Lemonade Pet Insurance Review 2022: Pros and Cons – NerdWallet

4.0

NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

NerdWallet rating

Plans offered: Accident and illness, wellness.

Breadth of coverage: Poor.

Range of plan options: Average.

Can pay your vet directly: No.

The bottom line: Seamless online experience and quick claims, but limited policy options.

How we review pet insurance

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy in order to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, our editorial team considers both the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Plans offered. Pet insurance companies generally offer the following three types of plans:

  • Accident and illness policies reimburse you for medical treatment if your pet gets sick or injured.

  • Accident-only policies pay expenses if your pet is injured.

  • Wellness plans help you budget for preventive care costs.

Breadth of coverage. We looked for plans that cover a wide range of potential expenses.

Range of plan options. This category looks at how many ways you can customize what you pay for your plan and how you’re reimbursed.

Can pay your vet directly. This indicates whether an insurer can pay your vet directly for medical expenses. With this service, you don’t have to pay the money yourself upfront and then wait for reimbursement.

Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.

Lemonade sells pet insurance exclusively online via its user-friendly website and app. It offers two levels of accident and illness coverage, plus a wellness plan that helps cover the costs of routine vet visits and vaccinations. But some treatments aren’t included, and Lemonade doesn’t operate nationwide.

Lemonade takes a flat fee from each premium as its profit, then uses the rest to pay claims. If there’s anything left over at the end of the year, the company donates it to nonprofit organizations chosen by policyholders.

Lemonade pet insurance

4.0

NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.

NerdWallet rating

Lemonade earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, coverage options and financial strength ratings.

Lemonade pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Quick claims processing.

Not available in all states.

Multipolicy and pay-in-full discounts available.

Physical therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic care cost extra.

Donates a portion of premiums to nonprofit organizations.

Your credit or claims history may affect your rates.

State availability

Lemonade sells pet insurance in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington state, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

Lemonade pet insurance plans

Lemonade offers three pet insurance plans for cats and dogs.

Base Accident & Illness

This comprehensive plan covers care for health conditions like diabetes, urinary tract infections, arthritis and cancer, plus injuries like cuts and broken bones. Care may include diagnostics such as blood tests and MRIs, specific procedures and surgeries, hospital stays and medication.

Extended Accident & Illness Coverage

Policyholders can choose various add-ons for the base accident and illness plan, including coverage for vet visit fees, physical treatments and end-of-life costs.

Preventative Care

With this wellness plan, you’ll get discounts on routine vet visits without needing to reach a deductible. Lemonade will pay up to 70% of the cost of treatments like wellness exams, vaccines, boosters, heartworm tests or flea medication. There’s a base plan and a more inclusive one, plus an option specifically designed for puppies and kittens.

What Lemonade pet insurance covers

Lemonade’s Base Accident & Illness covers:

  • Diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, urinalysis, MRIs, X-rays, lab work, CT scans and ultrasounds.

  • Outpatient, specialty and emergency care procedures.

  • Hospitalization.

  • Surgery.

  • Injections to treat a covered condition.

  • Prescription medications.

Lemonade’s Extended Accident & Illness add-ons include coverage for:

  • Vet visit fees for eligible accidents or illnesses.

  • Physical therapy treatments like acupuncture and chiropractic care.

  • End-of-life and remembrance costs, such as euthanasia, cremation and memorial items.

Lemonade’s Preventative Care package offers savings for:

  • Wellness exams.

  • Fecal or internal parasite tests.

  • Heartworm tests.

  • Bloodwork.

  • Up to six vaccines or boosters.

  • Routine dental cleaning, including X-rays, anesthesia and polishing.

  • Flea, tick or heartworm medication.

  • Spaying or neutering procedures.

  • Microchipping.

What’s not covered

Lemonade’s plans don’t cover:

  • Incidents that occur before the end of your plan’s waiting period.

  • Costs related to your pet’s pre-existing conditions.

  • Bilateral conditions (conditions that affect two sides of the body). If your pet has a condition such as cataracts or hip dysplasia before you buy a policy, it won’t be covered if it develops on the other side after the policy is in place. However, bilateral conditions are covered if the first occurrence is after you’ve purchased a policy.

  • Recurring conditions that could have been prevented. For example, repeated ingestion of a poisonous house plant, which you failed to keep out of the pet’s reach.

  • Experimental treatments.

Lemonade coverage options

Deductibles: $100 to $500 per year.

Reimbursement amounts: 70%, 80% or 90%.

Coverage limits: $5,000 to $100,000 per year.

Restrictions and waiting periods

Age restrictions: Lemonade doesn’t insure pets under two months old. The maximum age limits for enrollment vary by breed.

Waiting periods: This is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Lemonade’s coverage kicks in after two days for injuries, 14 days for illness or six months for cruciate ligaments.

Discounts

You can get a 10% discount on your pet insurance plan by bundling it with a Lemonade home or renters insurance policy.

Lemonade also offers a 5% discount for insuring two or more pets and a 5% discount if you opt to pay your premium annually.

Consumer experience

Website: The website is sleek and user-friendly; it only takes a few minutes to get a quote. You can buy a policy online if you’re happy with the offered price.

App: Lemonade’s app is compatible with Apple and Android devices and makes purchasing and managing your pet insurance policy easy.

Claims: Claims are filed on the app, with about 30% being paid immediately, according to the company.

Customer service: The quickest way to get a response is by launching the chatbot feature on the app or website. Otherwise, you can send an email to [email protected] or call 844-733-8666.

Lemonade vs. competitors

Here’s how Lemonade stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.

Lemonade vs. Pumpkin

Like Lemonade, Pumpkin insures cats and dogs two-months-old or older; however,  Pumpkin operates in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. In addition, both insurers have the same deductible limits, and Lemonade’s coverage caps out at $100,000 in some cases, while Pumpkin has unlimited plans available.

Policy-wise, these insurers keep it simple with varying levels of accident and illness coverage as well as preventative care. Pumpkin stands out for having a reimbursement rate of 90% on all plans and a 14-day waiting period for all conditions, including cruciate ligament injuries. For Lemonade, the waiting period for some conditions is six months.

Both insurers support online claims. In addition, Pumpkin can pay vets who don’t require total payment upfront directly, which is handy if you don’t have the cash to pay for expensive treatments.

Coverage options

Lemonade

Pumpkin

Deductible

$100 to $500 per year.

$100 to $500 per year.

Reimbursement

70%, 80% or 90%.

90%.

Annual limit

$5,000 to $100,000 per year.

$10,000 to unlimited for dogs; $7,000 to unlimited for cats.

Lemonade vs. Healthy Paws

While Lemonade’s top annual payout limit is generous at $100,000, Healthy Paws offers unlimited coverage. Available for cats and dogs, its policies have no annual or lifetime maximums, and most claims are processed within a couple of days.

If you’re interested in coverage for preventative care to keep your pet healthy, Lemonade is the better fit. Healthy Paws offers only accident and illness policies, which cover alternative therapies and hereditary conditions but don’t pay for routine vet visits.

In most states, Healthy Paws’ waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries is 15 days — much shorter than Lemonade’s six months. However, hip dysplasia isn’t covered for the first 12 months of the policy and is not covered for pets enrolled at age 6 or older.

For expensive treatments, Healthy Paws may be able to work with your vet to authorize direct payment, so you don’t have to pay the full amount upfront.

Coverage options

Lemonade

Healthy Paws

Deductible

$100 to $500 per year.

$100 to $1,000 per year. (Not all deductible options are available for every pet.)

Reimbursement

70%, 80% or 90%.

70%, 80% or 90%. (Not all reimbursement options are available for every pet.)

Annual limit

$5,000 to $100,000 per year.

None.

Lemonade vs. Trupanion

Lemonade and Trupanion cover cats and dogs, though Trupanion doesn’t have a minimum age requirement. For Lemonade, your pet needs to be at least two months old before you can insure them.

Trupanion sells unlimited coverage in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In most states, the insurer takes a unique approach to deductibles compared to other pet insurance companies, including Lemonade. It charges deductibles per condition rather than per year. Once you’ve met each deductible, you won’t be charged for further costs related to those conditions.

Trupanion sells only accident and illness coverage. While Lemonade has a standalone wellness plan for purchase, Trupanion offers a Pet Owner Assistance package, which covers things like a reward for a lost pet and boarding fees if you’re hospitalized.

Coverage options

Lemonade

Trupanion

Deductible

$100 to $500 per year.

In most states, $0 to $1,000 lifetime deductible per condition. In Florida, plans have no deductibles.

Reimbursement

70%, 80% or 90%.

90% in most states. In Florida, you can select any percentage between 50% and 90%.

Annual limit

$5,000 to $100,000 per year.

Unlimited in all states.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Lemonade pet insurance?

Lemonade advertises pet insurance rates starting at $10 a month.

Does Lemonade cover spaying and neutering?

Lemonade’s Preventative Care package can help to lower the costs of spaying or neutering.

Am I allowed to make changes to my policy?

You can request policy changes within the first 14 days. Otherwise, you’ll need to wait until your annual renewal.

Can I take my pet to any vet?

Yes. You can take your pet to any licensed vet in the U.S.

Can I add another pet to my Lemonade pet insurance policy?

No. You can set up a separate policy by tapping the plus (+) symbol on the app’s home screen.

Can I cancel my pet insurance policy?

Yes. You can cancel your policy at any time via the Lemonade app.

How much is Lemonade pet insurance?

Lemonade advertises pet insurance rates starting at $10 a month.

Does Lemonade cover spaying and neutering?

Lemonade’s Preventative Care package can help to lower the costs of spaying or neutering.

Am I allowed to make changes to my policy?

You can request policy changes within the first 14 days. Otherwise, you’ll need to wait until your annual renewal.

Can I take my pet to any vet?

Yes. You can take your pet to any licensed vet in the U.S.

Can I add another pet to my Lemonade pet insurance policy?

No. You can set up a separate policy by tapping the plus (+) symbol on the app’s home screen.

Can I cancel my pet insurance policy?

Yes. You can cancel your policy at any time via the Lemonade app.