Just The Facts – The Skinny on Pet Insurance

We decided to look into the idea of getting pet insurance.  In just having general conversations it seems that it is becoming more widely used among pet families.  Insurance for your dog or cat is a great way to offer good medical attention to your beloved pets without breaking the bank.  Fortunately, the pet insurance industry is much easier to muddle through than the human insurance industry!

Here we have complied some completely unbiased information on the most popular pet insurance providers.  These are just the bare bone basics of each plan that you can figure out just by visiting each website.  We have just compiled it all into one place for you.

Some general notes on pet insurance

1. Each website below offers a page where you can compare them to others. Please see specific sites for more details.
2. Most plans start within 14 days of application acceptance.
3. Most plans require your dog be under the age of 14 before enrolling.

Here’s your Pet Insurance options in a nutshell

Nationwide – petinsurance.com

• Covers dogs, cats, birds & exotics
• Can choose a percentage of invoice plan or benefit schedule plan
• Offered thru some employers
• Offers Whole Pet Care with Wellness, Major Medical or Just Wellness plans
• You can use any vet or clinic you choose
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• Starts at $35 a month

Healthy Paws – healthypawspetinsurance.com

• Covers dogs and cats
• Is a percentage of invoice plan
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• May use any licensed vet
• No wellness, preventative or exam fees covered
• Requires pre-coverage exam of animal

Trupanion –  trupanion.com

• Covers dogs & cats
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• No wellness, preventative or exam fees covered
• May use any licensed vet
• Offers an option to pay the vet directly
• Is a percentage of invoice plan

Embrace Pet Insurance – embracepetinsurance.com

• Covers dogs and cats
• Has a stipulation plan for covering pre-existing conditions
• You can use any vet or clinic you choose
• Covers exam fees
• Offers a plan to cover accidents for older pets
• Covers wellness exams and some preventative/holistic treatments

Figo Pet Insurance – figopetinsurance.com

• Covers dogs & cats
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• Offers an option to cover exam fees
• Is a percentage of invoice plan
• Does not cover preventative care
• Offers an app that allows you to connect with other members and speak to a vet on call

Geico – geico.com/pet-insurance

• Covers dogs & cats
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• Is a percentage of invoice plan
• Offers a few discount options (spay/neuter, annual pay, multiple pet)
• Exam fees are covered
• Wellness care is an optional coverage

PetPlan – gopetplan.com

• Covers dogs & cats
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• Covers exam fees
• Covers some treatments for dental conditions
• Covers some holistic treatment options
• Can choose to visit any vet or clinic

ASPCA – aspcapetinsurance.com

• Covers dogs & cats
• Does not cover pre-existing conditions
• Covers exam fees
• Covers preventative care at an additional cost
• Can choose to visit any vet or clinic

CareCredit – carecredit.com/vetmed

• Like a credit card for your pet expenses
• Is not an insurance plan, it’s a credit card used to pay for vet expenses.

We hope this helps to clear up some of the cobwebs surrounding your choice to purchase pet insurance for your dog or cat.

We also found this article with some insurance advice and references  https://lendedu.com/blog/service-dog-insurance/

Like we said in the beginning, this is just the basics.  We don’t purport to be the expert here.  Also, since we are posting this in March of 2019, please be aware that the information in this post can change as per each of the insurance companies chooses.  Please visit each site for the most accurate information.