Find and read reviews with confidence

When you look at ASPCA (Hartville) as a potential provider of insurance for that special member of your family take into consideration the reviews you read on this site. Some are very good and some are very bad resulting in a rating in the 5 - 6 range. As a person that has learned by experience, after 1.5 years with ASPCA I am now looking for a better alternative. Based on my first year experience, I would rate the ASPCA policy with a 7. The claims process was easy, they were very conservative in their reimbursement of my claims (allowable amounts for my region are much lower than the amounts charged by veternarians) and the premium costs seemed reasonable. When I did the compare of my premium costs to my out of pocket costs less reimbursements the result was self insurance would have been less expensive. This is typical of any insurance policy because the insurance is there for the big events. As we moved to year two my rating goes to 2 and I caution people to consider other providers. My dog exibited symptoms that indicated potential liver problems. I made the decision to have tests done to know what was causing the syptoms and if treatment was needed. I submitted my claims to ASPCA with confidence that they would be there for me (as they promise in their web marketing). To shorten this story, ASPCA did not delviver on the brand promise of protecting our little friends nor the marketing promise presented by Hartville on their web site. They said that since blood tests were done outside of the plan period (this is their way of avoiding payments) that should have indicated the syptoms or should have allowed my Vet to diagnose the problem I had a pre-existing condition (#18 is their code). Four claims have been denied, customer service has been polite but very slow to respond and I feel there is limited recourse. I now realize that I made the ill fated choice to buy insurance from a company that co-branded with someone I trusted but that did not mean it was good insurance. Hartville invests their money into web marketing and limits the funds going to robust customers service. The business model depends on very limited payouts so the policy is written to accomplish that. When you do the math in terms a policy that is replaced on a yearly basis so that anything in the previous year could be pre-existing unless you can demonstrate the 180 day rule you cannot win with this company. Rates go up every year and the odds are the things they will cover go down. It is not a scam, it is just a business model that is based on greed and a brand message that does not ring true.

I would like to say we have been very impressed with the professionalism, caring and promptness of Embrace Pet Insurance. The experience has been much better than I ever expected. After our last dogs passed away we thought we would never have another dog again. But then our Sweet “Paw”Tater joined our family. Since he is an enthusiastic chocolate Labrador, and I wanted the joy of taking him out into the field as a fishing buddy, and the insistence of others to get pet insurance, we settled on Embrace. Having never purchased pet insurance and not really know what to expect, so I relied on customer reviews and the Embrace website to identify issues. So far we are very happy we choose Embrace. This last May we noticed Tater would limp after a day at the dog park. Tater was initially diagnosed with fragmented coronoid process of the ulna (a type of elbow dysplasia), but as it turned out there was an uneven growth of the ulna and the radius in both front legs which has caused pain in the elbows. A dynamic ulnar ostecotomy was performed on his left leg (the right will be performed once he can use the left again). It is actually better this was the problem, as he will have less of chance for arthritis in the future. All through the process Embraced approved the veterinarian’s cautious approach to possible treatments. While this required several steps it has saved on un-needed procedures, time recovering and ultimately will be the best for Tater. Tater says thank you Embrace.

My sister is a veterinarian, and she recommends Pets Best to all her clients. She even insisted that I get it for my dog because she knows all too well how much vet care can cost. She was right about the expense, and right about Pets Best. I've gotten almost as much back in claims as I have paid in monthly dues (even though my dog is active and healthy), and filing a claim with Pets Best couldn't be easier.

I have had my policy for 3 years and have finally given up! This plan is a disaster! The hassles involved in submitting claims is excessive and I would estimate only 50% of mine have been approved. The last straw - they will not reimburse for medication refills unless the dog is seen by the vet (so the vet can complete their form). Chronically used medications,therefore, are not covered without significant additional cost and hassle. Don't waste your money with this plan! You would do better to pay out of pocket and will have a lot less hassle!

I've only submitted two claims to Embrace so far, but each have been reviewed in well under two weeks (more like a couple days). The company e-mails me when they receive my claim, and then again with their decision. Their customer service is great when I need to call, and of course when they e-mail. They seem to know what they're doing, and actually care about your pets. It doesn't feel like they're trying to "cheat" you. It was made perfectly clear to me that any pre-existing problems documented in my pet's record would not be covered, and that was understandable. They cover any breed-specific conditions, which a lot of companies won't (Example - Cocker Spaniels are prone to ear infections). I love Embrace, and although I (fortunately) haven't had to make a large claim with them yet, I feel like I am getting my money's worth and am confident that should a large claim situation arise, Embrace will be there to help me.

I inherited Bailey, a 9 year old mini dachshund, when my mom died and the first thing I did was look into insurance for him. After comparing various providers, I found that Pets Best was the only one willing to insure a dog over 7 that had a history of seizures from over 5 years ago. I took out the insurance for my piece of mind, but quickly found I needed it when Bailey went through a series of ailments and mishaps, including a broken toe! The real challenge came a couple months ago when he was diagnosed with kidney stones, hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism. Over the last six weeks, he has undergone a series of treatments and surgeries to correct the situation and the vet bills were astronomical. After all the trips to the vet, he is now recovered from his ailments and was given a clean bill of health! I am happy to report that within 24 hours of submitting my claim for reimbursement, I received an e-mail informing me the claim was approved and I would receive a check within 7-10 working days. I couldn't be happier with this company and highly recommend them to anyone who owns pets.

I am delighted the way trupanion handled my claim it took about a week for confimation e mail they called a few days later I got the check over the weekend 90% coverage on Cupidos diagnostic I am so happy to have good insurance I lost my last boy to crf and hepatitis

I am delighted the way trupanion handled my claim it took about a week for confimation e mail they called a few days later I got the check over the weekend 90% coverage on Cupidos diagnostic I am so happy to have good insurance I lost my last boy to crf and hepatitis

I had a Pets Best policy for 3 years. My wonderful boy has allergies and will have to have them treated for the rest of his life. The per incident amount on the plan is $2500 I used that amount in two years. Pets Best considers the incident to be anytime that problem happens so in reality they only cover chronic conditions up to the limit. I have changed to a VPI plan they won't cover the allergies (they are pre-existing) but they let me know exactly what I am getting and honesty is important to me!

They are reasonable-the monthly fee is affordable. They only pay 80% of what they feel is fair and reasonable. My last claim they did not pay any thing bacause they said it was hereditary, although all the tests came back normal. I think they are trying to say that my dog has boxer myocardia. But there was no sign of it found. So therefore I am very dissapointed with them right now, and I have appealled their decision, I just wish I would have found this web site before I picked the insurance company.