Prudent Pet Insurance: A NerdWallet Review
Prudent Pet insurance offers a range of coverage options for dogs and cats. This review from NerdWallet provides an in-depth look at their plans, coverage details, costs, and overall customer experience. The NerdWallet rating is determined by their editorial team, based on factors like customer satisfaction and claim data.
Quick Glance: Prudent Pet
- NerdWallet Rating: 4.5/5
- Annual Max Coverage: Unlimited (the highest offered)
- Reimbursement Rates: 70%, 80%, or 90% (after deductible)
- Deductibles: $100 – $1,000
- Policy Highlight: Quick claims processing—most are handled in 24 hours.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- No upper age limits for pets.
- Unlimited annual coverage plans are available.
- Offers live customer support chat and a 24/7 vet helpline.
- Provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for new policies.
Cons:
- No option for direct vet payments.
- No mobile app is available.
Bottom Line:
Prudent Pet seems to offer a broad range of pet insurance options. Though the company does offer live chat support, it lacks popular features like a mobile app or direct payment to the vet. Prudent Pet might be a good choice if you are looking for comprehensive coverage and quick claims processing.
Why Trust NerdWallet?
NerdWallet follows strict editorial guidelines, meaning that the review process is fair and accurate, helping you choose the financial products that best suit your needs. The review process is based on comprehensive analysis. They evaluated over 25 insurance companies, and analyzed over 1,000 rates.
About Prudent Pet Insurance
Prudent Pet earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for overall performance in NerdWallet’s evaluation. The rating considers factors such as financial strength, coverage options, customer experience, and any available discounts.
Prudent Pet insurance covers a variety of conditions.
- Congenital and hereditary conditions
- Behavioral treatments
- Alternative therapies
- Dental illnesses
- Some prescription food
Prudent Pet’s quick claims processing is another perk, and they waive the six-month waiting period for knee injury coverage given a veterinary exam. They also offer a $100 deductible for some pets, and a 30-day money-back guarantee for new policyholders.
To enroll, your dog or cat needs to be at least 8 weeks old.
Prudent Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage
Prudent Pet provides several different plans and optional add-ons.
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Essential Plan: This plan covers accidents and illnesses up to $10,000 per year. This can include surgery, hospitalization, alternative therapies, dental, hereditary and congenital dises, prescription medications and diagnostic tests. It also covers up to $250 for behavioral disorders.
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Ultimate Plan: The most comprehensive offering with no annual coverage limit. The Ultimate plan reimburses for treatment in case of illness and injury, plus hospitalization. Additional coverage for alternative therapies, dental, hereditary, prescription medications, and diagnostic testing. It covers up to $1,000 a year for behavioral disorders, end-of-life expenses, and vacation disruptions and up to $500 for lost pet advertising and rewards and medically necessary boarding at a kennel or cattery.
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Accident-Only Plan: This plan covers injuries from accidents, but does not cover illnesses. Specifically, it covers treatment, surgery, and hospitalization for injuries caused by accidents, alternative therapy, and prescription drugs. This plan also covers stem cell therapy, tooth extractions, and MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays.
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Wellness Coverage Add-On: Prudent Pet has three wellness plan choices – Low, Medium, and High. They can cover wellness exams, blood screening, vaccinations, heartworm tests, and more.
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Veterinary Exam Fee Add-On: This can help cover exam fees for illnesses or accidents.
What’s Not Covered
Keep in mind that Prudent Pet’s insurance plans do not cover:
- Pre-existing conditions, unless they’ve been cured and symptom-free for 365 days.
- Exam fees, unless you’ve purchased an add-on for this coverage.
- Costs related to routine care like grooming, training, or flea and tick preventatives.
- Elective procedures
- Experimental treatments
- Routine breeding, whelping, or pregnancy
- Intentional injuries or those resulting from abuse, racing, or occupational activities.
- Most prescription food
- War or public health events
- Intervertebral disc disease if any disc in the same part of the spine showed pre-existing symptoms before the effective date of the policy.
Prudent Pet Plan Options
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Deductibles: You can typically select a deductible of $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 annually. Wellness plans don’t have a deductible.
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Reimbursement Amounts: After meeting your deductible, Prudent Pet will reimburse you for a percentage of your covered vet bills, based on your plan and up to your policy limit. This is typically 70%, 80%, or 90%. Reimbursement percentages don’t apply to wellness plans.
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Coverage Limits: Annual coverage limits vary based on where you live and your pet’s specifics. You may see limits of $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 for Essential plans, and no annual coverage limit for Ultimate plans.
Restrictions and Waiting Periods
- Age Restrictions: Pets must be at least 8 weeks old to enroll, there is no upper age limit.
- Waiting Periods: There are waiting periods before the policy offers coverge – five days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and six months for knee issues. The six-month waiting period is normally waived if a vet exam occurs in the first 30 days of the policy and confirms no knee issues.
Prudent Pet Insurance Sample Rates
Cost depends on where you live, the age, and breed of the pet.
Monthly sample rates for dogs in Katy, TX, with accident and illness coverage, $250 deductible, $5,000 annual coverage limit, and 80% reimbursement rate:
- French bulldog (age 2): $61, (age 8): $115
- German shepherd (age 2): $42, (age 8): $78
- Golden retriever (age 2): $42, (age 8): $78
- Labrador retriever (age 2): $42, (age 8): $78
- Medium mixed-breed dog (age 2): $29, (age 8): $53
- Poodle (age 2): $31, (age 8): $59
Monthly sample rates for cats in Katy, TX, with the same coverage limits:
- Devon rex (age 2): $22, (age 8): $40
- Domestic shorthair (age 2): $17, (age 8): $32
- Exotic longhair (age 2): $22, (age 8): $40
- Maine coon (age 2): $22, (age 8): $40
- Persian (age 2): $22, (age 8): $40
- Ragdoll (age 2): $22, (age 8): $40
Prudent Pet Insurance Discounts
Prudent Pet offers a multipet discount when you insure two or more pets.
State Availability
Prudent Pet is licensed to sell policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. However, availability may change at any point.
Consumer Experience
- Website: Offers a free quote tool, sample policies, and an FAQ section. Use the website to file any claims.
- App: Prudent Pet does not provide a mobile app. You can manage your policy on the website.
- Claims: Submit claims through the client portal on Prudent Pet’s website. They pay out claims within 24 hours.
- Customer service: Live chat is available on the website. You can also email or call.
