Many or all of the companies featured compensate us. Compensation and research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more
  1. Home
  2. Pet Insurance
  3. Nationwide Review

Nationwide Pet Insurance Review

2,370 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
Our content is free because we may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase using our site. Learn more.
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.
 
View Top 10 List

How Do We Rate Nationwide?

Breakdown

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

Our 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
Are you a customer of Nationwide Pet Insurance?
Submit a comment and tell other people about your experience!
Our Comment GuidelinesTips for Writing Effective Comments
Minimum 12 words.
 No maximum length.
* What's Your Rating?
To make this comment as helpful as possible for our community, please provide at least 2 sentences.

Customer Comments

Loading Reviews ...
G
Genevieve D

12/6/2017
My little Abby had a very difficult spay surgery that also proved to be very expensive. Than goodness for Nationwide Pet Insurance! They handled my claim very quickly and I received a check for 90% of my expenses. Abby is back to her old self and I am thankful to her Vet and to Nationwide!
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

Jamie L

12/6/2017
I have 2 dogs who always do there best to find trouble. Having pet insurance has helped us to keep them healthy and to have major surgeries (canine root canal, TPLO...) and basic medical care without worrying too much about where we need to cut back. I don’t know what we would do with out it!
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

B
Bill M

12/5/2017
Great service! You make claims and payments painless. Your new direct deposits of claim payments is the best.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

A
Aric B

12/5/2017
Every claim that I have filed thus far has not been processssd correctly and it has taken multiple phone calls from me into nationwide to get what should have been done from the beginning to occur. Furthermore, an issue with the 3rd party vendor imaging the submitted documents and nationwide is blaming it on the customer when it is in fact a problem on your end that you need to fix. I would expect and honestly demand better from nationwide especially based upon the premiums I’m paying.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

J
John

12/5/2017
I honestly do not know what we would have done had it not been for the insurance program you recommended to us this year. Our poor dog tore her ACL and you covered 90% of everything needed! Without that coverage we would have endured severe financial hardship. And then to get the renewal and find out you don't increase rates due to claims history! Made my holiday season very bright, indeed!
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

Natasha T

12/5/2017
The claim submission process was super easy and fairly fast. We received a check back quickly. However, few items on the list were not reimbursed because insurance adjuster decided that they were not applicable. I completely disagree - for example, a fecal test was necessary to determine what kind of poison my dog was subjected to or what bacteria/virus caused all of the symptoms, however the line item showed that the fecal test was for an "annual prevention" and not for the emergency situation we submitted this claim for. This was absolutely unfair.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

B
Begone A

12/5/2017
Thank you for checking in on Roscoe. He is has recovered very well from his recent incident and is doing great. We really appreciate the support we get from Nationwide. Roscoe is our first pet that my husband and I have together and our first experience with pet insurance. There are so many opinions on whether or not to get pet insurance and we are so glad we did.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

B
Begone A

12/5/2017
Thank you for checking in on Roscoe. He is has recovered very well from his recent incident and is doing great. We really appreciate the support we get from Nationwide. Roscoe is our first pet that my husband and I have together and our first experience with pet insurance. There are so many opinions on whether or not to get pet insurance and we are so glad we did.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

Mary F

12/5/2017
Nationwide has helped me through an operation , sickness, and giving advice. Timber and I have appreciated how they help in a timely manner with bills. I would recommend them to anyone
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

D
Diane

12/5/2017
My first time ever purchasing pet insurance! I have a policy for each of my 2 cats and used it for the first time when I took them for vaccinations. I was surprised at how easy it was to file a claim (My vet office took care of it!) and I was paid so quickly! I was impressed by the entire process and very happy I listened to friends who encouraged me that this would be a good thing for my 2 new cats.
Was this comment helpful?
HelpfulNot Helpful

Top Rated
Our Partner

Rated "Best Choice Overall" by Mashable

  • No Maximum Annual or Lifetime Payouts
  • No Enrollment or Administrative Fees
  • Most Claims are Processed in 2 Days
  • Trusted by More than 625,000 Parents
READ FULL REVIEW >
VIEW RATES

Related to Pet Insurance

Top Articles
Suggested Comparisons