One that offers good coverage at a decent price? Do all of these companies need a claim submitted or are there some that pay the bill upfront so that we dont have to pay it out of our pocket???

You can buy pet insurance at your vets office Think there are different kinds.

V.P.I. is a good one.

All insurance requires that you pay up front, then apply for reimbursement.

Instead of insurance, many owners advocate getting a high-limit credit card with a good interest rate and ONLY using it for emergency vet bills -- keep it in a drawer or cabinet at home where you won't see it often and where you won't be tempted to use it for other items. If you have the self control to do this without using it for other things, it's a good option, doesn't cost you money out-of-pocket right away, and allows you to pay with installments. This way, you aren't paying yearly or monthly insurance premiums that you may not even use, especially if money is tight.

When you select your pet insurance, read carefully and see what is covered. Some policies cover certain illnesses or injuries only after you've had the policy a set amount of time. Also, decide what the 'high risk' area of your dog is and select your insurance accordingly. If your breed has a high incidence of cancer, carry a cancer rider with the policy. A very active dog may need extra coverage to cover costly surgeries to injuries common to active dogs such as ACL tears and joint surgery. A lazy dog that doesn't ever leave the fenced yard or house shouldn't need to carry as high of coverage for activity-related problems as a herding dog that works stock every day.

Also, I've found it's not worth paying extra to have 'routine treatments' like vaccines, worm medication and flea/tick/heartworm prevention covered. In most cases, it is far less costly to pay for these routine things out-of-pocket and carry insurance only for larger items like surgery, diagnostics, emergency care, etc.

i got it from bansfield in my local petsmart. for what i pay in the course of a year, i more than make up for in the services and shots. the vet rocks!! so does the office staff and the nurses. they know both me and my pets by name (wish i could get my doctor to do that!!). they have different levels of insurance to match your dogs needs too. i have the basic since my dogs are young, but will upgrade as they get older.

i have the petsmarts' Banfield insurance it works good for me the only downfall for that is you have to pay for the meds but i guess you have to do that in every insurance
good luck!

The ASPCA now offers pet insurance. I believe all pet insurance requires payment at time of service and then reimburses you.

I like this one:
http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/?utm_id=2100

The only ones I have seen are the ones that you pay up front and then get reimbursed...