the form within 30 days of that exam. Line the exam up before the policy starts so it falls inside the ten day window.
The FAQ does not say whether the waiver also shortens the 6 month cruciate period, so ask that specifically if knees are the concern.
Exam fees on most plans, and what can be removed
The plans page says most plans include exam fees when the pet is seen for covered accidents and illnesses, and that this optional cover can be removed to lower the premium. The 2015 booklet lists office visits and exam fees as a supplemental benefit. Check that the item is still on the quote before accepting a lower monthly figure.
Vet Direct Pay and the 180 day claim window
The FAQ describes Vet Direct Pay as an optional feature on all plans: submit the claim with a signed Veterinarian Reimbursement Release Form, and once approved the eligible amount goes to the clinic. The owner still pays any part the policy does not cover. Claims are filed through the Customer Account or app with the itemized invoice, and the booklet asks for a complete claim within 180 days of treatment.
Vet Direct Pay sends money after processing, not at checkout, so ask the clinic whether it will wait for that payment on a large bill.
Age and pricing at Pets Best
There is no upper age limit, enrollment opens at 7 weeks, and the FAQ has an entry explaining why rates go up as a pet gets older. A senior dog with a serious chronic condition may be steered to Accident Only, which still allows routine care to be added.