ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

I am writing to thank you for your excellent health insurance for my pet. I have been a customer of yours for over 3 years and I have never had difficulty having a claim paid under my value plan. But what is most important to me is the peace of mind of knowing that I would never have to make a medical decision for my valued friend based on whether or not I could afford the treatment or procedure.

When my eight year old Vizsla mix was diagnosed with multiple mast cell tumors, we were overwhelmed with worry about our beloved pet, but also worry about the cost of his care. Our plan with ASPCA covers 80% of "reasonable" costs. Since we live in a very expensive metro area,we were certain that 80% of "reasonable" would equate to about 15% of the actual cost. I was so pleased (and quite frankly surprised) to find that in total, about 65-70% of our costs were covered--certainly more than we have paid in premiums over the years. Also, the ability to submit the claim forms online and have them processed within a week or two was great. The customer service reps were very helpful whenever I called.

I have had pets all my life and never owned pet insurance. We have a 10 year old lab mix. Best dog ever! We are so attached to her like many pet owners. Last month she became so ill we didn't think she was going to make it. We would have done anything to save her. After wonderful care from the emergency room she is back to normal. With the economic downturn and all the costs it was hard enough but with the ASPCA Pet insurance, made things much more bearable. Wouldn't be without it.

I purchased ASPCA pet insurance for my 2 cats when they were 11 years of age for a very reasonable amount per month for both of them. About 3-4 months after recieving the coverage one of my cats got very sick the ASPCA reimbursement was very welcome! They have come through for me and the cats time and again. An added note, all of the people I have talked to at the ASPCA have been so very nice, caring and really helpful! And it is nice to know that some of the money goes to help the ASPCA.

My strong recommendation is that you DO NOT purchase ASPCA Pet Insurance (actually operated by Hartville Pet Insurance). They will happlily accept your premiums and then just as happily deny your claims based on "pre-existing condions" using every trick in the book to do so. When they're unable to claim pre-existing conditions, they will minimize the payment based on some ludicrous schedule of payments "in your area" that has no basis in reality. Here are some of my experiences, summarized: 1. Purchased annual policy effective June 2004. This made my annual renewal date June 1st of each year. 2. Paid premiums monthly. Almost all of my claims were nullified by the deductible. When I actually had a service performed by a vet that exceeded the deductible, the insurance adjuster came up with the most ridiculous "reasonable & average" cost for the procedure (which was LESS THAN ONE HALF of what my vet charged (and I checked 4 different vets in my area - all were about the same), and then subtracted my deductable from that. ON A $275 CLAIM, I RECEIVED A CHECK FOR $34. 3. The most outrageous element of their scam occurred when my dog was diagnosed with cancer in May of 2008. The vet scheduled the removal of a malignant tumor for the first week of June. The cost was over $2,400 for the surgery. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THAT BY JUNE OF 2008 (one week after the policy renewed), THE CANCER WAS A " PRE-EXISTING CONDITION" (i.e. it existed in the prior policy year, which was actually 2 weeks prior). Only the actual filing of a lawsuit by my attorney got this scam shop to pay my claim (and again, only half the actual cost). I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU CONSIDER THESE ISSUES BEFORE PURCHASING A POLICY FROM THIS COMPANY!