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| PetsHealth Plan by Hartville Group |
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In business since 1996, Hartville's PetsHealth covers about 27,000 dogs and cats in the U.S., making the company the third-biggest player in pet insurance.
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| 800-807-6724 www.petshealthplan.com |
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PetsHealth offers many different plans that cover almost everything from no-frills accident care to, under certain conditions, long-term care for chronic illnesses. We also like that, for many illnesses, PetsHealth's maximum reimbursements are relatively generous. Plus, the company has teamed up with the ASPCA, offering ASPCA members a small discount and contributing a portion (up to 10 percent) of premiums to the ASPCA.
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We don't like that PetsHealth's "pre-existing condition restrictions" set in (or "re-set") every time your policy is renewed (ie, once a year). In plain English, this means that if your dog contracts diabetes this year he won't be covered for it next year–––not unless you've signed up for the company's expensive (and least-popular) Best Plan.
We also think PetsHealth, like most of these plans, makes it hard to know just how much you'll be reimbursed. Depending on what costs less, you'll either be reimbursed 80 percent of your out-of-pocket expenses or 80 percent of what the American Animal Hospital Association has determined is a "reasonable and customary" charge for your area. Is the AAHA's determination of "reasonable and customary" charges reasonable? We're not sure because, as far as we can tell, those numbers aren't readily available to the public. Finally, because we like our policies to be simple, we dislike the various surcharges attached to PetsHealth's policies (except the no-frills Accident-Only Plan), from a 15 percent surcharge for urban-dwellers to a 50 percent surcharge for dogs older than 12.
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Accident-Only Plan (aka Safety Plan)
Cost: $108 a year, regardless of age, breed, health condition, or hometown.
Quigley's Cost: $108 a year.
Coverage: After $100 annual deductible, plan reimburses up to 80 percent of "reasonable and customary" costs or your out-of-pocket (whichever is lower). The reimbursement limit is $2,500 per incident and $8,000 a year.
Medical Care Covered: Any accident, including poison ingestion, lacerations, bone breaks, burns, falls and motor vehicle accidents.
Medical Care Not Covered: Everything not the direct result of an accident, including general health checkups, diagnosed medical conditions, treatment of any diseases (ie, cancer), dental care, tick or flea prevention, etc.
Quigley's Coverage: His treatment for lymphoma is not covered. Nor is his regular wellness checkup. But surgeries for the swallowed toy, the broken limb, and bloat are covered.
Age Restriction: All dogs older than eight weeks are eligible.
Breed Restriction: No
Pre-existing medical restriction: Yes
Basic Plan (aka Primary Plan)
Cost: Starts at $199 a year.
Quigley's Cost: $229 a year with his city surcharge.
Coverage: After $100 annual deductible, plan reimburses up to 80 percent of "reasonable and customary" costs or your out-of-pocket (whichever is lower). The reimbursement limit is $1,500 per incident and $8,000 a year.
Medical Care Covered: Basic coverage for illness and injury, including hospitalization, X-Rays, surgery.
Medical Care Not Covered: Annual physical exams, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, dental care and work, and ongoing treatment for chronic conditions.
Quigley's Coverage: His annual checkup and dental cleaning are not covered. Medical care for the swallowed toy, broken limb, bloat, and lymphoma are.
Age restriction: New policies are not issued to dogs older than 13. Current policy-holders are charged a 25 percent surcharge once they reach age 9 and a 50 percent surcharge when they get to age 12.
Breed restriction: Shar-Peis are not covered. A 10 percent surcharge applies to basset hounds, Bernese mountain dogs, and boxers, among others. A 20 percent surcharge applies to schnauzers, mastiffs, Dobermans, and Great Danes, among others.
Pre-existing condition restriction: Yes
Value Plan (aka Advantage Plan)
Cost: Starts at $366 a year.
Quigley's Cost: $421 a year with his city surcharge.
Coverage: After $100 annual deductible, plan reimburses up to 80 percent of "reasonable and customary" costs or your out-of-pocket (whichever is lower). The reimbursement limit is $3,500 per incident and $11,000 a year.
Medical Care Covered: Same as in the Basic Plan, plus standard vaccinations (distemper, coronavirus and rabies), annual physical exams, heartworm, and fecal testing.
Medical Care Not Covered: Flea or tick prevention treatment, fancy vaccinations (such as Lyme disease and bordetella), dental cleaning or dental work, and ongoing treatment for chronic conditions.
Quigley's Coverage: His dental cleaning is not covered. Everything else—his annual checkup plus care for the swallowed toy, broken limb, bloat, and lymphoma—is covered.
Age restriction: New policies are not issued to dogs older than 13. Current policy-holders are charged a 25 percent surcharge once they reach age 9 and a 50 percent surcharge when they get to age 12.
Breed restriction: Shar-Peis are not covered. A 10 percent surcharge applies to basset hounds, Bernese mountain dogs, and boxers, among others. A 20 percent surcharge applies to schnauzers, mastiffs, Dobermans, and Great Danes, among others.
Pre-existing condition restriction: Yes
Choice Plan (aka Premier Plan)
Cost: Starts at $649 a year.
Quigley's Cost: $747 a year with his city surcharge.
Coverage: After $100 annual deductible, plan reimburses up to 80 percent of "reasonable and customary" costs or your out-of-pocket (whichever is lower). The reimbursement limit is $5,000 per incident and $13,000 a year.
Medical Care Covered: Same as Value Plan, plus Lyme disease and bordetella vaccinations, 12 months of heartworm and flea-prevention medication, and an annual dental cleaning.
Medical Care Not Covered: Dental work and ongoing treatment of chronic conditions.
Quigley's Coverage: All his maladies and care would be covered.
Age restriction: New policies are not issued to dogs older than 13. Current policy-holders are charged a 25 percent surcharge once they reach age 9 and a 50 percent surcharge when they get to age 12.
Breed restriction: Shar-Peis are not covered. A 10 percent surcharge applies to basset hounds, Bernese mountain dogs, and boxers, among others. A 20 percent surcharge applies to schnauzers, mastiffs, Dobermans, and Great Danes, among others.
Pre-existing condition restriction: Yes
Best Plan
Costs: Starts at $921 a year.
Quigley's Cost: $1,060 a year with his city surcharge.
Coverage: After $100 annual deductible, plan reimburses up to 80 percent of "reasonable and customary" costs or your out-of-pocket (whichever is lower). The reimbursement limit is $2,500 per incident and $11,000 a year.
Medical Care Covered: Same as Value Plan, plus chronic conditions that set in while you're enrolled in the Best Plan.
Medical Care Not Covered: Flea or tick prevention treatment, fancy vaccinations (such as Lyme disease and bordetella), dental cleaning or dental work.
Quigley's Coverage: His dental cleaning is not covered. Everything else—his annual checkup plus care for the swallowed toy, broken limb, bloat, and lymphoma—is covered.
Age restriction: New policies are not issued to dogs older than 13. Current policy-holders are charged a 25 percent surcharge once they reach age 9 and a 50 percent surcharge when they get to age 12.
Breed restriction: Shar-Peis are not covered. A 10 percent surcharge applies to basset hounds, Bernese mountain dogs, and boxers, among others. A 20 percent surcharge applies to schnauzers, mastiffs, Dobermans, and Great Danes, among others.
Pre-existing condition restriction: Yes.
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