ASPCA Pet Health Insurance review

Treatments for accident-only plan:

• Alternative therapies (a.k.a complementary treatments)
• CT scans, MRIs and X-rays
• End-of-life expenses
• Intravenous (IV) fluids and medications
• Medical supplies (e.g., bandages, casts and splints)
• Microchip implantation
• Poison control consultation fees
• Prescription food (to treat a covered condition)
• Prescription medications
• Stem cell therapy
• Supplements (to treat a covered condition)
• Surgery and hospitalization
• Tooth extractions
• Veterinary treatment (e.g., examinations, consultations and laboratory tests)

Treatments for Complete Coverage plan (accident and illness coverage)

• All accident-only plan benefits
• Cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy and radiation treatment)
• Treatment for behavioral issues
• Treatment for major and minor illnesses (e.g., diseases, sicknesses and medical conditions not caused by accidents or injuries)

Preventative care treatments, tests and vaccines/titers

• Annual wellness exam
• Blood test
• Dental cleaning
• Deworming
• DHLPP vaccine/titer*
• Fecal test
• Flea/heartworm prevention
• Health certificate
• Heartworm test*
• Neutering or spaying
• Rabies or FIP vaccine/titer**
• Rabies or Lyme vaccine/titer*
• Bordetella vaccine/titer*
• FVRCP vaccine/titer**
• FeLV test**
• FeLV vaccine**
• Urinalysis

*Dogs only

**Cats only

• Aesthetic, cosmetic, endodontic or orthodontic dental treatments (e.g., caps, crowns, fillings or root canals)
• Anal (sac) gland expression or resection (unless disease or infection is present)
• Boarding
• Breeding (e.g., pregnancy, whelping or nursing)
• Conditions occurring during a waiting period
• Cosmetic procedures (e.g., claw removal, ear cropping or tail docking)
• Dental cleanings (unless used to treat covered illness or covered by relevant endorsement)
• Experimental or investigative treatments or medications (e.g., clinical trials)
• Funeral services, memorial items, urns, caskets or burial plots/fees
• Grooming and grooming supplies
• Herbs
• House call fees
• Non-medical supplies (e.g., leashes, toys or training devices)
• Non-veterinary services (e.g., admin fees, medical waste removal or medical records)
• Pre-existing conditions*
• Prescription food (unless vet-prescribed to treat covered condition)
• Organ or heart valve transplants
• Preventable illnesses and injuries (e.g., injuries or illnesses resulting from intentional, malicious and negligent activities or irresponsible pet care)
• Preventive care (unless covered under preventive care add-on)
• Supplements (unless vet-prescribed to treat a covered condition)
• Treatment for conditions resulting from natural or artificial disasters, epidemics or pandemics

*Any illness or injury present for the start date of your policy will be termed as a pre-existing condition and won't be covered under any of ASPCA's pet insurance policies. However, certain "curable" pre-existing illnesses or injuries are covered if the condition is cured and your pet has been symptom-free for 180 days. Unfortunately, this does not apply to ligament or knee conditions.

There is no veterinary exam required to establish your pet’s health history, and ASPCA won't interfere with your vet's treatment recommendations.

Yes, you can cancel your policy anytime by contacting its customer service team.

If you stop making payments, your policy will lapse, and your pet will no longer be covered. Reinstating coverage may exclude pre-existing conditions.

Bankrate pet insurance methodology

The Bankrate team evaluated 14 companies across over 500 data points to determine the best pet insurance companies. Each company was ranked based on performance in the following categories:

• Affordability: The affordability category covered not only the average cost of premiums for dogs and cats but also other elements that affect a consumer's finances, including if vet fees are covered, discounts, the company's financial stability, direct deposit for claims and claim turnaround time.
• Availability: Companies were rated based on their nationwide availability, waiting periods and pet age limits.
• Coverage options: We evaluated what coverage options were included in insurance plans, with higher points going to plans that included the type of coverage and lower points going to coverage that had to be purchased at an additional cost. We evaluated items that are typical in pet insurance plans, including wellness plans, behavioral issues, congenital conditions, hereditary conditions, diagnostics, dental work, end-of-life care, microchipping, surgery and spay and neutering, among other coverage.
• Customer service: This category rated companies based on their customer service, app availability, customer ratings and whether they offer 24/7 vet service.
• Plans and customizations: This category evaluated how much a company offered in terms of types of plans, annual claims limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates.

Example rates methodology

Dog breeds were chosen from data from the American Kennel Club about the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Cat breeds were chosen based on the most popular, according to The Cat Fanciers' Association. Phoenix was chosen as the example city because it had the highest percentage of households with pets, according to the Census Bureau's 2021 American Housing Survey. 

The data gathered for this company matches the data gathered from the other companies we reviewed unless the company did not have the options we selected. Any differences are specified under the tables.

Rates are examples and for illustrative use only.