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ASPCA Pet Insurance Review: Flexible Policies Filled With Rare Perks

Review Updated
Kailey Hagen
Author: Kailey Hagen
Kailey Hagen
Kailey Hagen
Writer

Kailey Hagen has been writing about small businesses and finance for almost 10 years. Articles she's written for The Motley Fool have been syndicated to USA Today, MSN, and Yahoo! Finance. She specializes in personal and business bank accounts and software for small to medium-size businesses. She lives on what's almost a farm in northern Wisconsin with her husband and three dogs.

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This pet insurer is a good fit for: Those seeking flexible policies and those looking to insure several pets.

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ASPCA Pet Insurance Snapshot

Pricing

ASPCA pricing is in line with the rest of the industry, though its dog policies are considerably more expensive than its cat policies. Pet owners have several options for customizing their policies, including adjusting the annual coverage limit.

Discounts

ASPCA is one of the few pet insurance providers that offers discounts. Veterinary employees and those insuring multiple pets qualify for a 10% discount. These discounts are stackable, so vet employees who insure multiple pets could save up to 20%.

Perks

ASPCA offers flexible policies and is one of the few insurers that doesn't have a special waiting period for orthopedic issues. These are covered as soon as the standard 14-day waiting period is up while many other providers make pet owners wait six months before covering these issues. ASPCA is also one of the only pet insurers that covers horses.

Customer service

ASPCA has received glowing reviews from customers. Its underwriter, Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group, has also received favorable reviews.

Full ASPCA pet insurance review

Pros

  • Flexible policies
  • Coverage for exams and microchipping
  • Policies for horses
  • No special waiting period for orthopedic issues

Cons

  • Low maximum annual coverage limit
  • Long accident waiting period

Top perks

Easy-to-customize policies

ASPCA pet insurance offers pet owners the option to purchase accident-only coverage or comprehensive coverage, which pays for vet bills due to injury or illness. There's also an optional preventive coverage package that pays for annual wellness exams, vaccines, spaying/neutering, and more. Once the pet owner has chosen the coverage they want, they can customize their payment by choosing the deductible, annual coverage limit, and reimbursement percentage that best suits them.

Coverage for exams and microchipping

ASPCA's Complete Coverage package pays for exam fees for eligible conditions as well as microchipping. Not all pet insurance providers do this, so pet owners interested in this coverage should give ASPCA pet insurance a closer look.

Policies for horses

ASPCA is one of the few pet insurance providers that writes policies for horses in addition to dogs and cats.

No special waiting periods for orthopedic issues

Most pet insurance companies have waiting periods of six months or more for orthopedic conditions, but ASPCA will cover these conditions after just a 14-day waiting period. However, if a pet is already showing signs of an orthopedic issue at sign up, this is considered a pre-existing condition and won't be covered.

What could be improved

Maximum annual coverage limit

ASPCA policies have an annual limit that determines the maximum amount the insurer will pay for the pet's care. While the owner has some control over what this limit is, the maximum is just $10,000. This is lower than what some of its competitors offer, and it might be too low for pets with chronic health issues.

Waiting period for accidents

The waiting period for all ASPCA coverage is 14 days. While a 14-day waiting period is normal for illnesses, many other providers only have a two- or three-day waiting period for accidents.

Pricing

ASPCA's pet insurance prices are average to slightly above average for dogs. Its rates for cats are a little more competitive and should fit easier into most people's budgets. Pet owners can reduce their pet insurance costs a little by choosing a lower annual coverage limit, a higher deductible, or a lower reimbursement level.

Average cost for dogs $50.65/month
Average costs for cats $19.50/month
Deductible Levels $100, $250, $500
Reimbursement Rates 70%, 80%, 90%
Data source: ASPCA Pet Insurance.

Alternatives to consider

For pet owners who want a plan with no annual coverage limits: Healthy Paws is worth considering. It offers competitive rates and fairly comprehensive accident and injury coverage. Turnaround times for claims are also pretty quick. But there is no wellness coverage, either as a standard feature or an add-on.

For those who want a shorter accident waiting period: Pets Best offers an accident waiting period of just three days, which is quite a bit shorter than ASPCA. It also offers flexible policies. But it has longer waiting periods for orthopedic issues.

Policy options

ASPCA pet insurance offers two policies and a wellness coverage add-on.

Accident-Only Coverage

Accident-only coverage is ASPCA's most affordable option. This only covers accidents that take place after the 14-day waiting period. This includes things like:

  • Broken bones
  • Bite wounds
  • Cuts
  • Abscesses
  • Lodged foreign objects
  • Toxic ingestion
  • Exam fees associated with accidents

In addition, if a pet requires alternative therapies like acupuncture or chiropractic care to treat a condition resulting from an accident, the policy would also cover this.

Complete Coverage

The Complete Coverage policy includes all the protections in the Accident-Only Coverage option as well as protection for:

  • Illnesses
  • Dental diseases
  • Hereditary conditions
  • Congenital conditions
  • Behavioral issues

Cosmetic procedures and pre-existing conditions aren't covered, nor are breeding costs. This is typical of a pet insurance policy.

Optional Preventive Coverage

Pet owners can also choose to add preventive coverage for an extra monthly fee. This pays for:

  • Annual wellness exams
  • Vaccines
  • Spaying/neutering
  • Dental care

There are two tiers of preventive coverage -- Basic and Prime -- so owners can choose the one that best fits their budget. Or if they aren't interested in wellness coverage, they can skip this altogether.

Discounts

ASPCA currently offers two pet insurance discounts, which is more than what many of its competitors offer.

Multi-pet discount

Insuring more than one pet can save owners about 10% on their premiums. This discount applies to every additional pet added after the highest premium pet. So someone insuring three pets would earn a 10% discount on the two pets with the lower premiums.

Staff discount

Employees of veterinary practices can save 10% on their premiums. Those with multiple pets can earn the staff discount as well as the multi-pet discount.

Application process

Pet owners can get a quote within a minute or two by answering a few basic questions about their pet, including its species, breed, age, gender, and zip code. From there, they'll be presented with a basic quote that they can customize by altering the annual benefit limit, the reimbursement level, and the deductible.

They can also choose between Accident-Only and Complete Coverage. And those interested in the optional wellness coverage can add this to their policy as well. Once they have a plan they're happy with, the pet owner can purchase it directly online.

What types of pets are eligible for ASPCA pet insurance?

ASPCA pet insurance covers dogs, cats, and horses that are at least eight weeks old. Unlike many other pet insurers, it doesn't have an upper age limit. But older pets will likely face higher premiums as they're more prone to health issues.

Customer service and ratings

ASPCA has received a lot of positive feedback from customers. It has a 4.3 out of 5 rating with TrustPilot from over 3,000 customers. That's unusual among insurance providers and indicates that most people are satisfied with its service.

In addition, Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group -- the company that underwrites ASPCA pet insurance policies -- has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

This pet insurer is a good choice for:

ASPCA pet insurance is a great choice for:

  • People seeking flexible policies
  • Horse owners looking for pet insurance
  • Those who want excellent customer service

But pet owners who don't want to worry about annual coverage limits should consider Healthy Paws. And those who don't want to wait 14 days for accidents to be covered might prefer Pets Best.

Want another option? Check out Motley Fool Money's Nationwide Pet Insurance review.