Prudent Pet – Pet Insurance Review

 

If your family includes cats or dogs, they are just as much members of your family as any adults or children. Hopefully, everyone loves them, loves spending time with them, and helps with taking care of them. Having said that, it often falls on one or two adults in a home to make sure that pets get their vet checkups and health looked after. That’s something that can cost a lot of money, and you might feel conflicted about saving money or spending on your pet. It’s not a fun situation.

Fortunately, you don’t always have to make that choice. Pet insurance pulls together group spending power to make pet health care a lot more affordable. The pet insurance industry has many options available, and Prudent Pet is one of them. To find out if this carrier would work for your family and budget, you need to know details about them and their coverage.

 

An Overview

 

Pet insurance from Prudent Pet has both accident-only and comprehensive plans you can use to match your budget and needs. Before 2021, their insurance plans were underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Co. However, Markel now underwrites all the new policies.

 

Pros/Cons

 

Prudent Pet has good fundamental coverage and some possible extras. Given that, the right decision for you is in the details. This pet insurance provider has both strengths and weaknesses that you should consider:

 

Pros

 

Prudent Pet has several strong arguments in its favor, including:

• 24/7 line for pet telehealth
• Optional wellness plans are made available
• 10% multi-pet discount
• Only a five-day waiting period for accident coverage
• Perks include advertising and rewards for lost/stolen pets or boarding fees if you are personally hospitalized
• 30-day guarantee for satisfaction or money back

 

Cons

 

Prudent Pet isn’t perfect. Possible downsides include:

• Lack of option for direct vet payments
• No app

 

What They Cover

 

Prudent Pet insurance coverage for your pet will cover various things based on the specific policies that you choose. These include the Essential plan, the Ultimate plan, an accident-only plan, and a wellness add-on.

 

The Essential Plan

 

This is the most popular plan. It covers expenses that result from illnesses and accidents, including but not limited to:

• Bite wounds
• Broken bones
• Hereditary conditions
• Emergency care
• Surgery or specialized care
• Prescription drugs and medications
• Radiology
• Diagnostic testing
• Bloodwork, CAT scans, and MRIs
• Hospitalizations
• Congenital abnormalities and disabilities
• Illnesses including urinary tract infections and cancer

 

The Ultimate Plan

 

The Ultimate plan is a highly comprehensive plan for illnesses and accidents. It will cover everything on the Essential plan list, but it will also cover mortality benefits, losses due to stray situations or theft, boarding fees, and rewards and advertising costs if your pet gets stolen or lost. They’ll even reimburse you for a canceled vacation in the event you must remain home to deal with an injured or sick pet.

 

Accident-Only Coverage

 

Accident-only coverage is useful for older pets that might not actually qualify for illness and accident plans due to their age. They’re also useful for pet owners with tight cash flow and only need coverage for truly catastrophic events. Prudent pet insurance accident-only coverage might include:

• Broken bones
• Teeth/mouth injuries
• Surgery
• Prescription medications
• Diagnostics including CAT scans, MRIs, and bloodwork
• Swallowed objects
• Bite wounds

 

The Wellness Add-On

 

Various wellness add-ons subsidize certain preventative care costs that might include:

• Wellness exams
• Vaccines
• Microchip
• Dental cleanings
• Spaying/Neutering
• Health certifications
• Exam/Consultation fees
• Deworming
• Wellness blood screening

 

Things Not Covered

 

Prudent Pet covers many things, but not everything. They won’t reimburse you for:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Costs for nursing, pregnancy, or breeding
• Experimental treatments and procedures
• Obedience training
• Non-vet fees including taxes, credit card charges, bank fees, and waste disposal
• Grooming
• Elective/Specialty procedures, including dewclaw removal, cosmetic dentistry, ear cropping, and tail docking
• Bathing, except if vet considers it a medical necessity

 

Waiting Periods

 

Like every other pet insurance policy, you’ll need to wait from the day you purchase the policy to the time you can start enjoying the benefits. Those benefits will vary.

Accident coverage has a five-day waiting period. This is faster than other carriers who mandate two weeks but slower than the handful that only makes customers wait a day or two.

The illness waiting period is 14 days. This is also in alignment with industry standards for most other providers.

The waiting period for ligament and knee issues is listed at six months. However, you might get this waived if your pet goes through a vet exam and passes clear of such issues in the first month of coverage. That’s nice, but you should also know that some other insurers don’t have waiting periods for ligament or knee issues.

 

Handling Costs

 

The Essential plan caps benefits at $10,000. The Ultimate plan doesn’t have a benefit ceiling that you will ever hit.

Deductible options start at $100 before moving up to $250, $500, and $1,000. Setting a higher deductible will save you more money on premiums on a monthly basis, but lower deductibles will be less you have to pay out in the event something happens, and you need to file a claim with them.

You can also choose your reimbursement levels. Prudent Pet offers industry-standard options of 70%, 80%, and 90%. Higher levels of reimbursement mean you wind up paying less if claims happen, but premiums might be higher.

Covering multiple pets can get you a 10% discount. Also, there is a referral program. If another pet owner requests a free quote from Prudent Pet based on your suggestion, you can get an Amazon gift card worth $15.

Military personnel and their families might be eligible for a 10% discount. Inquire with their customer service about specific details based on posting.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Prudent Pet offers a lot of information through their customer service reps and website, but some common questions remain:

 

How Much Does It Cost?

 

Sample dog insurance quotes range from $13 a month for accident-only coverage to $107 each month for unlimited coverage. Cat coverage is usually cheaper than dogs. Animals 6 or older also usually cost more.

 

How Do I Contact Them?

 

You can call their phone number or connect with them via social media. They also have a “Contact Us” option on their website. The lack of an app is an interesting oversight in an industry where so many pet insurance providers have adopted this technique for doing business and client communication.

 

Key Takeaways

 

Prudent Pet offers a variety of options that let you pick and choose coverage based on your needs and budget. Waiting periods are in some cases better than industry averages but not the absolute best in the business.

 

 

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Click here to compare pricing and plans from all major pet insurance companies

 

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