ASPCA Pet Insurance Review: Pros, Cons, and Coverage

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Published: June 4, 2022
© iStock.com/Jeng_Niamwhan

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While many pet insurance carriers are available today, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is one of the oldest and most trusted. Crum & Foster Pet Insurance group teams up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to provide health insurance to pet families all around the country. 

Pet parents can trust ASPCA Pet Insurance because the United States Fire Insurance Company underwrites it. Today we’re going to dive into everything there is to know about their insurance. We’ll go over the pros and cons, types of plans, and anything else you need to know. Keep on reading to find out more. 

ASPCA Pet Insurance Pros & Cons

Below you’ll find some of the highlighted benefits and downfalls of ASPCA Pet Insurance. 

Pros

  • Provide customers a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Plans include behavioral problems
  • Covers prescription foods
  • Discount for multi-pet households
  • No upper age limit 
  • Covers poison consultation fees
  • Covers cremation or burial
  • Coverage for some accidents and illness exam fees  

Cons

  • No quotes available online for senior pets (18 years or older)
  • There are long wait times for customer service 
  • Lower maximum yearly limit compared to other providers

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance’s Plans & Coverage

Not all healthcare is the same, even for animals! Dog and cat owners can pick between a complete Coverage plan and an accident-only plan from the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance policies, as well as the payout amount payable for claims, deductibles, and yearly limitations. Although there is no lifetime restriction, several of the plans have yearly limits beyond which they will not payout. 

Alternative treatments and mental care are included in the Complete Coverage plans, although they don’t cover as many dental issues as their competitors. Pre-existing conditions are covered, but only if the pet has been declared healed and symptom-free for a minimum of 180 days. Even so, that’s a shorter time frame than certain pet insurance companies. 

Pet owners can go to any veterinarian in the United States or Canada, regardless of whether or not they are in-network. The insurance argues that claim reimbursement takes up to a month, which is longer than some of its competitors.

Here are the plans and coverage you can expect from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Accident-Only Coverage Plan

This is the most economical ASPCA Pet Health Insurance plan, and it includes accident-related injuries and emergencies such as puncture wounds, scrapes, broken bones, poisonous ingestions, and ligament damage. 

After a covered accident, you’ll be compensated for vet expenditures related to operations, treatments, diagnostics, and exam fees.

ASPCA Pet Insurance
One of the most affordable options of ASPCA Pet Insurance is the accident-only coverage plan.

Complete Coverage Plan

This is the most comprehensive plan available from ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. In addition to diseases and other ailments, it covers treatments, operations, diagnostics, and exam costs linked to the incidents mentioned in the Accident-Only plan. 

Cancer, arthritis, hip dysplasia, gastrointestinal issues, UTIs, cardiovascular disease, behavioral issues, and other illnesses are among them.

What Else Does ASPCA Pet Insurance Cover?

Here is a bit more in-depth look at some of the most common things that will be covered by this insurance company. 

  • Illnesses: The insurance plan pays for allergies, arthritis, cancer, and urinary infections, as well as other conditions that are immediately life-threatening.
  • Vet exam fee: This covers medical examinations and consulting expenses for unintentional accidents and illnesses, but not for preventative care. This covers the consultation charge as well as the supervision of your pet’s therapy.
  • Chronic conditions: Diabetes, arthritis, and cancer are examples of chronic ailments that are covered indefinitely under the ASPCA plan.
  • Alternative Therapies: These include physical therapy and physiotherapy for pets, as well as swimming, chiropractic, acupressure, homeopathy, and other alternative therapies. 
  • Cancer treatment: Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are covered for pet cancer treatment.
  • Emergency veterinary care: In the event of unanticipated injuries or illnesses, the ASPCA includes all emergency hospital and veterinarian visits.
  • Behavioral modification therapy: This covers the cost of pet behavioral counseling for concerns such as aggression, compulsive licking, and fur tugging.
  • Dental Coverage: The ASPCA’s pet dental insurance covers tooth removal, illness-related treatment, gum disease, tumors, enamel, impermanent teeth, and unerupted teeth concerns.
  • Prescription food and medication: This covers coverage for pet prescription drugs, prescription food for a covered disease or injury, and vitamin supplements prescribed by the veterinarian.
  • Hereditary and congenital conditions: This coverage reimburses you for the costs of treating genetic disorders in your pet, such as heart, intervertebral disc, and eye illnesses, as well as hip dysplasia insurance, which many pet insurance policies typically overlook.
  • Other: This covers stem cell treatment, laser therapy, microchip insertion, veterinarian-assisted euthanasia, cremation, and burial costs.

Available Discounts

If their office joins the ASPCA benefits program, veterinarians can earn a 10% discount on premiums. The ASPCA now offers a benefits package with comparable savings for other sorts of businesses. Additionally, any pet owners who add numerous pets to their policy will receive a 10% discount.

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance’s Exclusions

Pre-existing conditions are defined as sickness, disease, accident, or change in your pet’s health that first develops or exhibits signs before insurance is active or during a waiting period, which ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, just like all the other pet insurance companies, does not cover. This encompasses diseases that are a consequence of or are in relation to, a pre-existing ailment. 

Their insurance doesn’t cover any disease, ailment, or injury that happens prior to or during the 14-day waiting period of your coverage. If you find out your pet has cancer shortly after you sign up for your coverage, the incident will be deemed a pre-existing condition and will not be covered.

Dog sitting, breeding, anal gland expression, aesthetic or elective operations, burial services, cleaning, organ transplants, and herbal drugs are all excluded from ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. Read the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance example policy for a complete list of coverage, restrictions, and policy limits. 

ASPCA Pet Insurance Waiting Periods 

When you buy a pet insurance policy, it’s natural to believe that your coverage will begin immediately. This isn’t the case, sadly. The waiting period is the amount of time that you must wait until your pet insurance coverage starts after you purchase it. Furthermore, various insurance companies have varied waiting periods for accidents, diseases, and other chronic ailments.

There is a 14-day accident and sickness waiting period with ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. Other pet insurance’ illness waiting periods average approximately 14 days. You can discover an insurer like Pets Best or Embrace that has a two or a three-day accident waiting time. 

There are no waiting periods for ASPCA Pet Health Insurance for exceptional situations like cruciate ligament injuries. A lengthier waiting period might be a worry if your pet’s breed is more sensitive to such issues. In this instance, ASPCA pet insurance is a viable option.

ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA Pet Insurance covers a large variety of illnesses and treatments.

How Much Does ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Cost?

The organization will provide you with a free quote! All you have to do is provide details about your pet’s age, sex, and zip code. To examine how various possibilities affect your premium, change your yearly deductible, annual limit, reimbursement amount, and associated co-pay. 

Wellness packages are available for an additional fee, and they have their own mechanism for calculating how much they will spend, including annual restrictions on specific sorts of treatments.

Coverage Limits 

The ASPCA Pet Health Insurance has lower insurance limitations than the norm, which equals cheaper rates. For dogs and cats, the annual maximum is $3,000 per year. Although the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance website includes sample plan contracts for equines, it doesn’t give particular information on horse coverage limits. 

Although limitless policies are accessible, they may not be visible during the online quotation process. Call to learn more about these policies.

Filing Claims

The ASPCA Pet Health Insurance has a variety of options for filing claims. Use the complimentary My Pet Insurance mobile app or the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance webpage to file claims electronically from any device. 

Pet parents can also submit a claim via email, fax, or postal mail by completing a printer-friendly claim form. You may follow the progress of a claim you’ve made online using the My Pet Insurance app. You can also use the account manager on the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance website.

Next Up: Ultimate Guide To Pet Insurance: What It Covers

About the Author

Kirstin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering animals, news topics, fun places, and helpful tips. Kirstin has been writing on a variety of topics for over five years. She has her real estate license, along with an associates degree in another field. A resident of Minnesota, Kirstin treats her two cats (Spook and Finlay) like the children they are. She never misses an opportunity to explore a thrift store with a coffee in hand, especially if it’s a cold autumn day!

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