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Many dog and cat owners think of their pets as members of the family. And, the same way you wouldn’t dream of letting your human children go without a health insurance policy, you also shouldn’t let your fur babies go uncovered either. Thankfully, you now have lots of options when it comes to choosing the best pet insurance policy for your four-legged friends.
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One increasingly popular choice that’s rather new to the business is Spot Pet Insurance Company. Spot offers flexible plans that can easily fit your pet's needs and budget to make pet care more manageable.
Company Overview
Spot Pet Insurance was founded in 2019 with the three stated company goals: putting pets first, offering affordable plans, and using a data-driven model to inform its products and services.
Pros
- No upper age limits
- No incident limits or lifetime caps
- Includes exam, microchip, and prescription food coverage
Cons
- Charges payment processing fees
- No weekend customer support
- Higher premiums
Option to Pay Vet Directly: No
App Support: Yes
Accident Waiting Period: 14 Days
Illness Waiting Period: 14 Days
Orthopedic Waiting Period: 14 Days
Vet Helpline Available: Yes
Multi-Pet Discount: Yes
Deductible Type: Annual
The company is headquartered in Miami, FL and its plans are unwritten by both the Independence American Insurance Company and the United States Fire Insurance Company. Pet parents can purchase a Spot Pet Insurance policy in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Canada, and the company currently has an A- rating from the BBB.
As one of the best pet insurance companies, competitors of Spot include:
- ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
- Embrace Pet Insurance
- Healthy Paws
- Lemonade Pet Insurance
- ManyPets
- Nationwide Pet Insurance
- Pet Assure
- Pets Best Insurance
- Prudent Pet
- Pumpkin Pet Insurance
- Trupanion
Why We Like Spot Pet Insurance
Spot Pet Insurance prides itself on the customization options of its plans that help meet customers where they are, understanding there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all pet insurance plan. It does this through the multiple options for deductibles, reimbursement percentages, and annual payout limits, including an unlimited annual limit.
Spot pet insurance plans also include coverage for some services like microchipping, behavioral modification, and prescription food that many other providers don’t offer. It also has other great benefits like a 10% multi-pet discount, and awards Amazon gift cards to policyholders who refer friends to buy their own plan through Spot Insurance.
Another reason pet parents like Spot is that there’s no upper age limit to enroll your pet (competitors like Trupanion Pet Insurance and Healthy Paws Pet Insurance won't accept new pets over the age of 14, and Embrace Pet Insurance doesn’t offer its accident and illness coverage for pets over 15). It also offers optional preventative care plans that customers can add to their policy to help pay for routine services.
Spot Pet Insurance – How It Works
Pet insurance works in a different way than you may be familiar with using your individual health insurance. Both plans cover medical services and procedures, but with a pet policy, you pay for your vet services upfront and are later reimbursed by your pet insurance provider according to your plan. Most human health insurance policies bill your insurance company directly and you are only responsible for your copy and any uncovered services. It’s true that some pet insurers offer the option to pay a vet directly, but at this time this service is not provided by Spot.
When picking out a plan for your dog or cat, you should first read customer reviews from independent, third-party websites and thoroughly research your coverage options before deciding on a policy. That said, Spot frequently finds itself listed as one of the best pet insurance companies in the market due to its competitive pricing and customizable plans, so you’re likely to find a coverage option that works for you.
Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage
Spot has two basic insurance plans that cover both cats and dogs, Accident-Only and Accident & Illness. Both plans are highly customizable, and you may see any licensed vet in the U.S. or Canada. All pets must be at least eight weeks old to enroll in a plan, but there is no upper age limit for eligibility. However, the earlier you get your pet insured the less likely they are to have pre-existing conditions which can limit their coverage.
Accident-Only Plan
This plan is a good option for a pet parent who isn’t able to afford a large monthly premium but still wants to make sure their pet is cared for in case of an emergency. In general, this plan only covers the following services for conditions that occur due to an accident (defined by the company as a “sudden, unexpected or unintended action or event with a specific time and place which results in injury”) rather than an illness:
- Exam fees and tests for a covered condition
- Diagnostic tests like MRIs, CT scans, or x-rays
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Medications
- Accidental poisonings
- Tooth extractions
- Alternative therapies like acupuncture
- Broken bones
- Bites
- Cuts
- Torn ligaments
- Infectious diseases or diseases from parasites
Accident & Illness Plan
This plan provides more comprehensive coverage for services needed after an accident or illness (defined as “any sickness, disease, or medical condition not caused by an accident or injury”). Everything listed above under the Accident-only plan is included in addition to the following services:
- Microchipping
- Behavioral issues
- Skin, eye, or ear infections
- Hereditary and congenital diseases
- Hip dysplasia
- Cancer
- Virtual vet visits
- Behavioral issues
- Dental illness and gum disease
- Digestive illnesses
What’s Not Covered
Like many types of insurance, there will be certain exclusions that apply. No matter which plan you choose with Spot Insurance Services, the following services will not be covered:
- Pre-existing conditions (certain conditions that are considered cured and pets that have gone treatment-free for 180 days can be covered, though this doesn’t apply to knee or ligament conditions)
- Cosmetic or elective procedures
- Breeding or pregnancy costs
- Routine care (unless you add on the Gold or Platinum Preventive Care rider)
- Any condition that occurs during the mandatory 14-day waiting period (this would be considered a pre-existing condition)
- Boarding
- Training
- Grooming or grooming supplies
- Funeral services
- Experimental treatments
Preventive Care Options
Spot Pet Insurance Services also offers the option to add on a wellness plan for routine care, and there are two tiers for coverage, gold and platinum. These plans are only available as an add-on to an existing standard Spot Insurance policy and cannot be purchased on their own.
Each plan pays out up to a certain amount for each covered service, and both plans can be used immediately (meaning there’s no mandatory waiting period).
Preventive Care Options
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Payout | Covered Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $9.95 | Up to $250 | Dental cleanings, wellness exams, vaccines, tests. |
| Platinum | $24.95 | Up to $450 | All Gold services plus flea/heartworm prevention, additional tests. |
Gold Plan
The Gold Preventive Care Plan costs around $9.95 a month. It pays out up to $250 a year and can cover the following services:
- Dental cleanings
- Annual wellness exam
- Deworming
- Fecal test
- Either DHLPP vaccine for dogs or FVRCP vaccine for cats
- Dog Heartworm or Cat FELV Test
- Either rabies and/or Lyme disease vaccine for dogs or FIP vaccine for cats
Platinum Plan
The Platinum Preventive Care Plan costs around $24.95 a month. It pays out up to $450 a year and covers all the above Gold services, plus:
- Flea and heartworm prevention
- The option to cover a dental cleaning or spaying and neutering
- Urinalysis
- Blood test
- Bordetella vaccine for dogs or FELV Vaccine for cats
- Health certificate
How much does Spot Pet Insurance Cost?
Your monthly premium will be based on factors you can control such as your chosen deductible, type of coverage, your reimbursement rate, and your annual payout limit. Other factors that affect cost include your zip code, your pet’s breed, and your pet’s age. Remember, while any pet can qualify for Spot Pet Insurance plans regardless of age, older pets will cost more to insure because they are more prone to certain conditions.
| Spot Pet Insurance | Costs |
| Deductible | Options range from $100, $250, $500, $750 to $1,000. This is the amount a pet owner must pay before their plan starts reimbursing according to the coverage. |
| Reimbursement Rate | Can be 70%, 80%, or 90%. This is how much of your covered services the plan will pay out. For example, an 80% rate means you pay 20% of vet costs. |
| Annual Limit | The maximum your insurance will pay out for covered expenses annually, ranging from $2,500 to unlimited. Not all companies offer unlimited coverage. |
Options range from $100, $250, $500, $750 to $1,000 and this is the amount a pet owner must pay before their plan will begin reimbursing according to the coverage details.
Your reimbursement rate (also called a coinsurance rate) can be 70%, 80%, or 90%. This means that of your covered services, this is how much your plan will pay out. So if you choose an 80% reimbursement rate you would be responsible for paying 20% of the vet costs.
You can also choose the annual limit that your insurance plan will pay out for covered expenses, and this can range from $2,500 to an unlimited cap. Not all companies offer the option of unlimited coverage (for instance, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance only goes up to a $10,000 annual limit)
Sample Costs
| Pet Type & Plan | Reimbursement Rate | Deductible | Annual Limit | Monthly Cost |
| Medium Dog, Accident & Illness | 90% | $100 | $2,500 | $77.33 |
| Medium Dog, Accident-Only | 90% | $100 | $2,500 | $46.17 |
| Medium Dog, Accident & Illness | 80% | $500 | $2,500 | $35.07 |
| Domestic Shorthair Cat | 90% | $100 | $5,000 | $36.61 |
| Domestic Shorthair Cat | 80% | $500 | $5,000 | $19.16 |
For a medium-sized, three-year-old, mixed-breed dog you can expect to pay around $77.33 a month for an Accident & Illness plan or $46.17 a month for an Accident-Only plan. These quotes are calculated at a 90% reimbursement rate with a $100 deductible and $2,500 annual limit.
Monthly premiums can be considerably lowered if you raise your deductible and lower your reimbursement rate. For instance, the same Accident & Illness policy for your dog with a $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate would only cost around $35.07 a month.
For a three-year-old, domestic shorthair cat you can expect to pay $36.61 a month with a 90% reimbursement rate, $100 deductible, and $5,000 max payout. If you dropped your reimbursement rate to 80% and bumped your deductible to $500, then you’d only pay around $19.16 a month.
You can also lower your monthly premium with a 10% discount offered to those who insure multiple pets with the company.
How To Get Started
You can easily obtain a quote by visiting the company’s website and clicking the red button in the upper right-hand corner that says Click for Price. Once you fill in some basic information about you and your pet, you’ll be shown options for coverage that you can adjust to see how the deductible, reimbursement rates, and annual payout caps affect it.
Once you find a plan you like, you can start an online account and enter your credit card information to pay your monthly premium.
How To Submit a Claim
Claims must be submitted within 270 days of the date of treatment. The best way to start this process is by logging into your member account online or by using the company’s mobile app. You’ll need to upload a photo of your paid, itemized invoice, and some basic information about the services performed.
You may also choose to upload supporting medical documents which can make the claims process go faster, but this isn’t required. Once your claim request is reviewed, Spot will request any medical records they may need directly from your vet.
How To Cancel Spot Pet Insurance
Policies can be canceled at any time by contacting the customer service team via phone, email, or in writing and this cancellation will go into effect the day your request is received. If you cancel within the first 30 days of starting your plan, then you will likely receive a 100% refund as long as you haven’t filed any claims and no covered services have been applied to your deductible.
If a claim has been filed, the company will calculate any pro-rated refund you’re due and reimburse you via the payment method on file.
Customer Service Contact Info
Customers can call 1-800-905-1595 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST. Canadian policyholders can best reach the customer service team by calling 1-888-501-7768 or emailing [email protected].
If you need to contact someone with a question about your pet’s health, all policyholders get free access to the 24/7 Pet Telehealth Helpline by VetAccess where they can connect with veterinary experts and ask about behavioral concerns, wellness, or overall pet health. However, this service is only available through Spot’s mobile app.
Spot Mobile App
Spot makes use of a mobile app to streamline the claims process for its customers and this can be downloaded for free for both Apple and Android devices. On the app, you can submit and view the status of claims, review your policy, update your personal information, find vet clinics, and make payments. The app also gives you access to the 24/7 Pet Telehealth Helpline by VetAccess.
Is Spot Pet Insurance Right for Me?
Even though it’s hard figuring out how to add yet another expense to your personal budget, many pet owners find it’s in their pet's best interest (and theirs) to take out an insurance policy for them. Unlike expenses like homeowners insurance, where you may not see a payout for years, it’s much more likely that your pet will need vet services during your policy term.
Spot consistently has low or competitive prices, comprehensive coverage, and options to customize within your plan to accommodate any budget. By reading this Spot Pet Insurance review and learning more about the best pet insurance companies, you can find a plan that works best for you.
