ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

My dog family member has needed the insurance four times in her 8 years of life. Though difficult to pay a monthly fee when not needed, it is comforting to know help is there when things happen.

ASPCA refused to cover an eleven dollar charge for arthritis medicine because my dog had had similar medicine prescribed for arthritis about 1 year ago. Because the arthritis "was not cured by the medication" even though she required no medication for the condition for a full year,the ASPCA phone agent stated that ASPCA was not responsible for paying for more medicine for the lifetime of the policy. I feel that I was nickel and dimed (11 dolars!) considering I pay almost 650 dollars in premiums/year for my 13 year old dog. I am disappointed that a reputable organization like ASPCA would stoop to such tactics.

Our 10-year-old yellow lab required keratectomy surgery to repair a non-healing corneal ulcer. The staff at ASPCA were extremely kind and helpful in guiding me through the claim process. Our coverage proved to be exactly as it was described in our policy and reimbursement for covered expenses was issued promptly. This was the first claim we have ever had to file and each time I called for direction on the necessary forms and receipts, I was treated with calm professionalism and genuine concern. Illness and injury to our beloved pets can turn our hearts inside out and we are profoundly grateful that our situation was resolved in health and happiness. ASPCA staff cannot control these medical outcomes, but they provide their customers with the ability to make a difference in the quality and duration of our pets lives.

We knew up front that our dog Jasmine's surgery had exceeded the plan maximum but everything we could get back towards the expense helped. The total cost to us was over 5k and the plan maximum was 1500. In general we always exceed what the plan considers "reasonable costs" which is usually disappointing but we expect it. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily and quickly our claim was processed. I was expecting 4-6 weeks but the majority of items were processed within 2 weeks. The only delayed item was due to the surgery center's delay in responding to ASPCA. Everything was very easy we submitted the claim and all paperwork online and within a few days got an email letting us know everything had been processed then a few days later we received our reimbursement. We even got a follow up call from the ASPCA to see how Jasmine was doing and to see if we were satisfied with the claim process.

Our dog Summer is a bit of an adventurer. We often bring her for long hikes in the mountains. One morning after a long week of downpours, we awake to a glorious day. We packed up a day pack and set out with Summer for a beautiful morning of hiking. About 2 1/2 hours into the hike Summer ran through a thicket and barked a small animal up a tree. It appeared to be a small bear cub and fearing a momma would be close behind we frantically called for her to return. As she approached we easily determined she had chased a porcupine and had a face full of quills. We had a one hike back to the car and could not wait to get her to the vet. It was a Holiday weekend and of course the Vet bill was substantial, thank goodness we have Pet Insurance. Our claim was quickly processed and after speaking to numerous friends in the area we felt very fortunate that because we have Insurance for our dog, the idea of painfully pulling them out was not an option. Accidents happen and we have been very pleased with our coverage.