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Spot pet insurance review
Spot pet insurance is a comprehensive pet insurance provider offering extensive coverage options for pet owners. With a mission to ensure pets receive the best care possible, Spot has quickly grown into a trusted name in the pet insurance industry. The company provides a variety of affordable insurance plans tailored to meet the needs of different pet owners, ensuring that pets are covered for both routine and emergency care.
Spot covers various conditions and treatments, including accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions and alternative therapies. With a commitment to transparency and customer satisfaction, Spot has designed its policies to be easy to understand, allowing pet owners to make informed decisions about their pets' health care.
Spot summary
Summary
Best for: No upper age limit
Annual deductible options: $100–$1,000
Reimbursement percentage: 70, 80 or 90 percent
Annual limit: $2,500–unlimited
Claim turnaround time: 7 business days or less
Enrollment age: Enroll your furry friend from as early as 8 weeks. There is no upper age limit for enrollment.
Direct vet pay: No
Why Spot is the best for no upper age limits
Unlike a lot of pet insurance companies, Spot doesn't have limits on pet ages. If you have a senior pet that needs an insurance policy, you could still potentially get coverage from Spot.
Spot coverage options
Spot offers various coverage options. Its plans include extensive coverage, ensuring that pets are protected against a wide range of potential health issues.
Spot plans and customizations
Spot Pet offers several plan options that can be customized to meet individual needs. These plans include different deductible levels, reimbursement percentages and coverage limits, allowing pet owners to tailor their insurance to fit their budget and coverage requirements.
Accident-only plan
This plan is ideal for pet owners seeking affordable insurance to protect against unforeseen events that could lead to significant veterinary expenses.
Spot’s accident-only plan covers care costs for injuries resulting from accidents, such as broken bones, bite wounds, cuts and toxic ingestions. The policy includes coverage for diagnostics, medication and hospitalization related to injuries sustained from accidents. It ensures that pets receive necessary medical attention in emergencies without the financial strain on pet owners.
Accident and illness plan
Spot's accident and illness plan offers comprehensive coverage, ensuring your pet is protected against unexpected injuries and a wide range of illnesses. This plan is ideal for pet owners seeking thorough protection for their pets' health.
This policy applies to costs for illnesses including infections, cancer, digestive issues, chronic illnesses and hereditary conditions. In addition, Spot’s accident and illness plan covers treatment for dental illnesses and tooth extractions related to dental accidents.
The plan covers essential diagnostic tests, surgeries, hospitalizations and prescription medications. Spot also reimburses pet owners for alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic care.
Customization options
By offering flexible plans and customization options, Spot ensures pet owners can find the right balance between premium costs and coverage benefits.
- Annual coverage limits: Various annual limits allow policyholders to select the maximum payout per year. Lower annual coverage limits correspond to lower premiums.
- Deductibles: Choose from several annual deductible options for Spot plans, ranging from $100 to $1,000. Deductibles reflect the amount you must pay before your policy comes into effect. A lower deductible means Spot starts to reimburse you sooner rather than later. However, this comes with a higher premium.
- Reimbursement percentages: Options include 70, 80 or 90 percent reimbursement of covered costs. Lower reimbursement percentages will translate to more affordable policy premiums, whereas selecting a higher reimbursement percentage will mean lower out-of-pocket costs when your pet needs care.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 24/7 Vet helpline: A 24/7 vet helpline, VetAccess provides pet owners with professional advice and peace of mind.
- 30-day money-back guarantee: Spot will refund your full premium fee if you wish to cancel your policy within the first 30 days (not available in New York and Maine).
- Comprehensive, affordable coverage: Spot provides extensive coverage that includes accidents, illnesses, dental injuries, hereditary conditions and more, ensuring pets receive the care they need.
- Exam fees covered: Spot reimburses vet exam fees for covered conditions according to the specifications in your accident-only or accident and illness plans.
- Flexible plans: With multiple deductible and reimbursement options, pet owners can customize their plans to suit their financial situation and coverage needs.
- No caps: Spot pet insurance accident and illness policies do not enforce any per-incident or lifetime payout limits.
- No upper age limit: Pets can be enrolled at any age over eight weeks, making Spot an excellent choice for older pets that other insurers might not cover.
- Preventive care options: Spot offers two optional wellness plans that cover routine care, vaccinations and dental cleanings.
Cons
- Limited coverage for pre-existing conditions: Like most pet insurers, Spot does not cover pre-existing conditions unless the pet has been symptom—and treatment-free for at least six months, which can be a drawback for pets with prior health issues.
- No direct vet pay: Spot does not offer direct vet pay, meaning pet owners must pay up front and wait for reimbursement.
- Waiting periods: There is a 14-day waiting period, which can delay coverage for new policyholders.
Additional features of Spot
Spot provides several additional options to enhance the overall value of its policies. These features offer convenience and added protection for pets and their owners.
24/7 Helpline
Once you sign your furry friend up with Spot, you can immediately access its 24/7 helpline, VetAccess.
You can use this telehealth portal to access veterinary experts via chat, messenger, phone or video. You can ask them questions about your pet’s health, wellness or behavior at no additional cost.
Discounts
Spot offers a multi-pet discount of 10 percent for each additional pet you add to your insurance portfolio.
Spot perks
Spot pet insurance members can access discounts and exclusive promo codes for pet essentials such as pet-sitting, GPS collars, training treats, pet food and dental products.
Wellness plans
Wellness plan add-ons are a valuable investment in your pet's health, providing thorough coverage for preventive care and helping to ensure your furry friend stays happy and healthy. Spot offers two tiers of wellness coverage: gold and platinum.
Gold preventive care coverage
For an additional $9.95 per month, pet owners can opt for the gold preventive care package. This wellness plan reimburses fixed amounts for various preventive care treatments, up to $250 annually.
- Dental cleaning: $100
- Deworming: $20
- Dog heartworm or FeLV screening: $20
- Fecal test: $20
- Vaccine titers: $40
- Wellness exam: $50
Platinum preventive care coverage
Designed with older pets in mind, the patinum care coverage costs an additional $24.95 monthly. With more benefits and more reimbursements, this wellness plan reimburses for the following (with no annual limit):
- Blood test: $25
- Dental cleaning or spay/neuter: $150
- Deworming: $25
- Fecal test: $25
- Health certificate: $25
- Parasite prevention: $25
- Screening for dog heartworm or FELV: $25
- Urinalysis: $25
- Vaccine titers: $75
- Wellness exam: $50
Exclusions and restrictions
Age restrictions
Pet owners may enroll their kittens and puppies in spot pet insurance policies from as young as eight weeks old. Spot does not impose any age restrictions on older pets.
Waiting periods
Spot insurance plans have a 14-day waiting period. If you select a wellness plan add-on, preventive care costs do not fall under the waiting period.
Location restrictions
Spot Pet Insurance will reimburse for applicable claims from visits to licensed veterinarians, vet specialists or emergency care clinics anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.
Spot pet insurance costs
Pet insurance costs vary based on your location, discounts available to you and your pet's details like age, breed and health.
To give an idea of what prices might look like, we gathered sample quotes. Your quotes will be different.
| Breed | 2 years old | 5 years old | 8 years old | 10 years old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
*Sample policies were for a female dog with excellent health in Arizona with the ZIP code 85251. The choices for customization selected were for an accident and illness plan with a $250 deductible, 90% reimbursement limit and $5,000 annual benefit limit. The rates listed are for illustrative purposes only. You should contact the company directly for applicable quotes. |
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| French bulldog | $122 | $161 | $288 | $401 |
| Labrador retriever | $86 | $112 | $200 | $278 |
| Golden retriever | $86 | $112 | $200 | $279 |
| German shepherd | $73 | $96 | $170 | $237 |
| Poodle | $86 | $112 | $200 | $279 |
| Dachshund | $50 | $66 | $116 | $162 |
| Breed | 2 years old | 5 years old | 8 years old | 10 years old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
*Sample policies were for a male cat with excellent health in Arizona with the ZIP code 85251. The choices for customization selected were for an accident and illness plan with a $250 deductible, 90% reimbursement limit and $5,000 annual benefit limit. The rates listed are for illustrative purposes only. You should contact the company directly for applicable quotes. |
||||
| Ragdoll | $32 | $39 | $57 | $80 |
| Maine coon | $50 | $60 | $89 | $126 |
| Persian | $50 | $60 | $89 | $126 |
| Exotic | $58 | $70 | $104 | $147 |
| Devon rex | $32 | $39 | $57 | $80 |
| British shorthair | $50 | $60 | $89 | $126 |
How to file a claim with Spot
Pet owners have until 270 days after the treatment date to submit their claim. The process is quick and easy:
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Via the app or website, log in to the member portal.
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Click on New Claim.
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Select the pet that received care.
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Select any applicable services and conditions.
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Type in the vet info and additional requested information.
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Upload a photo of the invoice from your vet.
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Submit your claim.
You'll receive an email to confirm receipt of your claim and again when the claim is being processed.
Processing of standard claims typically takes five to seven business days, but claims for preventive care can take as little as two days. Upon approval of your claim, you will receive your refund via direct deposit.