How many insurance companies can say that their first policy was purchased by a celebrity? We’re willing to bet not many, but Nationwide can definitely claim that as they sold their first ever policy to TV star Lassie. Since then, Nationwide has sold over a million policies in the last three decades. After starting as VPI, Veterinary Pet Insurance, they made the official move to the Nationwide family a few years ago and have been insuring pets across the country at the advice of actual veterinarians and direct-care veterinary providers. Also, when you sign up with Nationwide, they do a great job of explicitly outlining what specific illnesses are and are not covered, which can be really helpful for pet owners whose dog or cat has chronic problems or the breed is prone to specific issues.
Nationwide recently introduced the most comprehensive pet insurance plan in the world, the Whole Pet With Wellness plan, which will protect your pet with accident and illness coverage, hereditary condition coverage with no waiting period, zero age restrictions, and chronic conditions at no extra cost. There’s unlimited coverage on this policy, meaning that if your pet is unlucky enough to get cancer for example, and 47% of pets do, then he will be fully covered with no questions asked. There’s a fixed $250 annual deductible (the first amount of the claim you pay) and 90% reimbursement (you pay 10%). This plan even gives you up to $500 of Wellness Coverage included, which is great if your pet needs to get their teeth cleaned, takes flea and tick meds or if you’re looking to get your pet spayed/neutered. As an added bonus, you can use any vet in the world with this plan, so if you plan on taking your pet away and he gets sick then no problem, he’s protected.
As with any pet insurance company, there are a few things that Nationwide doesn’t cover, namely:
The Whole Pet With Wellness plan is very simple; there’s a per year deductible of $250 and a 90% reimbursement rate for claims. They also have unlimited policy limits and unlimited lifetime limits. Nationwide also has a decently short waiting period of just 14 days after sign up for pretty much every condition, including hip dysplasia and knee conditions (other plans are typically 6-12 months for this coverage). Below is further info on just what your pet will get with the Whole Pet With Wellness Plan from Nationwide:
| Policy Coverages | |
|---|---|
| Deductible Type | Per Year |
| Deductible Options | $250 |
| Reimbursement Options | 90% |
| Policy Limit Options | Unlimited |
| Lifetime limits | Unlimited |
| Wellness Cover Cost | Included (up to $500) |
| Accidents & Illnesses |  |
| Vet Exam Fees | |
| Rx Medications | |
| Emergency Visits | |
| Hospitalization | |
| Surgery | |
| Cancer Treatments | |
| Specialists | |
| Outpatient Care | |
| Alternative Therapies | |
| Waiting Periods | |
| Policy Coverage Starts | 14 days after sign up |
| Accidents | At coverage start date |
| Illnesses | At coverage start date |
As mentioned, Nationwide has great choices of options for coverage, and here are 3 examples of how much you’ll get back for a covered condition:
Your feline friend hasn’t seemed as hungry as normal, he’s lethargic, and starting to vomit. An assessment at the vet confirms he contracted a stomach parasite, and he needs a stomach pump for $1,400 and then some antibiotics for $650. The total bill comes to $2,050, but with a $250 deductible and a 90% reimbursement from Nationwide you can expect to get back $1,595.
Your dog suffers a ligament tear after a hike with you, and the vet determines surgery will be needed to fix it. The surgery alone will cost $6,700 and then the pain medicine following will be another $900. This total bill would come to $7,600, but after your $250 deductible, and with a 90% reimbursement from Nationwide, you will get $6,590 back.
Your beloved German Shepherd develops severe hip dysplasia as you anticipated. Thankfully, you planned ahead and purchased the Whole Pet Plan With Wellness so the treatment is covered. The cost to treat your pup and make him comfortable again would come to $7,067. With a 90% deductible, though, you can expect to get back $6,360 less your $250 annual deductible for a total back of $6,110.
Remember, an annual deductible is far more cost effective than a per incident deductible if you need to visit the vet more than once. With an annual deductible, you pay one deductible per year versus a per incident deductible which charges you every time.
Well as you may imagine, the cost of pet insurance depends on a few key variables: the breed of your pet, their age, and where you live. After that, it’s down to you how much coverage you want, how big (or small) a deductible you want to pay and how much of a reimbursement (the amount you get back after the deductible is paid) you select.
To see all of Nationwide’s plan options, click here to compare pet insurance plans, but here are a couple of examples:
| Breed: French Bulldog |
| Age: 4 years |
| Zip code: 80424 |
| Unlimited coverage |
| $250 Deductible |
| 90% Reimbursement |
| Plan Cost $57.82 Per Month |
| Breed: Australian Shephard |
| Age: 2 Years |
| Zip code: 90292 |
| Unlimited coverage |
| $250 Deductible |
| 90% Reimbursement |
| Plan Cost $51.44 per month |
Nationwide has been providing quality pet insurance at reasonable prices for more than three decades. In addition to insuring dogs and cats, they also offer insurance for exotic pets such as birds. Not many companies can tout that same statistic. Their experience with creating policies for all types of pet owners and needs is extremely beneficial in helping you to get peace of mind. If you’re looking for the Rolls-Royce of pet insurance policies then the Whole Pet With ellness plan is it. It’s not going to be the cheapest coverage but it will include more for your money than any other policy available.
