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Nationwide Pet Insurance Review

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Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company with unparalleled financial stability and claims-paying ability that has recently ventured into the pet insurance marketplace.

The company stands out because they offer expanded coverage beyond just cats and dogs, as well as wellness plans that cover things like checkups and vaccinations.
 
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How is Nationwide rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Coverage
3.0/5
Cost
4.0/5
Extras

Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)

Nationwide's Whole Pet with Wellness Plan is one of the most comprehensive on the market, and it will, as a result, cost you more than most standard pet insurance plans.

Nationwide is one of the few pet insurance providers that will extend coverage beyond dogs and cats, covering birds and all manner of other pets.

Truly unlimited coverage, however, is only offered if you choose the top tier plan.

Be aware that all plans besides Whole Pet with Wellness operate on a benefit schedule.

Nationwide Coverage

Coverage - 5 / 5

Nationwide's Whole Pet with Wellness plan is a great option for a complete pet insurance plan.

In addition to the normal accident and illness coverage, it also provides for yearly physical exams, vaccinations, and flea/heartworm prevention. It is, however, on the pricey side as a result. Its Major Medical plan is more in line cost and coverage-wise with the standard accident and illness plans offered by most companies.

You can also purchase the wellness plan on it's own, and it is relatively inexpensive. Finally, Nationwide recently released a more inexpensive Whole Pet plan without the wellness component.

This plan has many of the same characteristics of Whole Pet with Wellness, operates on a percentage reimbursement basis, but is subject to different annual caps.

It is interesting to note that Nationwide is the only company we are aware of that extends pet insurance beyond cats and dogs.

The company will cover most birds and a wide range of exotic pets.
Pets Covered
Dogs
Cats
Birds
Exotic Animals
Coverage Types
Medical
Wellness
Vet Selection
Unrestricted
Out-of-State Coverage
Yes
Commercial Pets Covered

Medical Conditions Covered

  • Accidental
  • Illness
  • Hereditary
  • Congenital
  • Cancer
  • Chronic
  • Accidental Dental
  • Dental Illness

Medical Treatments Covered

  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Surgery
  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription Medications
  • Emergency Care
  • Specialty Care
  • Alternative Care
  • Behavioral Therapy

Benefit Limits

Benefit Limits - 5 / 5

Both Nationwide models -- Whole Pet with 90% reimbursement, and all other plans with a benefit schedule -- offer unlimited annual maximums. The new Whole Pet plan without wellness, though, is subject to a $10,000 annual cap.

Additionally, you must remember that any plan but the Whole Pets are going to limit you by condition or procedure.

So even though technically there is no limit to the dollar amount they will spend on your pet in a year in total, there are limits on a condition and service basis with the lower two plans.
Benefit Limit Types
Unlimited

Reimbursement & Deductibles

Reimbursement - 5 / 5

Nationwide's top tier Whole Pet with Wellness, as well as the new Whole Pet (alone) plan, both reimburse 90% of the total vet bill.

However, Major Medical and Pet Wellness reimburse according to a benefits schedule.

These schedules cap payouts by condition or service. If you are going with one of these plans we suggest you scrutinize your policy carefully before purchase, as your pet's breed may be susceptible to certain conditions with low coverage limits in the plan.

Benefits schedules, and no choice in customizing the reimbursement percentage in the top tier plan, limit the flexibility of Nationwide's offerings.
Reimbursement Model
Actual Cost
Benefit Schedule
Minimum Percent Reimbursement
90%
Maximum Percent Reimbursement
90%

Deductibles - 5 / 5

Nationwide Whole Pet with Wellness offers one annual deductible of $100.

This is in some ways good because it is so low. But you will not have the flexibility of choosing higher deductibles should you want a lower monthly premium or should it somehow fit your needs in other ways.

Most of our top companies offer customizable deductibles.

The new Whole Pet without the wellness component, as well as the Major Medical plan, both have annual deductibles set at $250.
Deductible Type
Annual
Minimum Deductible Offered
$100
Maximum Deductible Offered
$250

Pricing: How much does Nationwide cost?

Cost - 3 / 5

Nationwide's plans are comprehensive, but you are going to pay the price. Their monthly premiums are a little on the high end as opposed to our other companies.

Starting Monthly Premiums

Dog: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male Golden Retriever in zip code 92683
$34.25
Cat: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male American Shorthair in zip code 92683
$18.84
Rate Details: Annual Deductible: $250, Benefits Cap: Annual & Unlimited, Reimbursement Model: Benefits Schedule
Available Discounts: 5% discount on current Nationwide member

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Enrollment - 3 / 5

Like our other companies, Nationwide will enroll pets starting at 6 weeks. Unlike our other companies, Nationwide has a relatively lower age restriction with older pets at 10 years.

However, if the pet is enrolled before age 10, and the policy never lapses, they will be covered for the duration of their lives.

Waiting periods are industry standard at 14 days, although Wellness starts 24 hours after approval.
Min Enrollment Age
6 weeks
Max Enrollment Age
10 years
Accident Waiting Period
14 days
Illnesses Waiting Period
14 days
Free Look Period
10 days

Claims & Service

Extras - 4 / 5

Nationwide's claims procedure is standard for the pet insurance industry.

Like other companies, you must first pay the vet directly, download Nationwide's claim form, and submit the form with all paid invoices. You can submit via mail, fax or email.
Advertised Response Time
14 days
Claim Form
Mail
Email
Fax

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
https://www.petinsurance.com/
Headquarters Address
One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH, 43215
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2344, Brea, CA, 92822
Year Founded
1981
What We’re Hearing From Our Readers
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Customer Comments

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J
Jennifer B

8/18/2017
Freya had a medical issue which I sought various forms of help with including specialists and your help line. In the end, her almost 4 month ordeal was solved by a simple change in medication! I spent thousands getting to that answer, and no one at your office gleamed the information that a new vet took 5 min to figure out. On top of this, you decided Freyas medical issues were caused from a physical deformation - exempting you from helping with the costs. This was wrong as well! One change to the med and she's been well for 6 months. At least her primary vet talked about the alternative medication with me...you office had no insights. Very frustrating experience.
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Linda R

8/18/2017
We got a new puppy, this year, and as you know, there a lot of costs associated with that. Between the shots, spaying, etc., we were happy to have this insurance. Every claim that I submitted was promptly processed and with the new direct deposit option, I receive my reimbursement even more quickly. Even though we know that veterinary costs are usually way less after the first year, and until a pups elderly years, we plan to keep Maddie's plan and, like all insurance, hope that we rarely need to use it. It is comforting, however, knowing, that if something should arise, that we won't have to make a decision based upon money, rather than just making sure that our little Maddie gets the... Read More
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L
lmilani

8/18/2017
Mindy and us thank you for your prompt reimbursements during her ordeals the past few months! She is now in full recovery and cancer free! So glad we chose you for her insurance.
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L
L M

8/18/2017
The entire process went smoothly. Easy to submit the claim, timely turn around, notification of the process, and prompt payment.
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J
Julie

8/18/2017
Have had my dog insured since his first vet visit at 4 months old. He's now almost 3, and while it originally frustrated me that many of my dog's wellness visits did not receive much reimbursement, I'm very pleased with the amount of reimbursement for my dog's illness visits. We've had a few emergencies, which were 80-90% covered. More recently my dog has been struggling with a type of Bacterial imbalance in his intestine/stomach, and my 3 vet visits (with several expensive diagnostic tests), only cost me about $60 out of pocket. It's truly a comforting experience when you can tell the vet to go ahead and order certain tests or treatment that are expensive because you have pet insurance.... Read More
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S
srere

8/18/2017
Thank you for such an easy experience. This is the first time I have purchased pet insurance - but mostly because of my friends telling me of the nightmares of trying to make a claim. Your process is literally one of the easiest online experiences I have had in recent history. The little things count: complete online process - from submission to payment, pre-filled forms with Coco's info - policy number etc - no searching required, simple upload of documents from my vet visit.
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D
dan

8/18/2017
honestly, I thought this was going to be a ripoff, but did it anyway. pleasantly surprised. All of my claims have been paid timely and only one took a long time because it was an expensive emergency and they needed the records (which is fair given the cost), but it was reimbursed.
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Meredith H

8/18/2017
We didn't expect any major vet bills with our brand new puppy, but after a few unexpected surgeries we are so thankful that we decided to get him insurance! Nationwide has made it incredibly easy to submit claims and to understand how your benefits are applied to the claims. It's so worth it knowing that if anything does go wrong, you have the coverage you need to make sure your pet gets better.
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D
Donmichlassig

8/18/2017
We are so glad that we signed up for Nationwide pet insurance. Violette is our 3rd black lab we have had, and unfortunately has had two rather serious infections-UTI. Thank Good was for Nationwide because we had Vet bills totaling over $1000 and Nationwide very promptly reviewed our claims and quickly paid us back for their share, minus the deductible. I would recommend Nationwide for any and all that love their pets and want and need the very best care for them. Don Lassig-Pacific Grove, Ca.
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Marcia G

8/18/2017
I've been very happy with Nationwide, and it is easy to submit claims. Their communication is excellent, too.
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Top Rated
Our Partner
  • No enrollment or administrative fees
  • Accidents, illnesses & emergency care
  • Most claims are processed within 2 days
  • Flexible premium & deductible options

 

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