ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

When my 13 year old Doxie had to go the the emergency vet it cost me almost $800.00. I was glad they helped me but they wanted all their money right away. Unfortunately he passed away and I now have a new puppy 2 months old miniature Doxie Duke. I have sent in 3 claims and all are being processed as we speak. It was well worth the price because it pays for his medications and shorts and as a Registered Nurse I can tell you pet medication and doctor visits are as expeensive as humans. One day I accidently dropped a pill that would have been lethal to him in 1 hour. I rushed him to the vet within 20 minutes and they kept him for about 3 hours to induce vomiting and keep a close eye on him. The pill he passed was not even totally dissolved and I brought him home. They said he would probably be a little sleepy for the rest of the day but he never missed a beat. The only things not covered so far for him were his vitamins and special shampoo but getting back 80% of everything else was well worth the cost of the insurance and I already have the $100.00 deductible in. This would have been wounderful with the $800.00 bill but unfortunately I had no coverage then. I would not be without it for future regular visits and I hope there are no more emergencies but with a puppy you never know. I only know he has the best of care and I get money back. He and all other animals deserve it. They are sweet innocents that depend on us to take care of them just like children and I am glad for the opportunity to provide this coverage for my Doxie. The cost of the monthly premium would have been well worth it for the 13 years I had my other Doxie but did not know about the insurance. I would recommend it to anyone with a pet. They deserve good care and depend on you to provide it and with the insurance it is much easier.

I have been very satisfied with the coverage that I have for my two dogs and one cat. I feel that the coverage that I had was reasonably priced, unfortunately I did have to cancel due to rising economic costs in other areas. Any time that I have contacted customer service I have received a prompt and curteous reply. I know that when I am looking to re-establish coverage for my pets I will return to being a Hartville customer.

Sam and Sally (7-year-old beagles) have had three claims so far this year, our first with the policy. First was wellness exams, second and third were for illnesses. The claims were handled promptly and the statements were clear.

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is the third pet insurance plan we've tried over the past 20 years. Their coverage is average, their "fine print" is average, and the speed of their claims handling is average. The biggest and most heinous issue with this company is their adherence to reimbursements based on a totally out-of-touch, unreasonable and almost fraudulent set of "average local charges" as published by some pro-insurance-company (and perhaps owned by them) rates researcher. Generally, ASPCA has reimbursed our claims at an average of 40 to 45% of what we've had to pay the veterinarians, regardless of the illness, medical procedures, or other costs. For a $350 procedure, they "allowed" $151. For a $260 procedure, they "allowed" $127. This is not including deductables. When we asked them to provide the name of a single veterinatian within 25 miles who charged what they were "allowing," they claimed to only go by this published book and could not provide names. When I asked for the name of the publisher of the book, they refused to provide it. Needless to say, the book, whatever it is and whoever publishes it, has no relationship to the real world and merely serves to accommodate their unreasonable payouts. Think twice about any pet insurance company. In hindsight, we've realized that it would have been more cost-effective to self-insure by setting up a savings account and paying the "premiums" to that account.

I have two dogs and three cats insured by Petshealth and amlooking for new carrier. Their pre-existing condition clause is a deal-breaker; moreover, they refuse to cover dental disease of any type . My greyhound had severe dental disease and, only after the ASPCA liaison intervened,was I able to get reimbursed. Now, a calico cat I rescued was diagnosed with gingivitis and this claim, too, was denied. I guess that petshealth would rather pay for the heart and kidney failure that dental disease causes than correct the problem before it becomes life-threatening.