Lemonade Pet Insurance Review: Is it Good?

^{The Dog Tale is reader-supported. We may earn a commission if you buy something through our site; this doesn’t change our recommendations.}

Lemonade made waves when the tech startup dove into the notoriously opaque insurance industry and pledged to make it better for ordinary people. The company tries to demystify insurance by making its policies easy to understand, easy to use, better for the world, and better for you.

But does it stand up to the hype? We’ll dig into Lemonade’s pet insurance policies in this review to see how good it really is.

In this review:

• Lemonade Pet Insurance: At a glance
• Our Lemonade Pet insurance review
• What’s covered
• How much does it cost
• How Lemonade gives back
• Where is Lemonade available?
• How good is customer service?
• Lemonade vs other options
• Bottom line: Is it legit?

Lemonade Pet Insurance: At a glance

• Policies start at just $9.99 per month.
• Signing up takes less than two minutes.
• 30% of claims are processed in seconds by Lemonade’s AI.
• Current Lemonade customers can get a 10% discount.
• Insuring multiple pets scores you another 5% discount (excluding CA & TX).
• Annual deductible of $100–$500; coverage up to $100K per year.
• Options include Accident & Illness coverage, vet visit fees add-on, physical therapy add-on, plus optional preventative care plans: the basic Preventative package, the Preventative+ package, and the Puppy/Kitten Preventative package.

Lemonade Pet Insurance review

Insurance companies are typically difficult to work with. They have confusing policies written in legal jargon, their claims processes are extremely slow, and you never really know when you’re on the hook for a bill.

Lemonade is changing that. 

The tech-first company has reinvented how insurance works by offering its home, renters, life, and pet insurance services through a super easy-to-use mobile app and an AI-based claims process. 

This means you can sign up for a policy in just a couple of minutes, and about 30% of claims are processed and paid by Lemonade’s AI in as little as a few seconds. In fact, Lemonade’s fastest recorded claim to date was just 3 seconds! 

This also means Lemonade is a more efficiently run business, so they can offer lower premiums than many competitors. And I can personally vouch for these benefits and low premiums—I’m a Lemonade customer.

Also, to make social responsibility a core part of its business, Lemonade inverted the traditional business model. Instead of paying out what they have to and keeping the rest as profits, the company takes a flat fee, then donates the premium dollars that remain after paying claims to charities selected by policyholders. As much as 40% of premiums paid is donated to charities you help choose (more on this later).

Benefits of Lemonade

• Low rates: Lemonade offered us lower premiums than any other pet insurance company. Seriously, you might be able to cut your typical pet insurance bill in half in less than two minutes.
• Fast claims: Roughly 30% of claims are paid in just a few seconds, thanks to Lemonade’s AI-driven technology. That could be a nice benefit in an otherwise stressful situation.
• Discounts: If you currently carry one of Lemonade’s other policies, such as homeowners or renters insurance, you can get 10% off your pet insurance bill. If you insure more than one pet, get another 5% off (available in 33 states).
• Highly customizable: You can customize your plan for maximum coverage or only pay for the necessities. It’s up to you.
• Preventative care: There are optional preventative packages and add-ons that will cover things like routine examinations, vaccines, dental cleanings, and blood work. These aren’t typically covered by pet insurance.
• Online medical chat: Pet parents who opt for preventative care packages also get access to online medical advice chat for any questions they have. We love this benefit for all those pesky questions you don’t want to visit the vet about.
• No per-incident deductibles: Deductibles are annual, not per-issue.
• Easy app: Get customer support through Lemonade’s easy-to-use mobile app.
• Short waiting period: There are no accident waiting periods. Illness-related coverage has a standard 14-day waiting period, and you’ll need to wait 30 days for orthopedic conditions.
• Part of your premiums goes straight to charity: Lemonade is a Public Benefit Corporation and a Certified B-Corp. This means they take a flat fee upfront before paying claims, then donate what’s left of premium dollars (up to 40% of premiums paid) to causes and charities, such as The Humane Society and Charity: Water. As a policyholder, you’ll get to help choose who Lemonade supports next year.

Downsides

• Not for some senior dogs: Older dogs might be declined coverage, as with most pet insurance providers. There’s no fixed age limit, though, so it’s worth getting a quote.
• No pre-existing conditions: Pre-existing conditions aren’t covered, either. This is standard for all insurers and means you may be on the hook for your pet’s hereditary conditions or chronic conditions that began before getting coverage.
• No exam fee coverage (without an add-on): Exam fees (the fee you pay just to visit the vet) are covered only if you opt for the vet visit fees add-on. However, other pet insurers that do cover these fees come with much higher monthly premiums, so at least this way you have the option to only pay when you actually visit the vet.
• Not available everywhere: Lemonade pet insurance is currently available in 35 states. See where lower in this review or by getting a quote.

How does Lemonade Pet Insurance work?

Getting a free quote (and subsequently signing up for a policy, if you choose) is super easy, and you’ll be done in just a couple of minutes. Just visit Lemonade on any device and click “See our prices” to get started. Maya, Lemonade’s AI bot, will ask you a few quick questions to find out where you are and what type of pet you’d like to insure.

You’ll tell Maya what breed your dog or cat is, their age (a guess is fine), and info about their medical history.

If your pet has a past of medical issues, you’ll be able to select from a list of ailments or provide your own. It’s important to complete this step fully and honestly to avoid confusion or surprises around what’s covered down the road.

After that, you’ll just need to provide your email and birthdate to validate that you’re old enough to take out a policy, and so Lemonade can save your quote. Don’t worry—they won’t spam your inbox.

Once you’re done, you’ll see your current price and your coverage options. Adding or removing optional coverage, as well as tweaking your deductible and reimbursement options (co-insurance), will make your premiums go up or down. You’ll also be given the opportunity to make a one-time annual premium payment at a discounted rate.

Policy & deductible options

Lemonade has three policy options with some additional optional add-ons:

• Accident & Illness base coverage: This is the meat and potatoes of your policy, and everybody gets this coverage. You can increase or decrease your premiums by adjusting your annual deductible, reimbursement rate, and total coverage limits (see options below).
  • Optional add-ons:
    • Vet visit fees: Getting this add-on will help pay for vet visit fees that are charged for accidents and illnesses. That’s the fee some vets charge for their time and labor, in addition to the actual cost of the treatment.
    • Physical therapy: This policy add-on extends your coverage to the cost of physical therapy, such as acupuncture, which may help your pet further recover from injuries.
• Basic Preventative coverage: Extends coverage to preventative care excluded by most pet insurance policies. Think annual wellness exams and routine care like blood work. It also grants you access to an online medical advice chat service. 
• Preventative+ coverage: In addition to the basic preventive care, this includes heartworm or flea/tick medication as well as a routine dental cleaning. 

We’ll dive into what’s covered by these policies below. But first, let’s take a look at your reimbursement and deductible options:

• Reimbursement amounts: 70%, 80%, or 90%
• Annual coverage limits: $5,000 to $100,000
• Annual deductibles: $100, $250, or $500

Choosing a higher deductible means you’ll need to pay more before your insurance kicks in, but it will also reduce your monthly premiums. On the other hand, choosing a higher reimbursement rate or annual coverage limit will increase your premiums. But, it will also give you greater protection.

Lemonade is super flexible, so you can determine your personal sweet spot between monthly price and coverage.

What does Lemonade Dog Insurance cover?

What’s covered will depend on which policy add-ons you’ve selected (if any). We’ll start with the basics.

Basic Accident & Illness coverage

Lemonade’s basic accident and illness pet insurance coverage helps pay for diagnostics, procedures, and medications from covered accidents and illnesses.

The covered amount will depend first on the reimbursement rate you choose when signing up, and second on your annual deductible (if you haven’t paid it yet this year).

Your total annual coverage limit will apply if your claim exceeds it.

For example, let’s say your pup likes to pretend he’s Underdog, and he leaps from the top of the stairs in hopes of flying. Instead, he got a broken leg, and you rack up a $4,000 vet bill getting him x-rays, a cast, and medication. 

If you’ve selected a 90% reimbursement rate, a $100 deductible, and a $20,000 annual limit, your claim would work out like this:

($4K bill x 90% reimbursement rate) – $100 deductible
______________________________
 $3,500 claim paid

You’d have to pay $500 (plus any fees for non-covered expenses, if there are any) and Lemonade would pay the rest. As I explained above, Lemonade’s basic plan doesn’t pay for physical therapy or vet exam fees (the fee you’re sometimes charged just for seeing the vet) by default. However, you can get coverage for these expenses by selecting these add-ons when you sign up.

Physical therapy add-on 

When you opt for this add-on, Lemonade will reimburse you for treatments related to functionality issues and cover the costs of physical treatments that can help your pet recover from injuries, such as acupuncture and hydrotherapy.

Vet visit fees add-on

This policy add-on extends your coverage to include vet visit fees. That’s the fee vets charge just for their time and labor, in addition to the actual cost of the treatment. If you get this add-on, Lemonade will help pay for vet visit fees that are charged for accidents and illnesses. 

We’ve seen these exam fees run from $25 to $160 per visit.

It’s worth pointing out that many other pet insurance companies include coverage for these fees in their base policy. However, as far as we’ve seen, those policies typically come with substantially higher premiums, so you’re paying for the coverage one way or another.

This way, you can decide whether you want to play it safe and extend your coverage, or save more on premiums by sticking with the basic plan. It’s up to you, but based on our research, Lemonade still offered very competitive prices even with these add-ons.

Basic Preventative package

This optional package reimburses you for routine preventative care. This includes 1 annual wellness exam, 1 fecal or internal parasite test, 1 blood work test, 1 Heartworm or FeLV/FIV test, and 3 vaccinations. Generally, these types of procedures are not covered by insurance companies without upgrading to a similar package. 

The Preventative package also grants you access to online medical advice chat, so you can get answers to simple questions without going to (and paying for) the vet. This is perfect if your dog is like mine and likes to get into minor mischief late at night when the only places open are expensive emergency care clinics.

What we like about this package, aside from the medical advice chat, is that it can remove any hesitation about what care to get at your pup’s annual check-up. No more worrying about whether to skip that blood work just to save a little money.

Lemonade’s Preventative package is not subject to any deductibles, but there are per-procedure limits on what the company will pay. You can easily check how much you’re eligible to receive and how much the package would cost you by completing the brief Lemonade survey.

Preventative+ package

The Preventative+ package is for pets older than 2 years old, and it extends your coverage even further to help cover costs you’re likely to see each year. The plan covers heartworm or flea/tick medication as well as a routine dental cleaning.

Flea and tick medication is a common cost all dog owners face. Dental cleanings are an expense some pet owners try to skip, but unfortunately, this often leads to painful abscessed teeth and periodontal disease. Getting your pet’s teeth cleaned annually can help mitigate the risk of painful periodontal disease and the costly procedures that result from it.

Puppy/Kitten Preventative package

The puppy/kitten package is for pets younger than 2 years old. It includes microchipping, 6 vaccines or boosters, 2 wellness exams, 2 fecal or internal parasite tests, 2 blood tests, a heartworm or FeLV/FIV test, and flea/tick or heartworm medication.

It also extends your coverage to include a spay or neuter procedure. This is an often costly procedure that most pet owners face in their pet’s first year. In fact, neutering your pet may be contractually required if you purchased your pet from a breeder.

What’s not covered?

Lemonade Pet Insurance doesn’t cover the following:

• Pre-existing conditions: conditions that showed symptoms during the waiting period or earlier. These aren’t covered by any insurance company.
• Neglect: Lemonade doesn’t cover injury or illness resulting from your personal neglect. You must provide your pet with adequate care.
• Alternative or experimental treatments: These include (but aren’t limited to) aromatherapy, massage, CBD oils, or cloned animals. However, if you choose the physical therapy add-on, physical treatments like acupuncture and chiropractic care are covered.
• Non-accident/illness elective procedures: A few examples of these procedures are grooming and nail trimming, anal gland expression, and prescription food.

This list isn’t necessarily exhaustive, so make sure you always check your policy for specific terms and exclusions.

Does Lemonade cover spaying?

Not by default. However, if your dog or cat is younger than 2 and you opt for the Puppy/Kitten Preventative package, Lemonade will cover spaying or neutering procedures.

Does Lemonade cover burial or cremation expenses?

No, Lemonade currently does not cover end-of-life burial procedures.

Does Lemonade pay the vet directly?

Currently, Lemonade always pays the policyholder (that’s you), and you’ll pay the vet directly. However, this may change as Lemonade expands its service, so check your policy to be sure.

How much does Lemonade dog insurance cost?

The cost for a Lemonade pet insurance policy starts at just $10 a month. That is by far the cheapest premium we’ve personally seen from any pet insurance company. 

Of course, many pet owners won’t see rates quite this low. Cat owners in inexpensive regions tend to get the lowest premiums. Your pet, location, policy elections, deductible, reimbursement rate, and annual limit will all play a role.

For example, in New York City, where vets charge an arm and a leg for the most basic of procedures, base premiums are going to be a bit higher. However, we ran some tests, and the premiums we received (around $38 per month) were still less than half of what we were quoted by several other pet insurance companies (typically $80+).

The same dog in a cheaper region could cost $10 to $20 less per month.

These were just our personal results, though. The only way to see exactly how much you’ll pay is to get a quote through Lemonade’s brief survey.

It only takes about 90 seconds to complete, and you’ll be able to see how tweaking other aspects of your policy, like the annual coverage limit or policy add-ons, will affect your price. 

You’ll also be able to see how much you could save if you choose to make one lump sum payment each year instead of a monthly premium. (Typically it works out to getting a little more than one month free).

Quote taken from Birdsboro, PA, for an 11-month-old mixed-breed dog with no health issues.

How policy choices affect your price

The biggest decision you can make to impact your price is whether to add on Lemonade’s optional Preventative (Great for dogs/cats) or Preventative+ (Incredible for dogs/cats) packages. 

Adding the Preventative+ package will roughly double your monthly premiums. The cost of the optional basic coverage add-ons wasn’t that substantial, and it seemed worthwhile to us.

Increasing or decreasing your deductible or reimbursement rate will also change your price. But in our experience, it only changed by roughly $5 per month in either direction.

Surprisingly, increasing your coverage limit has a disproportionately small effect on your price. In the image above, we selected a modest but comfortable $20,000 coverage limit. When we changed that coverage limit to $100,000—five times the original limit—our monthly premium only increased by $0.25 per month.

This means everybody should be able to get substantial coverage for an affordable price.

Is Lemonade worth it?

This question is often asked about pet insurance, and it’s one we’ve struggled with. Pet insurance can be a literal life-saver if your pet gets critically ill or injured and the resulting expenses are more than your family is willing or able to pay. 

But some pet insurance companies charge so much that you end up paying almost as much in premiums and deductibles as you would have for the actual care your pet receives. 

That’s why we were so happy when we heard Lemonade was getting into pet insurance. Lemonade entered the insurance space with bold promises to make it more accessible to everyone, and their premiums reflect that. The fact that you can actually understand their policies, or that filing a claim is super easy—those are just icing on the cake. 

At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much you pay for the coverage you need, and at Lemonade’s prices, we definitely think it’s worth it.

>> Read more: Purebred vs Mutt: Are Mixed Breed Dogs Healthier?

How does Lemonade give back?

Lemonade is unique among insurance companies in that it doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of making its shareholders a profit. Instead, the company is designed so that it only takes a fixed portion of the premiums customers pay. After all claims are paid and Lemonade takes its flat amount, the rest of the money is donated to charities that policyholders select when purchasing their policies. 

That means that every year Lemonade grows, more money will go to important causes that policyholders care about. In 2021, $2,303,381.24 was donated by the Lemonade community to 65 different nonprofits. 

Here are just some of the results of these donations:

• 181,559 trees were planted in critical ecosystems via American Forests
• 29,578 animals were cared for and given shelter through the SPCAI
• 1,291 dogs and cats were rescued from cruelty by the Humane Society
• 12 clean water projects serving 2,400 Malawians were deployed by charity: water
• Thousands of meals, schooling, and housing were delivered to dozens of underserved and disadvantaged communities through Feeding America, Citymeals on Wheels, New Story, and the Malala Fund
• And many more

Where is Lemonade pet insurance available?

Currently, Lemonade’s dog and cat insurance is available in 36 U.S. states (and D.C.):

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, 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, and Wisconsin.

However, the company is actively rolling out across the U.S. and Europe, so it’s worth checking if your location has been added. If it hasn’t been, it may be soon, and you can ask Lemonade to automatically update you when it is.

How good is Lemonade’s customer service?

Lemonade has both some strengths and weaknesses in the customer service department.

On one hand, its app is truly a breeze to use. In fact, it has a 4.9-star rating in the app store. While most insurance companies still seem like they’re operating in 1999, Lemonade’s app and straightforward email support will get you answers without digging through web pages to find the proper contact address, and without waiting on hold for 45 minutes. And if you’re filing a basic claim, no other company will make it easier.

On the other hand, Lemonade’s phone support is limited to medical emergencies. While this frees up the phone lines for those who need it urgently, it also means those with complex but non-urgent issues may have to wait a little longer to get an emailed response.

So, on the whole, we’d rate Lemonade’s customer support as great for small claims and simple issues, but just par for more substantial problems. 

It’s worth pointing out here that insurance companies in general aren’t exactly known for having good customer support, but Lemonade as a whole has earned a 4.15/5.00 on BBB.org. That’s pretty good, considering online customer reviews tend to overrepresent negative feedback.

What is Lemonade’s customer service phone number?

If you have an emergency claim, you can contact Lemonade’s customer support team at (844) 733-8666.

For non-emergency questions, contact the company via the mobile app or email at [email protected].

How does Lemonde Pet Insurance compare to other options?

Generally, I have a pretty strong dislike for the insurance industry. I’ve been burned one too many times by dubious policies that are packed full of caveats and never seem to pay out. But Lemonade’s whole purpose is to blaze a new trail for what insurance companies look like, and I’m here for it.

I can’t make an official recommendation one way or another since I’m not a licensed insurance agent. However, in my personal opinion, I like Lemonade more than any other pet insurance company on the market.

It all boils down to two things: ease of use and price. The app is mindlessly easy to use, and it looks great, too. But more importantly, the prices we received from Lemonade were way lower than what any other insurance company offered us, even with additional coverage. Of course, many factors affect premiums, so you’ll need to get a quote to see your own price. But we think it will be a good one.

However, if you want to compare Lemonade to other options, there are a few worth checking out.

Embrace and Pumpkin Pet Insurance are traditional pet insurance companies. All offer comprehensive coverage and optional wellness packages, so you can find the coverage you’re looking for.

All three companies will give you a pet policy quote for free, so you can easily compare prices and coverage and choose the one that works for you.

If you’re interested in insurance alternatives, we know of a couple of interesting options to look into.

Pawp is a pet telehealth company that allows you to chat with a vet 24/7. However, Pawp also offers a $3,000 emergency fund product, that operates a little differently than insurance, but can still help you out when you’re in a pinch. One thing we like about Pawp is that you can try out its telehealth service free for 7 days. You can learn more about the service in our Pawp pet insurance review.

Bottom line: Is Lemonade Insurance good?

We think so. Lemonade’s prices, easy-to-use app, and generous giveback program earn two big thumbs up from us.

Obviously, we hope you’ll never need to use your pet insurance. But carrying a policy can provide peace of mind that you’ll have some protection if a covered incident happens with your pet.