What are the key differences between MetLife and ASPCA pet insurance plans?

ASPCA and MetLife are both top pet insurance choices, but MetLife stands out for multi-pet shared deductibles and faster claims, while ASPCA is known for deeply comprehensive coverage and behavioral therapy.

According to side-by-side Compare ASPCA vs MetLife Pet Insurance 2026 | Which is Best? | Compare Coverage Side-by-Side reviews, here is how they compare across key categories:

Coverage and Features

• Shared Coverages: Both cover accidents, illnesses, cancer, diagnostics, surgeries, prescriptions, and alternative therapies.
• Unique ASPCA: Covers behavioral modification therapy. Offers a longer claim filing window of 270 days.
• Unique MetLife: Offers multi-pet family plans with a shared deductible across cats and dogs, plus a 0-day accident waiting period option. It includes supportive perks like lost pet rewards.

Speed and Claims

• Reimbursement Speed: MetLife averages around 5 days, whereas ASPCA averages around 9 days.
• Claim Expiration: ASPCA gives you 270 days to submit a claim, while MetLife requires submission within 90 days.
• Waiting Periods & Checkups: Neither requires a mandatory baseline health checkup to enroll, though both recommend a vet exam to document a clean bill of health and avoid pre-existing condition disputes.

Cost

• Average Pricing: Monthly rates vary heavily based on your pet's breed, age, and location. Industry averages generally place dogs between $32–$75 per month and cats between $15–$40 per month for standard accident and illness policies.

There is no specific age or mandatory cutoff when you must stop pet insurance, as many policies allow you to keep coverage for your pet's entire life if you enrolled them when they were young.

When to Keep Coverage

• Lifelong protection: Most companies let you maintain an active policy as long as you keep paying the monthly premiums.
• High-risk senior years: Older pets face a higher risk of expensive health issues like cancer, diabetes, or sudden injuries, making continuous coverage valuable.

When It Might Not Be Worth It

• High premiums: Monthly costs climb steeply as a pet enters senior status (around age 7–10 for large dogs and 10–12 for small pets or cats).
• Out-of-pocket savings: If your monthly premium costs more than expected annual vet bills, or if you have built a robust emergency savings fund, canceling may make financial sense.
• New policy limits: While existing policies usually renew for life, many insurers do not issue new policies for pets over age 10 to 14.

Read more about senior care considerations on Pawlicy Advisor.

A reasonable monthly cost for a comprehensive accident and illness pet insurance plan ranges from $38 to $75 for dogs and $26 to $50 for cats.

According to industry data from the NerdWallet Guide to Pet Insurance and the Forbes Advisor Pet Insurance Analysis, actual averages vary depending on the type of plan and your pet's specific profile.

Average Costs by Plan Type

• Accident & Illness (Comprehensive): $45 to $75 per month for dogs; $25 to $42 per month for cats.
• Accident-Only (Basic): $15 to $20 per month for dogs; $9 to $11 per month for cats.

What Drives the Cost?

• Species and Breed: Dogs cost more to insure than cats. Purebred dogs prone to genetic conditions (like French Bulldogs or English Mastiffs) often cost significantly more than mixed-breed pets.
• Age: Premiums rise as pets age and become more vulnerable to illness. Insuring a senior pet can cost double or triple the rate of a puppy or kitten.
• Location: Veterinary care costs more in major metropolitan areas, leading to higher local insurance premiums.
• Policy Customization: You can lower your monthly bill by choosing a higher deductible, a lower reimbursement rate (e.g., 70% instead of 90%), or a lower annual coverage limit.

Lemonade and Liberty Mutual Pet Insurance landed at the top of the Consumer Reports ratings, though most carriers received middling overall satisfaction scores.

Consumer Reports Rankings Overview

• Top-Rated Carriers: Lemonade and Liberty Mutual Pet Insurance achieved the highest spots in the ratings.
• Mid-Level Providers: Eleven companies earned midlevel scores, including Pets Best, MetLife Pet Insurance, Embrace, Pumpkin, Trupanion, ASPCA, Nationwide Pet Insurance, Healthy Paws, Spot, American Kennel Club, and Figo.
• Evaluation Metrics: Rankings are based on scores for pricing, coverage choices, vet selection, ease of claims, reimbursement amounts, customer service, and payment wait times.
• General Findings: Consumer Reports notes that many policyholders feel coverage provides peace of mind, though a large percentage ultimately spend more on premiums than they receive back in reimbursements.

Veterinarians generally recommend lifetime (or per-year unlimited) accident-and-illness policies rather than capped or accident-only plans.

💡 What Vets Recommend

• Lifetime Cover: Re-sets your veterinary fee limit every year, which is vital for chronic illnesses like diabetes or arthritis.
• High Annual Limits: Vets suggest getting the highest coverage cap you can comfortably afford, as specialist care or major surgeries easily exceed basic limits.
• Accident & Illness Combo: Avoid accident-only plans unless budget is an extreme constraint, as they fail to cover common illnesses, infections, or diseases.

📊 Comparing Policy Types

📌 Key Advice from Veterinary Teams

• Enroll Early: Insure pets while they are young and healthy to avoid pre-existing condition exclusions, which no standard insurer will cover.
• Separate Wellness: Vets often advise relying on routine wellness plans or savings for routine care (vaccines, flea/worm control), saving insurance strictly for major unexpected emergencies.
• Direct Pay Capability: Check whether your preferred clinic partners with or accepts direct claims from specific providers to minimize your upfront out-of-pocket burden. Popular US recommendations often include providers like Lemonade Pet Insurance and Pets Best.