how does pet insurance work?

For accident and illness coverage, the amount of your payouts depends on factors including your deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual coverage limit.

• Deductible

  You’ll need to meet a deductible before you can start getting reimbursed. Some providers have a per incident deductible, which means you’ll need to meet that amount for every incident. Other providers have an annual deductible that you only need to meet once a year no matter how many times your pet is hurt or sick.

  With the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance program, you can choose from $100, $250, and $500 annual deductible options. You can select a higher deductible to pay a lower monthly premium or pick a lower deductible if you want the ability to get more money back.

• Reimbursement Percentage

  This is the percentage of covered costs you’ll get back after you meet your deductible. We let you pick from 70%, 80%, and 90% options. If you choose a lower amount, you can pay a lower monthly premium. If you go with a higher amount, you’ll get more cash back on your eligible claims.

• Annual Coverage Limit

  This is the maximum amount you can get reimbursed over a 12-month policy period. It resets when a new policy period begins. We offer a choice of annual coverage limits from $2,500 to unlimited so you can pick the amount that works best for you.

  Here’s an Example:

  Say you have a vet bill for $1,000 of covered costs. Let’s break it down.

  • 
    Deductible

    $100

  • 
    Reimbursement

    90%

  • 
    Annual Limit

    $2,500

  1. Meet Your Deductible

     Your deductible is what you pay per year for covered expenses before you can be reimbursed. You’ll need to meet your annual deductible before insurance kicks in to reimburse covered costs, but once it’s out of the way, you’ll get cash back on eligible bills for the remainder of the plan period.

     So, if this $1,000 vet bill is the first claim you’ve submitted in this plan period, you’re responsible for the $100 deductible, leaving $900 as the remaining balance.

  2. Reimbursement Percentage

     With a 90% reimbursement percentage, you are responsible for a co-pay of the remaining 10%. Since your bill is $1,000, and you’ve paid the $100 deductible, this leaves a remaining balance of $900. 10% of $900 is $90- that’s what you contribute. You are reimbursed the remaining $810 for your claim.

  3. Get Reimbursed Up To Your Annual Limit

     You are reimbursed $810, which goes towards your annual limit of $2,500, leaving you room for future reimbursements during this plan period. 

• Receiving Payments

  When comparing our plans with other pet insurance providers’ plans, it’s important to understand how you’ll receive your reimbursements. Do you have to wait for a check in the mail? Or can you choose to have your money directly deposited into your bank account? With the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance program, our direct deposit option makes receiving reimbursements a walk in the park.

• Preventive Care Reimbursements

  We offer two options for preventive care coverage, available to add to a base plan for an additional low monthly cost. With our preventive care coverage, there is no deductible or reimbursement percentage. Instead, you get reimbursed a set amount for a list of covered wellness services, such as annual visits, certain vaccines, and flea prevention. The amount depends on the preventive care coverage option you choose when you sign up.