VPI Pet Insurance Review 2024 (Official)
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Coverage Options
Annual Deductible
$100, $250, or $500
Reimbursement Rate
50% - 100%
Annual Coverage Limit
Whole Pet Plan: $5,000 or unlimited
Major Medical Plan: Per-Condition Basis
Formerly known as VPI Pet Insurance, Nationwide is one of the oldest pet insurance companies in the industry. It generally has good customer reviews and provides excellent coverage. However, Nationwide isn’t as flexible as some providers.
Keep reading to find out if VPI Pet Insurance (Nationwide) is the best choice for you and your pet.
Pros
- Covers dogs, cats, birds, and exotic pets
- Fast claim processing
- Year-long window to file claims
- Option for unlimited annual payouts
- Ability to expand policy benefits
- Covers diagnostic exam fees
- Provides coverage for the death of a pet
- Wellness plans can be purchased with or without a policy
- Offers Vet Telehealth service
Cons
- Policies contain provisions limiting coverage of certain benefits
- Payouts are made based on a pre-set benefit schedule
- Cannot customize deductible, reimbursement rate, or coverage limits
- Wellness plans are not available in all 50 states
- Illness coverage unavailable for pets over age 6
Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) was founded in 1980 and was the first company to offer pet insurance in the U.S. Their first policy was for canine TV celebrity Lassie, in 1982.
Nationwide was VIP’s underwriter and acquired the company in 2009. Nationwide then retired the VPI brand in 2015 and has since become a popular provider due to its comprehensive coverage, close ties to the veterinary community, and employer-sponsored plans.
What's Covered
- Accidents and illnesses
- Orthopedic conditions
- Cancer treatment
- Alternative therapies
- Diagnostic exam fees
- Tooth extractions (due to accidents)
- Prescription medication, vitamins, supplements, and diets
- Behavioral modification and obedience training
- End-of-life care, euthanasia, cremation or burial cost, and replacement benefit
- Lost pet advertising and reward
- Boarding fees due to owner hospitalization
- Curable pre-existing conditions (after 6 months without symptoms)
What's Not Covered
- Hereditary or congenital issues
- Behavioral modification or obedience training
- Pregnancy-related complications
- cancelled vacation fee reimbursement
- Longer waiting period for coverage of orthopedic and bilateral conditions than other competitors
- Wellness plan isn’t available in every state
- Pre-existing conditions
Routine Care Add-Ons
VPI Pet Insurance offers a wellness plan that can be added to its Accident & Illness coverage or purchased separately. The wellness plan covers the following:
- Annual physical exams
- Vaccinations
- Microchipping
- Fecal tests
- Heart worm, flea, and tick preventatives
- Deworming
- Health screens
- Spaying and neutering
Pawlicy Advisor Tip: We recommend adding routine care for pets under age two due to the high number of wellness visits at this age. Older pets may not save money with a routine care add-on. Learn more: Are Wellness Plans Worth It ?
Waiting Periods
When you sign up for pet insurance, you must wait a mandatory period before your coverage becomes effective and you become eligible to claim reimbursement. These waiting periods vary by insurance provider.
The timeframe for VPI Pet Insurance (Nationwide) waiting periods depends on the type of incident you need coverage for:
- Accidents: 14 days
- Illnesses: 14 days
- Wellness: 1 day
- Orthopedic conditions (including hip dysplasia, luxating patella, and intervertebral disc disease): 365 days
- Cruciate ligament injuries: up to 365 days
See how much VPI pet insurance cost for your pet
How it Works
VPI Pet Insurance works by reimbursing 50 to 90% of your vet bill when a pet gets sick or injured unexpectedly. Once your deductible is met, VPI will pay your insurance claim at the policy's pre-set reimbursement rate up to the pre-defined benefit amount.
1. Visit any licensed vet, specialist, or emergency hospital you'd like with no network restrictions.
2. Pay for the veterinary services provided during your visit upfront at the time of your appointment.
3. File a pet insurance claim with VPI through your online account, or via email, mail, or fax.
4. Get reimbursed for a percentage of eligible veterinary expenses based on your selected coverage.
LEARN MORE : Pet Insurance & How It Works: A Pet Parent's Guide
Filing a Claim
- Window to File: within 365 days of the date of treatment (VPI recommends filing within 90 days)
- Filing Requirements: itemized invoice, details about the visit to the veterinarian, filled out claim form
- Average Claim Reimbursement: most claims are reimbursed within 4 days
- Reimbursement Methods: check or direct deposit
VPI Pet Insurance Cost
The cost of VPI starts at $25 per month, but your location, pet type, pet age, breed, and selected coverage will impact the price of your plan. Getting a quote is the only way to know how much the premium rate would be for your specific pet.
Lowest Price for dogs:
$25 / mo
Lowest Price for cats:
$25 / mo
Sample Prices
VPI Pet Insurance cost estimates are based on a sample policy featuring a $500 deductible, an 80% reimbursement rate, and a $5,000 annual coverage limit generated for pets that were adopted within the past year living in Dallas, TX.
Breed of Pet | 6 Months Old | 3 Years Old | 10 Years Old |
|---|---|---|---|
French Bulldog | $75 | $82 | $134 |
Labrador Retriever | $52 | $57 | $92 |
Domestic Shorthair Cat | $21 | $21 | $28 |
Pawlicy Advisor Tip: All pet insurance policies are subject to price increases annually. Pawlicy Advisor crunches the numbers to calculate the lifetime price of a policy, then makes recommendations that will save you money over your pet's lifetime.
Discounts & Ways to Save
- Get a multi-pet discount at 5% off your premium rate for each additional pet insured
Customer Service
Customers of VPI Pet Insurance give its customer service mostly positive reviews on TrustPilot. Many say VPI's representatives are empathetic, knowledgeable, and helpful. However, some customers have complained that they had to wait several weeks for a response from Nationwide, while others had to make multiple phone calls to resolve claims.
Monday - Friday: 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM PST
Saturday: 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST
Member Care: 1-800-540-2016
New Enrollments: 1-800-872-7387
Email: Submit form
Enrollment Requirements
- Minimum age at enrollment : 8 weeks
- Medical Review : VPI requires a medical history review. A physical examination may be required to pay out claims.
- Valid United States address : Your pet must reside with you at the primary address you provide to the insurance provider
Money-Back Guarantee
VPI Pet Insurance offers a money-back guarantee, also known as a 30-day free look period, during which time you can terminate your policy at no charge. This policy is only applicable if you have not received a payout for a claim, and you may only take advantage of the 30-day free look during the first term of your policy, within 30 days of its effective date.
How to Cancel VPI Pet Insurance
You can cancel VPI Pet Insurance at any time by phone or mail and receive a refund for any premium paid beyond your last date of coverage.
Here is the language used in the Nationwide cancellation policy:
Cancellation by Return of Policy
You must deliver or mail your policy to us, and tell us that you want to cancel your policy, within 30 days of your policy effective date as shown on your Declarations Page. If we have not paid any claims nor advised you in writing that a claim will be paid under your policy, your policy will be considered void from the beginning and you and we will be in the same position as if a policy or contract had not been issued. In this case, we will refund you all premiums you have paid us under your policy and charge you no additional premium under your policy. We will refund premiums you have paid within 30 days from the date that you notify us of this cancellation.
Expert Insights
Is VPI Pet Insurance good?
Nationwide stands out as the largest pet insurance provider in the United States and the first company to issue a pet insurance policy. It's also one of the best options for pet parents seeking insurance for birds and other exotic pets. Nationwide's specialized Exotic Pets Plan covers everything from guinea pigs and birds to reptiles and amphibians.
Nationwide's comprehensive Whole Pet with Wellness plan is also noteworthy. This option allows for a wide range of coverage including preventive measures against fleas and ticks, treatment for orthopedic issues, and more. It even extends to cover alternative treatments and services such as advertising for lost pets.
The biggest drawback of Nationwide Pet Insurance is the extended waiting period it requires before it starts covering orthopedic and bilateral conditions. Also, its wellness plan isn't available in every state.
VPI Pet Insurance Reviews
3.9
256 Consumer Reviews
Nationwide Dropped Coverage for my Senior Dog
“I have been a Nationwide pet insurance customer for 6 years and overall had a good experience with claims and reimbursements, even though my dog being diagnosed with a heart condition. That changed this fall when I received a letter stating I needed to update my payment information by a certain deadline, which I did. However, when I logged on to submit a claim recently, my policy had expired. After speaking with Nationwide's customer service team, they admitted that although I provided updated payment information on time, their system failed to take the payment automatically. I was never informed that I needed to call them to run the payment or that my policy had expired. I asked for my policy to be reinstated since I did everything I was asked, but neither Octavia with customer service nor Ken the sales agent was willing to re-enroll me at the previous rate I have been paying faithfully for years. Needless to say, I am beyond frustrated that Nationwide has dropped me and I am left with no coverage for my beloved senior dog.”
The perfect insurance company
“I cannot believe there’s actually a Pet Insurance company that not only accepts exotic animals, but makes claims easy to file, pays 90% and gets you your money back quickly. Also, in my case, when my pet passed, they did not make it difficult to cancel. Cynthia, who handled my case, was the most empathetic and helpful person I’ve ever spoken to in insurance. Thank you to Nationwide for hiring people who are caring.”
Is VPI Pet Insurance right for you?
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More From Pawlicy Advisor
- Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Here's a Vet’s Perspective
- Learn How To Compare & Find the Right Pet Insurance For Your Furry Family Members
- Have More Than One Pet? Save on Pet Insurance with Multi-Pet Discounts
- When Is Pet Insurance a Great Decision?
- Everything You Need to Know About Filing a Pet Insurance Claim
We are the pet insurance experts. The Pawlicy Advisor team analyzes the top pet insurance companies and the fine print in their policy details to provide you with an objective breakdown of the insurance provider, the plans they offer, and how they compare.
Kari Steere is a licensed P&C insurance agent in all 50 states and has focused entirely on pet insurance since 2019. When she's not helping pet owners find the perfect plan on Pawlicy Advisor , she runs a ranch in Oregon and rehabilitates any animals that come across her path.
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