ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

My older dog had a tumor on his eyelid that was causing discomfort, continuing eye infections and the possibility of permanent eye damage and vision loss. He had another tumor on his knee. Both were removed at the same time. Based on my health insurance claims experience, I dreaded filing claims on my dog. I was pleasantly surprised. It could not have been easier, the response was timely, explanations thorough and the coverage was much better than I had hoped for. I would not even consider having a pet without insurance coverage. The rates are nominal and the peace of mind is exceptional.

I had three cats (one mixed breed and two Balinese) on ASPCA and in all cases of claims except for one they refused to pay anything, arguing pre-existing and/or heridtary condition even though there were no known problems when I first insured the cats. They seemed to view life as a pre-existing condition. I cancelled after having wasted money on ASPCA and being subject to paying large vet bills on my own. Highly dissatisfied to the point of thinking this is a sham / fraudulent company.

Should something catastrophic happen to our dear boy, Tyler, I don't want my choices to come down to money. We have become extremely attached to our terrier mix. Some years we have benefitted from having insurance, some years we haven't used it at all. Until the money starts growing on the trees in my backyard, I will keep paying my premiums! Tyler is 11 now, so I feel we could be coming into his stage of life where the big issues could arise. Pet insurance gives me peace of mind, knowing we'll be able to take good care of him until the end. My tip is to get insurance on your pet when they are young and healthy.

After adopting Trixie (a black three legged kitten) and Alice (a Maine Coon mix), we decided on securing coverage for them in the event of accidents or illness. After doing some research, we felt the best choice for us would be coverage offered through the ASPCA. The premiums were reasonable and the coverage was perfect for our needs. In addition we went with a name that defines the care of animal companions. Luckily both "kids" are very healthy and we have only had to submit one claim for each of them over the past three years. Both were paid in a fair and timely manner. The peace of mind this coverage offers is invaluable. What with skyrocketing vet costs, at least a portion of the expenses will be recouped, and we will always be able to give our girls the best of care.

We have a Pug who this year had a rash of illnesses, from ear and eye infections, to a urinary tract infection, to broken teeth. We filed five claims and each was paid efficiently. There were some exclusions that had been made clear in the policy, and we understood them. The only problem we had was with the reduced amount paid due to the companies use of the provision "customary fee". They have a schedule of "reasonable charges" based on geographical areas, but certainly for our city, their chart is woefully incorrect. Our experience has been that charges considered can be reduced 20-30% based on their formula. We surveyed Vets in our area and found our Vet's charges to be similar or less than others, and shared our findings with the company's representatives. They refuse to entertain the idea that their geographic chart of reasonable fees is incorrect for our area. Otherwise, we love the coverage and the people who have handled the claims. The representatives have called to ask about our dog's healing and to offer explanations about the claims process. Claims are processed quickly and checks are mailed out immediately after the claim determination.