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Lemonade vs. Nationwide Pet Insurance Comparison 2026: Which Is Best?
In This Review:
Nearly 5.36 million pets in North America were insured at the end of 2022, up substantially from the 4.4 million pets that were insured in 2021. Pet insurance is a fantastic investment that helps lessen the costs of veterinary bills and provides peace of mind that you will have treatment options if your pet falls ill.
There are many pet insurance companies, though, so choosing the perfect one can feel impossible. Nationwide and Lemonade are two of the most popular options for American pet owners. They both have several plan options to choose from depending on your needs and budget, but one of these companies is the clear winner.
Keep reading to learn about both companies’ plans, reimbursement levels, deductibles, and perks so you can find a plan that’s perfect for your budget and your pet's needs.
A Quick Comparison
| Company Name | Lemonade | Nationwide |
| Pets Covered | Cats, Dogs | Dogs, Cats, Birds, Exotic Pets |
| Types of Plans | Accident & Illness, Add-on Coverage, Preventative Care, Puppy/Kitten Care | Major Medical + Wellness, Major Medical, Whole Pet, Whole Pet + Wellness |
| Deductibles | $100 – $500 | $250 annual |
| Reimbursement | 70% – 90% | 50% – 70% |
| Additional Perks | Can use any vet Multi-pet discount Discount if bundling home or car insurance Lower cost $100,000 annual coverage limit option | Can use any vet Multi-pet discount Discount for Nationwide members Can cover cancer treatments 24/7 vet helpline |
Brief Overview of Lemonade
Pros
- Affordable rates
- Customizable plans
- Fast claims process
- Short waiting period for accidents
Cons
- Not available in every state
- Vet visit bills are a separate coverage item
Lemonade is a newcomer in the world of pet insurance having only entered the scene in 2016. They offer insurance not only for pets, but also for life, renters, homeowners, and car owners, too.
They’re unique because they don’t follow the traditional insurance model and instead have created a structure that shares its unclaimed funds with charities. The company earns a flat fee and gives the remaining unclaimed premiums to a charity of your choosing.
Lemonade offers customizable coverage with affordable premiums (some as low as $10 a month). They are a tech-forward company with an easy-to-use website and a smartphone app that makes managing your policy and filing claims a breeze.
Lemonade is currently available in only 37 states, plus Washington, D.C
Brief Overview of Nationwide
Pros
- Access to a 24/7 telehealth line
- Exotic pet coverage
- Multiple plans available
- Long-standing history
Cons
- No end-of-life coverage
- Pricey
Nationwide has been in the realm of insurance since 1926 and is one of the biggest insurance companies in the world, offering coverage for not only pets, but home, auto, and life insurance, too.
It is one of the only pet insurance companies that offer policies for animals other than cats and dogs. You can find coverage for pets like amphibians, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, reptiles, turtles, goats, and rats just to name a few. The caveat is that you cannot sign up online for bird or exotic pet insurance and must instead call a representative to find your options.
Nationwide was the first pet insurance company to provide unlimited wellness plans with their Whole Pet Plan.
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Lemonade vs Nationwide: Plans Available
| Company | Sample Monthly Cost For Dogs | Sample Monthly Cost For Cats | Learn More |
| Lemonade | $19.44 | $11.00 | Click to Get Quote |
| Nationwide | $34.34 | $14.98 | Click to Get Quote |
Lemonade
Lemonade’s Base Accident & Illness coverage covers diagnostics, such as blood tests, MRIs, procedures, and medication. You can opt to add-on individual perks, such as visit vet fees, physical therapy, end of life, and remembrance.
Lemonade has two Preventative Care packages available depending on your pet’s age. These packages cover routine care for scheduled vet trips, such as parasite testing, vaccines, blood tests, routine dental cleanings, and flea medication. The Kitten and Puppy Preventative Care packages cost quite a bit more than the add-on for adult pets but it includes additional spaying or neutering, microchipping, and additional vaccines and tests.
Vet visit fees for accident and illness visits are not included in any of Lemonade’s plans but can be added on for an additional charge.
Nationwide
Nationwide’s Major Medical plan covers vet bills for accidents, illnesses, cancer, and certain hereditary conditions.
Their Major Medical with Wellness includes the same as above but adds on wellness exams, vaccines, flea and heartworm prevention, bloodwork, and urinalysis.
Their Whole Pet plan includes the same as their Major Medical plan but you can choose the reimbursement level. It does not cover wellness expenses like routine exams.
The Whole Pet with Wellness Plan covers everything in the previous plan but also adds on wellness exams, spaying or neutering, urinalysis, bloodwork, flea prevention, routine care, and vaccines.
Some of Nationwide’s plans even provide dental coverage for things like trauma, oral growths, gingivitis, tooth removal, root canals, and more.
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Lemonade vs. Nationwide: Reimbursements and Deductibles
Lemonade
Lemonade has some flexibility when it comes to the deductible. When you buy a policy, you’ll choose a $100, $250, or $500 deductible. This is not set in stone as you can change it when you update your policy annually.
Lemonade also has flexibility with its reimbursement percentage amounts. You can choose between 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.
Their annual reimbursement limits range from $5,000 to $100,000.
The percentages and reimbursements you choose will affect your monthly premiums. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.
Nationwide
All of Nationwide’s plans have a $250 annual deductible.
The defined annual benefits for the Major Medical and the Major Medical with Wellness plans will depend on the condition and are based on a benefits schedule.
The Whole Pet plan reimburses a percentage of your vet bill. You can choose between 50% or 70% reimbursement.
Lemonade vs. Nationwide: Additional Perks
Lemonade
Lemonade is a very tech-savvy brand that’s perfect for people who know their way around technology. Their website and mobile app make sending in claims easy and foolproof. They offer a very fast turnaround for payments which can help take off some of the financial burdens during trying times.
Lemonade has a 2-day waiting period for accidents and just a 6-month waiting period for cruciate ligament events (versus Nationwide’s 14-day waiting period for accidents and 12 months for cruciate ligament injuries).
Nationwide
Nationwide has a 24/7 vet helpline that’s available exclusively to their pet insurance members. This allows members access to veterinary professionals who can provide guidance and answer general questions about cats and dogs across a wide range of issues. You can call them or talk to them online if you prefer live chat.
Perhaps the biggest perk of Nationwide is that they provide insurance coverage for birds and exotic animals.
Company Verdict: Which One Has the Edge?
Customer Service 📞
Edge: Lemonade
While the customer service of both Nationwide and Lemonade are exemplary, we gave the latter the slight edge thanks to their attentive representatives and desktop and mobile service line interfaces. Their website also has a clever AI-powered assistant that can answer your questions or direct you to a human team member if necessary.
Price of Plans 💲
Edge: Lemonade
Lemonade takes the edge over Nationwide in terms of pricing. In fact, they have some of the lowest prices among any pet insurance plan. This may be due to the customizable nature of their plans. You can adjust the deductible, reimbursement level, and annual maximum to find a price that best suits your budget.
Areas of Coverage 🌐
Edge: Nationwide
Nationwide beats Lemonade by a landslide when looking strictly at coverage. They offer very extensive coverage that includes preventative care, and they even have a comprehensive medical plan for cats and dogs that covers unlimited wellness and major medical coverage.
Nationwide provides a fairly good dental coverage package versus Lemonade’s policies only cover dental cleaning.
Perks 📱
Edge: Nationwide
While Nationwide and Lemonade have some similar perks, such as multi-pet discounts and the ability to stick with your current vet, Nationwide does have the slight edge.
Nationwide provides coverage for birds and other exotic animals, which sets it apart from nearly every other pet insurance company in the United States.
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Conclusion
|  | |
|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | ||
| Multi-Pet Discount | ||
| Spaying/Neutering | ||
| Unlimited Plan | ||
| Preventative Care | ||
| Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
While both Lemonade and Nationwide provide fantastic insurance options for pet owners, Nationwide covers every animal you have under your roof, not just cats and dogs and Lemonade is a great pick if you’re on a tight budget. However, if you have a cat or dog, you can't go wrong with either company!
Hepper acknowledges that it is not licensed as an insurance agent, and therefore will not offer any advice regarding insurance, nor recommend a particular coverage, policy, or insurance company.
All content and materials, including rewrites, that are created to announce, market, and/or advertise Lemonade will be reviewed and approved by both parties to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
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Chantelle's life revolves around two passions: writing and animals. Raised on the prairies of Canada amidst a menagerie of pets, she now lives with five cats, two guinea pigs, and a bearded dragon. Together with her husband and child, Chantelle delights in being an exemplary animal parent, going as far as installing wall-mounted cat shelves to give their cats an indoor playground. When she's not cozying up with her cats or snapping their amusing antics, she enjoys venturing into the Rocky Mountains, binge-watching her favorite Netflix shows, and indulging in spontaneous reading adventures.
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