Best pet insurance companies of 2026: Prices and coverage compared

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November 2, 2026 / 8:44 AM EST / CBS News

Your dog's worst day at the veterinarian could cost you a few hundred dollars or a few thousand, depending on a single decision: whether or not to buy pet insurance. But while pet insurance pays most of a covered bill once you meet a deductible, the price of that protection is all over the map: For the same 55-pound mixed-breed dog in Los Angeles, the cost currently runs from $45 a month with Fetch to $121 with MetLife — but even the priciest plans don't always offer more than $10,000 a year in coverage.

And those cost and coverage gaps grow increasingly wider each year. Average accident-and-illness premiums jumped by 11.5% for dogs and 12.6% for cats in 2025, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). So which pet insurers actually deliver the most protection for your money? That's what we'll examine below.

Start your pet insurance research by getting a free price quote here.

For most pet owners, pet insurance is less about saving money and…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/