Hartville | Pet Insurance Review

My dog had insurance from age 1 (when I adopted her from the shelter with no medical issues or records). I immediately bought insurance with 24Hr PetWatch and they were great. I took her for her first vet appointment after adoption around 45-60 days later for just a general check and she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. It was NOT deemed pre-existing because she hadn’t been diagnosed prior and it was an incidental finding during her wellness exam. She also should ZERO symptoms. 24Hr PetWatch sold out to this shady company who when attempting to reinstate my policy (at double my original premium mind you), cannot guarantee that her hips will be covered. Saying that “I can’t say if it will be covered since it may be related to knee or ligament problems in which case it would not be covered.” What the heck does that mean? I am a physical therapist and a knee is a knee and NOT related to the hip dysplasia (which was a congenital issue not an injury). Consider yourself warned! Look elsewhere for coverage!

I have no complaints for them covering accidents other than the rate increases every year (a lot), 20%) and the fact that they don't cover chiropractic care unless it's done by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a vet. You will NEVER find a vet who does chiropractics nor will a vet stand there while a chiropractor does their manipulation. And there are other therapeutics they won't cover unless it's done by a vet. Vets do acupuncture, but none of the other things such as trigger point therapy. So beware. I was told by Hartville when I was switched from another insurance company that they cover chiropractic care, but they never said it had to be done by a licensed veterinarian.

We got a new kitty and I got pet insurance with Hartville just in case. I never expected to have to use it until his older age, but unfortunately he got very ill and the vet bills were seriously daunting if it hadn't been for the peace of mind of insurance. Hartville processed the claim smoothly and we got reimbursed per our policy. I am so grateful for the relief that we were able to provide our kitty the care he needed without worrying about huge vet bills.

I carried pet insurance for my last seven dogs through 24PetWatch and was always satisfied with the coverage and service. Unfortunately, when they discontinued their insurance program and transferred my policy to Hartville, my experience changed significantly. Since the transition, my premiums have increased while my coverage appears to have decreased. Items that were previously covered — such as supplements and prescription diet food — are no longer being reimbursed. In addition, customer service has not been helpful, which has added to my frustration. With one senior dog and another managing seizures, changing providers isn’t a simple option for me. I truly expected a smoother transition and comparable coverage. I hope Hartville will take steps to improve both their coverage consistency and customer support for long-time policyholders.

My dog was previously with 24 Pet Watch for 8 years and recently switched over to Hartville. Our experience so far has been great. Yes, my premium increased quite a bit as I've seen others comment on in their reviews, but my dog has some chronic health issues, so the annual policy limit is still very much worth the premium increase since her health issues are pretty unpredictable. Submitting a claim is super easy, and my experience has been that processing time has been right around a week, and the direct deposit for reimbursement is very smooth. I'm very thankful for that!