Did you know? Nationwide works with employers.
If your employer offers Nationwide pet policies, you may get additional benefits or coverage at a lower cost. It’s worth asking your employer if you’re interested in this company.
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Nationwide pet insurance review 2020
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Cover everything from accidents to routine care with the plan of your choice.
- Get a quote if you’re looking for wide coverage from an established company.
- Pick something else if the package tiers don’t work for your needs.
Dogs, Cats
Pets covered
What's in this guide?
What pet insurance coverage does Nationwide offer?
Nationwide offers three levels of coverage, two packages with wellness coverage and one without. Those packages cover:
| What’s covered | Description | Complete care with wellness | Medical plan with wellness | Medical plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidents | Problems that arise from unavoidable mishaps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Illnesses | General illnesses like upset stomach and specific conditions like urinary tract infections | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hospitalization | In-hospital or outpatient care | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Surgeries | Coverage for invasive or minimal procedures | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative treatments | Holistic and alternative options like acupuncture or water therapy | Yes | No | No |
| Prescriptions | Coverage for any medicine the vet prescribes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Therapeutic diet | For specialty diet or supplements prescribed by a vet | Yes | No | No |
| Chronic conditions | Care for long-lasting problems like diabetes | Yes | Specified conditions | Specified conditions |
| Dental diseases | Repair your pet’s dental problems after accidents or some illnesses | Yes, including gingivitis | Yes | Yes |
| Hereditary and congenital conditions | Genetic or at-birth conditions covered if not known before coverage | Yes, no waiting period | Specified conditions after one-year waiting period | Specified conditions after one-year waiting period |
| Cancer | Coverage for chemotherapy or other cancer treatment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wellness exams | Routine vet visit to protect from future medical issues | Yes | Yes | No |
| Routine bloodwork and parasite testing | Routine tests like bloodwork or heartworm tests | Yes | Yes | No |
| Flea or heartworm prevention | Routine medication to prevent fleas, worms or heartworm | Yes | Yes | No |
| Vaccinations | Coverage for preventive and routine vaccines | Yes | Yes | No |
| Spay or neuter | Optional procedure to prevent your pet from having offspring | Yes | No | No |
| 24/7 advice line | Call a professional with your health questions before heading to the vet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Behavioral treatments | Behavioral therapy that prevents future accidents or injuries | Yes | No | No |
How much is Nationwide pet insurance?
This major insurer starts its most comprehensive plan at $64 per month and its budget-friendly plans start around $34 per month. Compared to other pet insurers, Nationwide offers fair rates for its coverage.
Typically, you’d pay between $20 and $40 per month for an accident and illness policy, depending on which type of pet you have. Then, you might pay $15 to $20 per month for wellness coverage.
Nationwide pet insurance quotes
With Nationwide, you can choose the comprehensive plan with a deductible and high reimbursement rate. Or on the other plans, you’ll pay the deductible and then any expenses that go beyond that condition’s maximum limit.
| Breed | Age | Gender | Deductible | Reimbursement | Maximum | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat | Domestic shorthair | 2 years | Female | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | $39.78 |
| Cat | Domestic shorthair | 2 years | Female | $250 | N/A | Defined benefits for medical and wellness | $32.05 |
| Cat | Domestic shorthair | 2 years | Female | $250 | N/A | Defined benefits for medical | $14.05 |
| Dog | Mixed breed | 2 years | Female | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | $69.43 |
| Dog | Mixed breed | 2 years | Female | $250 | N/A | Defined benefits for medical and wellness | $44.47 |
| Dog | Mixed breed | 2 years | Female | $250 | N/A | Defined benefits for medical | $26.47 |
Which discounts can I get?
Nationwide offers a few discounts to sweeten your deal:
- Multiple pets. Score a 5% discount for covering other pets with the same insurer.
- Multipolicy. You can shave another 5% off your premium if you hold other Nationwide policies, like car or home insurance.
- Annual payments. Maximize your savings by paying in one lump-sum payment, avoiding around $20 in processing fees.
Pros and cons of Nationwide pet insurance
Pros
- Wide coverage. Nationwide offers far-reaching protection for your pet’s accidents, illnesses and routine care in convenient coverage packages. This way, you won’t have to source multiple insurers to cover most of your pets care costs.
- Premium perks. It’s Complete plan offers no age or coverage limits and doesn’t require a waiting period to cover hereditary conditions.
- Insures pets other than dogs or cats. You can find coverage for your bird, reptile or other beloved pet.
- Fair rates and budget options. Its rates run as expected for each type of policy it provides. We like that you can choose a package tier that fits your budget and lifestyle.
Cons
- Mixed customer satisfaction. As with any large insurer, this company sees a mixture of comments and negative reviews, yet high business ratings. Its overall ratings suggest the number of complaints are standard for a business of its size.
- Lower tiers have percondition limits. Nationwide puts a dollar limit on each qualifying condition for its mid- and low-tier packages. Some conditions are only covered if diagnosed as secondary to the main health problem. Knowing what’s covered and to what limit can get confusing if you’re rushing to the vet for an unknown problem.
- Hefty down payment and fees. The company requires you to pay double your monthly premium for the first payment and charges a $2 processing fee for each payment.
- 14-day waiting period. Your policy won’t go into effect until 14 days after you submit your application and payment. Other policies let you tap your policy for accidents and wellness within a few days.
How is VPI pet insurance related to Nationwide?
Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) was the first insurance company to ever sell a pet insurance policy in the US — it protected the famous movie star dog, Lassie. VPI was backed by Nationwide from the beginning. In 2014, Nationwide moved to consistent branding across all its insurance companies, including VPI. To accommodate the new branding, VPI changed its name to Nationwide pet insurance.
What’s not covered by Nationwide?
You’ll see a short list of exclusions on this major company’s policies, including:
- Pre-existing conditions
- Cosmetic procedures
- Breeding
- Nonveterinary fees, like taxes or waste disposal
- Boarding or grooming
- Conditions not specified on the medical plan with wellness or medical plan packages
Nationwide pet insurance reviews and complaints
You won’t find many reviews specifically about Nationwide’s pet insurance. However, as a whole, the company sees mixed ratings and reviews. Nationwide holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, despite its low 1 out of 5 stars rated by BBB customer reviews.
As of July 24, 2020, it’s received over 230 complaints on the BBB. Several recent complaints cited misunderstandings with the company’s customer service, billing issues and slow refunds when requesting a cancellation.
On a positive note, Nationwide holds a 1.14 rating from the 2019 National Association of Insurance Commissioners complaint index. This complaint index assigns a rating based on a company’s number of complaints compared to its business size. Since the national standard complaint rating is 1.00, Nationwide’s rating shows that it receives a standard number of complaints.
How do I sign up?
You can zip through an online quote for a quick application process, following these steps:
- From the main website click Start quote to start your application.
- Enter basic information about you and your dog and continue.
- View each coverage package’s details and choose one.
- Answer a few more questions about your pet.
- Enter your address and payment details.
- Start your coverage 14 days after your application and payment is submitted.
Alternatives to Nationwide
Expert review
Review by
Sarah George
sarah.george@finder.comSarah George is a writer at Finder who unravels complicated topics about insurance, business and finance. She's been wordsmithing for nearly five years, after earning an English education degree. Her insurance know-how has been featured on CarInsurance.com. You can usually find Sarah sipping hot tea and talking through movie plots in her downtime.
Expert review
Nationwide offers three coverage tiers to fit most budgets, and all three are accident and illness policies. The company throws in extra perks if you buy its premium plan, covering any age with no limits on the amount you can be reimbursed. While its customer reviews are mixed, its high business ratings suggest the company is seeing a normal amount of negative and positive reviews for any business.
However, the lower-tiered coverage plans cap the amount you’re reimbursed at a specific dollar amount, and that number is different for every qualifying condition. This can make for a confusing situation if you’re deciding whether to move forward with certain vet care.
These plans work best for those who want some medical coverage at an affordable price but aren’t wanting the most robust protection possible. If you’re okay with a higher price, the premium plan reimburses up to 90% for most medical and wellness costs without limit.
Either way, you can compare several pet policies for their coverage and benefits to see how Nationwide stacks up.