Nationwide | Pet Insurance Review

Has been with Nationwide since my dog was a puppy. Have been paying $55 a month. Year one my puppy had a problem with her leg (ligament). Was told after the fact it was not covered first year. Now, that my dog is 5, tried to file a claim for well care and vaccinations ( i had a plan that is supposed to cover sick and wellness) c just to find out my plan had expired. When i called they told me that i have not paid for over a year although they had my current credit card on file and i was enrolled in automatic payments. They told me then my policy could not be reactivated and i had to re-apply. They requested my dog’s medical records in order to issue new policy, which i provided because i just had an annual checkup which I didn’t get reimbursed for. A week later got an email saying my dog was not eligible for coverage because her ALT was elevated ( liver enzymes), which my doctor told me we need not work about unless they are constantly elevated or keep going up. Nationwide is not on your side. I was so fed up with this, applied for another insurance and was immediately accepted for a lot less.

I have Nationwide Pet Insurance. I recently (July 2023) had to spend over $1,000 on my 17 yo cat. I got $200 back. I spend $117 a month on pet insurance. Not worth it. Planning on changing companies this month. Other insurance plans out there (even for a 17 yo cat!) that are comparable that let you pick deductible and how much you are reimbursed.

I have used Nationwide Pet Ins for approx 6 years. I am so impressed with the quick turnaround time once I submit a claim to the time I receive reimbursement. I have told so many pet parents about Nationwide Pet Ins and how easy it is to submit a claim or ask a question, etc. I will stay with Nationwide.

Please note in my experience, the type of Insurance nationwide offers through employers (employee pays everything) is different than what they offer retail market direct. I view Pet Insurance somewhat like a savings plan that helps me stay out of debt when my pet needs medical care. And I also know what kind of care I would treat my pet with and what cases I wouldn't want the animal to suffer. Also, our Vet is High quality but is at the low end of the price range - knowing this is important in selecting a plan and the benefits, deductible etc. I generally can afford about $500 a year for a single dog on pet insurance - that's just over $20 per month. Since out Vet is Very low cost I have found that insurance w/ preventative care is too expensive and adds $250 - $350 to the cost of the yearly insurance and I can manage those costs better paying out of pocket. The downside of that is while I save money, the wellness costs don't count towards my deductible. But that doesn't matter for me since I don't plan on claiming except in the event of a serious emergency, illness or unexpected expense. An example is my last Boxer developed a large small mast cell tumor below her ear that we removed through surgery. It came back positive as cancerous. While we thought we had caught it early and all of it, about a 6 months later she developed a large grapefruit size mast cell growth that was cancerous on her neck. The Dr. recommended chemotherapy and while he struggled to find a medication that was available (short supply) we began treatment that provided Bella another 5 months of quality and comfortable time. Nationwide paid ever claim above the $250 deductible at 90% very promptly by sending Citibank payments electronically deposited to our checking account. In the end our total Vet Bills for the year totaled about $2000 (max $5000 annual) and I think they paid about $1600. Now the yearly cost for that policy was about $375 and we had her insured for 6 years for a total of about $2250. Prior to that we had made a claim for about $500 over the years. So in total Nationwide paid $2100 and our payments for Insurance was about $2250. I consider that to be exactly what the insurance was meant for. I carried the cost monthly to ensure I wouldn't go into debt on a credit card if treatment was needed. And if there had been an emergency requiring Urgent Care those costs would have been 3x. Nationwide provided excellent coverage at an excellent price that met our predetermined needs. Note if I had selected options like higher coverage, lower deductible, etc the price per year would have made the numbers cost prohibitive. So to get the value you need to understand: 1. Vet cost 2. What you will treat and what you will not treat 3. Annual checkup costs 4. What's the other option, savings, stocks, credit card and your tolerance to use it.

I have had Nationwide for several years and so glad I do. I have been able to provide necessary healthcare to my puppies that I wouldn’t have been able to without.