Pet Insurer Pet Insurance Review

Pet Insurer Pet Insurance Review

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As a pet owner, your pet’s health and wellness are your responsibility and your biggest priority. You want nothing more than for your pet to be well, but sometimes the unexpected puts a difficult choice in your path.

Vet fees can be pricey, and you never want to find yourself in the face of making a tough choice of whether you can afford to give your pet the care he needs.

There’s no magical coupon code you can use to make vet fees disappear, but there is something you can do to make sure you’re not hung out to dry if an accident or illness comes knocking.

Pet insurance is a backup plan for pet owners that ensures you have the coverage you need when you need it most. For a monthly premium, your pet will have access to the care he needs, and you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you won’t have to pay for it all out of pocket.

Read on to learn more about insurance and how to use Pet Insurer to find the right option for you and your pet.

About Pet Insurer

Pet Insurer is a company made up of pet lovers who work with the best interest of pets and their owners in mind. In fact, everyone who works at Pet Insurer has a pet – it’s just who they are.

When asked why they started the company, here’s what the founders had to say:

“Getting online insurance can be a bit of a pain… Sometimes it feels like you can waste days going round lots of different websites, getting quotes and seeing which one’s best. That’s why Pet Insurer is great, because it’s quick, easy and guarantees the best deal for you and your pet. Just type in your requirements, click on ‘search’ and bingo – within seconds you’ll be able to compare a host of quotes.”

Though a love for pets is the founding principle behind the company, it’s about running a solid business too. This company has previously launched successful price comparison sites in the UK and has given over 5 million insurance quotes over the past 10 years.

Here are some of the benefits Pet Insurer has to offer:

• Access multiple pet insurance quotes on a single site
• Compare plans and rates quickly and easily
• Get customized quotes for your location and your pet
• View options side-by-side for smart shopping
• Return to your quote list with a single click

Read on to learn the basics about Pet Insurer, their plans, and their coverage.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

To understand the benefit of Pet Insurer’s service, you need to understand what pet insurance is and how it works. Generally speaking, pet insurance provides reimbursement for covered veterinary fees.

The benefits you receive from pet insurance will vary depending what type of plan you have and how much coverage it offers. Pet insurance typically covers accidents and illnesses rather than routine and preventive care, though some plans offer optional add-ons for coverage.

Here are the details you need to know for about pet insurance:

1. Pet Insurance Plans

To use pet insurance, you simply take your pet to the vet and pay for the service. You then submit a claim to your plan, and they will issue the reimbursement accordingly. Keep in mind, however, that certain waiting periods may apply, and you’ll still be responsible for a portion of the cost.

The coverage for pet insurance is typically divided into the following major categories:

• Accidents- This term generally applies to injuries and things that happen unexpectedly.
• Illnesses- An illness is a medical condition that does not result from injury.
• Vet Exam Fees- Many pet insurance companies cover the cost of treatment but not the exam fee to diagnose the issue – some companies do.
• Emergency Care- Most pet insurance companies cover care provided by emergency vets and clinics as well as traditional vet offices.
• Surgery/Hospitalization- Plans typically cover surgery necessary to diagnose or treat covered accidents or illnesses along with related hospitalization.
• Medications- Prescription medications for covered diagnoses are generally covered, though many pet insurance companies don’t cover prescription food.
• Alternative Therapies- Some pet insurance companies cover alternative therapies like rehabilitative therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care.
• Hereditary/Congenital Conditions- Hereditary conditions are passed down genetically while congenital conditions are one the pet is born with. Many companies have restrictions on what they will and will not cover in these categories.

Here’s a quick review of the coverage 6 different Pet Insurer partner companies offer:

2. Pricing

When it comes to the pricing for pet insurance, there are several things to consider. The primary cost is the monthly fee you’ll pay called a premium. This amount is generally determined by your location, the type of pet you have, and your pet’s age. Other costs include the deductible and co-insurance.

We’ll cover deductibles more in-depth in a later section, but for now know that this is simply the amount you’re responsible for paying (generally each year) before you are eligible for reimbursement. Reimbursement is usually given as a percentage and whatever is leftover is your co-insurance – the amount you’re responsible for paying. Most plans reimburse 70% to 90% of covered costs.

The best way to find out how much pet insurance costs is to request a quote.

To give you an example of two different pets, we’ll use a 3-year-old mixed-breed male dog weighing 50 pounds and a 2-year-old female mixed-breed cat.

Here’s the breakdown of the dog plan pricing we got from Pet Insurer:

Here’s the breakdown of the cat plan pricing we got from Pet Insurer:

3. What is a Waiting Period?

A waiting period is simply the time between when your plan becomes effective and when you can file your first claim. The purpose of instating waiting periods is to prevent insurance fraud. In other words, you can’t get a pet insurance policy knowing your pet is sick and be able to use the plan immediately.

In most cases, pet insurance plans become active the next day after you’ve enrolled. Waiting periods for accidents and illness tend to be between 2 and 14 days while some conditions, particularly orthopedic conditions, may have longer waiting periods of 30 days up to 6 months.

4. What Are Claim Limits?

A claim limit is the maximum amount you can be reimbursed according to the plan you’ve chosen. Some pet insurance companies set a limit per claim and others set a limit per year, or for the lifetime of the pet. Some companies have no limits at all, though they tend to be more expensive.

5. What is a Deductible?

Pet Insurer describes a deductible as “the first amount of a claim that you pay.” It’s the amount you’re responsible for out-of-pocket before you plan benefits kick in. Depending what plan you choose, that dedutible might apply for each incident or it might renew annually.

Here’s an example to help you understand:

You’ve chosen a plan from Nationwide Pet Insurance that has a $250 annual deductible. Your pet has an accident that requires $630 of treatment. You’re responsible for the first $250 of that bill and Nationwide will review the claim to offer reimbursement on the remaining $380.

6. What Are Pre-Existing Conditions?

No pet insurance company covers pre-existing conditions. In other words, you can’t get pet insurance for a pet that’s already sick and expect to have your fees reimbursed. Pet insurance is supposed to be for unexpected vet fees and used as a backup plan.

Here’s how Pet Insurer defines pre-existing condition:

“A pre-existing condition is any illness or injury that your pet had before you took out a pet insurance for them. If you’ve been to the vet – it’s definitely pre-existing.”

The good news is not all pre-existing conditions are excluded forever. Some pet insurance companies consider a condition cured if your pet goes a certain length of time without symptoms or treatment.

“If you have medical records from your vet showing that your pet’s condition has been cured for at least 6 months (some insurers are 12 months), you may be able to get it covered. Examples of conditions that may be coverable include respiratory infections, urinary tract infections (UTI’s), vomiting, ear infections, diarrhea and bladder infections.”

If your pet has a pre-existing condition, you’ll want to shop for pet insurance very carefully. You should also talk to your vet about the issue and see whether the condition can be cured or not.

7. What About Optional Coverage?

Most pet insurance companies only offer coverage for accidents and illnesses, though some give you the option to add on coverage for wellness and routine care.

Here’s how they describe it:

“Routine care/wellness coverage is an add on… that reimburses you up to a certain limit for conditions such as fecal exams, flea/tick meds, heartworm testing/prevention, urinalysis, spay/neuter, teeth cleaning, microchip, rabies/giardia shots, routine screenings, vaccinations and more. Think of it this way; your main pet health policy covers all the serious, unforeseen stuff and your routine care/wellness coverage add on covers the basics.”

Before you add wellness coverage to your plan, think about how much you’ll pay in extra premiums compared to the cost of the services your pet needs each year. Most pets only need an annual wellness exam and a few booster shots on a yearly basis.

Pet Insurer Customer Reviews

When shopping for pet insurance, it can be difficult to get a true sense of the company beyond their premium rates and coverage. It’s important to do your research to ensure you make the right choice for yourself and for your pet. That’s where Pet Insurer comes in – they help you decide.

But how do you know whether Pet Insurer is worthy of your trust?

Once you view your quotes from Pet Insurer, we recommend researching the companies yourself. When it comes to reviews for Pet Insurer, we couldn’t find much. There were only a dozen reviews on Trust Pilot, none on Facebook, and the reviews on the Pet Insurer site seemed to be for the companies they work with, not for Pet Insurer itself.

Though we didn’t find any negative reviews online, we’ve gathered a few customer comments to help you get a sense for the Pet Insurer experience:

“Petinsurer is the best! I spent 7 hours on researching and petinsurer took 5 minutes to tell me what plan is the best for my dog! I am happy with the result and it is really helping out with her bills.”-Review on Trust Pilot, Feb 2, 2020

“Pet Insurer was very helpful and informative. The site was intuitive and easy to navigate options for pet insurance. I was very pleased and was able to get just the policy I wanted.”– Lisa Faulconer, April 3, 2018

“It’s definitely worth it. I was looking to get insurance for my five-year-old Boxer and Pet Insurer gave me a range of deals within five minutes of going on their site that I got to customize myself. I picked the best deal based on what suited my dog’s needs and what was in my budget, phoned the insurance company and the whole thing was wrapped up from start to finish within half an hour. I ended up picking a plan through Pets Best and I’m really happy with it.”– Caitlin, review on PetInsurer.com

“You can tell Pet Insurer is run by people who really love pets just like the insurance companies they show you. To me that was really important in helping me pick which provider I eventually wanted to go with I like the fact that Pet insurer and the insurance companies want what’s best for your pet It was pretty easy to use and anyone could fill in the form on the website.”– Mary, review on PetInsurer.com

How Do You Sign Up?

First and foremost, Pet Insurer isn’t a pet insurance company in and of itself – it’s a service that helps you find the best options for you pet based on your zip code.

To use Pet Insurer to gather quotes, here’s the info you’ll need to provide:

• Your pet’s species (dog or cat)
• Your pet’s name and breed
• Your pet’s sex and age
• Your email address and zip code

Once you provide this information, Pet Insurer gathers quotes from the top pet insurance companies that offer coverage in your state. These results are based on your pet’s age, breed, and your location to make sure you have all the options in front of you to make an educated decision.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

It’s impossible to answer this question definitively because every situation is different. When you bring a pet into your life, there are certain costs you can expect. This includes your pet’s first wellness exam, vaccinations, and spay/neuter surgery. Though some of these costs can be significant, you generally only have to pay for them once in your pet’s lifetime or once per year.

When it comes to unexpected illnesses and injuries, you could be looking at a bill for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That’s probably not in the budget – at least, not at a moment’s notice.

This is when pet insurance comes in handy.

Pet insurance gives you a backup plan when you need it – it gives you peace of mind knowing that you won’t be stuck with a huge vet bill if something comes up unexpectedly. You may not be able to have the costs covered 100% (especially once you factor in premiums and deductibles) but it can make a big difference. It could even mean the difference between being able to give your pet the care he needs and having to make an even more difficult decision.

In the end, it’s really your decision whether you want to invest in pet insurance or not. If your pet is young and healthy, you may not need it. On the other hand, your premiums will be lower when your pet is young and if he develops a health problem, it could be counted as a pre-existing condition later.

Take the time to research your dog’s breed so you have some idea what health problems you might anticipate and weigh the costs of treatment. Decide if it’s more economical for you to pay the monthly premium for pet insurance or to simply put away that money in a savings account in case you need it.

Click Here to Get A Quote on Pet Insurer Pet Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Pet Insurer?

Pet Insurer is a trading style of Compare Pet Insurance Services Inc, a corporation based in Delaware. They are licensed in all 50 states.

How do you use Pet Insurer?

Because Pet Insurer isn’t an insurance company but a service that provides quotes, all you have to do is type in your zip code to get started. To customize your quotes, provide some basic information about your pet then view your quotes to choose a plan.

What pet insurance companies do they work with?

Pet Insurer provides a wide array of quotes based on where you live and what type of pet you have. Some of the companies they list on their website include Pet First, Petplan, PetPremium, PetsBest, Nationwide, Trupanion, ASPCA, Embrace, Healthy Paws, and Figo.

How do I enroll in pet insurance?

Plug in your information on Pet Insurer to view your quotes. When you’ve selected a plan, click the button to learn more which will take you to the insurer’s site to sign up. Your pet’s information will be automatically filled in, so you just have to confirm your plan selection and complete payment.

Can I cancel my plan at any time?

Yes. Pet insurance is typically sold on a monthly basis, so you can generally cancel your plan at any time. Depending when you are billed, you may get a partial or total refund for your unused premium. Some companies also have a 10-to-30-day grace period to cancel the policy in full after signing up, as long as no claims have been made.

Does pet insurance cover routine care?

Maybe. Most pet insurance companies cover accidents and illnesses only, though some offer optional coverage for wellness and routine care. You’ll need to refer to the specific company.

Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

No. Pet insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions, though the details for how they define that term may vary. Some companies also differentiate between pre-existing conditions which can be cured and which cannot – some even make distinctions about chronic conditions.

Are there any age limits on pet insurance?

Sometimes. Most pet insurance companies won’t insure a cat or dog under 8 weeks of age and some set upper limits around 10 or 12 years for enrollment. If your pet is younger than the age limit when he first enrolls, however, your coverage may continue in some cases.