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PetFirst pet insurance review Jul 2020
No network restrictions or maximum age limits, though there are annual policy limits.
- Get a quote if you want to customize your plan and your pet’s coverage to last beyond age 14 or 15.
- Pick something else if you want to have one annual deductible, instead of a per-incident deductible.
- Best for pet owners who also want coverage for routine wellness and alternative medicine.
Dogs, Cats
Pets covered
Seniors accepted
Hereditary conditions
Chronic illness
What pet insurance coverage does PetFirst offer?
PetFirst is a pet insurance program for dogs and cats with a few coverage plans that you can customize to your liking. Each plan includes coverage for:
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Medications
- Surgeries
- Diagnostic tests
- Hospitalizations
- X-rays
- Holistic care and alternative therapy
- Emergency care
- Ultrasounds
And after your first 12 months with PetFirst, your pet will also be covered for:
- Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
- Medical cruciate
- Cranial cruciate ligaments
- Anterior cruciate ligaments
- Posterior cruciate ligaments
What extra benefits and add-ons does PetFirst offer?
PetFirst only offers one add-on or rider to its policies for routine care coverage. This rider covers most expenses related to routine care and prevention, including:
- Annual exams
- Vaccines
- Microchipping
- Preventive treatment for parasites
- Routine tests and screenings
- Teeth cleaning
- Behavior training
- Spaying and neutering
How much is PetFirst pet insurance?
PetFirst’s website states that cat insurance starts as low as $9 a month and dog insurance starts as low as $15 a month. Those plans are the basic insurance coverage with an annual $2,000 coverage amount at 80% reimbursement with a $250 deductible.
Older pets will have higher monthly premiums, possibly as high as $80 a month, depending on the plan you select. You can reasonably expect the average premium range for most pets and plans to be between $20 and $30 a month.
PetFirst typically offers four basic plans, with customizable benefit amounts, deductibles and reimbursement amounts:
- Basic. A $2,000 benefit amount with a $250 deductible. Pays 80% of the costs.
- Intermediate. A $5,000 benefit amount with a $250 deductible. Pays 80% of the costs.
- Additional coverage. A $10,000 benefit amount with a $250 deductible. Pays 80% of the costs.
- High deductible. A $10,000 benefit amount with a $2,500 deductible. Pays 100% of the costs.
Which discounts can I get?
PetFirst offers the following discounts, but not all discounts are available in every state:
- Online quote. If you buy your pet insurance plan online through PetFirst’s website, you’ll receive a one-time $10 discount.
- Animal care employment. You can receive a 10% discount on all plans if you’re an employee of a vet clinic, animal welfare organization, animal rescue organizations or animal shelters.
- Corporate benefit. Select employers offer PetFirst pet insurance as an employee benefit, which gives you an extra 5% to 10% discount on your premiums.
- Multiple pets. Receive a 5% discount on your second PetFirst policy and a 10% discount on your third or more policies.
- Disappearing deductible. Each year that your pet goes claim-free, you’ll get a $25 reduction on your deductible.
How do I get reimbursed for a vet bill with PetFirst?
PetFirst is a pet insurance company, which is similar to regular health insurance. You pay up front and get reimbursed for a portion of each bill you submit.
All plans have a deductible that you’ll have to reach before PetFirst begins to reimburse you. You can choose which reimbursement percentage you prefer, with reimbursements from 70% to 100% of your bill.
Pros
- Routine care add-on. You can add common routine procedures and checkups to your insurance plan.
- Customizable plans. PetFirst offers base plans, but you can change these to create the plan that’s best for you based on coverage amount, deductible and reimbursement percentage.
- No maximum age. Old pets can keep their coverage with PetFirst, since coverage won’t stop at age 14 or 15.
- No network to worry about. There is no in or out of network with PetFirst, you can take your pet to any licensed vet or specialist in the country.
Cons
- Only covers dogs and cats. While dogs and cats are the most common pets, there are other types of pets. But you’ll have to look elsewhere to cover your bird, guinea pig, turtle or any other exotic pet.
- No unlimited benefit option. PetFirst doesn’t offer a plan with unlimited coverage. While $20,000 in coverage should be high enough for most pets, severe cases such as cancer could cost more, meaning you might have to pay for some of those treatments beyond your coverage amount.
- Per-incident deductible. Rather than having one deductible to meet each year like health insurance, PetFirst has a per-incident deductible similar to car insurance. So each time you claim with PetFirst, you’ll have to pay your deductible.
- Average claims processing. PetFirst states that it will process your claim within two weeks, which is around the average time for pet insurance companies.
What’s not covered by PetFirst pet insurance?
As with any insurance policy, there are some things that aren’t covered by PetFirst, including:
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding
- Pet food, including special diets and supplements
- Parasite prevention and treatment
- Routine wellness, unless you buy the rider
- Behavioral training
- Elective procedures
- Orthodontics
- Grooming
- Organ transplants
- Removal of anal glands
- Diagnostic treatments
PetFirst pet insurance reviews and complaints
PetFirst has mixed reviews online, though this is true of most insurance companies. The BBB gives PetFirst an A+ rating and it’s been accredited since 2006. However, reviews on the BBB’s website are generally poor, with an average 1-star review out of 17 total reviews as of April 2020, with most complaints relating to claim denials.
Trustpilot reviews are slightly more favorable, with 71% of the 201 reviews rating PetFirst as excellent. However, the overall rating on Trustpilot is only 2 stars out of 5, with an overall poor average.
Alternatives to PetFirst
Common questions about Petfirst pet insurance
Expert review
Review by
Andrew Flueckiger
andrew.flueckiger@findercrew.comAndrew Flueckiger is a licensed insurance agent and Certified Insurance Counselor with experience in insurance and finance. A graduate of Indiana University, Andrew contributes a wealth of knowledge and experience to Finder. When Andrew isn’t writing, reading or practicing insurance, he can be found spending time with his family and playing the guitar.
Expert review
PetFirst is one of the most flexible insurers, with no requirements on which vet you can use and no maximum age limit for your pet. Additionally, you can tailor your plan to your liking, but customizable options are fairly limited.
PetFirst’s plans have a coverage limit, which might be a cause for concern if you’re worried about high vet bills down the road. And the biggest downside is that you’ll need to pay the deductible each time you make a claim.
If you want to explore other pet insurance policies, you can compare pet insurance companies before making a decision.