Lemonade pet insurance review 2025
Lemonade pet insurance stands out for its great prices. If you're looking for a rather bare-bones pet insurance policy at a good price, check out Lemonade's pricing for your pet. Lemonade sells additional coverage as add-ons for extra cost, so you'll pay more if you want a pet insurance policy comparable to many competitors, which include broader coverage in their base plans.
Learn more: How does pet insurance work? A complete guide.
Pros
Excellent prices
Very high $100,000 annual coverage limit available
Will cover temporary preexisting injuries and conditions
Cons
Extra cost if you want to add coverage for vet exam fees, dental illness, behavioral conditions, and more
No 24/7 vet healthline, which many competitors include
Lemonade pet insurance basics
Annual maximum limit choices: $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, $100,000
Deductible choices: $100, $250, $500, $750
Reimbursement choices: 70%, 80%, 90%
Lemonade waiting periods
For accident coverage: Begins at 12:01 a.m. the day after you buy a policy
For illness coverage: 14 days
Special waiting period: 6 months for cruciate ligament issues
Lemonade age restrictions for buying a new policy
Minimum pet age: 2 months
Maximum pet age: Depends on pet breed
Lemonade sells an accident and illness policy that offers the basic coverage below. There is no accident-only policy available.
Hereditary and congenital conditions
Cancer
Diagnostics such as X-rays and ultrasounds
Dental accidents
Prescription drugs
Learn more: Your guide to what pet insurance covers
Lemonade offers three tiers of wellness plans that you can add to your base policy: Preventative Care, Preventative+ Care, and Preventative Care for Puppies and Kittens. Each plan reimburses you up to specified limits for routine care, with varying coverage based on your pet's needs.
Preventative Care
Covers basic wellness care costs including:
Annual wellness exam
Up to 3 vaccines, such as Bordetella, Rabies, and DHLPP
Fecal or internal parasite test
Wellness bloodwork for early disease detection
Heartworm or FeLV/FIV test
Preventative+ Care
Includes everything in the Preventative Care plan, plus:
Flea/tick or heartworm medication
Routine dental cleaning
Preventative Care for Puppies and Kittens
Designed for younger pets (under 2 years old) with added benefits:
Two wellness exams
Up to six vaccines, such as Bordetella, Rabies, and DHLPP
Fecal or internal parasite test
Wellness bloodwork for early disease detection
Heartworm or FeLV/FIV test
Flea/tick or heartworm medication
Spay/neuter procedure
Microchip
Learn more: Does pet insurance cover vaccines?
No, Lemonade doesn't cover preexisting conditions, which it defines as 'any condition for which a veterinarian provided medical advice, the pet received treatment for, or the pet displayed signs or symptoms consistent with the stated condition prior to the start date of the first pet insurance policy issued . . . or during any waiting period.'
That said, there's a little bit of flexibility in most states. Lemonade may cover certain curable preexisting conditions in the future, like diarrhea or roundworms as long as your pet has gone at least 12 months without symptoms or treatment.
It's important to note that chronic conditions (such as asthma, cancer, allergies, etc.) and issues like knee or ligament problems are considered incurable. Therefore, these conditions won't qualify for coverage in the future.
Learn more: Pet insurance that covers preexisting conditions
No, Lemonade doesn't offer a 24/7 vet telehealth line. Many other pet insurance companies, like MetLife and Embrace, do provide round-the-clock access to licensed vet professionals who can give guidance for your pet's health concerns.
Lemonade's base pet insurance policy doesn't cover:
Preexisting conditions your pet had before coverage began
Bilateral conditions (like cherry eye or hip dysplasia), if symptoms showed on one side before your policy started
Prescription food
Vitamins
Microchipping
Grooming and nail trimming
Cosmetic procedures
Anal gland expression
Breeding and pregnancy
Boarding and transportation
Preventable issues, including injuries from abuse, neglect, fighting, or racing
Exotic pets like iguanas, guinea pigs, and parakeets
Some things aren't included in the base policy unless you add extra coverage. Lemonade's add-ons can cover:
Preventive care for vaccinations and wellness visits
Vet visit fees for exams
Physical therapy, like acupuncture and hydrotherapy
Dental illness treatments, such as tooth extractions and care for gum disease
Behavioral conditions, like vet-recommended therapy and medication for issues such as anxiety or aggression
End-of-life care, including euthanasia, cremation, and memorial items for your pet
Increases: You can increase your coverage, like adding a wellness plan or raising your coverage limits, within 14 days of buying your policy. After that, you'll have to wait until your policy renews in 12 months to make any other upgrades.
Decreases: You can lower your coverage at any time by using the Lemonade app.
Any policy changes may have to be reviewed and approved by the underwriting team.
Lemonade's base plan is very budget-friendly, but it also has slim coverage compared to many competitors. In our evaluation, Lemonade came in as the cheapest pick.
Lemonade has the cheapest policy for $5,000 in annual coverage, among the policies we evaluated. It was also 31% less than the overall average cost.
Learn more: Is pet insurance worth it? How to decide.
Lemonade's cost was also the cheapest among pet insurance companies offering very high or unlimited annual coverage. While Lemonade does not offer an unlimited plan, we compared the cost of its $100,000 policy to competitors. In this category, Lemonade came in 36% less than the overall average.
Yes, if you're insuring more than one dog or cat, Lemonade offers 5% or 10% off each policy, depending on your state. The discount applies to the base accident and illness policy and add-ons for the vet exam fee and physical therapy. Discounts don't apply to the wellness add-on.
No, Lemonade doesn't have a system for paying vets directly. If you're looking for a pet insurer with direct vet payments, check out ASPCA, Healthy Paws, Pets Best, or Trupanion.
If your pet insurer doesn't offer direct pay and you're facing a large bill, such as a surgery, ask your vet ahead of time if they're willing to set up a payment plan. Your vet may offer payment options like weekly or monthly installments.
Learn more: Pet insurance that pays the vet directly
Before you file a pet insurance claim with Lemonade, make sure you have provided all medical records for your pet from the past 12 months. Lemonade won't move forward with processing a claim without reviewing records first.
Here are the next steps in the Lemonade claims process:
Submit the claim: Log in to the Lemonade app and file your claim as soon as you can. Even though Lemonade gives you up to 180 days after your pet's treatment to submit a claim (or 90 days if you live in Texas), filing right away can help streamline the process and make it easier to gather all the info you need while it's still fresh in your mind.
Provide claim details: You'll need to include details about what happened, what treatment your pet received, a photo of the receipt or paid invoice, and what you're asking to be reimbursed for. Lemonade will also ask you to record a short, private video explaining the situation instead of typing out the information.
Receive reimbursement: Once your claim is approved, the money will go straight to your bank (minus your deductible). Lemonade sends reimbursements through wire transfer, so make sure your bank info is set up in your account.
With Lemonade pet insurance, you have up to 180 days to file a claim or 90 days if you live in Texas.
Lemonade says it aims to pay approved claims instantly. This means that in some cases, you could get reimbursed the same day you file. But if anything is missing or they need to take a closer look, it could take longer to process.
Lemonade primarily manages all of its policies and services through its website and mobile app. Lemonade's mobile app gets good reviews for its ease of use and convenience. You can get a quote, manage your policy, file a claim, and check your claim status.
Lemonade uses AI technology to speed up the claims process, and in some cases, claims may be approved right away. As a policyholder, you must download the app to access and manage your Lemonade pet insurance policy.
Lemonade mobile app ratings:
App Apple Store: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Google Play Store: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Learn more: The best pet insurance companies
Lemonade offers pet insurance in 38 states and Washington, D.C.
Coverage is available in these states:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
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
Wisconsin
Yes, Lemonade will help pay for neutering costs, but only if you add the Preventative Care Package for Puppies and Kittens to your policy. This is an optional add-on that includes spaying or neutering procedures, but it's not part of the base accident and illness policy. You'll need to purchase it separately for the coverage to apply.
Lemonade doesn't require a vet exam to sign up, but you will need to provide recent medical records before you file a claim. Your pet must have had a vet visit in the past 12 months before the policy or up to 14 days after the policy start date. For pets under a year old, records from birth are required. If medical records aren't on file, Lemonade won't reimburse you for any claims.
You can contact Lemonade through its mobile app or by phone or email:
Contact Lemonade at 844-733-8666, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET
The email is help@lemonade.com
Lemonade lets you cancel any time through the app, with a refund on a pro-rata basis if you cancel before your policy renews. If you cancel, you'll lose your Giveback funds (Lemonade's program that donates leftover money to charities each year). If you decide to reenroll later, your rate could change, and any conditions your pet developed during your previous policy term will be considered preexisting and won't be covered.
Amy Danise and Tim Manni edited this article.
We researched the coverage details and prices for 15 pet insurance plans. We then weighted categories, and each pet insurer was scored relative to the others to find the best pet insurance companies. Here are the factors we incorporated.
Coverage types: 40% of score. We examined the coverage provided by the base policy without the extra cost of add-ons. This encompassed coverage for alternative therapy, behavioral therapy, dental illness, euthanasia or end-of-life expenses, exotic pets, hereditary and congenital conditions, preexisting conditions, prescription food and supplements, veterinary exam fees, and advertising/reward for lost/stolen pets.
Average cost: 30% of score. We evaluated costs in five states for $5,000 and unlimited coverage for a mixed-breed dog (age 1), a French bulldog (age 5), and a Labrador retriever (age 8).
Unlimited coverage option: 10% of score. We gave points when pet insurers offered an unlimited annual limit (or a $100,000 limit), which gives pet owners the most robust financial protection possible in the event of a catastrophic pet medical issue.
Direct payments to the veterinarian: 5% of score. We gave points to pet insurers that state on their websites that they accommodate direct vet payments.
No special waiting periods for special conditions: 5% of score. We gave points when pet insurers have no waiting periods for special conditions, such as cruciate ligament conditions.
Routine wellness plan: 5% of score. Companies that offer a routine wellness plan in addition to pet insurance received points.
Multi-pet discount: 5% of score. We gave points when pet insurers offered a discount for insuring multiple pets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fox tests positive for rabies in Peachtree City, child bitten
Peachtree City officials announced a fox had tested positive for rabies after biting a child on July 23 at a home on Log House Road. Now, city officials say the animal tested positive for rabies, which testing by the Georgia Department of Public Health Library confirmed. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to city officials, a mother and two of her children were in their driveway with their two small dogs when a fox came out from under one of their family's vehicles. The fox had, according to officials, previously been seen or interacted with by other residents in the area multiple times. TRENDING STORIES: Delta Air Lines delays leave passengers stranded; experts explain travelers' rights Metro man warns against off-app rides after being stranded with his belongings stolen Paula Deen announces shuttering of 2 Savannah restaurants While the family 'scooped up the dogs,' officials said the fox started 'nipping at the heels of one of the children, biting the child several times' as they tried to go inside the house for safety. Bonnie Turner, Environmental Health Manager for Fayette County, urges everyone to take the precautions needed to keep themselves, their families, and their pets safe from contracting rabies 'One of the best ways to avoid rabies exposure is to stay away from unfamiliar dogs, cats, and wild animals, even though this Peachtree City family's experience shows that some encounters may be unavoidable,' the city said in a statement. If you see an animal that appears sick, overly aggressive or behaving strangely, call Fayette County Animal Control at 770-631-7210 or the Peachtree City Police Department's non-emergency line at 770-487-8866. You can also reach out to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division at 800-366-2661. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
I'm terrified of rabies, my Gen Z daughter fears climate change. Why anxiety is generational
Last month, I was convinced I had rabies. I didn't have any symptoms, or I'd hardly be sitting here writing this, but I was getting occasional intrusive flashes of panic that I was incubating the dread, 100-per cent-fatal virus that can first show symptoms months after exposure. My partner and I had been on holiday in Vietnam a few weeks before. As we were leaving a guesthouse in Ninh Binh, a friendly pet puppy skittered up behind me and lightly nipped my leg through my trousers. Now, there is rabies in Vietnam – 82 people died of it in 2023 – and you don't only get it from street dogs; it lurks even in puppies who seem playful. I weighed the evidence. I hadn't been vaccinated against rabies; most tourists don't bother because the jabs are expensive, and there is a 'post exposure' option if you do interact with a rabid animal. But because the skin on my leg hadn't been broken, I decided I was almost certainly going to be okay, carried on with my holiday, and basically forgot about it. Then, a few weeks after our return, the news was full of the terrible story of Yvonne Ford, a 59-year-old woman from Barnsley, who had died from rabies after being scratched by a puppy while on holiday in Morocco in February. Only scratched! Ford had started experiencing symptoms just two weeks prior to her death on June 11. Upon reading this, I started to worry – albeit in a controlled way. Should I get the 'post infection' set of jabs which would save me from certain death if I had been exposed? Was it worth the not insignificant £500 this would cost? Or should I just live with the very tiny risk? To add to my squirming brain, around this time there was a hostile incident between India and Pakistan, which the media always helpfully refer to as 'nuclear powers.' This brought back my teenage fear of nuclear war, of dying slowly of radiation sickness, as fed by such terrifying 1980s fare as the films Threads and The Day After. It really was Apocalypse Bingo for a while there, earlier this summer. I talked to my daughter, Annabel, 22, about what she made of my paranoias, and we started to explore the subject more deeply. I shared my Generation X fears: nuclear war, Aids – back in the day, at least – and rabies. (Who could forget those scary public information campaigns and screaming, red La Rage posters on cross-channel ferries?) Annabel, who is firmly Generation Z, told me she was worried about her economic future, 'brain aneurysms and freak deaths – I think this definitely comes from reading too much health journalism,' but most of all, climate change. 'Fears about climate change do occasionally keep me up at night,' she said. 'The heatwaves have been making me worried about the coming decades. It is clearly already happening. I think due to modern life we all forget how reliant we are upon the environment. Although the anxiety maybe isn't productive, I do think we should all be more concerned about climate change.' Why anxiety sticks with us I asked Owen O'Kane, a psychotherapist and the author of the bestselling book Addicted to Anxiety, what he made of all this. To a certain extent, the 'flavour' of our fears is due to what was making headlines at a formative period in our lives, he believes. 'Fashions change and we go through phases, your experience as an early adult stays with you,' he says. 'News headlines certainly don't help. The people who write them go for the worst-case scenario, the most catastrophic outcome. If you are anxious by nature, your 'anxious self' will gravitate towards these headlines.' If you tend towards anxiety, these more dramatic incidents are likely to affect you compared with an individual who is more sanguine. 'Anxious people are responsible people and they care deeply about things,' says O'Kane. 'They have a healthy altruistic core.' The problem, however, is that there's a risk anxiety can affect your life in a negative way. 'Your anxiety is like a watch guard, looking for a potential threat, and you might suddenly fixate on this threat,' says O'Kane. 'For example, a teenager might see a photo of a field of fire, and start worrying about climate change after a period of not thinking about it.' At heart, says O'Kane, anxiety is all about how much a person can tolerate the uncertainty of everyday life. 'To be worried is useful and has a function, to some degree,' he says. 'But it becomes a problem if we become obsessive, or avoid going out, for example. Every person has to do a cost-benefit analysis – where the price is not leading your life, and you become 'addicted' to your anxiety.' These days, says O'Kane, many people are 'frightened of our own shadow. 'The presentation and triggers are different, but these existential fears are actually our psyche asking fundamental questions: 'Will I get ill?', 'Will I die?', 'Will anyone help me?' 'Will I cope?'' And for our children's generation, the triggers are everywhere. 'People who are now in midlife didn't have social media,' says O'Kane. 'There was less exposure to world events. Yes, we knew there were wars and starvation and plane crashes; we were not unaware of these. But young people have a more elevated awareness of what's going on globally. It's not surprising that there are heightened levels of anxiety in Generation Z.' How social media fuels modern fears Annabel agrees with this analysis. 'Most of my fears are because of the news and social media, which allow little nuggets of anxiety to interrupt your day,' she says. 'Your phone pops up and it's another thing to be worried about, because that's what we engage with.' O'Kane suggests that anxieties can fluctuate, both in a negative way – in that they become harmful phobias – but also in a positive way, in that you can learn to manage and overcome them. I certainly concur with this: my teens and 20s were a mass of health anxieties, usually involving dread neurological diseases, all without a logical explanation. As I grew up, I learnt to keep a lid on these worries and defuse them. So, how did I resolve my rabies scare? First of all, I looked up the statistics of how many people had died of rabies in the UK after a foreign trip: six people between 2000 and 2024. I spoke to my sister-in-law, a GP, who reiterated my chance of contracting the virus was infinitesimal. I then texted the guesthouse in Vietnam, who told me the puppy had been vaccinated against rabies and was healthy. (I have to assume they were telling the truth.) As I received this reply, I was looking at my phone while crossing a road and almost got hit by a car. When I related the above to O'Kane, I was thrilled to have passed his 'healthy response' test. 'The situation was that you were bitten by a dog and there was rabies in the area,' he says. 'It's not dissimilar to how people felt during Covid. I wouldn't describe this as an irrational fear, but a 'situational one'. 'The context of your worry was normal and your parameters went up, you identified the trigger,' he says. 'Someone less prone to worry than you would have made the decision this was low risk and not worried at all afterwards. But you did the healthy thing for you – looked at the broader evidence, weighed it up, and let it go. You were able to acknowledge you could tolerate the worry. Someone more prone to worry would have been googling furiously, or have gone for the vaccinations.' O'Kane is at pains to point out that not all anxieties should be dismissed. 'I'm not saying you should tolerate all uncertainty, and there are useful, functional worries,' he says. 'For example, if you've had unsafe sex with someone you know is HIV positive, you should take the sensible medical approach and seek treatment.' And in less critical situations, we can lower our exposure to worrying material. 'I've gone off social media, and I'm feeling a bit better about everything,' says Annabel. 'It was overwhelming though, because there's so much online encouragement to optimise and do better – very Gen Z.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Yahoo
Rabies is making a comeback: here's what you need to know
Cases of rabies, a viral and potentially fatal disease that primarily spreads through the bites or scratches of infected animals, have recently been reported around the Northeast. This week, officials in the town of Westfield, New Jersey, issued a public health alert after two reports of bites associated with a raccoon that may be infected with rabies, put the surrounding communities on high alert. Last week, New York's Nassau County Department of Health declared an imminent public health threat in response to the ongoing spread of rabies among wild and feral-domesticated animals in the county. 'The resurgence of rabies in Nassau County, with its high population density and after nearly a decade of absence, represents a serious and evolving public health concern,' Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman said in a release. 'This declaration allows us to respond to prevent further spread and protect the health and safety of Nassau County residents.' The resurgence comes after the county had successfully eradicated the virus since 2016. Over the last year, the department has confirmed 25 rabid animals, including raccoons and feral cats. The department noted that surveillance data shows that the virus is circulating in the area. "Let me be clear, there is no cause for alarm, as we have not yet received any reports of human transmission,' Gelman said, according People. 'However, the time for prevention is now." The declaration comes as health authorities in nearby Suffolk County reported two cases of rabies — the first since 2009. But, whether or not an uptick in new cases indicate that rabies is becoming more prevalent in the region is unclear right now. The summer season has something to do with it, Stony Brook Children's Hospital Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division Dr. Sharon Nachman told News 12 Long Island. "It is a question of where you are and what the season is, and certainly the summertime is always associated with more bites and more worries about rabies," she said. A large number of cases has also been reported in Queens. Around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year. The animals most frequently found with rabies in the U.S. are bats, skunks, raccoons, and foxes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Outside of the Northeast, there has been a rise in cases linked to bats, resulting in three rabies deaths in a period of just five weeks a couple of years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, five Americans died of rabies, the largest number in a decade. Human-caused climate change has resulted in the expansion of vampire bats' habitat, and increased the risk of rabies in domestic animals, according to scientists. This week, Denver Animal Protection warned that the public should be cautious after two bats tested positive for the rabies virus, 9 News reported. Still, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. die from rabies each year. That's thanks to post-exposure care and the rabies vaccine. Nearly 100,000 people are vaccinated following a possible exposure each year. Treatment is nearly 100 percent effective if you get it after an exposure. Initial rabies symptoms are similar to the flu, including fever, headache, and muscle aches. They can progress to neurological and physical symptoms, such as delirium, a fear of water, and seizures. To prevent the risk of infection, there are several steps people can take. Make sure pets are up to date with their vaccines, stay away from wildlife, call animal control to remove stray animals from the neighborhoods, and wash any bites or scratches immediately with soap and water after possible exposures before seeking medical attention. 'Rabies is preventable through vaccination and pet owners should remember that the best protection is to vaccinate for rabies and license all pets with the town,' Westfield officials said.
