ASPCA Pet Insurance Review
ASPCA offers pet insurance plans for accidents and illnesses, accident-only coverage, and optional wellness plans. This review analyzes the ASPCA’s offerings to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your pet.
Overview
ASPCA pet insurance provides several plan options with generous coverage. The plans include an accident-only policy and the more comprehensive Complete Coverage plan, which covers both accidents and illnesses.
Key Features:
- Annual Max Coverage: Unlimited
- Reimbursement Rates: 70%, 80%, 90%
- Deductibles: $100, $250, $500
- Policy Highlight: Comprehensive coverage with various customizable options.
Pros:
- Covers horses, dogs, and cats.
- Standard plans include alternative therapies, behavioral issues, and congenital conditions.
- Shorter waiting period than most plans for cruciate injuries (14 days).
Cons:
- You must call to get a quote for unlimited annual coverage.
Who is ASPCA pet insurance for?
ASPCA is a good option for those seeking comprehensive coverage in the pet insurance market.
About ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA pet insurance received a NerdWallet rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars, reflecting the company’s wide-ranging and customizable coverage options. The Complete Coverage plan includes benefits not always found in other plans, such as alternative treatments, prescription food and supplements, behavioral therapy, and microchip implantation.
ASPCA partners with Travelers, further expanding its reach as a pet insurance provider.
ASPCA Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage
ASPCA offers three insurance types:
1. Accident and Illness Coverage:
The Complete Coverage plan is available to cats and dogs with no maximum age limit. Key elements of the plan include:
- Exams, treatments, hospitalization, and surgery for injuries and illnesses, including cancer and diabetes.
- Prescription medication, food, and supplements for covered conditions.
- Hereditary and congenital conditions.
- Microchip implantation.
- Alternative treatments (acupuncture, chiropractic).
- Behavioral therapies.
- MRIs, ultrasounds, and X-rays.
- Stem cell therapy.
- End-of-life expenses.
Nerdy Tip: ASPCA includes coverage in its accident and illness plan that would cost extra or not be included with other insurers.
ASPCA also has a similar plan for horses:
- Tooth extractions.
- Prescription medications and medical supplies.
- Hospitalization, surgery, exam fees, and diagnostic tests.
- Poison control fees.
- Cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation).
- Treatments for colic.
- Microchip implantation.
- Euthanasia.
- Intravenous fluids and medications.
2. Accident-Only Plan:
This plan focuses on covering expenses related to accidents (bites, broken bones, torn ligaments) and doesn’t cover any illness-related treatments. ASPCA also offers a plan for horses that covers only accidents and colic.
3. Preventive Care:
Preventive care coverage can be added to either the Complete Coverage or Accident-Only plan. It is not available for purchase separately. Different plans, Basic and Prime for cats and dogs and Routine and Platinum for horses, provide coverage for wellness procedures with a specified annual maximum payout.
Preventive Care for cats and dogs may cover:
- Dental cleaning.
- Flea and heartworm prevention.
- Vaccinations and titers.
- Annual exam.
- Blood screening.
- Fecal screening.
- Spay or neuter surgery.
- Urinalysis.
Preventive Care for horses may encompass:
- Wellness exams
- Dental floating
- Blood, fecal, and Coggins tests
- Vaccinations and titers
Nerdy Tip: Carefully evaluate the details of a wellness add-on to confirm the cost-effectiveness of the plan..
What’s Not Covered
ASPCA’s Complete Coverage plan does not cover pre-existing conditions, except for curable conditions with no recurrence for at least 180 days (this doesn’t include knee or ligament issues). Other exclusions include certain dental procedures like cleanings, unless treating a covered illness, boarding costs, experimental treatments, breeding costs, cosmetic procedures, funeral-related costs and certain other items. The Accident-Only plan excludes treatment for illnesses and the Preventive Care add-on excludes everything not specifically covered by the plan.
ASPCA Plan Options
You can customize your policy regarding deductibles, reimbursement amounts, and coverage limits.
Deductibles:
Preventive care has no deductible. Other plans offer annual deductible options of $100, $250, or $500. You can contact the company to explore other possible choices.
Reimbursement Amounts:
Most ASPCA policies offer reimbursement rates of 70%, 80%, or 90% of vet bills.
How Reimbursement is Calculated:
ASPCA subtracts your deductible from the vet bill before calculating your reimbursement percentage. For instance, with a $2,000 bill, a $500 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate, your claim would be calculated as follows:
- $2,000 vet bill – $500 deductible = $1,500
- $1,500 x 0.8 (80% reimbursement rate) = $1,200 reimbursement.
- You would pay $800 of the original vet bill.
Coverage Limits:
When purchasing the Complete Coverage plan for dogs and cats online, you can select annual coverage limits ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, and the Accident-Only policy has the same range. Horses have different limits. For plans other than Preventive Care, you can choose coverage limits of $3,000, $5,000, or $7,000. Additional options, including unlimited annual payouts, may be available by phone. Preventive Care add-ons define maximum annuals for each covered procedure.
Restrictions and Waiting Periods
- Age Restrictions: Pets are eligible for an ASPCA pet insurance plan from eight weeks old with no upper age limit for dogs and cats.
- Waiting Periods: Preventive care coverage starts immediately. Sickness and accident coverage has a 14-day waiting period. ASPCA provides a shorter waiting period for orthopedic conditions like cruciate ligament injuries.
ASPCA Pet Insurance Sample Rates
The cost depends on location, coverage limits, breed, and pet age. Sample rates for dogs in Katy, Texas, with accident and illness coverage, a $250 deductible, $5,000 annual coverage, and an 80% reimbursement rate:
- French bulldog – Age 2: $76, Age 8: $181
- German shepherd – Age 2: $45, Age 8: $106
- Golden retriever – Age 2: $53, Age 8: $125
- Labrador retriever – Age 2: $53, Age 8: $125
- Medium mixed-breed dog – Age 2: $36, Age 8: $86
- Poodle – Age 2: $53, Age 8: $125
Sample rates for cats in Katy, Texas, with the same coverage parameters:
- Devon rex – Age 2: $20, Age 8: $37
- Domestic shorthair – Age 2: $20, Age 8: $37
- Exotic longhair – Age 2: $38, Age 8: $68
- Maine coon – Age 2: $32, Age 8: $58
- Persian – Age 2: $32, Age 8: $58
- Ragdoll – Age 2: $20, Age 8: $37
Discounts and Availability
- Discounts: A 10% discount is available for insuring multiple pets and may also apply to veterinary office employees.
- State Availability: ASPCA pet insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. However, horse insurance may be limited to certain states.
Digital Experience
ASPCA’s website allows users to pay bills, submit/track claims, and manage policies. An app is available for submitting/tracking claims as well as finding a local vet but ratings are middling.
Filing a Claim and Customer Service
Claims can filed online, via the app, email, mail, or fax. You can track claims online or through the app. ASPCA processes most claims within 30 days. Customer service can be reached by phone at 866-204-6764 or by email at [email protected].
ASPCA Pet Insurance vs. Competitors
ASPCA vs. Nationwide Pet Insurance: ASPCA offers more comprehensive coverage by default, unlike Nationwide’s modular plan. ASPCA also has a significantly shorter waiting period for cruciate ligament issues.
ASPCA vs Embrace Pet Insurance: Both have similar accident and illness plans, including hereditary and congenital conditions. Unlike Embrace, ASPCA includes prescription food and supplements in its accident and illness plans. ASPCA additionally offers an accident-only plan without upper age limits, unlike Embrace.
ASPCA vs. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance: Both cover accidents and illnesses. ASPCA includes certain benefits, such as prescription food, that Healthy Paws does not, and offers both accident-only and wellness policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does ASPCA pet insurance cover dental care? Yes, the Preventive Care plans include dental cleanings. The Complete Coverage plans include some dental treatments for covered illnesses.
- Does ASPCA pet insurance cover spaying or neutering? Yes, spaying and neutering are covered under the Preventive Care Prime plan.
- How do you cancel an ASPCA pet insurance policy? You can cancel your policy by explaining the reason for cancellation and emailing [email protected].
Conclusion
ASPCA pet insurance offers comprehensive coverage options, customization and competitive benefits. It’s a strong choice for pet owners, particularly if a broad range of coverages, including wellness care, alternative treatments, and behavioral therapies, are primary concerns.
