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To help you sort through client payment methods, Veterinary Economics has spent years looking at cash, check, credit card, third-party payment plans, and in-clinic payment plans. But in the event a thoughtful client thinks about how much they would spend on that beloved pet, pet insurance for the future is an option. Of course, up until now, we've simply advised you to do the legwork: Look at pet insurance options, decide whether you want to suggest one or two options to new and existing clients, and sort it out yourself. Well, now we've decided to do the sorting for you. We've gathered information provided by pet insurance companies so you can compare—and share—the options with staff and clients. Every detail of the available plans isn't covered, so think of this as a great start of your work to do what's right for your clients when it comes to pet insurance. Press the Next button below to view our survey of nine top pet insurance companies (or download as a PDF):
(Note: This information was provided directly by companies themselves and has not been independently verified. Best Friends Pet Insurance and Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, and PurinaCare Pet Insurance did not respond by press time.) |
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| Insurance brand: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Hartville Pet Insurance, Petshealth Care Plan, Protect Your Bubble Types of coverage? Accident, illness, and wellness Started? 1997 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? More than 100,000 pets Customer service? Phone Monday to Saturday; email; department for veterinarians Waiting period? Illness: 30 days; accident and wellness: None; Hereditary and congenital: six months Not covered? Pre-existing conditions; elective procedures the ASPCA opposes, such as ear cropping, tail docking, and claw removal; treatment for dental disease (injuries are covered); costs for breeding or pregnancy; pet food; grooming; others as listed Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, if the condition is cured and treatment-free for at least six months Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, in Canada; travel assistance services available globally for ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? No Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, location, species Reimbursement? 70%, 80%, or 90% Deductible? $100, $250, or $500 Annual or per-incident deductible? Annual Changes to policy? Policyholders may change at renewal or mid-year Discounts? Multi-pet, veterinary staff, employee benefit, and more Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? Yes, determined by customary charges for same procedures in same area Maximum payout per year? None Lifetime limit? Yes, for chronic, hereditary, and congenital conditions File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail; one-page claim form and receipts Claim reimbursement? To client or veterinarian within about one business week |
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| Insurance brand: Embrace Types of coverage? Accident, illness, and wellness Started? 2006 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? Roughly 25,000 Customer service? Phone, web Monday to Friday; representatives to help veterinarians Waiting period? Accident and illness: 14 days; orthopedic for dogs: 6 months, or shorter with veterinarian exam Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, behavioral conditions, grooming Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, if the condition doesn't recur within 12 months Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, worldwide, as long as pet parent typically resides in the United States Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? Yes Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, gender, location, spay/neuter status, species Reimbursement? 65%, 80%, or 90% Deductible? $100, $200, $500, or $1,000 Annual or per-incident deductible? Annual Changes to policy? Policyholders may increase deductible at any time; other changes may require rewriting policy Discounts? 5% for spayed/neutered pets, 5% for annual payers, 5% for veterans or military, 5% multi-pet Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? No Maximum payout per year? $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 Lifetime limit? $50,000 File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail; claim form and invoice Claim reimbursement? Wellness claims to clients within two business days; 95% of accident and illness claims within 15 business days; veterinarians can receive payment directly if pet owner pre-approves claim and veterinarian allows |
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| Insurance brand: PetFirst Types of coverage? Accident and illness Started? 2004 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? More than 40,000 cats and dogs Customer service? Phone Monday to Friday; email Waiting period? Accident: next day; illness: 14 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, unnecessary or nonmedical treatment or care; routine care; preventable conditions Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, in some cases Emergency coverage overseas? No Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? Yes Exam fees covered? Yes, unless diagnosis is for non-covered condition Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, location Reimbursement? 70%, 80%, or 90% Deductible? $50, $100, $250, or $500 Annual or per-incident deductible? Per-incident Changes to policy? Policyholders may change anytime Discounts? Multi-pet (up to three pets), claims-free, 5% for annual payers Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? Yes. If "excessive," uses AAHA guide as reference tool Maximum payout per year? $7,500 to $20,000 Lifetime limit? No File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail signed claim form, itemized invoice, and veterinary records for incident Claim reimbursement? To client within 10 business days; veterinarians can be reimbursed directly |
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| Insurance brand: PetPartners Types of coverage? Accident, illness, and wellness Started? 2003 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? Undisclosed Customer service? Phone and email Monday to Saturday Waiting period? Accident: 5 days; illness: 30 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, inherited/congenital, intentional neglect, elective, and treatments related to breeding, behavior, grooming, food, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and alternative/holistic treatments Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, if deemed cured by a veterinarian Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, in Canada Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? Yes Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, location Reimbursement? 80% or 90% Deductible? $75 or $125 per incident; $125 annual Annual or per-incident deductible? Annual or per-incident Changes to policy? Policyholders may change anytime Discounts? Multi-pet, group discounts Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? Yes, determined by customary charges for same procedures in same area Maximum payout per year? Up to $13,000 Lifetime limit? No File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail; claim form and itemized invoice Claim reimbursement? Claims processed and mailed within 14 days |
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| Insurance brand: Petplan Types of coverage? Accident and illness Started? 2003 Insures where? United States, Canada Total pets covered? Roughly 100,000 Customer service? Phone 7 days/week Waiting period? Accident: 24 hours; Illness: 14 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, elective procedures, routine and preventive care, grooming Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, in some cases Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, in Canada and U.S. territories Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? No Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, location Reimbursement? 80%, 90%, or 100% Deductible? $50, $100, or $200 Annual or per-incident deductible? Per-incident Changes to policy? Policyholders may change once per term Discounts? 5% online, 10% multi-pet, 15% veterinary professional, 10% medical services animal, 10% veteran and military, and group discounts Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? No Maximum payout per year? $10,000, $14,000, or $22,000 Lifetime limit? No File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail; one-page claim form, medical records, invoices, and proof of payment Claim reimbursement? To client (or veterinarian directly if requested and agreed) within five business days |
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| Insurance brand: Pets Best Types of coverage? Accident, illness, and wellness Started? 2005 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? More than 124,000 pets Customer service? Phone and web Monday to Saturday; 24/7 claims preauthorization Waiting period? Accident: 3 days; illness: 14 days; wellness: 14 days. With veterinary exam 10% discount certificate, accident: none; illness: 7 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions; conditions preventable by vaccine; nonmedical veterinary expenses Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, in some cases Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, worldwide Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? No Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, breed, location Reimbursement? 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% Deductible? $0, $50, $100, $200, $500, or $1,000 Annual or per-incident deductible? Annual Changes to policy? Policyholders may change anytime Discounts? 5% multi-pet, 10% discount for signing up 10 days or fewer after physical exam, 5% veterinary web link discount, veterinary team discount (5% to 12%) Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? No Maximum payout per year? $20,000 Lifetime limit? $200,000 File claims? Email, fax, online upload; or snail mail; claim form, medical records needed in less than 10% of cases Claim reimbursement? To client in one to two business days; veterinarians can receive payment directly |
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| Insurance brand: Trupanion Types of coverage? Injury and illness Started? 1998 in Canada; 2007 in the United States Insures where? United States, Canada, Puerto Rico Total pets covered? Undisclosed Customer service? Phone 24/7; territory partners to help veterinarians Waiting period? Injury: 5 days; illness: 30 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, preventable conditions, elective procedures, routine care, grooming Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, in some cases Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, in Canada and Puerto Rico Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? Yes, unless enrolled in Trupanion Express Exam fees covered? No Third-party liability? Yes, in optional rider Basis for premiums? Age, breed, gender, location, species, and more Reimbursement? 90% Deductible? $0 to $1,000 Annual or per-incident deductible? Per-incident Changes to policy? Policyholders may change anytime Discounts? No Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? No Maximum payout per year? None Lifetime limit? No File claims? Fax or email claim form; first time, veterinarian sends medical records Claim reimbursement? To client within seven to 10 business days for first claim; subsequent claims within 24 hours; veterinarians enrolled in Trupanion Express can receive payment in minutes |
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| Insurance brand: VPI Types of coverage? Injury, illness, and wellness Started? 1982 Insures where? United States Total pets covered? Roughly 485,000 pets, including birds and exotic pets Customer service? Phone Monday to Saturday; email and mail; more than 100 team members to help veterinarians Waiting period? Injury: next day; illness: 14 days Not covered? Pre-existing conditions, grooming, elective procedures, congenital conditions, behavioral conditions, preventable conditions (if vaccine available and recommended by DVM) Can pre-existing conditions be “cured”? Yes, if the condition is curable and doesn't recur within six months Emergency coverage overseas? Yes, worldwide Do veterinarians need to fill out any part of the claim forms? No Exam fees covered? Yes Third-party liability? No Basis for premiums? Age, location, size (as adult), species Reimbursement? 100% Deductible? $0 to $1,000 Annual or per-incident deductible? Annual Changes to policy? Policyholders may change anytime Discounts? Multi-pet (5% for two or three, 10% for four or more), group discounts Reimbursements compared to “usual and customary” fees? No Maximum payout per year? $7,000 to $14,000 Lifetime limit? No File claims? Email, fax, or snail mail; claim form and itemized invoice Claim reimbursement? To client or veterinary provider within 14 business days |
