Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

If you stick to its base plans, Lemonade Pet Insurance offers the most affordable coverage for dogs and cats—sometimes up to a third cheaper than other pet insurance companies. With wellness packages and five optional coverage riders, Lemonade’s a comprehensive choice, but it’s still not as robust as alternatives like Trupanion.

To get the most affordable Lemonade pet insurance quote, stick to 70% coverage, a $500 deductible, and a low annual benefit ($5,000 is the cheapest option). Play around with those numbers to see if you can increase coverage and benefits without significantly increasing the monthly premium.

We don’t recommend choosing the $100,000/year benefit unless it doesn’t increase your premium. Vet procedures for dogs and cats never get that high in a single year, not even for the chronically ill and injured. The $50,000 benefit should be plenty.

To help you estimate how much Lemonade pet insurance costs, we got sample quotes for three popular dog breeds and a young Domestic Shorthair cat.

Insurance prices vary by location because the company factors in the average cost of vet care in your area. We used zip code 84020 (Utah) to get these quotes, but you might see different results with a different zip.

These quotes don’t include any add-ons.

Lemonade’s basic coverage is one of the reasons it’s more affordable than other pet insurance plans. But another pet insurance company might offer a better balance of coverage and cost and make pet insurance more worthwhile.

For example, coverage for dental injuries and physical therapy costs extra with Lemonade but is included in all Pets Best plans.

With that said, our research found Lemonade to be the most affordable pet insurance from a pure numbers standpoint, with rare exceptions. See quote comparisons in our pet insurance cost guide.

Even though Lemonade’s insurance coverage starts out basic, you can extend it with up to five optional add-ons, including a wellness plan. We like seeing these options for a truly custom quote. It also helps put Lemonade’s affordability into perspective compared to other providers like Healthy Paws, which offers basic insurance coverage with no add-ons.

Lemonade offers accident and injury coverage in every plan. Preventative care, end-of-life expenses, and alternative therapies are just a few examples of Lemonade’s extended coverage options.

A base pet insurance plan from Lemonade covers 70% to 90% of these costs:

• Prescription medication (including injections)
• Hospitalization related to an injury or illness
• Diagnostic testing (x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork, urinalysis, and other lab work)
• Non-elective surgeries
• Cancer treatment
• Chronic illness care (including heart disease, diabetes, skin conditions, hip dysplasia, and more)

Lemonade charges extra for the following:

• Exam fees
• Dental illness and injury (dental cleaning not included)
• Behavior treatment
• Physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care
• Euthanasia, cremation, and remembrance
• Preventive care (cash-back plan with limits)

The cost of these options depends on your pet’s breed and age, as well as your chosen coinsurance, deductible, and benefit terms.

Dental coverage and the end-of-life package weren’t available when we tried to get a quote for an 8-year-old German Shepherd, so those packages are limited by enrollment age. 

Lemonade never covers prescription diets, grooming, parasite treatments, or reproductive care. Read a sample policy for additional exceptions, such as any injury or illness caused by neglect or an act of war.

Yes. If the congenital condition is treated and doesn’t re-occur for at least 12 months, Lemonade may consider it eligible for coverage. Check with a Lemonade representative to make sure there aren’t any state-based restrictions on this policy.

• Payment options: Owner reimbursement only
• Vet restrictions: Licensed vets only
• Species covered: Dogs and cats
• Age limits: Must be younger than 14 at time of enrollment
• Prerequisites for coverage: Vet records from last 12 months
• Waiting periods: 2 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament injuries
• Claim processing time: Up to 3 weeks
• Claim submission options: App

Lemonade Pet Insurance is the best option for people wanting the lowest premiums. If you’d rather balance affordability with coverage, keep shopping around with companies like Pets Best or MetLife.

To review Lemonade Pet Insurance’s industry position, we created a spreadsheet comparing around 20 pet insurance companies across nearly 50 data points. We also obtained quotes from the top contenders for four fictional pets representing popular breeds. Learn more on the Safewise methodology page.

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