Petplan Insurance Review: The Right Choice In 2023?

About Petplan

Petplan is a company filled with pet parents just like you. In business for the last 42 years, Petplan offers exceptional coverage that helps give your pets rewarding lives.

They promise to deliver the most comprehensive insurance coverage, helping you keep your pets healthy and happy for their entire lives.

The Highlights

• Offers pet insurance for cats and dogs only
• Doesn’t have an age limit for pets
• Starts insuring pets at just 6 weeks old
• Has a 15-day waiting period for all pets
• Has a 6-month waiting period for hip and ligament issues
• Only offers plans for illness or injuries
• You must have a valid well-check exam within the last six months or first 30 days of the policy
• Offers deductibles starting at $250
• Offers plans with up to 90% coverage

What Does Petplan Cover?

Petplan provides coverage for your cat or dog for any of the following:

Injuries & illness treatments – They reimburse you for the cost of a vet visit for injury or illness.

Exam fees – Just the cost to see a vet to find out what’s wrong with an injured or ill pet can cost an arm and a leg. Petplan has you covered.

Diagnostic tests – If your vet tests your pet for a covered injury or illness, the lab tests, x-rays, or specialized testing costs may be covered.

Curable pre-existing conditions – If your pet has a pre-existing condition that is completely treated and has little chance of reoccurrence may be covered after a 365-day waiting period.

Chronic conditions – Petplan is one of the few insurance companies that offers coverage for chronic conditions.

Prescription medication – Petplan covers prescriptions up to 90-day supplies for all covered injuries and illnesses diagnosed by a veterinarian.

Rehabilitation – Petplan covers rehab performed at a veterinary facility that’s recommended by the vet for the covered injury or illness.

Alternative therapies – Petplan recognizes that pets sometimes need more than traditional medication. They cover holistic treatment including acupuncture, aromatherapy, and chiropractic treatments.

What Doesn’t Petplan Cover?

Like most pet insurance plans, Petplan has a few exclusions that you should be aware of:

Pre-existing conditions

Petplan doesn’t cover a condition your pet had before you bought the insurance policy.

This includes diagnosed illnesses or injuries before your insurance effective date or those that occur during the waiting period.

The only pre-existing conditions that may be covered are curable pre-existing conditions that have been completely treated and have undergone a 365-day waiting period.

Bilateral conditions

Bilateral conditions are those that occur to the ‘other’ joint, ligament, or body part.

For example, if your pet has a right elbow problem that’s pre-existing and down the road, he has a left elbow problem while he’s covered,

Petplan can exclude coverage for the left elbow.

Routine & wellness care

Petplan only provides coverage for unexpected illnesses and injuries. They don’t cover regular physicals or wellness visits. Those expenses are your responsibility.

Cosmetic & elective procedures

Petplan doesn’t cover surgeries or other procedures that benefit a pet’s appearance or that the vet considers elective.

The surgery or procedure must be necessary to treat the covered injury or illness in order to qualify for coverage.

Liability 

Petplan doesn’t cover any damages your pet causes to other people or property. It is strictly insurance to cover your pet’s health against unexpected issues.

What is a Pre-Existing Condition?

A pre-existing condition occurs when a vet diagnoses your animal with an injury or illness before the effective date of your insurance.

However, it also includes clinical signs of an injury or illness that occurs during the waiting period after you purchase coverage.

Petplan classifies pre-existing conditions in two ways – curable and incurable. Curable pre-existing conditions have a chance of being covered whereas incurable conditions will not be covered.

• Curable pre-existing conditions – As the name suggests, curable conditions can be 100% treated and resolved. If there is not any recurrence of the signs or symptoms and no further treatment is needed in 365 days, Petplan may cover the issue after the year is up.
• Incurable pre-existing conditions – Conditions your pet has that cannot be treated or cured and that occurred before you purchased coverage or during the waiting period will not be covered at any point during your policy.

Deductibles & Co-Pays

As long as your pet is younger than 10 years old, you have a variety of deductible and co-pay options to make your coverage more affordable.

If your pet is older than 10 years old, you can still get coverage, but your options are limited.

Petplan offers two types of deductibles:

• Annual deductible: You pay one deductible for the entire year. Once you meet the deductible, Petplan covers the covered illnesses and injuries to the full extent of your coverage.
• Per-condition deductible: This deductible applies to each condition. This means every condition has its own deductible each time you see the vet. Your insurance benefits don’t kick in until you reach the deductible for that injury or illness, but the deductible only applies one time per year.
• Co-pays: This is the amount you owe for any visit and is in addition to your deductible. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and a $50 co-pay, you would pay $550 total before insurance would reimburse you.

Filing a Claim with Petplan

It’s simple to file a claim with Petplan. You have a few options – fax/email your claim for into Petplan or complete the form online via the Petplan app (available on both iOS and Android).

You can also mail the form in (slowest method) to:

Claims Department – Petplan

3805 West Chester Pike

Suite 240

Newtown Square, PA 19073

Either option that you choose requires you to log into your personal account portal. You’ll need to print a claim form that Petplan prefills for you.

This makes the processing faster on their end. You complete the form and send it in via one of the methods discussed above.

Along with your claim, you must include all proof of payments.

This includes receipts from the vet as well as a release form for Petplan to view your pet’s medical records. Make sure you complete this for every vet or specialist your pet sees.

Petplan Costs

Like any insurance policy, Petplan offers a variety of deductible, co-pay, and annual coverage limits that directly affect your pet insurance costs.

Petplan offers deductibles ranging from $250 – $1,000. The higher the deductible you choose, the less you’ll pay each month for insurance.

This is because you are responsible for a larger portion of the bill. This means Petplan has a lower risk of paying out on a claim with you taking the brunt of the responsibility.

Max Annual Payout

You may also choose your max annual payout. This means the maximum amount Petplan will pay for the entire year.

The amount resets annually. You may choose limits starting at $2,500 all the way through unlimited. In this case, the lower the max annual payout, the lower your premiums.

For example, if you chose the unlimited maximum payout, you’d pay the highest premiums because Petplan is on the hook for all injuries/illness (covered) that your pet experiences each year.

Lastly, you can choose the coverage percentage. Petplan offers 70%, 80%, or 90% coverage.

You are responsible for the difference. For example, if you choose 70% coverage, you’ll be responsible for 30% of the vet bill AFTER you pay your deductible for all covered injury or illness vet visits, tests, etc.

The higher the coverage percentage you choose the more premium you’ll pay each month.

FAQ’s

When does a Petplan policy become active?

Petplan policies are in effect starting at 12:01 AM ET the day after you enroll. However, there is a 15-day waiting period before they will cover your pet’s injuries or illnesses.

Is there an enrollment fee with Petplan?

Petplan does not charge an enrollment fee. It’s free to obtain a quote, apply, and start coverage, but of course, you must pay your premium.

Are there waiting periods for coverage?

Yes, Petplan has a few waiting periods:

• Every pet has a 15-day waiting period that starts at midnight on the day after you pay for coverage. If your pet falls ill or gets injured during this time, Petplan won’t cover the bills.
• Petplan also has a 6-month on hip dysplasia, cruciate, and patella injuries.

Can waiting periods be waived?

You can have the hip dysplasia, cruciate and patella injury waiting period waived if you visit your vet within the first 30 days of Petplan coverage and the vet confirms that your pet has no signs of any of the above issues.

If there are signs or your pet had a previous injury, the 6-month waiting period ensues and it may even be excluded from coverage altogether.

Can you get pet insurance for an older pet?

Yes, you can get coverage for a pet of any age. However, Petplan may limit the type and amount of coverage for pets over 10-years old.

Is Hip Dysplasia covered?

It may be if you can prove that your pet didn’t have any signs or symptoms of hip dysplasia before coverage started or during the first six months of coverage (the waiting period).

What is a curable exclusionary period?

The curable exclusionary period applies to pre-existing conditions that are completely treated and cured. As long as there aren’t any signs, symptoms, or treatments for the condition within 365 days, Petplan may cover the issue.

Does Petplan cover cremation?

No, Petplan doesn’t cover the cost of cremation.

Customer Reviews

The Good

Petplan clients love the customer service Petplan offers. Not only is it available 24/7, but the representatives are extremely helpful and passionate about pets.

Clients say that Petplan representatives help process claims quickly, allowing pet parents to have the expensive treatments completed their beloved pets require.

Other clients state that Petplan gives above and beyond explaining annual renewals and reasons for increasing premiums.

Many representatives even take the time to help pet parents figure out ways to lower their premiums.

While premiums naturally increase as your pet ages and even with state-mandated changes, Petplan always finds a way to make the premiums affordable for everyone.

The Not So Good

Some pet owners claim that Petplan’s rates and deductibles increase incredibly as their pet ages. One pet owner claimed his premiums increased 29% despite having coverage for the last 2.5 years and never filing a claim.

This was while her dog was still a puppy – what will happen when her dog is older?

Many pet owners claim that Petplan tries to call everything a ‘pre-existing condition’ in order to avoid paying the claims.

While this is common among pet insurance companies, the reviews claiming that nothing is ever paid out are quite common for Petplan.

Should you Choose Petplan?

Petplan offers solid pet insurance options if you’re looking for injury or illness coverage. While they do exclude pre-existing conditions, most pet insurance companies do the same.

Petplan does offer ways around the exclusions, which you can discuss with a representative pertaining to your pet’s exact issues.

Something we love about Petplan is the ‘Coverage for Life’ which most insurance companies don’t offer. You don’t have to worry about randomly losing coverage because your pet became ill or just aged.

When you compare Petplan insurance to other insurance companies, make sure you look at the deductible, co-pays, and maximum coverage amount.

Try finding similar plans that offer similar coverage so that you can compare apples to apples. If you choose Petplan, watch your renewal premiums, as they are likely to increase as most members stated in their reviews.