Pet owners have a multitude of options to choose from when it comes to their pet’s insurance provider. Different pet insurance companies offer different benefits and terms geared towards meeting the many needs of each pet. With the expanse of options available, pet parents may find it difficult to determine which provider or plan is best-suited for their pet.

This is where ASPCA comes in. Their plans provide a good combination of full benefit options and lower policy limits which ultimately keeps premiums more affordable. ASPCA’s policies are perfect for those who find that they don’t need much coverage and would not want to pay for services they won’t be using anyway.

ASPCA or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an organization devoted to promoting the well-being of animals. ASPCA is based in the United States and was founded in 1866. The organization primarily acts as a voice that triumphs animal welfare but in 2006, ASPCA began venturing into pet insurance.

During that year, the organization partnered with Hartville Pet Insurance and began selling pet policies through a licensing agreement. In 2017, Hartville Pet Insurance was rebranded as Crum & Forster. Since then, the company acts as ASPCA’s policy administrator, and the policies are underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company

This article details ASPCA, its plans, pricing, and limits among others to help you and other pet parents determine the best choice when it comes to your pet’s insurance needs.

Pros

When considering who to go to for pet insurance needs, owners first want to look into the benefits they can get. Below are the advantages waiting for you when you signed with ASPCA.

Most pet insurance providers cover cats and dogs. But ASPCA is one of the pet insurers out there who provide insurance even for horses. In the later part of the article, we detail the policies ASPCA offers for horses.

Aside from offering coverage for horses, ASPCA’s policies also apply to any licensed veterinarian in the United States and Canada. The provider’s plans are simple and straightforward but they can be customized to match the type of benefits you need. This means that you have more options for wellness, illness, and accident coverage.

If you’re still unsure whether you should ASPCA as your provider, then you can use their website’s free comparison tool. This compares ASPCA policies with what 10 different competitors offer.

Cons

Given the number of benefits you can get with ASPCA, it’s also important to look at the other side. Below we explain some of the drawbacks of ASPCA.

Firstly, the ASPCA’s two preventive care riders cover specific benefits on itemized benefits which means wellness benefits are scheduled. Other pet insurance companies already offer policies with a single-all inclusive annual limit for wellness benefits but you won’t be able to get this with ASPCA.

Another downside to the provider is that it is administered and underwritten by third parties. Because ASPCA is not a pet insurance company, it gets third-party companies to facilitate its pet insurance operations. This leads to ASPCA having very little control over its pet policies. Currently, Crums and Forster administer ASPCA’s insurance plans and the United States Fire Insurance Company underwrites them.

Plans

When it comes to cats and dogs, ASPCA offers pet insurance options consisting of one accident-only policy and another accident and illness policy. The accident-only coverage option means that only injuries that are direct results of accidents such as animal bites are covered. The complete coverage option, which is ASPCA’s accident and illness policy, covers everything included in the accident-only plan on top of illnesses that commonly arise.

For horses, there are also two plans which owners can choose from. First is the Colic + Accidents option and the second is the Colic + Accidents + Illnesses package. The former covers most abdominal conditions and accident-related injuries while the latter provides additional coverage for treatments for diseases such as cancer and hereditary conditions.

Cats, dogs, and horses are all eligible for the same wellness riders. They are, however, are offered as an addition to any of the above-mentioned plans which includes preventive care benefits. Pet parents get two options to choose from and these vary in the levels of coverage for particular wellness services. However, the exact limits and treatments vary depending on the animal.

Given the range of available plans you can choose from with ASPCA, we need to find out how much you’ll need to pay when you get your pet insured with this provider.

Pricing

ASPCA’s policies are perfect for the practical pet owner who needs to stick to a budget because their monthly premiums are on the lower end when compared with what other providers in the market offer.

With this, what you get from the provider are plan benefits which are lower compared to its competitors. Their cheapest policies have annual limits of a meager $3,000 while the more expensive options only offer a $10,00 max out per year. But those who want to spend only a few bucks on basic protection for their pet’s veterinary emergencies are sure to enjoy what ASPCA has to offer within their price range.

Waiting Periods

A 2 week waiting period applies to all applicable treatments related to accidents and illnesses that are covered by the policy. Accidents or illnesses that may, unfortunately, occur within these first 14 days will not be covered by the policy benefits. ASPCA’s waiting period is longer compared to most pet insurance companies which normally impose a waiting period of only 2 days for accidents.

The 2 day waiting period which most competitors offer may seem like a great deal but most of them also normally extend the waiting period to up to six months to a year when it comes to certain conditions that affect joints and ligaments. With ASPCA, you don’t have to worry about having to wait for a year for reimbursements because the provider honors its 2 week waiting period for all covered treatments and conditions.

Exclusions

Pet insurance companies typically do not cover pre-existing conditions and the ASPCA is not an exemption. They also categorize any injury or illness which would regrettably appear during the waiting period as a pre-existing condition. Keep in mind though that orthopedic issues can be covered months earlier compared to competitors which typically extend the waiting period for these conditions.

For policies for cats and dogs, you’ll find that there aren’t a lot of exclusions. Treatments such as organ transplants, non-veterinary services, and cosmetic needs won’t be covered with ASPCA. But these typically are listed as exclusions in most pet insurance policies.

For horses, there are a few extra exclusions you need to keep in mind. Therapies like alternative and behavioral ones which may be covered under cat and dog policies are listed as exclusions under the provider’s horse policies. Additionally, their policies do not cover hoof trimming, arthritis treatment, and farm visit fees.

Coverage Limits

When taken into comparison with its competitors, ASPCA’s policy limits are on the lower end and this means that you will get lower premiums. Their limit starts at $3,000 per year for all eligible animals. The provider can go up to $7,000 for horses and $10,000 for dogs and cats depending on the plan.

The catch to this is ASPCA currently does not offer unlimited policies. Although its plans are perfect for those working on a budget, if you are looking for fuller coverage options then you may need to check out other providers.

ASPCA provides many convenient options to file your claims. You can use your phone, tablet, or computer to electronically submit claims. The free My Pet Insurance mobile application is available for download while the ASPCA pet insurance website provides an easier way using only your browser. For those who want a hard-copy claims form, you can download and fill out their form and send it via email, fax, or postal mail.

When you submit your claim via your phone or computer, you can track its status with the My Pet Insurance app or through your account manager if you are using the ASPCA website.

Should you have any concerns or questions regarding your pet insurance policy, you can contact ASPCA through a variety of convenient ways. You can get in touch with them by phone during business hours. You can also reach them via email at any time of the day. If you have the My Pet Insurance app, you can send in your concern or question through its contact form.

ASPCA Vs Trupanion

With A+ BBB rating, both ASPCA and Trupanion have created a space in the hearts of their customers. However, they both have their own list of pros and cons.

ASPCA is a much more experienced company and has been in the market since 1997 while Trupanion is a comparatively new company and has been in the pet insurance market only since 2008.

ASPCA is a much favored pet insurance company for several reasons. When compared with Trupanion, ASPCA comes out as a more convenient choice for most customers mostly because of the veterinary exam fees. ASPCA covers the veterinary exam fees for all your bills. On the contrary, Trupanion doesn’t cover exam fees for even examinations that are related to the covered illnesses and conditions.

ASPCA has a 14 days waiting period for illnesses, while Trupanion has a 30 day long illness waiting period. Also, ASPCA offers you an optional add-on under preventive care while Trupanion doesn’t offer optional add-ons.

ASPCA Vs Figo

Choosing the bets pet insurance services greatly helps in the overall health care of your pet. ASPCA and Figo are both, two of the most successful pet insurance service providers in the market. And despite their success, both the companies have differences that make them unique in their own small ways. Let’s take a look at how they both differ from each other.

ASPCA has been offering pet insurance services since 1997 and hence, is one of the oldest companies in the market. ASPCA is a better option for you if you intend to add wellness care services for your pet apart from the basic health care, accident and illness coverage. However unlike Figo, ASPCA doesn’t offer you 100% reimbursement for the claims. Also, they have an average claim close time period of 2-4 weeks which is much slower than Figo’s average claim close time period of 7 to 10 days.

Compared to ASPCA, Figo is a new company that was launched in 2015. But, due to its great services, coverage plans and costs, it quickly climbed the success ladder, leaving behind the other companies. Figo offers 100% reimbursement to the pet owners, completely covering the medical expenses. Also, it has a quick 7 to 10 days claim closing period which is faster than ASPCA. Figo also offers all their customers with a 24/7 Live chat platform, allowing pet parents to talk freely with professional veterinarians at any given time.

ASPCA, as an organization primarily geared towards the welfare of animals, is not listed as a pet insurance company. Their policies are administered by Crum & Forster and underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company.

Their accident and illness benefit options all have a flat annual limit for all covered services. However, their optional wellness benefits are reimbursable on a per treatment arrangement. Pet parents working with a budget will enjoy their policies which offer lower levels of coverage compared to other providers.