Spot Pet Insurance: Overview
Spot Pet Insurance offers a comprehensive approach to pet health coverage, with plans that can include a range of treatments and conditions. The company is licensed to operate in all 50 U.S. states. Spot’s appeal often lies in its inclusion of several benefits that are not always standard in the industry, such as coverage for end-of-life expenses. Additional coverage can encompass prescription food for covered conditions, vet exam fees, and even microchip implantation.
While many coverages align with industry norms, Spot stands out with its flexibility regarding pre-existing conditions. A condition that has been cured and symptom-free for 180 days is no longer deemed pre-existing. However, this benefit is limited to specific curable conditions. Spot’s accident and illness policies have a standard 14-day waiting period. A notable aspect of Spot is their unlimited coverage option, though this comes with a higher monthly premium.
Business Insider’s personal finance team compared Spot to the best pet insurance options.
Spot Pet Insurance: Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick rundown of the advantages and disadvantages of Spot Pet Insurance:
Pros:
- Relatively relaxed policy toward pre-existing conditions
- Offers coverage for end-of-life expenses
- Choice of unlimited coverage
- Wellness packages that include spaying/neutering
- 10% multi-pet discount
- 14-day waiting period for ligament and knee conditions
- Offers low-cost accident-only plans
Cons:
- Premiums are relatively high
- Premiums increase annually based on pet’s age
Spot Pet Insurance: Plans and Coverage
Spot Pet Insurance provides two main plan types: accident-only and accident and illness policies. Accident-only plans cover sudden injuries like bites, cuts, broken bones, foreign object ingestion, and auto accidents. Accident and illness plans encompass all accident-only coverages in addition to coverage for sickness, diseases, and pre-existing medical conditions.
Spot’s accident & illness plan covers a large variety of treatments, including:
- Alternative therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and hydrotherapy
- Behavioral problems like anxiety, excessive licking, and aggression
- End-of-life expenses
- Intravenous fluids and medication
- Medical supplies
- MRI or CT scans and X-rays
- Poison control consultation fees
- Prescription food
- Prescription medication
- Stem cell therapy
- Supplements
- Pet surgery and hospitalization
- Tooth extractions
- Vet treatments (examinations, consultations, and lab tests)
- Microchipping
- Cancer treatments
Both the accident-only and accident & illness plans offer choices related to annual limits, reimbursement rates, and deductibles:
- Annual limits: $2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited.
- Reimbursement rates: 70%, 80%, or 90%.
- Deductibles: $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000.
Additional Coverage Options
Spot offers two optional preventive care options: Gold and Platinum. The Gold plan covers wellness exams, vaccines and tests. The Platinum plan offers more extensive benefits, like heartworm and flea prevention, urinalysis, and blood tests.
Gold Preventive Care Plan
- Wellness exam: $50 benefit.
- Vaccines/titers: $20 benefit.
- Fecal test: $20 benefit.
- Heartworm / FELV testing: $20 benefit.
- Deworming: $20 benefit.
Platinum Preventive Care Plan
- Dental cleaning: $150 benefit.
- Wellness exam: $50 benefit.
- Flea & heartworm prevention: $25 benefit.
- Vaccines/titers: $25 benefit.
- Blood tests: $25 benefit.
- Urinalysis: $25 benefit.
- Deworming: $25 benefit.
- Health certificate: $25 benefit.
Customer reviews suggest that the wellness exam benefit does not cover the treatment of new conditions found during the exam.
Spot Pet Insurance: Cost
Spot’s premiums are higher than the industry average. However, the exact cost of a pet insurance plan depends on a number of factors, including your pet’s age, gender, breed, annual limit, reimbursement rate, medical history and annual deductible.
Here are estimates for accident & illness plans for pets in New York City:
- French Bulldog (2-year-old): $113.07 per month; (6-year-old): $161.53 per month
- Labrador Retriever (2-year-old): $88.73 per month; (6-year-old): $126.76 per month
- Golden Retreiver (2-year-old): $88.73 per month; (6-year-old): $126.76 per month
- German Shepherd (2-year-old): $74.13 per month; (6-year-old): $105.90 per month
- Standard Poodle (2-year-old): $88.73 per month; (6-year-old): $126.76 per month
- Mixed Medium (26-50 lbs) (2-year-old): $65.30 per month; (6-year-old): $93.28 per month
The following represent the monthly cost for cats in New York City with a $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement, and a $10,000 coverage limit.
- Ragdoll (2-year-old): $34.32; (6-year-old): $45.76
- Maine Coon (2-year-old): $43.52; (6-year-old): $58.03
- Devon Rex (2-year-old): $34.32; (6-year-old): $45.76
- Exotic Shorthair (2-year-old): $31.75; (6-year-old): $42.34
- Persian (2-year-old): $47.81; (6-year-old): $63.74
- Non-Pedigree (2-year-old): $34.32; (6-year-old): $45.76
Spot’s Gold preventive plan is $9.95 monthly and the Platinum plan is $24.95 monthly. Prices do not change regardless of the age, breed or species of the pet.
How to Purchase and Manage Your Spot Pet Insurance Policy
To get a Spot Pet Insurance policy, you will need to get a quote on their website. You’ll provide information such as your pet’s species, breed, age, and sex. Your ZIP code is particularly important, as it affects premium calculations. Once you receive your quote, you can choose from the accident and illness or accident-only plans. You can adjust the reimbursement level, deductible, and annual limit. The Gold or Platinum wellness packages can be added, too.
Spot provides a 10% discount for multiple pets. You may also find additional savings by paying your insurance bill annually.
How to File a Claim
Claims can be filed online or through the Spot insurance app by uploading a picture of your bill. The deadline to file a claim is 270 days from the date of treatment.
You must pay the deductible before receiving reimbursements. Spot offers deductibles between $100 and $1,000. You can call Spot at 1-800-905-1595 from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm EST.
Spot Pet Insurance: Customer Support and Claims Experience
Spot receives high ratings from customers, and is rated an average of 4.7 out of five stars on Trustpilot. Customers often praise reimbursement speeds and customer service quality. However, another 11% of customers gave Spot three stars or lower. These customers cited denied or partially paid claims, and asserted that high premiums don’t always translate to sufficient coverage.
Spot Pet Insurance Alternatives
Here is a brief comparison of Spot with other pet insurance providers:
Spot vs. Pets Best
Spot offers more comprehensive coverage overall, including exam fees and microchipping in its standard plan. Trupanion claims are paid directly to vets. Spot offers more policy options and shorter waiting periods.
Spot vs. Figo
Figo offers just one accident and illness plan.
Spot vs. Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws does not provide as much overall coverage as Spot and excludes behavioral issues, exam fees, microchip implantation, and curable condition coverage.
Alani Asis, a personal finance expert, contributed to this review.
Evelyn He is a compliance and operations associate for Business Insider’s Personal Finance team.
