Nationwide | Pet Insurance Review

I have had VPI for nine years for my doggie. During those 9 years I have summited many claims and they pay some but some of the time they don't. At one point I stopped sending claims and just kept it active in case of an accident or illness. Now my pup is nine and in need of medical care and I summited a large claim of about $500, they didn't even pay a hundred of it, I am seriously considering canceling, due to his condition I can't go to another company, so now I am stuck paying for most of the medical bills.

We have since left Nationwide since we were told today that no surgery coverage takes effect for 1 year from policy purchase date. So anything that happened to our puppy in the furst year is deemed pre-existing and won't be covered. They denied our initial claim for a dislocation in his front leg from a fall because he was previously seen by a vet for a dislocation of his hind leg that occured while he was running through a field. Basically they will collect our premiums and deny all our claims. No thank you.

Take the money you would pay monthly for this insurance and put it in a savings account for your pet - you will be much better served (my vet suggested this when I first got the policy. I should have listened). I obtained this insurance for my dog when he was about a year and a half old. He did have a couple of pre-existing conditions for which I did not expect coverage (torn ACL in back leg and food allergies). I had this insurance for 3 1/2 years and Nationwide/VPI has declined both claims I have made for my dogs veterinary needs to one of the two pre-existing issues (yes, my dog is quite healthy and I have made only two claims). As a side note, when you want to dispute a claim, they make it incredibly hard and time consuming to do so. Most recently, I received notification from Nationwide two months ago informing me that my payment option was expiring (credit card) and that if I did not update the information, my policy would lapse. I purposely did not update the information because I had decided I did not want the policy anymore (no payment was taken in April as expected.) Nationwide somehow found a way around the need for my updated information and began charging me again in May and June. I discovered the payments just after the June payment was deducted (the new charge had a 30% increase as well!) I immediately called them to find out how this happened and ask for a refund. The customer service representative simply said that they kept re-submitting the charge until the bank finally accepted it. I then explained that based on the information they sent me, I purposely did not update my information because I wanted the policy to lapse and I would like a refund. After a bunch of policy quoting and run around, I got no where except to have my policy cancelled as of today. If I want to attempt to receive a refund for the charges in May & June, I need to write a letter and provide supporting documentation to get it. This organization has demonstrated to me at each turn that the only thing that matters is the almighty dollar and they are going to do everything get and keep the money they received from their customers. I strongly, STRONGLY recommend that you do not choose this provider.

I've had VPI for all of my dogs since 2003. Prior to Nationwide purchasing VPI, I would have recommended them o anyone. One of my dogs had a stroke and needed rehab out of state for three weeks, and they covered most of the cost. They also covered a lot of small injuries over the years. In the last year, they have not reimbursed for 1 claim. Each time I submit, I get a response about a month later saying they can't read the vet bill or they need more documentation. It's not possible to send them an xray, but they are authorized to call the vet and learn what they need to substantiate the claim. However, they don't do that. They just seem to find any excuse not to pay what they would have paid prior to Nationwide purchasing VPI. It's really sad. I'm giving them one more shot in submitting a claim today for an eye surgery for my senior dog, and we'll see if I get the same runaround. If I do, I'm cancelling my plans after over 10 years of being a customer.

I had a Yorkie for 19.5 years and Maltese for 18.5 years both insured with VPI since puppies to passing away. In that many years there's were obviously medical issues. VPI almost always came through with reasonable reimbursements. I even had to use the double benefit cancer rider which paid more than 75% of treatment. Great insurance company.