MetLife Pet Insurance Review: Coverage Options & Costs 2024
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MetLife was voted “Pet Insurance of the Year” in 2022 and 2023 and offers dog insurance, cat insurance and coverage for exotic animals.
MetLife is one of the only providers that offers a family plan. This allows you to insure up to 3 pets on the same plan and only pay one deductible.
Pets aren’t required to undergo an exam to qualify for insurance at sign-up.
Plan options include high reimbursement rates from 70% to 90%, and flexible deductible options ranging from $50 to $500.
MetLife pet insurance als comes with a high maximum annual coverage limit of $10,000.
Try our online quote tool to review plans from over 10 different providers and see how MetLife compares.
SUMMARY
MetLife is a well-known name when it comes to life and health insurance, but MetLife Pet Insurance policies are also top of the line.
In fact, MetLife comes out as one of the top insurance providers currently on the market. It was voted “Pet Insurance of the Year” for two years in a row.
Apart from this, it’s the only provider we have found that offers family plans which allow you to put multiple pets all on the same plan. This allows you to pay the deductible once and access coverage for up to 3 different pets. This represents great value for pet owners with several pets.
With lenient policies for covering older pets, no initial exam required for enrollment, and waiting periods as short as one day, MetLife makes a great option for pet insurance.
I have four permanent cats and two foster kittens; three are young and healthy, and one is a senior cat with some pre-existing conditions, so I realized I needed pet insurance.
After lots of research, MetLife was the only pet insurance company I found that had a family plan that let me put my three younger cats on a shared plan versus buying separate policies for each cat.
With my MetLife family plan, I only pay one monthly premium and one deductible, but all three cats can use the benefits as needed up to the combined annual limit of $2,000. Since all three cats share the same plan, I met my deductible on the first vet visit and now receive full reimbursements.
The first time I used MetLife was when my cat Bell was acting lethargic and aloof. I took her to the Emergency vet and submitted the $150 bill to MetLife via the app. I had to pay the $100 deductible as per my plan, but MetLife reimbursed me $50 within a few days.
Since I already met my deductible during Bell’s emergency vet visit, MetLife reimbursed me for the full $125 bill when my cat Freddie came down with an upper respiratory infection six months later. This was only possible because they all share the same plan.
*It’s nice to be able to split the benefits of one policy between my cats as they are all young and healthy. It’s unlikely one of them would blow through the annual limit on their own, so it saves me money by not paying for three sets of benefits that I won’t fully use. For this reason, I fully recommend MetLife.*
Unfortunately, three is the maximum number of pets on one policy. I decided not to buy pet insurance for my senior kitty since most of his appointments are for chronic pre-existing conditions which most pet insurers don’t cover. – Taylor Brainard, MetLife Customer
MetLife only has one comprehensive Accident and Illness Plan for dogs, cats, and exotic species. However, you can customize this plan by tailoring the the reimbursement rate, coverage limit, and deductible level to meet your needs.
Additionally, MetLife offers an optional add-on known as the Preventative Care Wellness Plan which boosts your coverage and can pay for commonplace treatments like exams, vaccinations, and castration.
Here is a closer look at what each plan covers:
MetLife Accident and Illness plan coverage
Accidents
Illnesses
Surgeries
Exam fees
Cruciate ligaments
Hospitalizations
Diagnostic tests (like X-rays and ultrasounds)
Medications
Emergency care
Alternative therapies and holistic care
Intervertebral disc disease (also known as herniated discs)
Prescription pet food
MetLife Preventative Care add-on coverage
Wellness exams
Most vaccinations
Spaying and neutering
Dental cleaning
Flea, tick and heartworm treatment
FeLV, fecal and heartworm tests
Blood tests
Supplements and vitamins
Anal gland excretions
Parasite prevention
Coverage Glossary
Let’s break down what these coverage options means:
Accidents: If your pet sustains an accidental injury, MetLife pet insurance will cover the cost of diagnosing and treating the problem. For example, your vet may take an X-ray to look for broken bones. Your accident coverage will pay for this X-ray.
Illnesses: Even with regular vet care, it’s possible for a pet to get sick from time to time. MetLife pet insurance covers the cost of treating many illnesses, including cancer and hereditary conditions. For example, if your cat develops a respiratory infection, your pet insurance policy may pay for antibiotics or steroid injections to help it feel better.
Surgeries: In some cases, surgery is the only way to treat a serious medical condition. MetLife pet insurance pays for surgeries associated with covered conditions to make life a little less stressful.
Exam fees: Many insurance companies exclude exam fees from their standard plans, but MetLife isn’t one of them. If your dog or cat needs an exam to diagnose a medical problem, MetLife covers the cost.
Cruciate ligament injuries: Although MetLife has a six-month waiting period for anterior and medial cruciate ligament injuries, the company does cover the cost of treating these injuries once the waiting period has expired. In dogs, the cruciate ligaments are thick pieces of tissue found in the knee joints.
Hospitalizations: Even if your pet doesn’t need surgery, it may need to stay overnight at a vet hospital. For example, if your dog ingests a harmful substance, the vet may need to administer fluids and repeat blood tests. MetLife covers the cost of hospitalization for each covered pet.
Diagnostic tests: Vets use diagnostic tests to determine what’s causing a pet’s symptoms. MetLife may provide coverage for tests like X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, bloodwork and more.
Medications: Just like humans, pets may need to take medications to treat symptoms or prevent medical complications. MetLife covers the cost of prescription medications used to treat covered conditions.
Emergency care: In some cases, you can’t wait days to see a vet. If your precious pet needs care right away, MetLife may cover the cost of an emergency exam and other immediate treatments.
Alternative therapies and holistic care: MetLife may cover holistic or alternative therapies like acupuncture, laser therapy, hydrotherapy and more as long as it’s carried out by a licensed veterinarian.
Intervertebral disc disease: This is commonly referred to as a herniated disc or a slipped disc. Treatment will depend on how severe the damage is, but it can range from medication and rest to surgery.
Prescription pet food: For conditions like kidney disease and diabetes, your veterinarian may prescribe specific food for your dog or cat. These prescription foods tend to cost more than normal pet food, but MetLife can help to cover the cost. This coverage is only included in policies that are underwritten by MetGen.
Illness or injuries from activities like organized racing/fighting
Non-prescription food
Cosmetic or aesthetic procedures
Health/travel certificates
Exclusions Glossary
Let’s take a closer look at what these exclusions entail.
Pre-existing conditions: In the pet insurance industry, a pre-existing condition is a health problem that existed before you purchased coverage and completed the initial waiting period. For example, if you buy coverage after your dog has already been diagnosed with kidney disease, then kidney disease becomes an excluded condition. You can prevent this from happening by buying MetLife coverage when your pet is young and healthy rather than waiting until it’s older.
Elective procedures: An elective procedure is something that’s not medically necessary. Unless your vet states that a procedure is necessary to preserve your pet’s health or well-being, MetLife won’t cover it. This includes ear clipping, tail docking and teeth straightening.
Grooming: Some breeds require frequent grooming. If yours is one of them, you won’t be able to use your MetLife insurance to get reimbursed.
Vitamins and minerals: MetLife pays for prescription medications, but it doesn’t cover vitamin and mineral supplements. However, holistic and alternative therapies are eligible for reimbursement.
Organ transplants: Although MetLife covers most surgeries, it doesn’t cover organ transplantation, which is risky and expensive.
Breeding: If you want to breed your dog or cat, you’ll have to cover the breeding and whelping costs on your own. This also excludes covering conditions related to breeding.
Racing/fighting: MetLife won’t cover any injuries or illnesses associated with using pets to race or fight. This also pertains to using them for professional guarding or law enforcement.
MetLife Pet Insurance waiting periods & age restrictions
The waiting period refers to how long you must wait after buying your pet insurance before you can use it. Pet insurance waiting periods vary by provider and by the type of issue. Likewise, many insurance companies have age restrictions for older pets.
MetLife has very lenient policies for both:
Lower age limit: eligible after 8 weeks of age
Upper age limit: none, unlimited
Waiting period for accidents: coverage starts after midnight on the day you purchase
Waiting period for illness: 14 days after purchase
MetLife Pet Insurance has one of the shortest waiting periods in the industry when it comes to accidents and wellness costs. You just need to wait until midnight on the day you purchase your coverage. For illness coverage, the waiting period is 14 days. Alternatively, for some rare or breed-specific orthopedic issues, you may need to wait 6 months before coverage takes effect. However, this is common to most pet insurance providers.
Unlike many companies, MetLife has no upper age limit or breed restrictions, making it one of the best pet insurance plans for older dogs or cats. For newborn pets, keep in mind that you can’t enroll them in a MetLife plan until they are at least 8 weeks old.
How to get a plan that fits your budget
Knowing how to find the best type of pet insurance is half the battle. That said, MetLife Pet Insurance offers a wide range of customizable options to allow you to fit your coverage to your budget. MetLife’s customizable coverage options include:
Deductible options: $50, $100, $250, $500
The deductible is how much you have to pay before your insurance policy starts paying your veterinary expenses. For example, if you have a $500 vet bill and a $100 deductible, you have to pay $100 out of pocket before MetLife will cover anything.
Reimbursement options: 70%, 80%, 90%
Your reimbursement rate is the percentage of each bill that MetLife pays. Assume you have a $1,000 bill, a $200 deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate. After paying the $200 deductible, you’d have a balance of $800. MetLife dog insurance would reimburse you $720 (90% of the $800 balance).
Annual Limit: $2k, $5k, $10k
This is the maximum amount that your insurance company will pay once you’ve met your deductible. For example, MetLife has a maximum annual coverage limit of $10,000. If your pet has a tough year, you may exhaust your insurance benefits, leaving you with some large bills to cover out of pocket.
Every pet insurance policy has a deductible, a reimbursement rate and an annual coverage limit that you can combine for coverage that fits your needs. Your deductible and annual limit resets each year, so you opting for only what you need can help keep your policy affordable.
Ideally you should consider the age and breed of your pet and estimate the probability of needing to use your pet insurance policy each year.
Based on quotes we got on MetLife’s website, we found that MetLife dog insurance can cost as little as $15 per month and cat insurance can be as low as $9 per month.
To give you concrete cost examples, we got quotes for MetLife’s Accident & Illness plan for popular cat and dog breeds choosing a $5,000 annual limit 80% reimbursement level, and a deductible of $250.
Price quotes for MetLife dog insurance.
Dog breed
Monthly cost
French Bulldog
$54
German Shepherd
$42
Golden Retriever
$49
Price quotes for MetLife cat insurance.
Cat breed
Monthly cost
Domestic shorthair
$25
Maine Coone
$36
Ragdoll
$36
All quotes were for 3-year-old animals based in California (Zip Code 90001).
Keep in mind that these are example prices only and how much you’ll pay for pet insurance from MetLife depends on various factors, including:
Pet type: Some pets tend to have lower medical expenses than others. For example, it typically costs more to care for a dog than it does to care for a cat. Therefore, the type of pet you have has a big impact on the cost of coverage.
Your location: The cost of living in your area also affects your insurance rates. Vets in some cities have to charge a lot more for their services because it costs them more to rent office space, purchase supplies and cover the other costs of doing business. To prevent losses, insurance companies charge more for policies issued to customers in these areas.
Your pet’s breed: Some breeds have a higher risk of developing serious health conditions. For example, a pug’s wrinkled face may look adorable, but it can actually make it more difficult to breathe. Some pugs even develop skin conditions due to those wrinkles. If you have a pet that’s prone to health issues, you may pay more for insurance.
Your pet’s age: The risk of developing a serious illness increases with age. Therefore, it costs more to buy a policy for a 7-year-old dog than it does for a puppy.
Your coverage options: This includes your reimbursement level, annual limit and deductible.
Many insurance companies offer a multi-pet discount, but MetLife takes it a step further by offering family plans. Rather than purchasing a separate policy for each pet, you can purchase a single policy that covers up to three pets in your home. That means you only have to pay one deductible each year. If you have multiple pets, you could save a significant amount of money.
MetLife also works with U.S. employers to give employees access to discounted pet insurance. Discounts are also available to healthcare workers, first responders and members of certain affinity groups. All policies are underwritten by MetGen.
MetLife Pet Insurance reviews
On Trustpilot, some users have left negative MetLife pet insurance reviews, but many of these reviews focus on circumstances outside of MetLife’s control.
For example, one customer wrote, “They wouldn’t accept a claim on my last policy because it was past 90 days.”
It’s common for pet insurance companies to set a limit on how long you have to file your claims. If you miss the deadline, the insurance company won’t reimburse you.
How does MetLife Pet Insurance compare to other providers?
The following table shows how some features of MetLife compare to those of other popular pet insurance providers.
Category
MetLife
Healthy Paws
Paw Protect
Accident waiting period
Midnight on the date you purchase your policy
15 days
2 days
Illness waiting period
14 days
15 days
14 days
Wellness plan available?
Yes
No
Yes
Reimbursement options
70/80/90%
50/60/70/80/90%
70/80/90%
Deductible options
$50, $100, $250, $500
$50, $100, $250, $500, $750, $1,000
$100, $250, $500
Annual limit
$10,000
Unlimited
Unlimited
MetLife exotic pet insurance
Although MetLife offers comprehensive dog and cat insurance policies in all 50 states it is also one of the few pet insurance companies that offers exotic pet insurance for animals such as reptiles, amphibians, birds, rabbits, small rodents, ferrets, opossums, hedgehogs, pigs, and goats.
MetLife exotic pet coverage is only available for purchase via telephone at (855) 421-7227.
Exotic pet coverage is limited to consumers in the following states:
Alabama
Connecticut
Georgia
Iowa
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
Missouri
North Carolina
Nebraska
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
MetLife pet insurance FAQs
Is MetLife Pet Insurance good?
Yes. MetLife is a reputable company that offers a comprehensive accident and illness plan for pets. It’s also one of the few insurance companies to offer coverage for exotic animals. However, exotic coverage isn’t available in all 50 states.
Does MetLife Pet Insurance work with any veterinarian?
Yes. When you have MetLife pet insurance, you pay each vet bill up-front and then submit a claim for reimbursement. This means you can use the vet clinic down the street or travel to a specialty clinic in another state.
Can I add multiple pets to my MetLife insurance policy?
Yes. The MetLife family plan allows you to put up to three pets on the same policy, ensuring that you only have to pay one annual deductible.
How do I cancel my MetLife Pet Insurance plan?
If you want to cancel your MetLife policy, call (855) 270-7387, send a fax to (877) 281-3348, or email [email protected].
Leigh Morgan is a seasoned personal finance contributor with over 15 years of experience writing on a diverse range of professional legal and financial topics. She specializes in subjects like navigating the complexities of insurance, savings, zero-based budgeting and emergency fund development.
In the last five years, she’s authored over 300 articles for credit unions, digital banks, and financial professionals. Morgan is also the author of “77 Tips for Preventing Elder Financial Abuse,” a book focused on helping caregivers protect the elderly from financial scams.
In addition to her writing skills, she brings real-world financial acumen thanks to her previous experience managing rental properties as part of a $34 million real estate portfolio.
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