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Spot/Insider
Pet insurance covers medical expenses related to unexpected injuries and ailments. Like your health insurance, it can save you thousands of dollars and protect your bank account. However, unlike human health insurance, its coverage is often limited, and pet insurance providers do not cover preexisting conditions. So your pet would not be covered for treatments for known conditions like allergies, diabetes, or Cushing's disease if diagnosed before you signed up. Coverage exclusions are a significant part of why we encourage pet parents to choose wisely and buy early, ideally when you get your pet.
According to online estimates, your dog's surgery can cost anywhere from $500 to $7,000, excluding examination, tests, x-rays, etc. With pet insurance with a $1,000 deductible and 90% coinsurance, a $500 surgery may decrease your pending deductible. A $7,000 surgery could cost you just $1,690 out of pocket ($1,100 deductible accounting for coinsurance, and $590 with the 10% you're responsible for beyond the deductible).
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Pet insurance gives you the peace of mind of knowing your family's furry friend gets the medical attention they need without breaking the bank. Pet insurance could even mean saving a beloved pet's life.
Pet insurance plans from Spot
With Spot Pet Insurance, you can take your pick at a cheaper accident-only plan or a more comprehensive accident and illness plan.
Accident-only policies will only cover unexpected injuries such as bites, cuts, broken bones, lodged foreign objects, auto accidents, and poison ingestion. On the other hand, accident and illness policies will include all coverages from your accident-only policy on top of sickness, disease, and medical conditions like cancer and chronic illnesses as long as it's not preexisting conditions.
Spot's accident & illness plan covers the following for qualifying accidents, hereditary conditions, illnesses, and chronic issues:
- Alternative therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and hydrotherapy
- Behavioral problems like anxiety, excessive licking, and aggression
- End-of-life expenses
- Intravenous fluids and medication
- Medical supplies
- MRI or CT scans and X-rays
- Poison control consultation fees
- Prescription food
- Prescription medication
- Stem cell therapy
- Supplements
- Surgery and hospitalization
- Tooth extractions
- Vet treatments (examinations, consultations, and lab tests)
- Microchipping
- Cancer treatments
What's not covered
- Cosmetic treatment
- Dental cleanings (unless treating a covered illness)
- Breeding or pregnancy
- Preexisting conditions (covers curable preexisting conditions if your pet has been symptom-free for at least 180 days)
- Final expenses
- Injuries and sicknesses resulting from intentional, malicious, or negligent treatment
- Experimental treatments
Additional coverage options from Spot
Spot Pet Insurance offers two additional plans for pet parents. Keep in mind any preexisting conditions are tracked based on the initial accident and illness pIan's purchase date.
Spot offers a gold plan and platinum plan for wellness and preventative care. The gold plan covers wellness exams, vaccines, and tests. Its platinum plan provides more extensive coverage with benefits like heartworm and flea prevention, urinalysis, and blood tests.
Spot preventative wellness plan limits
| Gold Preventative Care Plan | Platinum Preventative Care Plan | |
| Dental cleaning | $100 | $150 |
| Wellness exam | $50 | $50 |
| Flea & heartworm prevention | N/A | $25 |
| DHLPP or FVRCP Vaccine | $20 | $25 |
| Rabies, Lyme, or FIP vaccine | $20 | $25 |
| Bordatella or FELV vaccine | N/A | $25 |
| Fecal test | $20 | $25 |
| Heartworm or FELV testing | $20 | $25 |
| Blood tests | N/A | $25 |
| Urinalysis | N/A | $25 |
| Deworming | $20 | $25 |
| Health certificate | N/A | $25 |
How much does pet insurance from Spot cost?
According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, the average cost of accident-only coverage for dogs is $19.93 and $10.85 per month for cats. The average price of accident and illness coverage for dogs is $48.66 and $28.57 per month for cats.
At face value, the rates for Spot Pet Insurance policies are more expensive than the industry average. However, your pet insurance premium varies based on several factors, including your pet's age, gender, annual limit, reimbursement rate, medical history, and annual deductible. While pet insurance companies don't cover preexisting conditions, some could be indicators of more health issues down the line that would qualify for coverage.
We've gathered several sample rates for various dogs and cats in different areas. These rates are based on a $10,000 annual limit, an 80% reimbursement rate, and a $500 deductible policy.
| Accident & illness plan | Accident only plan | |
| 2yo F, Golden Retriever/ San Jose, CA | $74.51 | $26.15 |
| 1yo M, German Shepherd/ San Jose, CA | $63.05 | $26.15 |
| 3yo F, Labradoodle/ San Jose, CA | $55.27 | $26.15 |
| 3yo M, British short hair/ Houston, TX | $29.59 | $15.98 |
| 5yo F, mixed breed/ Houston, TX | $22.75 | $15.98 |
Spot offers preventative plans at an additional cost. You can get Spot's Gold plan at a fixed fee of $9.95 monthly and its Platinum plan at $24.95 monthly.
How do I file claims with Spot?
Filing a claim with Spot Pet Insurance is easy. You can file a claim online or on the Spot insurance app by clicking the claims icon and uploading a picture of your bill.
You must pay the required deductible to start receiving reimbursements for your claim. With Spot, you can choose a deductible between $100 and $1,000: the higher your deductible, the lower your premiums.
Got a burning question? You can call spot insurance at 1.800.905.1595 from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm EST.
Compare Spot vs. Trupanion
We compared Spot to the popular pet insurance provider, Trupanion pet insurance, to see how the companies stack up.
Coverage
Spot Pet Insurance offers coverage for exam fees and microchipping in its standard plan. Additionally, Spot has preventative wellness and accident-only policies available for purchase, while Trupanion doesn't. With such diverse programs, pet parents can customize pet insurance to meet their needs.
However, while Spot offers more comprehensive coverage, you may fancy Trupanion for paying claims directly to qualifying vets. With Spot, you must pay the bill to your vet and get reimbursed later. This is a significant perk for pet parents who worry about waiting for some claims to be paid.
Cost
We compared the price of pet insurance with Spot and Trupanion under similar scenarios. Each rate is based on a policy with an unlimited annual limit, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $500 deductible.
Spot offers the more affordable plan of the two and even has a 10% discount for multiple pets to sweeten the deal.
Scenario 1: dog/1-year-old/male/German Shepherd in San Jose, California
- Trupanion:
- Spot: $86.86/month
Scenario 2: cat/5-year-old/female/mixed breed in San Jose, California
- Trupanion: $58.63/month
- Spot: $47.56
Customization
Trupanion has limited coverage options next to Spot. With Trupanion, you can only adjust your deductible. Additionally, Spot only has one annual deductible. Meanwhile, Trupanion requires a deductible for each condition treated, which may add up if you anticipate your pet visiting the vet multiple times a year.
Trupanion
- Maximum annual coverage: unlimited
- Reimbursement: 90%
- Deductibles per condition: $0 to $1,000 (per condition)
Spot
- Maximum annual coverage: $2,500 to Unlimited
- Reimbursement: 70% to 90%
- Deductible: $100 to $1,000 (annual)
Restrictions and waiting periods
Spot insurance has a shorter waiting period of 14 days for accident and illness coverages. In contrast, Trupanion has an average waiting period of five days for accidents and 30 days for illness, almost two times Spot's waiting time.
Further, Spot has no upper age limit for pets eligible for coverage, while Trupanion only insures pets up to 14 years old.
Verdict: Spot is the clear winner for its extensive coverage, affordable rates, policy options, and shorter waiting periods.
Compare Spot vs. Figo
We compared policies from Spot Pet Insurance and Pet Insurance to see which company offers the most coverage at a competitive price.
Coverage
We first noticed Figo doesn't offer an accident-only plan while Spot does, which may be cheaper. No accident-only plan could mean no pet insurance coverage for parents on a strict budget.
We also noticed Spot covers exam fees and microchipping in its standard plan. Figo, on the other hand, covers exam fees and microchipping at an additional cost. However, It may pique your interest that Figo covers final expense costs and boarding fees for an extra charge, which Spot doesn't offer.
Cost
We ran the numbers for rates from Spot and Figo for policies with $10,000 annual coverage, 80% reimbursement, and a $500 deductible in San Jose, California. We found Spot is more expensive for dogs, while Figo is more expensive for cats. However, the differences in cost are marginal.
Scenario 1: dog/1-year-old/male/German Shepherd in San Jose, California
- Figo: $54.51
- Spot: $63.05
Scenario 2: cat/5-year-old/female/mixed breed in San Jose, California
- Figo: $27.85
- Spot: $22.75
Customization
With Spot, you have a broader range of policy options for maximum annual coverage and deductible options. However, with Figo, you can get up to 100% of your vet's bill paid after the deductible.
Figo
- Maximum annual coverage: $5,000 to unlimited
- Reimbursement: 70% to 100%
- Deductible: $100 to $750
Spot
- Maximum annual coverage: $2,500 to unlimited
- Reimbursement: 70% to 90%
- Deductible: $100 to $1,000
Restrictions and waiting periods
Figo has a waiting period of one day for accidents and 14 days for illness. In contrast, Spot has a waiting period of 15 days for accidents and illness. Figo delivers coverage faster than Spot, which you should consider before purchasing a policy.
Both Figo and Spot cover pets of all ages, including seniors.
Verdict: Spot insurance appears to provide more coverage in its standard plan without the additional fee, unlike Figo. However, Spot is slightly more expensive for dog insurance. Otherwise, both companies are evenly matched in coverage and policy options. So your chosen company will depend on what you need at the price that makes sense for you and your pet. Age, breed, and medical history may also give one competitor an edge.
Compare Spot vs. Healthy Paws
We analyzed Spot Pet Insurance's competitor, Healthy Paws, to determine which company offers the best value.
Coverage
We found you get more coverage with Spot than Healthy Paws, such as the following:
- Behavioral issues
- Cosmetic expenses
- Exam fee
- Microchip implant
- Curable conditions
- Prescription food and supplements
Spot also offers an accident-only plan. Meanwhile, Healthy Paws only provides accident and illness policies.
Cost
We ran the numbers for rates from Spot and Figo for policies with unlimited annual coverage, 80% reimbursement, and a $500 deductible in San Jose, California. Unfortunately, Spot's pet insurance policies are significantly more expensive than Healthy Paws' coverage for cats and dogs.
Scenario 1: dog/1-year-old/male/German Shepherd in San Jose, California
- Healthy Paws: $66.50
- Spot: $80.98
Scenario 2: cat/5-year-old/female/mixed breed in San Jose, California
- Healthy Paws: $28.39
- Spot: $43.91
Customization
Spot and Healthy Paws are marginally different when it comes to policy choices.
Healthy Paws
- Maximum annual coverage: unlimited
- Reimbursement: 50% to 90%,
- Deductible: $100 to $1,000
Spot
- Maximum annual coverage: $2,500 to unlimited
- Reimbursement: 70% to 90%
- Deductible: $100 to $1,000
Restrictions and waiting periods
Spot and Healthy Paws have a 15-day waiting period for accident and illness plans. However, Healthy Paws won't insure pets over 14. As mentioned previously, Spot doesn't have an upper age limit. So between these two insurance providers, senior pets may only qualify for coverage with Spot.
Verdict: We think Spot is the clear choice when it comes to coverage. However, it can be pretty expensive compared to Healthy Paws.
Methodology
We base our ratings on cost, coverage options, customization, and customer service for a consistent rating system for different products.
- Cost – How do its rates compare to the industry average? Does the company offer affordable options, or is it more expensive than competitors?
- Coverage – This is the bang for the buck. What range of treatments are covered by the insurance company? What riders and add-ons does the company in question offer? More coverage could offset a high price as long as it's coverage customers want.
- Policy customization – What extent can consumers choose a reimbursement level, deductibles, and annual limits
- Customer service – Is the insurance provider's customer service team available when you need help? How long does it take to process a claim according to honest customer reviews? We scour different sources to determine what customers think of each product before we rate it.
FAQs
Does Spot have a waiting period?
Spot Pet Insurance has a 15-day waiting period before you can start receiving accident and illness coverage.
Does Spot cover preexisting conditions?
No. Like all pet insurance companies, Spot doesn't cover preexisting conditions. However, Spot covers curable preexisting conditions. In other words, if your pet is more than 180 days symptom and treatment free from their ailment, that condition may be eligible for coverage.
Does Spot offer coverage for senior pets?
Spot has no upper age limit for qualifying pets. So both young and senior dogs can be eligible for pet insurance coverage with Spot.
Can I cancel Spot?
If you wish to opt out of Spot's services, contact a Spot pet insurance representative at 1.800.905.1595.
